Ask your child about 'ANYTHING TIME'!
To them, it seems like a fun time to do whatever they want...
To me, incredible learning is happening!
As a class, they created a list of different ways to use writing.
They came up with emails, texting, twitter, facebook, writing
stories, poems, lists, letters, invitations, instructions, labels and
explaining a drawing. Once the list was made we read
a very interesting story called, I Lost My Tooth in Africa.
When the story was finished they were given time to write about
this story in any way they wanted.
Some drew a picture and wrote a sentence about their drawing...
Some wrote a letter to the Tooth Fairy...
...Some did research on African animals and wrote about the facts they learned...
...Some wrote puppet shows and made puppets to retell the story...
...some created a board game about the story and wrote step by step
instructions of how to play the game...
...some wrote a script for a play...
...some made books to retell the story.
This was week one of "Anything Time". Stay tuned for other amazing work produced during "Anything Time"!
"Anything Time"...Second Edition
Each afternoon after the students come in from lunch recess,
I read a chapter or two out loud to the class. We just finished a great
story called, Dragon Masters #1, by Tracey West.
So...someone decided they wanted to make a dragon stone (just like the one in the story)
out of clay. This really caught on and many students wanted to make their
own stone or clay dragon. Once their clay sculpture was complete, all sorts of writing took place.
Some made lists of powers that their dragon stone had.
Some wrote stories of the magic of their dragon stone.
Some created charts of information about they learned about the characters in the story.
By the end of "Anything Time" we had two students representing
their teams in a great debate!
Some wrote and created things about different stories that interested them...because
their best work happens when they are interested and invested in what they are doing!
"Anything Time - 3rd Edition"
One of the students brought in a bin of Minecraft Blocks for Anything Time.
This started all sorts of conversations about Minecraft. A group of students
built with the blocks for a bit (I was hoping it would get their creative juices
flowing - it worked!). Suddenly we found ourselves at the centre of a great debate!
It was those in favor of SJV having Minecraft on the school ipads against
those against having Minecraft on the school ipads.
Students began their persuasive letters to the principal stating their ideas.
By the end of "Anything Time" we had two students representing
their teams in a great debate!
Up until this, persuasive letters didn't seem too important to the kids. Now,
I think they are all better equipped, and more interested to write one!
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