Warmer vs Context Setting

Hello!

There have been instances when I have mixed up a warmer with context setting. It was during my TEFL course that I learnt how to use them without confusing the two. I am happy to share whatever little I have gathered.

Let's begin by understanding the differences between the two:

Purpose:

A warmer is done before beginning a class with the objective of helping the students feel relaxed and also to create enthusiasm among them. It's a great tool to get their attention and also activate their pre existing knowledge of a topic. 

A context setting takes place after a warmer. It is the part where a topic is partly revealed and students can bridge the gap from known to unknown. 

 Topic disclosure:

At the warmer stage, a child does not hav e much clue about the topic; however, the activity is related. Whereas, in case of context setting, it is like the trailer of a movie hence it must be perfectly edited in order to arouse excitement among the class and help them arrive at the topic with teacher's help. 

Types of activities:

For a warmer we can do activities which involve Total Physical Response (TPR), gesture games, listening games. The focus mainly is on body movement which will keep them involved in the activity. 

In case of a context setting, some activities could be - a quiz, a slide show, reading and listening activity, building a conversation, look and say activities, answering questions by looking at an aid. Students should get an idea what they are going to learn about and try to arrive at the topic. 

Now let us look at some of the similarities:

• Time duration - 2-3 minutes each in a class of 50-55 minutes.
• Both should be age and topic appropriate.
• Students should be involved completely in both the activities.
• Simplified instructions for both in order to elicit maximum responses.

I hope the following examples helps:

Example 1 - 

Topic - Alliteration

Warmer - a song on alliteration - Four Fat Fish

Teacher plays the song and asks the students to dance along and while the song plays teacher repeats the alliterative words in a very subtle way. (Total Physical Response)

Context Setting - Teacher says a tongue twister 3 times, asks students to listen first then they repeat after the teacher as instructed. (Listening and Speaking)

Example 2 - 

Topic - Verbs

Warmer - playing a game - Simon says - Students participate in the game as instructed by teacher (use of TPR)

Context Setting - Using a slide show to display images and asking the students to identify what is happening. Teacher will elicit responses and stress on the action words.

I would like to add that a novice teacher should try to keep the two separate when planning a lesson; however, with experience they can be gradually clubbed together transiting a warmer into context setting.

Designing Driving Questions

Hello!

I recently came across the idea of using Driving Questions (DQ) in classroom situations and more suitably when planning a PBL (Project based Learning). Before designing driving questions let us look at the main components of PBL. 

PBL is student centered and it can help students to:

• learn by doing 
• apply previous knowledge
• work in groups
• give peer feedback (critical friends)
• think creatively and critically 
• get long lasting knowledge

I have learnt that a great way to start a PBL in your classrooms is by putting forward a driving question in front of your class. However, it has to be designed appropriately in order to achieve the objective of the PBL.  We can do it in smaller groups or as a whole class. 

A driving question:

• creates a 'need to know' approach among students 
• promotes eagerness, curiosity, discussion, justification and possible solutions
• since the questions are open-ended, there is immense scope for creativity and out of the box thinking

Let's look at designing a DQ - 

There are 4 main parts to a Driving question. 

• INCIPIT - The first part of the question which makes students feel involved and provokes curiosity. Examples - 'How can we.......', 'What can we do....', 'How would you...'

• CHALLENGE - The second part of the question poses a situation/challenge/problem. Students analyze the situation and it tells them what they are supposed to do or what kind of product they can prepare. Examples - 'design your own restaurant..', 'plan and prepare a meal...', 'solve the garbage problem', 'ensure people follow traffic rules..'. Key words - plan, prepare, help, solve, create, instruct, design, etc.

• GOAL - Goal should be tangible, specific and clear. It motivates students to accomplish a cause or goal. Examples - 'to feed people..', 'to make the world a better place...', 'to bring/ensure peace...', etc.

• AUDIENCE - The outcomes of PBL are not just for the teacher or the classroom audience but it must have an impact of something or somebody known. Having a audience will the guide the students towards the questions - 'who for' or 'what for'. Examples - 'in our community..', 'in your city..', 'across the globe..', 'your neighbours..' etc.

It is suggested that we design a DQ in the same order as above - Incipit, Challenge, Goal and Audience. However, Goal and Audience can be placed interchangeably.

Let's look at a few examples of DQs- 

1. How can we plan a school carnival that will raise money for our school?

2. What can you do to ensure people follow traffic rules in your city?

3. How would you design your own reading club that will attract young readers in your neighbourhood?

DQs may or may not be related to the subject topics under study. Questions can be based on real life problems or situations to which students can relate and come up with concrete solutions.

The journey of PBL usually begins with a DQ; hence, it is important that they are well thought and designed, much before hand, and aim at creating eagerness among our students and make learning long lasting.

The Cave Painters

Hello!

My class of grade 02 were fascinated to learn about the lives of early humans. In every class they flaunted their research skill by sharing something new they found out about them. Well, this topic excites me too so I grab every chance to try out new things with my class. 😄

While learning about the lives of early humans, we looked at a few cave paintings and tried reading them to gather more information about the cave people. It was interesting to see the young ones use their imagination and share their understanding of the paintings. Some of the points that they reflected upon were: types of animals that the humans hunted, types of tools and weapons they used, fire used not just for cooking meat but also scare away wild animals and many more such facts about early humans' everyday life. 

I thought it to be a good idea to have my students make their own cave paintings followed by a peer interaction on what they can gather by looking at each other's work. 

The materials needed for the activity are very easily available and it can be conducted online as well. You will require:

1. a white A4 sheet

2. brown paint

3. pencil

4. cotton

I began the activity by showing a few more samples of cave paintings to my students. This helped them know more about the cave people. They took ideas from the samples and created their own drawings. Once they completed drawing, they diluted the brown paint and used some cotton to dab over the entire sheet making sure not to leave any white spaces. Then using a paint brush, they painted their drawings and kept it for drying. Once it dried, they outlined their drawing again using a pencil. Some of them even used a pen. Finally, we crushed the paper giving it a shape of a ball and opened it to what looked like a cave painting. 

Below are some of their work.

It was not just fun to make these but the peer interaction after the activity helped us reflect on our learning about the lives of early humans and appreciate each other's efforts.

Creating Earth Inside Out!

Hello!

I started teaching about the 4 layers of the Earth to my grade 02 students with the help of a visual aid. However, soon I realized that the topic was not very appealing to them. They had to be able to make connections with their learning and also apply their understanding. 

While looking for activities to make the topic more engaging I came across the idea of making a model of the 4 layers of the earth from inside out. I thought it to be good for my class as the students were already aware about the layers and their characteristics by now. This activity would help them to apply their understanding in order to build the model. 

Let's look at the materials required:

1. hard kneaded dough (size of a tennis ball)

2. paint

3. butter knife

We began by revising about the 4 layers - the inner core, the outer core, the mantle and the crust. We also discussed how each layer is different from another. Other details like - the hottest layer, the thinnest layer, the thickest layer and so on were vital points of discussion as students had to create the layers according to their characteristics. 

We divided the dough ball into 4 parts depending on our understanding of the layers. The inner core - thick and small, slightly bigger rolled out ball for the outer core, mantle much bigger since it is the largest layer and crust slightly smaller size as it is the thinnest layer. 

Next, we added some thick paint to each layer depending on the heat intensity and rolled the dough again into circles. Our pale dough balls were now looking colourful. We used red for the inner core, orange for the outer core, yellow for the mantle and blue and green for the coolest crust. 

Now that our layers were ready, we started building our Earth inside out. Before we wrapped the layers one on top of the other, we flattened out the outer core, mantle and crust. We used our palms to do so; however, you can use a rolling board and pin as well. We wrapped the outer core around the inner, followed by the mantle and finally the crust. Our planet was now ready to be sliced through to discover the 4 layers inside it. 

Please note: Students may slice using a butter knife or a knife under adult supervision.

My students loved the activity and developed a better understanding about the layers of the Earth. I hope you too can try it in your class. 

I did the activity with kneaded flour dough since I wasn't sure if all the students will have play dough. Flour is mostly available at home and it is easier to arrange in the current Covid situation. If you want you can even used play dough for the same.

Weaving a Nest!

Hello!

While learning about birds and their nests in Pre Nursery, we came across one of the most interesting birds - the weaver bird. Interesting because of the way it weaves its nest. To integrate the topic with Art, my teacher partner and I decided to help students weave a nest. Considering the age levels, 3-4 years, the activity had to be interesting yet simple. While looking for ideas, we came across a simple way in which kids could weave a nest using wool. 

Let's look at the materials needed:

1. wool

2. dry leaves and twigs

3. flour dough or play dough to make the eggs

4. some cotton

We began by showing the kids a video of weaver bird weaving his nest. We discussed how carefully they do it to ensure it is safe and warm for the eggs to mature. Students were able to build a connect between humans and birds and understood that they provide similar love and protection to their young ones. 

The activity focused on helping children develop their fine-motor skills. We began by taking some wool and gently weaving it around our thumb and little finger in a criss-cross way. It took some while for the young ones to understand the technique; however, with some help they were mostly able to do it. 

Once the weaving was done and the nest looked warm enough for the eggs we carefully slipped it out of our fingers and placed it on our tables. Students covered their nests with some dry leaves, hair, twigs and cotton to keep them warm and strong. Once the nest was ready, we took some play dough and rolled them in an oval shape to make the eggs.  

Students then placed the eggs carefully in the nests and completed the activity. This lesson gave us a chance to learn about different types of birds and their nests and the materials they use to build them. 

Here are some of the pictures of the nests weaved by 4 year olds in my class.

P.S. Weaving activities are very good for developing the fine-motor skills of a 4 year old. If you are a parent then work on similar activities with your child at home to better develop the hand-eye coordination.

Dear Diary...

Hello!

Diary writing is an excellent practice that can help students polish their writing skills. It not just aids in building complete and meaningful sentences but students learn to express through words at a very early stage. It also gives the freedom to choose what you want to write about.

My students of grade 02 came across this form of writing when we were reading about a character in a story who loved to write in her diary. The idea was new to my class but we started simple i.e. by brainstorming ideas on writing a diary. 

We looked at a few samples of diary writing and made a note of following points:

• writing the date
• addressing it to the diary
• feeling free to write about anything we would like to
• keeping the diary a secret if we want to
• it can be written whenever we want to write
• we can also illustrate to express

In the beginning it was a little challenging for 7-8 year olds to decide on a topic. So, we decided to write about what they did last Sunday. This got them thinking and it was easier to narrow down ideas and thoughts. 

For any creative piece, I always like to begin with the whole class and then move on to them writing individually. We chose to write about our field trip to the museum since it was common to us all. In this process, I write on the board while students help me with sentences and ideas. They are guided and corrected as well. Once the class diary was ready, we read it out together. 

After this, we move on to writing in smaller groups with our group teachers. Here the students reach out to teachers when stuck and it can be better monitored if they are on the right track. Once they are done, if they choose to, they can read out their piece to their teachers and friends. 

This activity worked well for my class and helped my children in developing better writing skills. Some of them had even started writing in a diary at their homes. It is great exercise that you should also try with your class.

Thank you, John Venn!!

Hello!

Understanding the differences and similarities between physical and political maps can be slightly challenging for seven and half year olds. 

To simplify it, I decided to use a Venn diagram in my Social Studies class.

Before doing this activity, students should be familiarized with what are physical and political maps. 

Start with the differences since they are easier to identify. Have both the maps displayed and ask your class to brainstorm some of the differences between them. Write down on the board as they discuss. 

Next, move on to talking about the similarities. Have them written in the center on the board. 

Something like this:

Once the discussion is over, draw circles in a way that the similarities are in the overlapping part of the two circles and the differences  on the either sides.

Encourage your class to draw their own Venn diagrams and they could even illustrate, if they wish to. 

For example:

Google search image

Some other subjects/topics where Venn diagrams have helped me make learning fun are:

• Social Studies - Understanding the similarities and differences between maps and globes, latitudes and longitudes, comparing festivals, religions and so on. 
• Language Arts - a comic strip and a short story, poems and stories, singular and plural (the nouns which do not change can be in the centre; like - deer, moose, sheep)
• Science - plants and animals, stars and planets 

Although a Math concept, but Venn diagrams have proved to be very useful across subjects and concepts. I often try to integrate them in my class. I hope you like the idea and try them out.

Please feel free to suggest more concepts where I could apply Venn diagrams in my classroom.

Let's go on a Treasure Hunt!

Ahoy!

Would you like to go on a TREASURE HUNT with your class? First, let's begin by making a Treasure Map!

I did this activity with my grade 02 students while we were learning about Maps and Directions as part of Social Studies. It surely made my class exciting and fun filled.

You will need:

• an A4 sheet (you could also use a brown paper bag to make the map look more realistic)
• a pencil
• a ball-point pen
• paints
• a medium paint brush
• felt pens

Let's begin!

Ask the students to draw an outline of their treasure map using a pencil. They could start by deciding the spot for hiding their treasure and drawing the route to reach the point. 

A compass rose plays an important role hence that too should be shown clearly. Then, ask them to add a few more features like - mountains, trees, sharks in the water, pirate ships, snakes and so on. 

Now, ask them to trace over the pencil mark with the ball-point pen. This will ensure that the drawing is clearly visible while painting the map. A ball-point pen is important as it will prevent the ink from smudging.

It's time to add some colours!

Kids can use brown for the land area and blue for water. Remind them to use very little paint and enough water as making the map too dark could hide the details on the map. Once the paint is dry, trace over the map using felt pens. Students can highlight the treasure hiding spot by drawing a red cross.

We have now reached the most interesting part of this activity. Are you ready?

Tear the edges of the map with your hands. Be very careful while doing that.

Now crush it. Yes, you read it right! Crush your map to make a paper ball

Finally, open it and you are ready to go on a TREASURE HUNT with you class!

I hope you found the activity interesting. Looking forward for comments.

Beyond Our Imagination!

Hello!

Even sky is not the limit for the little ones and their imagination!

Through this post I want to share one such experience of mine with my batch of 7.5 year olds.

While learning about stars and constellations, we did an art activity as an integration with the topic. I was taken by surprise to see their creativity.  

This activity requires very simple preparation and it's easy to do.

You could give a name to the activity. I called it : Finding My Constellation

You will need:      

• Black kg card sheet/chart paper
• Silver acrylic paint 
• Paint brushes 
• Some water
• Pencil

Begin by diluting the paint with very little water. Add water only if it is required. The consistency should be on the thicker side. Once it's ready ask the kids to dip their paint brush and sprinkle on the black kg card. The silver dots will look like tiny stars.

Now comes the interesting part!

After the paint is dry, ask the kids to look at the stars carefully and try to find their own constellation. Once they have visualised, ask them to use a pencil to connect the dots/stars and draw them.

 

Believe me, you will be wonder struck by looking at their creation.

To highlight the constellation, you could ask the kids to make the dots/stars a little thicker. Finally, ask them to write a line or two describing their constellation and giving a name to it. 

They will simply love doing that!

Have a sharing time during which students show their constellation to everyone and talk about it. 

While my class was busy finding their own constellations, I found mine too! I called it The Shiny Seahorse! :)

Here are a few pictures of constellations created by my grade 02 students.

Think Thick!

Hello!

You may find this post really helpful if you take Reading/Reading Comprehension in your classes. Well, it is actually applicable to all teachers and across subjects but through reading we can make the most out of it.

Asking questions not just makes our class interactive but also helps our children think. Reasoning skills play an important role in our teaching world, not just for students but also for us teachers.  

Let's see how we can help children think and reason better. One of the ways is by asking them to answer and make THIN and THICK QUESTIONS.

Beginning with the THIN QUESTIONS..

Examples of thin questions:

• How many?
• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• When?

Answers to THIN QUESTIONS can be found right in the text. They are:

• Easier to answer
• Yes or No Questions
• Usually only one answer

While reading story books or any text encourage children to find answers to such questions and also make THIN questions. Play a game within your group where kids make their own questions and everybody takes turns to answer. 

Examples of thick questions:

• Why?
• How come?
• What if..?
• How did?
• What does the author mean?
• What would happen?
• What might..?
• I wonder...?

Answers to THICK QUESTIONS cannot be found right in the text. Kids need to put on their THINKING CAPS!!

• Many answers to same question
• Need to use evidence from the text
• Use background knowledge
• Difficult to find directly in the text

Play the same game as mentioned above for helping kids to answer and make THICK questions. 

By doing an activity on 'Thick and Thin Questions', kids not just learn how to find clues for the answers but they also learn to make questions. Thinking and reasoning skills are further deepened.

I hope you find this activity useful. Keep reading for further ideas!! :)

Happy to receive comments!! 

Say NO to Water Pollution

Hello!

Water pollution is a serious concern in our world and we all know the consequences. 

When discussed as a topic in class with 7 year olds, I encourage them to share their knowledge or experiences with everybody. It not just allows them to speak their minds out loud but also creates awareness among them. 

We actually did a 'water polluting' activity in class to watch and understand how water changes once polluted and what could happen if all the water on our planet is polluted!

I kept a tub of water and a few other things like - wrappers, banana peel, straws, oil, rocks, some mud, that could be used to pollute the water.

I called the kids closer to where the water was kept and asked them to dump all the other things into the water. At first, they looked at me like I was out of mind but then they too wanted to understand what actually happens if water is polluted. 

The wrappers and straws started floating on the surface and they discussed and wondered that how difficult it must be for water animals to come to the surface and breathe. Sometimes these wrappers look like some sea creatures and they are swallowed by other big animals. Also, how fishing nets get entangled around the necks of many sea animals and results in their death.

The rocks and some mud changed the colour of the water, leaving the water dirty. The kids made a connection between how they like to take a shower with clean water, keep their home clean and so, sea creatures too would want clean water for themselves. Students also related to immersion of idols in India and it's impact on our seas and rivers.

Finally, when I asked them to pour some oil in that water they were shocked to see what happened. The oil was floating on the water surface and we could not see the water anymore.

The discussions were never ending. It was enlightening to see students participate actively in discussions. They felt sympathetic for the sea creatures and realised the amount of damage that is done to our planet Earth because of human actions. 

The activity also helped the students think about ways to protect water from getting polluted and what could be their roles in order to stop people from polluting the water. 

Kids understand their responsibilities more than we think they do. The session left us thinking the whole day about our actions and ignited a sense of duty towards saving water and the life in water.