Critical and Reflective Thinking

Context

After reading the story, “Not A Stick” by Antoinette Portis, students were asked to turn a stick into something new and innovative. This student made the task fit his current creative project which was to invent a fire starter for campers.

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Student Work Sample

Teacher Observation

Initially the student had difficulty coming up with an idea during the planning of the project.  It was not until a few days later that the boy told his teacher, “I am probably going to be an inventor when I grow up.” When she asked him what he was going to invent, he began to tell her his elaborate plans to create something to start fires.  “People will want this when they are camping”. He knew quite a lot about starting fires and how they would need oxygen to get started. When the teacher asked him when he got the idea he said, “I was in the shower”. They chatted about how sometimes our best ideas come when our brains are resting. She then asked him if he could use this idea for his stick project. He quickly asked for a new planning sheet and got to work on his design. 

He knew oxygen could get the fire going so he knew he needed some way to store and blow the oxygen on the fire. He came up with the idea of using a pump from his rocket launcher toy and attached it to a metal pipe. He broke the stick into pieces and glued them together to make a pedal to pump oxygen into the fire.

This student was able to persevere with the task. Initially he couldn’t get the pipe attached to the plastic tube. He had to make several attempts and turn the pipe in different directions so that the head of the pipe would face up.  He also spent some time struggling with the fact that the first tube he brought to school to use was made of plastic. In chatting with a peer, he realized that the plastic would melt in the fire and decided that metal would be a better option. He thought about a metal bowl or cookie sheet but soon came to the conclusion that he needed something with a hole so that the tube with the oxygen could come through. The next day he brought in a metal pipe.  He explained how he asked his Papa for a “metal tube” for his fire maker. He went to his Papa because “he knows a lot about building and fixing things.”

It was interesting that in some aspects of the project he was able to persevere and try different things to solve the problems on his own, but he also recognized and was able to seek the assistance when he needed help and who to go to for it.

Context

A class was planning a secret Santa exchange. A student suggested that they should make a vending machine for presents with an elf inside who would deliver the presents down a slide. She created something similar the year before, but she wanted to refine her idea. She engaged about a quarter of the students in the class in this project and they worked on it at lunchtime.

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Teacher Observations

While other children helped make the vending machine, this student was the leader and visionary for behind the project. She was also very committed to problem solving; e.g., how to create the door opening, how to store gift cards safely, and how to make a slide within the space limitations. At times, the student was overly focused on smaller details such as decorations rather than on the whole design.

In the end, the student organized the building of two vending machines, one for the class secret Santa gifts for and a second one, installed in the hallway, for giving gifts to the rest of the school (the class made over 300 salt dough ornaments to hand out).

When the students finally put the Santa vending machines in place, another problem came to light. The slide as originally built stuck out too far. So she made a fold up slide that doubled as a mailbox for letters to Santa.

Students enjoyed hiding out in the half built structures – they drew homey televisions and fireplaces on the walls - as well as finally using it in the way intended.

The teacher interviewed the student and scribed her answers. The student came to recognize creativity in herself and valued discussing her thinking.

Activity Photos

Context

A class worked on determining the different perspectives stakeholder groups held on the banning of shark fin products in their city. Their community has a large traditional Chinese community and the ban is controversial. Students were taught about political cartoon devices and asked to create an original political cartoon that expressed one of the perspectives on the issue.

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Teacher Reflection

The idea in this cartoon is novel in that it takes the sharks’ perspective, recognizing that sharks are also a stakeholder group in the community. This student’s cartoon has the potential to change perspectives and influence people’s thoughts and actions, not only about the shark fin issue, but also about their definition of community.

Student Work Sample

• Human Hand Soup (PDF)

Context

Students were encouraged to choose a project topic based on their own interests. This student chose robots. He spent the first part of the project doing research. How are robots used? When was the first robot created? How can I build my own robot? He created a report and a display about what he learned.

While researching, he found the Bristol Bot kits. He ordered one and followed the instructions to make a robot. After all this preparation, he realized that he could design and create his own robot. He used the remote from his Lego car to create a robot that lifted a pop can up and down. He had to keep making changes (e.g., adding pieces, altering the design) until the robot eventually worked.

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Activity Photos

 

Context

This student learned to make duct tape wallets from YouTube videos and has eagerly pursued this new interest. This is not a school project but rather a hobby that he has shared with his teacher and classmates.

From the outset, he combined features he saw in different videos as well as real wallets. He gradually added and mastered new techniques (e.g., stenciling and weaving) and experimented with colour and style. He currently produces and sells wallets that are customized wallets for friends, family, and classmates.

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Student Work Samples

Student Reflection

Presently, people ask me for specifically designed and colour schemed wallets. I follow a combination of processes described below. Wallet making has been a step-by-step, technique building creative process for me. Through investment of research, time, effort and trial and error, I have reached a point where I can create unique and individual "customized" wallets.

Context

Students were asked to construct a functioning model construction crane like the ones dominating the skyline in their community.

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Teacher Reflection

This student and her group researched cranes online, created a design sketch, assembled materials, developed multiple versions of the design, tested component pieces, redesigned a half-lap joint that proved too weak, and then built the crane. She incorporated a swivel scavenged from an old computer hard drive into the final design.

Activity Photos

Context

Students were asked to design and build mousetrap cars. They were encouraged to do research but were not allowed to use pre-made kits. Students built and tested prototypes, and then modified their designs. While students worked individually to each make a car, they often gave each other suggestions on how to improve or fix each other’s initial constructions. The students’ final cars were entered in a class Mousetrap Car Competition to see whose car could go the farthest.

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Activity Photo

Activity Video

Teacher Observation

She adjusted the body of her car to reduce the amount of friction created and added a longer string, so her car could go further. Her biggest problem was that her car veered to the left instead of going in a straight line. She flipped the wheels 180 degrees to see if that would fix the problem, but it did not. She asked if the cars could be launched in the gym instead of the hallway so that her car’s swerving would not cause it to crash into a wall before it reached its maximum distance. She later speculated that making the car heavier would have helped prevent the wheels from coming loose and causing the car to veer to the side.

Context

After a class reading of two stories, “The Three Little Pigs” and “The True Story of The Three Little Pigs”, the first the traditional fairy tale and the second told from the point of view of the wolf, students used a Venn diagram to compare the two stories. The class then read “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” and discussed the point of view in the narrative.

Students were then asked to rewrite “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” from the point of view of the troll. They used their knowledge of point of view to examine the role of the troll in the story. They had to ask themselves questions like “Who is telling the story?” and “Why does that matter?” They had to use their own experiences as well as their imaginations to question the voice of the narrator. Before writing, they talked to partners about the troll’s viewpoint. The students then read their stories aloud to the class.

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Activity Video

Teacher Reflection

This student succeeds in retelling the story consistently from the perspective of the troll. Her troll makes excuses for himself throughout but also subtly hints toward the end that he is not being entirely truthful.

Context

Students worked in groups on a problem-solving challenge called “Save Fred”. Fred’s boat has capsized, and he needs the students’ help to get his life preserver on, which is under the boat. The surface of their desks is the ocean, and the goal is to not let Fred fall into the ocean. The students are given paper clips, but these are the only tools they can use to help Fred. 

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Activity Photo

Teacher Reflection

This was a great team building and problem-solving activity as the students collaboratively discussed and planned their rescue.

The students tended to discuss ideas first and then come up with a plan. They decided what role each team member plays and communicated a lot during the rescue mission.  At times, some students needed reminders not to “take over” the rescue and that the mission is a team effort. After the mission, the students reviewed their plan to see what ideas worked and what they would change in their plan.

Context

In this class, free choice time provides students with opportunities to work on group projects and develop teamwork skills. One day, a group of students decided to collaboratively create a hockey rink by placing small whiteboards together and drawing on them. The students listened carefully and respectfully to each other and required no teacher support to produce their “giant” hockey rink.

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Activity Photos