Creative Lesson Planning The Creative Classroom Reasons and Strategies

When Children Are Little They have vivid dreams and big ideas They believe they can do anything They think creatively

Provide A Framework Model creativity Help them discover interests Provide students the opportunity to find problems Applaud original ideas and products Create an atmosphere where children attempt new and unfamiliar tasks without fear

Benefits of Infusing Creativity Increased attention Improved self-regulation Higher achievement (grades, test scores) Better peer relationships Improved student-teacher relationships

Creativity Artistic Talent?

Multidisciplinary People in every field of work can demonstrate creativity. Many careers require the use of creative skills.

Multidisciplinary Likewise, teachers may infuse creativity into every subject and lesson. Roberts Elementary School 2011

Math Patterning Draw Pictures Act out Problems Choreograph Math Procedures Use Objects to Solve Problems Explore Number Systems Designing

Number Patterns Counting by 2, 3, 4… Fibonacci Sequence Numbers proving designs in nature Mathematical conjectures Create number patterns

Reading Make connections Ask questions Visualize Make inferences (Smutney & Fremd, 2009, p. 38)

Writing and Storytelling Thinking about ideas Create sequence Expand on ideas

Science Interested at early ages Enjoy digging in the dirt Figuring out how things work

Course of Study Objectives Course of Study Objective 5 th Grade COS #11-Compare distances from the sun to planets in our solar system. Relate the size of Earth to the size of other planets in our solar system.

Scaffold Using Bloom’s Taxonomy Objective: Working in groups of three, students will create a another planet that fits into our solar system. They will create a drawing and description of the planet. Use Scaffolding - Bloom’s Taxonomy 1 Remember 2 Understand 3 Apply 4 Analyze 5 Evaluate 6 Create

Planets 2 Understand 1 Remember 3 Apply 4 Analyze 5 Evaluate 6 Create (Charts adapted from Byrd, 2009)

Attribute Listing 2 Understand 1 Remember 3 Apply 4 Analyze 5 Evaluate 6 Create RadiusMoonsAtmosphereDistanceOrbit Venus6,000 km0 CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) 108m.km225 days Earth6,300 km1 N2,O2 (Nitrogen & Oxygen) 150m.km365 days Saturn60,000 km62 H, He (Hydrogen & Helium) 1427m.km10,760 days Neptune25,000 km13 H, He (Hydrogen & Helium) 4497m.km60,200 days Yours

Brain Writing Fold paper into four sections. RadiusMoonsAtmosphereDistanceOrbit Planet

Marine Biology Alabama Course of Study Objective: Arrange various forms of marine life from most simple to most complex and classify marine organisms using binomial nomenclature Working in groups of two, students will construct the essential details of the gastropods and bivalves using websites and the textbook to create a dichotomous key.

Begin With What is Known Students first create a dichotomy. 2 Understand 4 Analyze

Shells Show the students two shells a bivalve and gastropod.

Classify Bivalves and Gastropods Bivalve/Gastropod Students create their own Dichotomous Key for Bivalves and Gastropods Use the key to classify 5 Evaluate 6 Create

Conclusion Creativity should be infused within every part of the curriculum. Creative activities increase comprehension. Find creative ways to teach the content to make it fun for you and your students. Make sure to provide scaffolding to help children reach the level where they can “create”.

References AIMS Foundation (2007). Picturing a Dichotomy. Fresno, CA. Bergman, D. J. (2010). Why Do We Have to Learn This? Teaching Goals Beyond Content. Clearing House, 83(4), doi: / Blanchard, K. & Glanz, B. (2012). The simple truths of service. Retrieved April 13, 2013, from Byrd, I. (2009). Creating in science. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from Davis, G.A. (1989). Objectives and activities for teaching creative thinking. Gifted Child Quarterly, 33(2), Goree, K. (1996). Creativity in the classroom...Do we really want it?. Gifted Child Today Magazine, 19(4), 36. Smutny, J. F., & von Fremd, S. E. (2009). Igniting creativity in gifted learners, K-6. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Simonton, D. (2012). Teaching Creativity: Current Findings, Trends, and Controversies in the Psychology of Creativity. Teaching Of Psychology, 39(3), doi: / Sternberg, R. J., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2007). Teaching for successful intelligence: To increase student learning and achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.