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

ProblemsExplore Number SystemsDesigning

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

5th 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

1Remember

2Understand

3Apply

4Analyze

5Evaluate

6Create

Planets

2Understan

d

1Remember

3Apply

4Analyze

5Evaluate

6Create

(Charts adapted from Byrd, 2009)

Attribute Listing

2Understan

d

1Remember

3Apply

4Analyze

5Evaluate

6Create

RadiusMoons

Atmosphere Distance Orbit

Venus 6,000 km 0 CO2 (Carbon Dioxide)

108m.km 225 days

Earth 6,300 km 1 N2,O2 (Nitrogen & Oxygen)

150m.km 365 days

Saturn60,000 km 62 H, He

(Hydrogen & Helium)

1427m.km

10,760 days

Neptune

25,000 km

13H, He (Hydrogen & Helium)

4497m.km

60,200 days

Yours

Brain Writing

• Fold paper into four sections.

Radius MoonsAtmosphere

Distance Orbit

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.

2Understand

4Analyze

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 classify5

Evaluate6

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), 129-132. doi:10.1080/00098651003705905

• Blanchard, K. & Glanz, B. (2012). The simple truths of service. Retrieved April 13, 2013, from http://www.simpletruths.com.

• Byrd, I. (2009). Creating in science. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from http://www.byrdseed.com/creating-in-science/

• Davis, G.A. (1989). Objectives and activities for teaching creative thinking. Gifted Child Quarterly, 33(2), 81-84.

• 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), 217-222. doi:10.1177/0098628312450444

• Sternberg, R. J., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2007). Teaching for successful intelligence: To increase student learning and achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.