DIscussion 1: What Would Life Be Like Without Play and Creativity? Post your Kaltura, narrated PowerPoint, or Adobe Spark presentation that brings to life the following points: What play and creativi

Math Learning Experiences – Creative or Not? These are the learning experiences that your colleague has asked you to review . Use the Creativity Dimensions/ Behaviors Chart to help you analyze whether and how (or how not) each activity engages children in dimensions/behaviors of creativity . Note: Learning Experience 1 and 2 are taken from the article: “Snap dragons and Math : Using Creativity to Inspire, Motivate, and Engage.” Learning Experience 1: Alligator Role Play Activity: Greater Than /Less Than • Learning Standard: o Compare two numbers between one and 10 presented as written numerals . • Purpose: This activity is designed to help children understand the math concept and math symbols for “ greater than” and “less tha n” using a story and dramatic role play. • Activity: o Tell children a story about a hungry alligator who likes to eat numbers. In fact, he’s so hungry he always eats the large st number he can . o Show children the arrow -like math symbols for “greater than ” and “less than ” and explain that these are like hungry alligators ’ mouths . A hungry alligator is always ready to eat , so he keeps his mouth open and pointing to the larger number. o Ask children to visualize alligator mouths opening toward large numerals. Together, practice using their outstretched arms to open and then “chomp ” the larger number b y clapping arms together and saying “Chomp! ” o Hold up a series of numerals written on index cards and ask children to make alligator mo uths with their outstretched arms and “ chomp ” toward the larger numeral you hold up. Learning Experience 2: Snapdragon Origam i: Geometry and Greater Than/Less Than • Learning Standards: o Use simple shapes to compose larger shapes. o Compare two numbers between one and 10 presented as written numerals . • Purpose: Support children’s learning about geometric shapes and the math concept and symbols for “ greater than” and “ less than” using visual arts in the form of origami. • Activity: o Introduce Japanese art of origami to children, describing how it uses the shapes that children have already learned about . o Review together what children have learned about the arrow -like math symbols that stand for “ greater than” and “less than” and how they are like a dragon ’s hungry mouth . o Show children Japan on a map and discuss Japanese culture and the art of origami . o Show children a sample of an origami figure that represents a “snapdragon” who, like the alligator from the story, is very hungry and will open his mouth and “chomp” larger numerals . o Give each child a pre -measured piece of origami paper. Demonstrate the series of folds children will make to create their snapdragons. Guide them to carefully make the right folds in the paper and encourage children to listen carefully, pay attention to how they are folding, and to think about the triangles, trapezoids , and angles they are creating . o When children have finished folding, ask them to add their own details to make the figures their own, such as tongues, eyelashes, etc. Provide construction paper, scissors, and glue. o After all children have completed their snapdragons, give guidelines for appropriate behavior (e.g. , no snapping in the faces of others , etc.). Then hold up two cards with numerals and have children use their snapdragons to chomp toward the larger number. Learning Experience 3: Dragon Chain Addition • Learning Standard: o Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, etc . • Purpose: Help children use art materials to represent and better understand addition and subtraction. • Activity: o Show children how to fold circles in half to form a dragon’s head. Offer construction paper and googly eyes so they can add the dragon’s eyes and flame s if they choose. o Give each child 20 strips of construction paper of various colors. o Ask children to count out each color as they put them in piles and then use the colored str ips to make a chain . o Help children connect their chains to the ir dragon head s. o Ask children to describe the number and colors of their chain link as a math sentence/equation: “My dragon is five red plus four green; that’s nine links long. ” o Ask children what would happen if they took three links off? How many links would their dragon have then? Learning Experience 4: Loose Part s Dragon • Learning Standard: o Analyze and compare two - and three -dimensional shapes in different sizes and orientations using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts, and other attributes. • Purpose: Help children apply what they have learned about geometric concepts such as size, shape, position , etc. , to the construction of a model. • Activity: o Share the book Waking Dragons by Jane Yolen. o Ask children to compare and contrast the dragons in this book with other dragon illustrations they have seen in the classroom library. o Provide children with a la rge variety of “junk ” materials/loose parts — such as paper tubes, clean empty food containers, plastic bottles, egg cartons, foil, buttons, string, yarn, bubble wrap , etc. — along with construction paper, tape, glue , and scissors. o Ask each child to use the materials to make a dragon of their own . o When the y have finished, invite them to share and describe their dragons , including which loose parts they used to construct it and why they chose the ones that they did. o Encourage the children to ask each other questions about their dragons and help them compare the sizes and shapes of their dragons .