So here I go, let's try this again...
This school year has been fabulous! I have a wonderful group of spunky, fun, energetic kiddos! Have I mentioned how much I adore them? Well, I do! I have never fallen so quickly for a group of students. These kids make teaching so enjoyable. I love spending my day with them!
My grade level decided to departmentalize this school year. I teach math and social studies to my homeroom and another class and my teammate teaches reading and science. It's been a learning experience, but not as bad as I imagined it would be! The hardest part has been connecting with a second group of kids. The funniest part has been teambuilding, which leads me to our "We Saved Fred" activity.
In an effort to connect the students in both classes and build our teambuilding skills, I challenged my students to save Fred, the worm. This activity is not my original idea and is quite popular on Pinterest. We enjoyed using Smart Chick's freebie on TPT.
"Fred, the gummy worm, has been spending his time boating on the lake near his home. He is not too bright, he is a worm after all. He has never learned to swim and he never wears his life preserver. The worst has finally happened! Fred’s boat has capsized and he is stuck! His life preserver is caught under the boat, but he cannot reach it without falling into the water and drowning. Can you save FRED?"
Each pair of students were given a gummy worm (Fred), plastic cup, 4 paper clips, and gummy life saver (life preserver). They had to figure out how to save Fred using only 4 paper clips. Students could not touch Fred, the boat, or the life preserver directly with their hands. They could only use their paper clips.
We've been practicing the 7 Habits of Happy Kids in our classrooms, so I also challenged my students to "Synergize." Students used their critical thinking skills and creativity to work together to rescue Fred! They didn't realize they were learning too! ;)
We Saved Fred! Could you?
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