Submitted by: Jeanie McKeon
School: Crestview Elementary School
Summary
“How do you catch a leprechaun?” Well, this is the question we explored in my second grade class. Using what we learned about the St.Patrick’s Day holiday through folklore and legends about Leprechauns, students worked in student-selected groups to devise a plan to catch a leprechaun. First, students researched Leprechaun’s to investigate their likes and dislikes using several websites in addition to information gleaned from classroom read-alouds. After their research, they used Pixie to write notes to a Leprechaun to persuade him to share his pot of gold. Next, students worked in their groups using the Children’s Engineering model to build traps to capture an imaginary Leprechaun. Afterwards, groups demonstrated how the traps worked to catch a Leprechaun. We used VoiceThread to share our class project with parents and other family members.
TIPC Ratings
This project is Target/Ideal in Research and Information Fluency because students researched information about leprechauns using a variety of books and websites. Students developed questions to research about leprechauns before starting their research. They then used this information to write their letters and construct their traps.
This project is Ideal/Target in Communication and Collaboration as students formed self-selected groups to accomplish their authentic task. Students worked together to accomplish their objectives, even when it was necessary to revise an original idea to accomplish an improved outcome. The final projects were shared with the class and with an outside audience using VoiceThread.
This project is Ideal/Target in Critical Thinking and Problem Solving as students used Children’s Engineering to make decisions and problem solve ways to create a trap. Students tested the traps to assure that they would work to entice a Leprechaun. Interviews on the VoiceThread demonstrate evidence that students recognized their own thinking processes and revised them if necessary.
This project is Target/Ideal in Creativity and Innovation as several groups designed traps with moving parts that would lure an imaginary Leprechaun. Their designs exceeded teacher’s expectations and they reflected on what they would do differently next time.
Student Artifact
