The Marshmallow Challenge for 6th Graders...TEAMWORK, SUPPORT, COLLABORATION

The last day before break can be a bit tricky...for both students and teachers, that is!  We are all excited about the impending break from school, work, routine, the daily grind, etc.  I know that I really look forward to this time to focus on family, friends, and FUN!

Rather than a traditional end of day celebration with goodies, a craft, and a holiday movie, upon some Pinteresting I found the Marshmallow Challenge.  Check it out here:
 http://marshmallowchallenge.com/Welcome.html

Each group of students that arrives in August is a different crew than the one before.  We quickly realized this with this group.  While they possess some amazing attributes-teamwork, supporting one another, and collaboration are qualities that we are working to instill in them before they embark on the middle school.  For this reason, we decided to tackle the Marshmallow Challenge.

While we tweaked the true challenge a bit to fit the needs of our students, in a nutshell the students partnered up and given 50 minutes, teams needed to build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow needed to be on top. 

We incorporated math into the task by requiring students to figure out costs of the needed materials including sales tax and then write a check to purchase their supplies.  This extended the time a bit, but made them participate in a life skill as well.

Before arriving in the cafeteria where we brought the entire 6th grade group to participate, I organized the bags of supplies to minimize having to count pieces of spaghetti, marshmallows, and measure tape and string.  Once we were settled, our team gave quick directions and the students were off to compute and create.  While I would have loved for them to have a reflection component, time flew by-so I will add that when we take on this project with next year's crew.

Take a look at the fun the students and my teammates had...clearly teamwork, supporting one another, and collaboration were in full effect!

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6th Grade Team Building...Pumpkin Day 2012

Today was our 2nd Annual 6th Grade Pumpkin Day at Sharpsburg Elementary School.  It is a day that we as teachers can't wait to organize and and allow our students to participate in.

My teammates are awesome!  Mr. Ziegler takes on the task of getting all of the pumpkins, planning the math work, and preparing the "spooky" basement for complete darkness.  Mrs. Burns teaches our students cursive and how to write a check in order for students to be able to "purchase" their pumpkins and supplies from the "Sharpsburg Pumpkin Shack."  I take on any task that is needed, but mainly play store attendant of the pumpkin shack and photographer.  We are a TEAM-we do what it takes to plan, organize, and implement.

The students did an AMAZING job today and we couldn't be more proud as their teachers.  They teamed up, completed the math which involved calculating sales tax on all items needed for the carving and finding different percentages of their pumpkins based on its weight, dug the guts out of the pumpkin, decided on how to carve, made a creation, and determined who would be the proud owner of a jack o'lantern.  While math skills and organizational skills were essential, watching the students work so collaboratively was the most fun to watch as their teachers.  

Thanks to the students, staff, and my team for such a fun fall experience. I highly recommend letting your students dip their hands into pumpkin goo and seeing the joy that follows...here is a slideshow of our fun!  They don't disappoint...HAPPY FALL and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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