For ages, children have made things out of unconventional materials and have taken things apart. Tinkering can satisfy a child's natural curiosity about life and how things work. Tinkering is, without a doubt, lots of fun—but what are the benefits of the “demolition crew” running around your house or in our classrooms? Above: Self-portraits made of materials found in a Tinker tray on a Styrofoam base. (1st–3rd grade students) Tinkering involves open-ended exploration with different materials. It develops the capacity for innovative problem solving skills, as a group or individually, and stimulates creativity and critical thinking. Students are required to think like inventors: creating a pla
April is National Poetry Month! It’s always a favorite time of year for Lower Elementary students, who are currently exploring the many types of poetry and poetic devices by reading and writing poems of their own. We asked students to share some of their ideas about poetry as well as some of their poems! What is poetry? “Poetry explains something in a rhyme or a different kind of way. It’s not telling a story, it’s sending a message.” “It’s written to make people feel a certain way—to connect to people’s emotions or be humorous.” “Poetry is lots of things—there are so many different types of poems and tools you can use to make a poem, like onomatopoeia, repetition, or rhyming!” “It’s calming
