This school year we have focused on the following monthly challenges so far. I will update this post as we have more challenging events during this school year.
Comic Book Challenge: Kids were asked to create comics either with paper and pencil or on computer. They had a choice of original story or converting a book into comic. My boys used pixton.com to create comic and each of them chose a book to convert into a comic. Arjun created comic version of the book Welcome to Silver Street Farm by Nicola Davies and Kabir chose to create a comic of The Apothecary by Maile Meloy. Kabir actually mailed his comic with a nice letter to the author. We haven’t received a reply from the author as yet.
Cardboard Challenge: Kids were given cardboards, boxcutters and tapes. It amazes me to see their creativity. I just love to see what these kids can come up with.
Mississippi Photo Book Challenge: Kids had to click photos of something that related to Mississippi as seen by their eyes and then write a paragraph about the photo. We put it together in a book format: Life in Mississippi.
Engineering Challenge: Kids were given empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls, clothespins, craftsticks, paper cups, paper plates, glue, tape and scissors. The challenge was to create a roller coaster for marble. This was very hard to keep it stable and so we had to hold it. Once we held it , it worked. Hopefully, this challenge got them thinking. It was fun!
Collaborative Art Challenge: This art project was inspired by creation of John Salvest. He has a collage in Atlanta airport made out of business cards. For this challenge, kids collected business cards from local businesses. When they got together, they glued the business cards to the canvas spelling LOVE and created a heart shape. This artwork is being displayed in the Lee County Library.
Poetry Challenge: Each kid chose 2 of their favorite poems. Also, each kid wrote a poem. So, now each kid had 3 poems to share with all their friends when we met. Each one read 3 poems during our meeting (2 of their favorites and 1 original). My boys added all of the collected poems in a folder and now they have a personal folder of great poems: favorite poems and the poems written by their friends. They plan to keep adding more poems to this folder over time.
Arjun’s favorite poems were: “Queen of Hearts” and “The Twelve days of Christmas”. Arjun wrote following poem.
The Thanksgiving Feast by Arjun Gupta
We started by making a feast:
It had stuff like turkey, corn, and stew at the very least.
Then lots of friends and familes gathered
For the big celebration waiting ahead.
Next we thank God as in the world people celebrate;
Our delicious meal was great.
After the feast we hung paper leaves in a Thanksgiving Tree.
In the paper we wrote our wish, minimum three.
Now we kids like John, Jackson, Aidan, and Jaffet play
Until no longer we have time to stay.
Kabir’s favorite poems were: “IF” by Rudyard Kipling and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. Kabir wrote the following poem.
Amnesia By Kabir Gupta
In this poem, I have amnesia, a disease that makes it hard for you to remember things. I am asking you, in a riddle format, to help me remember the “event we just had.” Hope you enjoy it!
At the event we just had
(And now I’m definitely really glad),
We had a round, chocolatey, spongey thing.
It was big, with frosting on top,
Most everyone’d eat it rather than pork chops.
I wonder very much, what was this thing…
CAN YOU GUESS?
At the event we just had
(And now I’m really, really glad),
Atop the cake there was something else.
It had wax, and also a wick,
And to blow it out, was I quick!
I wonder, now, what could this be, this something else…
COULD YOU GUESS?
At the event we just had
(And now I’m really, really, really glad)
Beside the cake with candles, there was more!
Many of the more stuff, there were
And put in bags with/or wrapping paper
Again, I wonder quite a lot, what were these things…
CAN YOU GUESS?
At the event we just had
(And now I’m really, really, really, really glad)
For the cake, its candles and presents, someone must be there!
And they were—Zowie, Aiden, John, Jack,
Aunties, Uncles, Grandma, Gramps!
So what category of people were at the event there…
COULD YOU GUESS?
At the event we just had
(And now I’m really, really, really, really, really glad)
Why am I so happy?
It’s cause I got a value added to my age!
Time to start a new 365-day life’s page!
Then what was this event, it’s made me so happy…
CAN YOU GUESS?
(Answer: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!)
Sculpting Challenge: Kids were given clay and told to make whatever they want and just enjoy the process of working with clay.
