Week 2- Marlborough School

Talk about and create Peeps

September 20^th, 2011 Day 2

I must begin by saying that today was GREAT!  Any misgivings I had last week seem to have dissolved.  I brought in the peep making materials and began set up @ 7:45.  On each desk I placed two pipe cleaners, a pencil, one piece of paper, one muffin wrapper, one lump of sculpy (pre-lumped at home).  On one desk I set up two hot glue stations.  On another desk I set out the yarn variety, thread, needles, scissors, toothpicks, and beads.  The fabric box was on the floor.  As expected the kids came in in three waves.   As each wave came in I invited them to sit down and told them they could touch anything on their desk except the pipe cleaners.  I thought this would keep the fidgeters quiet and happy because there was a lump of clay on each desk.  Strangely, there was no need.  All of the students waited quietly and respectfully for further instruction.  When everyone was ready I told them that we would be making peeps today.  I then explained who a peep might be, let them know the peep could be themselves but by no means should be.  I let them know that the only rule involving peep making is that peeps must represent people they could actually meet, example:  You cannot have a dinosaur or a robot, but you can have a peep wearing a dinosaur or robot costume.   We then folded our peep bodies using the two pipe cleaners.  The group was very attentive and asked for help as needed.  We moved through this step by step as a group.  Next students shaped their heads, tooth picks were distributed where needed.  The importance of the neck hole was stressed.  Finished heads were placed in the muffin wrappers with student names written on them.  I will bake the heads at home because there wasn’t really space or adult power enough at school to prevent the heads from burning.  Next students wrapped their peep bodies in yarn and began the clothing (and for some, weapons) process.  This activity completely filled the period.  I only interrupted their work once to tell them about time and space capsules.  I showed them an example of one from summer camp, told them the purpose (to keep your peep safe, and to make it easy to carry your peep with you when we are not in the class room).  I asked to students to look around their homes to try and find something for this purpose.  I also reminded them at this time that they should be thinking about who their peep really is.  I let them know that after we were all properly introduced, all interactions in our class will be between peeps.  They looked a little excited about this!  I brought all of my materials home today to find a better way of organizing them.  Next week I intend to make use of the atrium as a class space. 

Plan for next week:  finish peep making (glue on heads, hair, finish clothing).  Students who finish early can help other kids finish.  They may also work on a peep profile (to really nail down what they will say during their peep introduction), brainstorm names for our town.  I am determined to come up with one more options for early finishers before next class.  Next week I need to have things in place for the kids to pick up after themselves.  I did all of the clean up today…. It took a long time!

Materials for next week:  more hot glue guns, everything that is already in the peep tote, a couple metal trays for hot gluing on, a tray for the beads, perhaps some ribbon, more yarn

Today we learned/used: the limitless power of creativity, you can get more done by behaving respectfully!