Should we refrigerate our eggs? Who would be the best source to educate us on healthy eating? We want to raise kids who know what they don’t know, and are able to identify experts who can help them make informed decisions.
Use it Now
As former educators, we know the month of December looks a little different than other months. Instead of fighting students for their attention, use these weeks to engage students in conversations they’re already having. I don’t know about you, but my students were obsessed with Takis. Several times students actually asked, “Can Takis really mess up your throat and stomach?” This is a great opportunity to ask them who they think might be an expert on this topic.
For the parents out there, this strategy is just as easy to use at home! As you’re tackling your to-dos, see if there is anything on your list you can involve your child in. Thinking back to our questions about the eggs – sure, maybe you know it’s wise to refrigerate the eggs, but do they?
Purposeful Planning
One of the most effective ways to increase engagement and mandate joy is to make learning fun. My Next Witness is a rapid-fire witness brainstorming game where students are divided into groups with a stack of cards, each card containing a scenario. The group draws a scenario from the pile and a thinker reads it aloud to the group. Going clockwise, each player states one expert witness they would ask to help. The round ends when a thinker cannot think of a relevant expert within 5 seconds of their turn. The person who stops the questions loses the round and collects the card. The player with the least number of cards at the end wins.
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