Leprechaun Traps
This past March, my fabulous firsties and I went on a journey to catch a leprechaun that has been "terrorizing" our classroom! No joke! Green streamers, confetti, and garland adorned our classroom every morning. Office supplies went missing and notes were left...we knew we had to do something! We had to think like an engineer! How would we catch this mischievous creature? What could we create?
Obviously leprechaun traps are one of the holy grails of elementary school. In fact, when I was placed in first grade, visions of leprechaun traps danced in my head...in September. So, when the time came, I knew I wanted to tackle this project! I pitched it to my CT as a STEM mini unit. We approached the challenge as engineers. We used every opportunity to encourage thoughtful planning, problem solving, and interpersonal growth while working with a team. I'll post my resources here while also sharing some insider info!
Helpful Hints:
Do not reinvent the wheel!
At first I was so set on my vision of leprechaun traps I made it harder than I had to! I kid you not, this project has been done...and done successfully! When I tapped into my resources I found not only did I have a better understanding of my lesson-but so did my students...win/win.
Planning is your BFF
Across the board! I made sure all my lessons coincided with the project. For example, for our mathematics lesson we focused on shapes. We created polygons out of straws and pipe cleaners...students then came up with the idea that this could be used in their traps. They ended up using this idea for stairs, structural support, and design.
Even more so, students had time to plan their ideas individually, in a group, and with materials. This fostered a deliberate and conscious approach to creation.
Explicit Expectations
This is a fun activity! It requires socialization, creative thought, and lots of movement! Students are going to be excited, loud, and energetic...let them! I found that when I explicitly laid out my expectations, not only did they exceed them-but they taught me how to be a better teacher! Moreover, practice the interactions so students have a model! When my first graders had an exact experience to refer to, they did a better job working with each other in a patient, respectful, and kind way.
If you have anything you'd like to ask, share, or note-please feel free to reach out through comments or email! Unfortunately our class did NOT end up catching the elusive leprechaun...did you have better luck?
