The bag.
The bag strategy is an inferring activity in which the teacher role plays as a good sumaritan who decides to employ the class in helping find who the bag belongs too by removing the bags contents one item at a time. The intent is to only observe all the items of the bag and then make an inference (educated guess) as to who this person that owns the bag is.
For tonight's activity: the person owning the bag is more than likely a female (the glasses with decorative bows), who may teach, or is a student, of natural science (the shell and rock). The k cups does not help determine student or teacher as either in a college setting would need/enjoy them. Haha. But for the purpose of secondary school, I would say science teacher.
I would use this activity in the classroom for a couple of different teachable moments. Inference is first and foremost, as the students are using what they have learned/observed and prior knowledge to determine who may own the bag. Another would be attention to detail. I would allow them to guesses item after item on a piece of paper, each time writing a new answer. Once all the items have been removed then have them make their final inference. The purpose would be to show that a guess after each item may not get you to the correct answer, such as with life. Be patient, wait for all the information to be reviewed, then move forward.
You provided some excellent information. I thought that your ideas were great for the classroom. I thought the bag idea was great, however any teacher could make it their own.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I think the bag could be intertwined with many different units.
DeleteSo true on the coffee comment! I think you had a good point when you mentioned paying attention to detail. It is key in making observations and inferences.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It happens all to often when kids (even adults) charge head first into a task without paying attention to entire details. More times than not, it will cause rework of that task as well.
DeleteI may be reading deeper than intended, but it almost sounds like you made the bag lesson into a life lesson. Bravo.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I try to whenever I can. I know my kids are sick of these "life lessons". Hahaha.
DeleteI definitely see mandatory journals before the bedtime story block in their future. Bwahahaha!
That is a very good idea to connect the bag activity to what it is like in life when we try to make guesses and end up guessing incorrectly. There are a lot of kids who are not used to being patient and this might help them learn a little bit about that.
ReplyDelete