Ask Ms Summers' about how she used this activity in her classroom. 
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Habit 4 Think Win Win
Here are some books, games and activities to help students understand Think Win Win. Remember that the components of this Habit of more than just "everyone wins" It is about: What we do when faced with conflict, balancing courage for getting what we want/need with consideration for what others want/need, being an attentive listener and observer and being open minded and flexible. Moving our mindset from a competing paradigm to a cooperative one.
Remember the Super Tic Tac Toe and tug of war game we used at our Leadership Rally to help kids understand compete vs cooperate. Seeing things in a different mindset.
Thumb wrestling is another game that can show this concept. Have kids get in groups of 2. They are going to thumb wrestle. The goal is to have as many pins as possible. (A 3rd student can record the pins). Give them 30 seconds.
Now, explain that the goal of the game was not to win but to have as many pins as possible. What can you do different (work together how?) to reach this goal. Try it again and compare pins.
Remember the Super Tic Tac Toe and tug of war game we used at our Leadership Rally to help kids understand compete vs cooperate. Seeing things in a different mindset.
Thumb wrestling is another game that can show this concept. Have kids get in groups of 2. They are going to thumb wrestle. The goal is to have as many pins as possible. (A 3rd student can record the pins). Give them 30 seconds.
Now, explain that the goal of the game was not to win but to have as many pins as possible. What can you do different (work together how?) to reach this goal. Try it again and compare pins.
Here are some other games to try.
Some books for this Habit are:
Alexander and the Wind Up Mouse
I Knew You Could
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle
Rainbow Fish
The Doorbell Rang
The Butter Battle
Chrysanthemum
Swimmy
Tops and Bottoms
The Very Noisy Night
Sheila Rae the Brave
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Missouri Day with a Twist
Check out this lovely tale of an accident in Missouri and how others made a difference in the lives of so many animals through this Twist of Fate. Great Tie to Habit 3. Put First Things First. 
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Synergizing Musical Style
Begin by playing musical chairs. Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=b53WaK71sMM theme from Arthur.
Stop after a few minutes and tell them that the song may you think of a new way to play the same game. This time set up chairs in circle. 1 chair for each student. When music stops they sit down. Take 1 chair away.. but this time they all stay in the game and must sit. (see how they work together to make this happen and they work together.) After, elicit a discussion of the difference and how they were able to still play the game with less chairs. (teamwork)
Select a couple students to model the next part. (sorting). Give them some items, pictures or words and ask them to sort them. (Time them)
Now, form 3 teams and ask them to do it. See if they were able to do the task quicker. Why?
Together is better.
Ask the kids to form synergizing groups and give them a task to do together. Give them items to build the largest tinfoil tower, puzzle to put together, or clean up a mess.
Synergizing is not about comprising. It is using your strengths and working together to make more, get more done, be more powerful than you were alone.
Tower Building: Give each group a different item to build a tower. (spaghetti, tinfoil, marshmallows, cookies, pipecleaners. Have them build the tallest tower with just what they were given. Then give them to option to work together and see what happens. It's like the company that owns the glue and the one that owns the brick. Alone they don't get much done, but together they build a house (brick and mortar)
Stop after a few minutes and tell them that the song may you think of a new way to play the same game. This time set up chairs in circle. 1 chair for each student. When music stops they sit down. Take 1 chair away.. but this time they all stay in the game and must sit. (see how they work together to make this happen and they work together.) After, elicit a discussion of the difference and how they were able to still play the game with less chairs. (teamwork)
Select a couple students to model the next part. (sorting). Give them some items, pictures or words and ask them to sort them. (Time them)
Now, form 3 teams and ask them to do it. See if they were able to do the task quicker. Why?
Together is better.
Ask the kids to form synergizing groups and give them a task to do together. Give them items to build the largest tinfoil tower, puzzle to put together, or clean up a mess.
Synergizing is not about comprising. It is using your strengths and working together to make more, get more done, be more powerful than you were alone.
Tower Building: Give each group a different item to build a tower. (spaghetti, tinfoil, marshmallows, cookies, pipecleaners. Have them build the tallest tower with just what they were given. Then give them to option to work together and see what happens. It's like the company that owns the glue and the one that owns the brick. Alone they don't get much done, but together they build a house (brick and mortar)
Synergizing Musical Style
Begin by playing musical chairs. Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=b53WaK71sMM theme from Arthur.
Stop after a few minutes and tell them that the song may you think of a new way to play the same game. This time set up chairs in circle. 1 chair for each student. When music stops they sit down. Take 1 chair away.. but this time they all stay in the game and must sit. (see how they work together to make this happen and they work together.) After, elicit a discussion of the difference and how they were able to still play the game with less chairs. (teamwork)
Select a couple students to model the next part. (sorting). Give them some items, pictures or words and ask them to sort them. (Time them)
Now, form 3 teams and ask them to do it. See if they were able to do the task quicker. Why?
Together is better.
Ask the kids to form synergizing groups and give them a task to do together. Give them items to build the largest tinfoil tower, puzzle to put together, or clean up a mess.
Synergizing is not about comprising. It is using your strengths and working together to make more, get more done, be more powerful than you were alone.
Tower Building: Give each group a different item to build a tower. (spaghetti, tinfoil, marshmallows, cookies, pipecleaners. Have them build the tallest tower with just what they were given. Then give them to option to work together and see what happens. It's like the company that owns the glue and the one that owns the brick. Alone they don't get much done, but together they build a house (brick and mortar)
Stop after a few minutes and tell them that the song may you think of a new way to play the same game. This time set up chairs in circle. 1 chair for each student. When music stops they sit down. Take 1 chair away.. but this time they all stay in the game and must sit. (see how they work together to make this happen and they work together.) After, elicit a discussion of the difference and how they were able to still play the game with less chairs. (teamwork)
Select a couple students to model the next part. (sorting). Give them some items, pictures or words and ask them to sort them. (Time them)
Now, form 3 teams and ask them to do it. See if they were able to do the task quicker. Why?
Together is better.
Ask the kids to form synergizing groups and give them a task to do together. Give them items to build the largest tinfoil tower, puzzle to put together, or clean up a mess.
Synergizing is not about comprising. It is using your strengths and working together to make more, get more done, be more powerful than you were alone.
Tower Building: Give each group a different item to build a tower. (spaghetti, tinfoil, marshmallows, cookies, pipecleaners. Have them build the tallest tower with just what they were given. Then give them to option to work together and see what happens. It's like the company that owns the glue and the one that owns the brick. Alone they don't get much done, but together they build a house (brick and mortar)
Monday, September 12, 2016
Constitution Day
September 17, 1787 is Constitution Day. The birthday of the United States Constitution. Here are some ideas that you can try as a class. Also, check out last year's September blog posts for other ideas.
Standards
K- Identify the flag, recite the pledge of allegiance.
This is a great time to study our flag and pledge and what they symbolize and then write our own mission statement (pledge) that we will live by. They can also create a personal flag or family flag to add to the personal section of the Leadership Binders.
1. Examine how individual rights are protected.
2. Explain the importance of the Pledge of Alllegiance. Analyze how being a citizen of the US makes a difference in your community. (tie to our rights/freedoms)
Here is a link of a song that shares the rights our Constitution gives us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m0hUCG-RuY
It is a great springboard for discussions, jigsaw groups, researching and entering the poster contest. Even if you don't enter this contest, have one in your classroom, pod or grade level.
Standards
K- Identify the flag, recite the pledge of allegiance.
This is a great time to study our flag and pledge and what they symbolize and then write our own mission statement (pledge) that we will live by. They can also create a personal flag or family flag to add to the personal section of the Leadership Binders.
1. Examine how individual rights are protected.
2. Explain the importance of the Pledge of Alllegiance. Analyze how being a citizen of the US makes a difference in your community. (tie to our rights/freedoms)
Here is a link of a song that shares the rights our Constitution gives us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m0hUCG-RuY
It is a great springboard for discussions, jigsaw groups, researching and entering the poster contest. Even if you don't enter this contest, have one in your classroom, pod or grade level.
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