The Day the Crayons Quit (Daywalt) offers a humorous foray into re-imagining the habitual roles we play in group activities. In this lesson, the class room teacher will mirror Duncan’s shift as the “artiste” to the “note-taker” and give the students the opportunity to shape how class activities could be run. By using contemplative art … The Day the Crayons Quit – <i>and took over</i>
This lesson plan can work for a full class or small groups of 8-10 students. Read the “Land of Happy” poem by Shel Silverstein (text of the poem is available on the Resources tab). Depending on the students’ ages/literacy, you can read it aloud as a group popcorn style with one person reading a line … “Land of Happy,” Shel Silverstein
This lesson plan can be used either in a classroom or online. Plot Summary: In the short Pixar film, Piper, an adult sanderling bird encourages their baby to join the other birds in finding food along the beach as the waves roll in and out. The baby bird bravely rushes forward only to find their … Piper
Plot Summary: In the animated short film “Partly Cloudy,” storks deliver adorable infants of all kinds to homes. We discover that these infants are made by delightful, puffy, and cheerful clouds who work in partnership with their designated delivery stork. One cloud who is less cheerful and “partly cloudy” makes the pricklier infants (alligators, sharks, porcupines, … Partly Cloudy
“Joy and Heron,” Animated Short Film by Passion Pictures This lesson plan can be used either in a classroom or online. Plot Summary: In this short, animated film a fisherman sails out with his enthusiastic dog. They are quickly joined by a heron, who lands on the boat. At first, the dog and the heron … Joy and Heron
Plot Summary: In this short Pixar film, several small birds land on a telephone wire and commence chattering and annoying one another. When a large bird lands nearby and seeks out their company, the smaller birds stop their bickering and turn as one against the large bird. Their attempts to make him leave their wire … For the Birds
This lesson plan can be used either in a classroom or online. Plot Summary: This six-minute film is about a baboon who lives alone on the Moon. Wordless and moving, the video portrays the baboon as full of longing for the Earth, struggling with feelings of sadness and loneliness. Looking wistfully out at Earth, he … Baboon on the Moon
Materials needed: A paper and a pen. Description: The imaginary house is a small activity to keep children’s imagination power alive. The activity starts with the facilitator assuming the role of a builder and home designer. Participants will be shown basic things like ceiling fan, table fan, Air Conditioners, television set; objects like a laptop, … The Imaginary House
PLATO is part of a global UNESCO network that encourages children to participate in philosophical inquiry. As a partner in the UNESCO Chair on the Practice of Philosophy with Children, based at the Université de Nantes in France, PLATO is connected to other educational leaders around the world.
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