Comments on: Adding color to a black and white world http://www.thenorthstarcommunity.org/home/2007/09/05/adding-color-to-a-black-and-white-world/ A community of practice inspired by Peter H Reynolds' Book "The North Star" Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:13:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Maribeth http://www.thenorthstarcommunity.org/home/2007/09/05/adding-color-to-a-black-and-white-world/#comment-242 Maribeth Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:52:31 +0000 http://www.thenorthstarcommunity.org/home/2007/09/05/adding-color-to-a-black-and-white-world/#comment-242 Exactly! We used to do the very same activity with kindergarten students for a lesson on individual differences - illustrating that very thing... that people and opinions and personal preferences can all be different, while all still being "right". Exactly! We used to do the very same activity with kindergarten students for a lesson on individual differences - illustrating that very thing… that people and opinions and personal preferences can all be different, while all still being “right”.

]]> By: Marli http://www.thenorthstarcommunity.org/home/2007/09/05/adding-color-to-a-black-and-white-world/#comment-241 Marli Thu, 06 Sep 2007 14:51:17 +0000 http://www.thenorthstarcommunity.org/home/2007/09/05/adding-color-to-a-black-and-white-world/#comment-241 Sounds great - and could lead into any number of class discussions, from science (real flowers, all the different kinds and why they grow in their specific forms), to how different people and opinions can be, while all being "right." Sounds great - and could lead into any number of class discussions, from science (real flowers, all the different kinds and why they grow in their specific forms), to how different people and opinions can be, while all being “right.”

]]> By: Maribeth http://www.thenorthstarcommunity.org/home/2007/09/05/adding-color-to-a-black-and-white-world/#comment-240 Maribeth Wed, 05 Sep 2007 19:48:12 +0000 http://www.thenorthstarcommunity.org/home/2007/09/05/adding-color-to-a-black-and-white-world/#comment-240 Marli, great story! At the the end, the teacher should have handed the boy a copy of Peter H. Reynolds' book "Ish"! Fits perfectly with the little flower story you shared here. I've often done an activity with students asking them to draw the same thing: a flower. If they ask what type of flower, etc... I just say "The only instructions are to draw a flower." Afterwards I either post the flower drawings up so all the students can see them, like a gallery, or I gather the students in a circle on the carpet, with their flower drawings, so all can see. I have students look around at all the different flowers. Everyone completed the same "assignment", followed the same instructions, yet every flower was different... a different type, different colors, different styles... yet each is as "right" as the next. What's great is that this activity works well with students at any grade level - and an effective way of both opening up discussions about creativity, as well as individual differences. We're thinking of using this activity, along Peter's book "Ish", to launch our first grade classroom guidance program this year. I'd love to hear about activities of that nature that other members might use with students. Marli, great story! At the the end, the teacher should have handed the boy a copy of Peter H. Reynolds’ book “Ish”! Fits perfectly with the little flower story you shared here.

I’ve often done an activity with students asking them to draw the same thing: a flower. If they ask what type of flower, etc… I just say “The only instructions are to draw a flower.” Afterwards I either post the flower drawings up so all the students can see them, like a gallery, or I gather the students in a circle on the carpet, with their flower drawings, so all can see. I have students look around at all the different flowers. Everyone completed the same “assignment”, followed the same instructions, yet every flower was different… a different type, different colors, different styles… yet each is as “right” as the next. What’s great is that this activity works well with students at any grade level - and an effective way of both opening up discussions about creativity, as well as individual differences.

We’re thinking of using this activity, along Peter’s book “Ish”, to launch our first grade classroom guidance program this year.

I’d love to hear about activities of that nature that other members might use with students.

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