Search lesson plans:

Rafe Esquith: Five Tips to Help Children Develop Their Natural Gifts

#900. Trip to Moon, Mars, or where ever!

Science, level: Elementary
Posted Thu Mar 18 20:04:00 PST 1999 by Vie Profit (jvprofit@cancom.net).
Opasquia Middle School, The Pas, Manitoba, Canada
Materials Required: none
Activity Time: 10-15 min.
Concepts Taught: Relationship between name & object brought

WE PLAY THIS GAME WHEN WE ARE STUDYING THE "OUTER SPACE" UNIT IN SCIENCE. I'LL START BY SAYING, "I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU ALL ON A TRIP TO THE MOON (MARS OR WHERE EVER). I'LL THEN PICK A STUDENT, SAY 'BRETT', AND SAY, "BRETT, YOU CAN COME TO THE MOON WITH ME AS LONG AS YOU BRING ALONG YOUR 'BED'. IF HE AGREES TO COME, HE JOINS ME AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS. I THEN ASK ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME TO PUT THEIR HAND UP. EACH CHILD IN TURN MAKES EFFORTS TO COME BY SAYING, "I WOULD LIKE TO COME TO THE MOON WITH YOU AND I WOULD LIKE TO BRING A __________." THE PERSONS OR PERSON AT THE FRONT TELL THEM, "YOU CAN COME TO THE MOON" OR "NO, YOU CAN'T COME". THE SECRET TO COMMING IS THAT WHAT THEY BRING MUST BEGIN WITH THE SAME LETTER AS THEIR FIRST NAME. IF THEY FIGURE THIS OUT THEY WILL COME UP TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASS ON OUR INVITATION THAT "YOU CAN COME TO THE MOON." IF THEY DO NOT SAY THEY'LL BRING AN OBJECT THAT BEGINS WITH THE SAME LETTER AS THEIR NAME, THEY WILL BE TOLD, "NO, YOU CAN'T COME" AND THEY WILL HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND TRY AGAIN LATER.

VARIATION: WITH MY GRADE 6 CLASS, I MAKE IT MORE CHALLENGING IN THE FOLLOWING WAY: AS EACH CHILD IN THEIR TURN TRIES TO COME UP, THEY MUST REPEAT THE OPENING SENTENCE AS WELL AS EACH OF THE OTHER OBJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ALLOWED TO COME WITH THE CHILDREN WHO ARE ALREADY COMING TO THE MOON. EXAMPLE - AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS (GOING TO THE MOON) WE ALREADY HAVE BRETT WHO WILL BRING HIS 'BED', CORY WHO WILL BRING A 'CHEETAH', JERILYN WHO WILL BRING HER 'JAR OF MARBLES', AND GENELLE WHO WILL BRING 'GUM'. UPON PICKING THE NEXT CHILD WITH HIS OR HER HAND UP, THAT CHILD WOULD HAVE TO SAY, "I WOULD LIKE TO COME TO THE MOON WITH YOU AND I WOULD LIKE TO BRING A 'BED', A 'CHEETAH', A 'JAR OF MARBLES', 'GUM', AND A 'DONKEY'. IF HIS OR HER OWN NAME BEGINS WITH THE LETTER 'D', THEN THE CHILDREN ALREADY AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS (GOING TO THE MOON) WILL ALL SAY, "YOU CAN COME!"

EACH CHILD AT THEIR DESK KEEPS TRYING TILL THEY GET TO COME AND IF THE LAST FEW ARE STILL NOT CATCHING ON, WE GIVE OBVIOUS HINTS LIKE, "BRETT-BED, CORY-CHEETAH,JERILYN-JAROF MARBLES, ETC."

THE CLASS VERY MUCH ENJOY THIS!!! HAVE FUN!!