Releasing Creativity

My classroom is a mess this afternoon.

Paint spots on the table, clay fingerprints on the counter. A spare goggly eye stares sightlessly from under a chair where it fell, and small pieces of yarn have attached themselves to the carpet. Space critters in various stages of completeness dry on top of the bookshelves (safe from curious fingers).

I am exhausted, but must smile as I survey this scene, the culmination of a weeks-long study into outer space. We launched it all back in September with this great Reading Rainbow video, followed up with IIM research into chosen planets.  Then my third-graders had to create annotated diagrams of space creatures and exploration vehicles that would be specially adapted to their chosen planets.

As we worked through the research and planning process, I quickly realized my students' pacing was all over the place. I didn't want to hold back the fast workers, or frustrate the more thorough thinkers by hurrying them. So I drew on this summer's Langford training and created a modified capacity matrix, so kids could track their own progress through the project -- and know what's coming next.

I love that this project has been a blend of research skills and divergent, creative thinking. Now, to clean up the creative mess.