ACTIVE Teaching Ideas by Elisa Haaparanta

ACTIVE Teaching Ideas ACTIVE AND CREATIVE TEACHING IDEAS SHARED AND TESTED IN NOVEMBER 2021 DURING ERASMUS+ ACTIVE TEACHER TRAINING ACTIVITY IN BREKKUSKÓLI IN AKUREYRI IN ICELAND

Partner Schools in Erasmus+ ACTIVE project 2019-2022: • • • • • •

Nordre Skole, Viborg, Denmark (coordinator) Gozo College Secondary School, Victoria, Gozo, Malta Çan Ibrahim Bodur Anadolu Lisesi, Çan, Turkey Howes Primary School, Coventry, England Tehtaankadun Ala-Asteen koulu, Helsinki, Finland Brekkuskóli, Akureyri, Iceland

Title of the activity: STAIN GLASS WINDOWS Howes Primary School, England Type of activity: Art Age range: 8-12 Materials: Black card, tissue paper, scissors, glue DESCRIPTION:

First choose a design for your window. The internet has lots of inspiration or you can link it to your learning.

Draw your design on to the black card.

Cut out the sections you want to fill with colour.

Stick tissue paper into the gaps on the back of the black card.

Finally display them on a window to allow the light to shine through.

Title of the activity: HOKEY COKEY Howes Primary School, England Type of activity: Dance Age range: 5-8 Materials: Hall/gym, speaker, device to play music via the internet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9iUCHfzmYE DESCRIPTION: Stand in a circle and follow the instructions as they are sung.

You put your left arm in Your left arm out In, out, in, out You shake it all about

You do the hokey cokey And you turn around That's what it's all about

Woah, the hokey cokey Woah, the hokey cokey Woah, the hokey cokey Knees bent Arms stretched Ra-ra-ra

Move the correct body part in and out of the circle Shake it about

Put your hands together and shake them for the hokey cokey Turn around on the spot

Hold hands in a circle and run in and out Bend knees, stretch arms Clap 3 times.

Repeat for different body parts as instructed in the song. Challenge: 1. Try learning the names of the body parts in a different language and then singing the song. 2. Put the children in groups of around 5. Get them to make up a verse of their own with actions for a different body parts.

Title of the activity: Würfelspiel mit Aktivitäten (German Language) Nordre Skole, Denmark Type of activity: Sports and maths Age range: 10 - 17 years Materials: Dice - One for everybody

DESCRIPTION: Two and two have a dice each. The students are multiplying the number horizontally with the vertical number. The result of the calculation is the number of times you must do the exercise. An example: 1st student throws number 3 and 2nd student throws number 2. The exercise is (3 x 2) six times of swinging the arms.

Title of the Activity: Braided Christmas Hearts, Folded Boxes and Stars Nordre Skole, Denmark Type of Activity: Creative workshop Age Range: 6 - 100 DESCRIPTION: Links: Stars

Hearts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0qj45idN-U https://youtu.be/MdVQcxL6VeM (created originally by H.C. Andersen)

https://www.altomhobby.dk/jul/flettede-julehjerter/sadan-fletter-du-julehjerter/ Folded boxes https://lrke.dk/kvadratisk-aeske/

Photos:

Title of the Activity: NAMES AND GESTURES From: CIBAL, Turkey Type of Activity: Teacher-led activity for the pupils, socialising Goal: Students to learn each other's names and mingle with a fun activity. Age range: Suitable for all ages DESCRIPTION: •

Tell your students you are going to do a fun dating activity.

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Ask them to stand up, form a circle and explain the instruction for the activity:

For example: “Each of us will make a gesture while saying our names. These gestures can be any movement or gesture such as blinking, snapping fingers, scratching the head, turning around, jumping, putting your hand on your waist. But before we do that, we will name and repeat the actions of all those before us. Firstly, I'll start by saying my name and making a gesture. Next, your friend next to me will repeat my action by saying my name first. Then he will make another gesture, saying his own name. Your next friend will say my name first and do what I did. Next, we'll do his movement/gesture by saying your second friend's name, and finally his own name and so on. Deal?" Encourage students to help each other. Play this game until everyone knows each other's names.

Evaluation questions Have we all learned each other's names? How does it feel to meet this way? What did you feel? What would you like to say about the event?

Title of the Activity: FIND YOUR LEADER From: CIBAL, Turkey Type of Activity: Socialising Goal: Students to learn each other's names and mingle with a fun activity. Age range: Suitable for all ages

DESCRIPTION: •

The group is in a circle or shuffled walking position.

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A midwife is selected and taken out. A leader is selected from the group. The following instruction is given to the group; “Do what the leader does”.

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The midwife who is taken in is asked to find the leader. The midwife's leader has three guesses.

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If he finds the leader, the new midwife becomes the leader.

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If he cannot find it, he continues as a midwife again.

TITLE of the activity: Fruit Salad From: Gozo College Secondary School, Malta Type of activity: Introductory Energizer Age range: all ages Materials: Chairs DESCRIPTION: The teacher asks the students to form a circle with their chairs, ensuring there are only as many chairs as students. Two chairs are then removed. The teacher asks the two students without chairs to stand in the middle of the circle, while the teacher remains outside the circle. The teacher assigns a name to each student in turn - lemon, orange, apple, lemon, orange, apple, and so on. The two students in the middle are assigned a name as well. The teacher explains: "I will shout out a fruit name, which will be either lemon, orange or apple. If you hear your fruit called out, you must leave your own chair and find another. If you are left in the middle, you must wait until your fruit is called or until you can find a chair. If I shout ‘fruit salad’, then everyone must leave their chair and find another”. The teacher ensures that everyone understands the rules and then starts the energizer. The teacher calls out the different fruits in sequence and occasionally adds in ‘fruit salad’, continuing this process until the teacher feels that the energy levels have increased or that the students start getting tired.

TITLE of the activity: Jump in/Jump out From: Gozo College Secondary School, Malta Type of activity: Teamwork Age range: all ages Materials: none Objective: To perform a task although your brain is confused by getting a series of mixed messages. DESCRIPTION: 1. The teacher asks the students to form a circle. Students hold hands and face in towards the centre. 2. The teacher announces that s/he wants the group to: “SAY WHAT I SAY, AND DO WHAT I SAY.” 3. The teacher practices this skill using one of these four commands: “JUMP IN,” “JUMP OUT,” “JUMP LEFT” or “JUMP RIGHT.” 4. The teacher calls out a series of ‘Jump’ commands, one after another for 20 seconds. 5. The teacher asks the students to re-form the circle and announces that s/he now wants the group to: “SAY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I SAY AND DO WHAT I SAY.” 6. Continue with a series of ‘jump’ commands, one after another for 20 seconds, or until the circle breaks up.

TITLE of the activity: Dynamic Paper Holding From: Gozo College Secondary School, Malta Type of activity: Creativity & Teambuilding Age range: all ages Materials: A4 papers DESCRIPTION: The teacher asks the students to form teams of three to five people. In this activity, each team is challenged to assist two of their group members to hold as many pieces of paper off the ground as possible using only their bodies. To ensure fair play, the following guidelines need to be adhered to: • • • • •

Only one sheet of paper can be held between any two body parts; No adhesives can be used to affix paper to one’s body; Folding the paper is not permitted; Each sheet of paper must be in contact with both team members; No two sheets of paper can be touching.

The teacher states the guidelines and checks that the students have understood the instructions. S/he asks two students from one of the teams to volunteer and hold one sheet of paper between the palms of one of their hands to demonstrate. The teacher informs the students that they have up to 10 minutes to conclude the activity. Sheets of paper are distributed to each team, and the activity starts. The team with the largest amount of held according to the guidelines provided wins.

Title of activity: Cupcake Decorating (Christmas Theme) From: Gozo College Secondary School, Malta Type of activity: Crafts (hands-on activity) Age range: 8-10 years (any age group) Materials: Sugar paste (fondant) – white, red, green, yellow, light pink, black (weight needed depends on the

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amount of cupcakes to be covered) •

Edible glue

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Edible pen

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Cupcakes – minimum one for every student

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Silicon mats

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Silicon brushes

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Thin paint brush

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Silicon rolling pins (small)

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Cookie cutters in the shape of: circle (two sizes – one smaller than the other), mistletoe, square, heart, Christmas tree and star

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Bow mould

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Cornflour

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Apricot jam

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Hot water (100 ml) in a glass

Activity description: This lesson lists the steps required for making cupcake decorations and other 3D Christmas related items.

CUPCAKE DECORATIONS Steps to make the base of each cupcake design: 1.

Clean out a flat surface. With your hands, knead the white fondant until it is pliable. Add some cornflour if the fondant is sticky.

Dust a silicon mat and a rolling pin with cornflour. Roll the white fondant out to about 1.5 mm thickness.

Use the large round cookie cutter (approximately the same size of the top of the cupcakes) to cut out fondant circles.

Mix 2 tablespoons of apricot jam with the hot water. The consistency of this mixture should be thick. Add more apricot jam if needed. Brush the top of the cupcake lightly with the mixture using the silicon brush.

Mistletoe decoration 1.

Roll out a small quantity of green fondant to about 1 mm thickness. With the mistletoe shaped cookie cutter, cut out one shape. Push the top part of the cookie cutter to obtain lines in the mistletoe, resembling an actual leaf.

Using the thin paint brush, brush lightly the back of the cut out shape with water or edible glue and place on the top of the cupcake.

Using the red fondant, form three small balls. Place these small balls at the centre of the cut out shape using edible glue.

Christmas Gift decoration 1.

Roll out a small quantity of green fondant to about 1 cm thickness. Any colour can be used for the gift.

Using the square cookie cutter, cut out a square from the green fondant. This will form the gift.

Roll out red fondant to about 1 mm thickness. Cut out two strips of red fondant. Using edible glue, attach these two strips at right angles on the top and sides of the gift to represent the ribbon decorating the gift.

Using a mould, make the shape of a bow. Trim off excess fondant. Stick this bow to the centre of the gift on top of the ribbon using edible glue.

Using a star shaped cutter, cut out some stars out of rolled out white fondant (1 mm thick). Decorate the parcel.

Christmas Tree decoration 1.

Roll out green fondant to about 1 mm thickness. With the Christmas tree cookie cutter, cut out a Christmas tree. Place the cut out Christmas tree on the white circle topping of the cupcake using either water or edible glue.

Using red and yellow fondant, form several small balls. Stick one red or yellow small ball at each point of the Christmas tree using edible glue.

Cut out a small star out of yellow fondant (1 mm thick) and glue at the very top of the Christmas tree using edible glue.

Father Christmas decoration 1.

Roll out light pink fondant to about 1 mm thickness. Using the large round cookie cutter, cut out a circle from the light pink fondant. Cover the cupcake with the cut out shape.

Roll out red fondant to about 1 mm thickness. Using the heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out one shape. Using a circular cookie cutter, trim off the top part of the heart so that the remaining part represents the hat of Father Christmas when turned upside down. Using edible glue, stick the cut out shape to the upper part of the light pink circle.

3. Fold the tip of the hat inwards. Form a small ball with white fondant. Make small cuts in the ball with a scissors to make its surface uneven. Stick the ball to the tip of the hat using edible glue.

From white fondant (1 mm thick), cut out a rectangular strip. Using the scissors make small cuts in the rectangular strip to make it uneven. Glue the strip to the bottom part of the hat to form the fur of the Father Christmas hat.

Using white fondant (1 mm thick), cut out a heart shape. Using the heart cookie cutter, cut off the top part of the heart so a figure of 8 remains. This will form the moustache of Father Christmas. Glue this to the light pink circle using edible glue. Use a tiny piece of red fondant to form the mouth and glue on top of the moustache.

Cut out a second heart shape from the white fondant (1 mm thick). Using a circular cookie cutter, trim off the top part of the heart so that the remaining part represents the Father Christmas beard when turned upside down. Using edible glue, stick it to the lower part of the light pink circle.

Roll out a tiny red ball out of red fondant to form the nose. Roll out two tiny circles out of black fondant to form the eyes.

Choir Boy 1.

Using red fondant, form a circle. With the palms of your hand, shape to form a cone, squashing lightly the top of the cone to obtain a flat surface. This will form the lower part of the body of the Choir Boy.

Cut out a small circle out of white fondant (1 mm thick). Using a cell stick, frill the edges of the circle using a rolling movement from left to right and vice versa. Use edible glue to stick this to the top of the red cone.

Using pink fondant, roll out a cylinder. Using a small knife, make small grooves on both ends of the cylinder. Fold and glue to the top using edible glue. This forms the hands and fingers of the Choir Boy. The palms of the hands should be stuck together using edible glue.

Cut out a circle out of white fondant (1mm thick). This circle needs to be smaller than the first circle cut out in Step 2 above. Using a cell stick, frill the edge of the circle. Stick to the top part of the hands using edible glue.

Form a small ball out of pink fondant, and make a small hole using the cell stick to resemble the mouth. Glue the ball to the top of the body. Draw the eyes using a black edible pen.

Form a small rectangular shape out of brown fondant, not larger than 3 cm in length. Using a knife, fold the rectangular shape in half. Glue this to the hands of the Choir Boy to resemble a book.

Cut out a small circle out of brown fondant (circa 2 cm in diameter). Using a knife, make cuts all around the circumference of the circle to resemble hair. Glue this to the top of the head of the Choir Boy. Lift up a couple of parts to form a fringe.

Christmas Pudding 1.

Form a ball out of brown fondant.

Using a flower shape cutter, cut out a shape from white fondant (1 mm thick). Using edible glue, stick the flower to the top of the brown ball

Cut out a mistletoe out of green fondant (1 mm thick) and using the edible glue, stick it to the top of the pudding.

Form 3 small balls out of red fondant, and using edible glue, stick the little red balls to the middle of the mistletoe.

Christmas Tree

Start by forming a ball out of green fondant. Then, with the palms of your hands, shape the ball to form a cone.

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Using a pair of scissors, make cuts all along the length of the cone. Form small balls out of red fondant. Cut out a star out of yellow fondant. Use edible glue to stick the red balls and the star to the Christmas tree.

Sprinkle icing sugar on top.

Photos from Iceland:

TITLE of the activity: Ice Breaker From: Brekkuskóli, Akureyri, Iceland Type of activity: Smarties/M&M Ice breaker Age range: All ages (I have used this game in teacher meetings). Materials: M&M, Smarties or Skitles (we can also use bricks or other ones with different colors). DESCRIPTION: This icebreaker uses candy to bring people together! Participants pick different colored candy (M&M’s or Skittles) and based on the color, answer a question about themselves to share with the group. Photos:

Title of the activity: The Icelandic Yule cat From: Brekkuskóli, Akureyri, Island Type of activity: Creativity and culture Age range: all ages Lessons: 3 x 40 minutes

DESCRIPTION Background: This assignment utilizes the work of Aðalheiður Eysteinsdóttir. Aðalheiður is an artist whose works can be found all over Iceland, especially up north since she works in Akureyri and Siglufjörður. The Yule cat has been in focus in her works as a lot of Icelanders know. The assignment is meant for all ages and is based on the fundamentals of the visual arts working with 2D and 3D shapes, colors, texture, light and shadow. In the assignment selfsustainability is a guiding element so leftovers and cut-offs are to be used.

Teaching: The lesson starts with a short talk about the assignment and the artist. The teaching will be mostly visual with demonstrations and individual based teaching. Emphasis is put on using the correct method for the task. It is important that the students learn to be in the moment and enjoy their work since the creation process is as important as the results. It is important to prepare the lessons so that the materials are ready when the students arrive.

It could be fun to play yule cat songs: Jólakötturinn by Björk Guðmundsdóttur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeHunHocp5Q Ragnheiður Gröndal - Jólakötturinn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QszJG0sYZE

Skill requirements: Part of preparing lessons is to consider how we will evaluate the work. How do we evaluate if a student has grasped the skill level that we considered for this assignment. It is important that the skill requirements are clear, and the purpose of this assignment is clear to all. GOALS - the pupils can • Work with different materials • Work with different colors and textures • Take a 2D form, a drawing of a cat, and transform it into a 3D form using blocks • Show initiative and be willing to experiment • Pick and use the correct method for the task • Grasp the fundamental concepts of the assignment such as the difference between 2D and 3D, know the primary colors and shapes. • Show safe and responsible behaviors with work and clean up in the work area • Talk about their work and others work in an engaged conversation with their peers

Teaching: Explain and demonstrate the assignment to the students. Otherwise, individual based. Materials: Wooden blocks, paint brushes, acryl colors, papers, writing elements, gluepistols, glue

Evaluation: When evaluating consider how the student did during the assignment. Self-evaluation after the assignment where the student writes what they learned is useful as well. Other than that, it is evaluated from engagement in class, methods, and skill. Consider: (A) Showed initiative and dare, purposefully experimented in the assignment. Chose and used appropriate methods and skills. (B) Showed some initiative and dare, did some experiments in the assignment. Chose and used somewhat appropriate methods and skills. (C) Showed little initiative and dare, rarely experimented in the assignment. Chose and used inappropriate methods and skills.

The project has been about ACTIVE learning and teaching. ACTIVE project was funded by European Union´s Erasmus+ program. The originally 2-year-project was prolonged for 3 years due delays in the activities because of covid19 pandemic.

The booklet was collated by the project coordinator Elisa Haaparanta from Nordre Skole in Viborg in Denmark.