Transcript Drawing a Blank - Activities

Drawing a Blank
Learning Activities with a Blank
Sheet of Paper
RTC Instructional Improvement
Madeline Hunter says:
“The most creative think you can hand
your learners is a blank piece of paper.”
Put another way
A blank piece of paper is an unlimited,
open-ended, learner-centered
information generator.
A blank piece of paper makes
learners work with new
information in ways that
personally connect them with
what they are learning.
A blank piece of paper
can be:
Left-Brain
(analyze, evaluate)
Right-Brain (synthesize,
create)
Or both
With a blank piece of paper
you and your learners can find
out:
 what
they know
 what the they learned
 what they are still puzzled about
 what they plan to do with what they
learned
With a blank piece of paper
You can:
 check for understanding
 correct misconceptions
 better modify your training to meet
your learners’ needs
Besides:
Activities with paper take very little
preparation time
No complicated worksheets
No trips to the copy room
Let’s try some!
Just grab a piece of paper
Bingo
 Fold
the paper into 8 boxes
 Write a word, phrase, concept in each
box--from notes or overhead slide
 Walk around to upbeat music
 Collect signatures of people who can
define the terms
Variation
 In
teams play at selecting and defining
terms
 As a review have students generate the
list of terms
Pass the Paper
 Each
student takes a piece of blank
paper and writes her name and
something she’s learned so far.
 Pass the paper to a person sitting next
to her
 He adds what he has learned.
 Students keep passing and writing for
at least 5 or 6 turns.
Play Music
 When
the music stops students find
their original papers and read the
comments written on it for review
Variation
With each pass tell them what to write:
 Write one fact you remember from the lecture
 Write a question about something you’ve learned



Write the answer to the question written on the
paper you’re holding
Write one thing you can do with the information you
learned
Write this person a compliment
Another Variation--right after
lunch

Participants stand and trade papers to write on as
they move around the room to upbeat music.

When the music stops, or when you give a signal, they
find their own papers and sit
Or line them up!
 Have
the students stand in a line. After
writing, they pass their papers down the
line.
 The person at the end of the line runs
to the other end to pass the paper.
 Keep writing and passing until they get
their papers back!
Four Square --good before
break or lunch
Fold papers into four squares.
Copy the following sentences, one per
square:




My feelings about this topic are:
The most important thing I’ve learned so far is:
One thing I plan to do with the info is:
A question, idea, or comment I still have is:
Ticket out
 Have
students write three things
they’ve learned so far
 Questions they want answered
 What they plan to do with what they’ve
learned
And pass them in at the end of the class
or session
People Hunt-An ice-breaker
Fold Paper into 8 squares
Write something about themselves in
each square--favorite foods, movies,
books, vacation places, car.
Walk around and get signatures of people
who have the same favorites
Map It
Show the students how to Mind-Map and
have them take notes in a mind mapping
or clustering form.
Central ideas in the middle of the paper,
related ideas fanning out and
connecting.
On the Wall
 Write
an idea, comment, question, “aha,”
suggestion.
 Have
students post each type of
feedback on a different wall
Advanced Organizers
 Have
students divide paper into columns
or squares
 Label each division with a heading
related to the subject matter
 Use the paper as a note taking tool
Musical Questions




Each student writes a question about the information
just covered on a card.
While music plays pass the cards to the right and
keep passing until the music stops.
Each answers the questions on the cards they ended
up with, using resources.
They share their questions and answers with the
whole group
Coin Toss
 Divide
paper into squares
 In each square write a term from the
material.
 Take turns tossing a coin onto the
paper.
 The tosser has to define/explain
verbally the term the coin landed on.
Snowball Fight

Each student writes an action plan--what he plans to
do with what she’s learned--on the blank piece of
paper
All students crumple up their action plans into
“snowballs.”
When you say “snowball fight” they throw them.

Each person reads the one they pick up

If the group is really large form smaller standing
groups of 4-6 to read the snowballs


Snowball Variation
Introductory Review Activity
Students write facts they know or
questions about the material.
Catchers read the facts or answer the
questions they get.
Blizzard Balls





Groups make up a question or statement on the blank
paper.
Participants wad up paper and teacher collects them.
She turns her back to the participants and tosses the
“blizzard balls” over her shoulder all at once.
Small groups or triads catch the balls and proceed to
discuss and agree on answers to the question they
caught.
Present to the group.
A blank piece of paper
How ordinary!
What a simple thing to
use to make your lesson
extraordinary!