Everyone bends their ear to a good story. Kids in particular will give you their full attention. Why? Maybe because kids have unusually powerful imaginations, and storytelling is the stuff of imagination. Or maybe because they know they’ll never hear the same story twice—the spoken words are always re-chosen, and particulars like pitch and emotion are always changing. Storytelling is live. It’s in the now. It’s a creative undertaking and let’s face it, kids are an easy audience when you have something creative to offer.

One advantage of inventing your own stories is that you gain the status of a story-teller—and that’s darn good standing to have in the eyes of a child. You can draw upon it at any time, whether you’re in the mood to pull up a few floor pillows and kick back, or whether you’re stuck in traffic trying to get out of town for the holidays. A good story-teller can turn busy bodies into listening ears.

There are endless ways to go about inventing stories. But just as Ariadne’s thread helped Theseus find his way through the labyrinth, having a good storytelling device will guide your storytelling efforts. Once you have a useful device, the story more or less tells itself. That’s the idea. That’s what you want.

Storytelling Technique

There are lots of storytelling techniques that can ease the process of telling stories to kids. Let’s focus on one such device in this article:

Repetition

Two examples of using repetition as a storytelling device are Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss, and Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman. In Green Eggs and Ham the story is driven by the same question being asked over and over, “Do you like green eggs and ham?” The question is merely applied in a slightly different context each time: how about in a box, with a fox, in the rain, on a train? etc. Tension and excitement build (what’s going to happen with this guy?) while the story tells itself. . .until some form of resolution is reached.

Repetition is also the storytelling device in Are You My Mother? The chic goes around asking same question, “Are You My Mother?” Here again, the question is merely applied in a slightly different context each time. In this case, the character is changed–kitten, hen, dog, cow, etc. Could it be any easier? Again, tension and excitement build (is this poor chic ever going to find its mother?) while the story tells itself . . . until some form of resolution is reached.

So, if you want to use repetition as a storytelling technique, one way to go about it is to:

1. Think up a headstrong character with a fixed goal
2. Place the character in an environment where repetition occurs

For example, there’s a boy, Kyle, who lived in a village at the base of a steep mountain. He really wanted to know how far you can see from the top of the mountain. He was always drawing pictures of the mountain-top, and talked about it all the time.

One day Kyle set out on a journey to find out how far you can see from the top of the mountain.

After a short while he came to lumberjack, who was busy chopping wood. He stopped and asked the lumberjack if he knew how far you can see from the top of the mountain. “No one knows,” he said. “A fierce lion lives near the top of the mountain, and no one goes up there.”

Kyle continued up the mountain.

Soon he came upon a goat herder, who was busy herding his goats. He stopped and asked the goat herder if he knew how far you can see from the top of the mountain. “No one knows,” he said. “A fierce lion lives near the top of the mountain, and no one goes up there.”

Kyle continued up the mountain. Etc.

Other examples of repetitious storytelling might include:

-A hunter who goes from village to village asking if anyone has seen the giant, three horned wild boar with the red spot on its left eye.

-A boy who tells his friends everyday after school, no, he can’t come over to play video games–he’s going out digging for fossils.

-A girl who. . .when asked, “What would you like for your birthday this year, dear?”. . .always answers, “A hippo, if you please, thank you very much.”

You see how a story can tell itself through repetition. You simply need a head-strong character with a fixed goal. Your greatest challenge will be to resolve the repetition with a suitable ending. Of course, you’ll have these things worked out before you tell the story. But no matter what you’ve worked out initially, you’ll find, over time, that the story will grow in richness and detail because you’ll become so familiar with the basic structure. The new details and variations that emerge (”Did I ever mention what Kyle had in his front left pocket?) are what keep the story so fun and interesting for kids.

Next time we’ll look at hyperbole as a storytelling technique.

Good luck!

Spoiler Alert: If you want to consider the puzzle before looking at the answer, DO NOT scroll below the red line that appears at about the mid-way point of this article.

When most people buy their tree, it’s wrapped in netting or plastic so that the overall diameter is reduced. It resembles a folded umbrella and fits quite easily through doorways. Later, when you’re ready to pitch the tree, it’s too big. You know from experience that dragging it through the house and through doorways makes a mess because dry needles fall all over, and the sheer size of the tree has the tendency to knock things over. Nor is it a simple job trying to wrap it again. It’s all dried out now and doesn’t want to bend the way it did back in early December. And besides, where are you going to find something big enough to wrap it?

The Problem:

Figure 1 shows the typical Christmas tree and doorway. Examine this diagram with your child and consider the problem of how to get the tree to fit easily through the doorway.

Hint: Your solution can include the use of a handsaw.

————————————-

The Solution:

The solution requires you to re-configure the geometric relationship between the tree and the door. In their normal position, the door and tree are both vertical in nature—that is, they both appear to you in an upright position.

If you turn the tree sideways (so it’s horizontal) it will now fit easily through the doorway after a few cuts to the trunk reduces it to sections. The shape of each section will resemble a tire that you carry through the door. (figure 2 and 3)

In sum. . . If you’ve often wondered how to get rid of your Christmas tree with as little fuss as possible, the horizontal “cut and carry” method has a few things going for it:

One: It gives you a chance to turn an ordinary household situation into a math puzzle. Look at the figure 1 with your child, then sit down and brainstorm possible solutions. Discuss the merits of your ideas. For instance, you could trim the entire diameter of the tree, so you can carry it upright through doorways, but that would take a long, long time and would be a whole lot of trouble.

Two: The actual solution has the advantage of liberating the way your child sees objects and space. Your child will always remember this example of re-working geometric possibilities, and this understanding may prove useful or inspirational later on.

Three: The solution is genuinely easier than the alternatives. You may shed a few pine needles where you make the horizontal cuts. But at least you’re not leaving a trail through the house, or knocking down heirloom trinkets trying to maneuver the entire tree through your living space.

Good luck!

Materials:

-Coffee cup with handle
-Pencil
-Teaspoon
-Rubber bands
-Tape

Note: Coffee cup must be a cylinder. It cannot be oddly shaped. (figure 1)

What to Do:

1. On a tabletop, lay your coffee cup on its side. The handle should be in the down position, resting on the tabletop. Now tape a pencil (your fulcrum) to the top of the coffee cup. (In actuality, this is the side of the cup, but you have the cup resting on its side so the top is now the upper most position.) (figure 2)

2. One at a time, wrap approximately six (size 64) rubber bands around the coffee cup so that a belt of rubber bands is formed just below the pencil (on the side nearest the coffee cup handle). (figure 3)

3. Turn the cup over so the BOTTOM side is exposed. Be sure the rubber bands (that you just wrapped in step two) are aligned with one another. Now secure the rubber bands to the BOTTOM side of the cup with tape. (figure 4)

4. Return the coffee cup to its original position so that the pencil is once again in the uppermost position. Now slide a teaspoon under the belt of rubber bands. Slide it just far enough so that the mid-point of the spoon is resting on the pencil. (figure 5)

(See how this catapult compares to other catapult designs on this site.)

5. Slide half of the rubber bands (in this case three of the six) down the teaspoon handle. Rest them near the bottom tip of the spoon. (figure 6)

6. Secure the three lowered rubber bands to the bottom tip of the spoon with tape. Do this by folding a piece of tape over the bottom tip of the spoon and pinching it firmly so the rubber bands are securely fastened. (figure 7)

7. Your catapult is now complete. (figure 8)

How to Launch Stuff

Simply place launch item in the cup of the spoon. Pull spoon back over the fulcrum then release.

Optional: For added stability, tape the catapult to a cutting board. This will make it easier to steady the catapult during launch.

Variations on This Catapult Design:

a. Use a different fulcrum such as three pencils (instead of one), a tube of lipstick, a marker, a cork, etc.

b. Secure the fulcrum in a different position–slightly forward or backward.

c. Use a different number of rubber bands.

d. Change the number of rubber bands that are lowered to the bottom tip of the spoon.

e. Use a different length of spoon.

Of all the catapult designs on this site, this one may have the greatest output for the least effort. In other words, when you consider how few materials are used, how ordinary those materials are, how easy it is to make this catapult. . .and you compare that to the launch power, consistency and durability, this catapult rates very well. Whether it’s for science class or just weekend fun, I think you’ll have fun with this design.

Good luck!

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Of course Emanuel and board of ed have relied on the well worn message that appears every time teachers are forced to strike for better learning conditions, the message that goes something like this: “If they really cared about the kids they would be in school”…which translates: don’t try to bring attention to swelling class sizes or sweltering hot classrooms or lack of text books or lack of art or music teachers or lack of AP classes or lack of counselors or nurses (or the fact that most of these “lacks” exist in impoverished neighborhoods) or the fact that taxpayer TIF dollars are going right around schools into the pockets of wealthy corporations; just shut up and do as you’re told.

Among attempts by the mayor and board of ed to grab headlines with sharp soundbites, there came a hastily formed message that would cause most reasonable people to scratch their head and say, “Hmm, maybe they should have thought more about that one.” The headline reads: Principals To Union: We Decide Teacher Hiring. The short article, which includes a quote from Mayor Emanuel, indicates that 31 principals have signed a letter to Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis that basically says they should be able to hire any teacher they want to—they should not be required to consider teachers from a pool of those who have been layed off because of budget cuts or school closings.

Ratio Lesson Plan

This brings us to our ratio lesson plan. There are 681 schools in Chicago. Principals from 31 of those schools criticized the Chicago Teachers’ Union. To put it gently. . .that’s not very many. In fact, as a ratio, it’s a mere 31:681.

That means the ratio of principals who denounce the CTU to the total number of principals is 31 to 681.

You may find it expedient to express the ratio as a fraction in order to make it more portable. As a fraction the ratio is expressed as 31/681.

The fraction 31/681 is portable as-is, but it will look more familiar as a percentage.

You can easily convert the fraction into a percentage by setting up a simple cross multiplication equation. It goes like this:

This reads: 31 over 681 equals X over 100. To solve for X, simply cross multiply, and you end up with 3100 = 681X.

Now divide both sides by 681 and you get: X = 3100/681

And finally: X= 4.5

So…31/681 = 4.5/100 (which is the same as 4.5%)

Now, how is that “portable?” It’s portable because as a fraction (4.5/100) you can cross multiply it with anything under the sun in order to expand a conceptual grasp of ratios. (If you have the liberty of pursuing a rich, inquiry based curriculum the lesson can veer in ways that are fostered by student curiosity and input.)

Here are some examples:

1. What does the ratio of principals critical of the CTU look like in terms of a ten minute shower? It looks like this:

When you solve for X you end up with only .45 minutes. You mean .45 minutes as in less than half a minute? Yes, X is equal to less than a thirty second shower!

2. What does the ratio of principals critical of the CTU look like in terms of milk in a pancake recipe? Well, assuming 1 cup of milk in the recipe, and 8oz for 1 cup, it looks like this:

When you solve for X you end up with .36 ounces. That’s only about 2 teaspoons of milk for your pancake recipe.

3. What does the ratio of principals critical of the CTU look like in terms of books kids read for pleasure in one year? Assuming kids read, say, three books a month for pleasure, or thirty six books a year, it looks like this:

When you solve for X you end up with only 1.62 books per year. That’s not much reading.

It’s unfortunate the Chicago Teachers’ Union was forced to strike for better learning conditions. That’s what happens when the voice of teaching professionals is ignored. One positive outcome in addition to the gains that are achieved on behalf of ALL students in Chicago Public Schools is that the coalition of support that has joined the Chicago Teachers’ Union has shown that striking as well as organizing protests are effective tools to turn back the agenda of those determined to erode public resources.

Related:
- (Video) Overview of Chicago Teacher strikes dating back to 1969:
CTU Strikes: 1969-1987

- (Video) CTU gives overview of current issues in Chicago Public Schools:
The TRUTH in Black & White

- (Audio) Chicago students demonstrate support for their teachers in song:
Chicago Teacher

What You Need:

- Ordinary printer paper (or heavier/thicker art paper if you prefer)
- Large sheet of construction paper (larger than the printer paper)
- Black marker
- Crayons

What to To:

1) Place your printer paper on top of the larger sheet of construction paper. (figure 1)

2) Close your eyes. Now, starting with your marker off the printer paper, rapidly make a swirl or line all the way across the printer paper.

3) Repeat step two half a dozen times or so. You can also make a few circles or stars if you like. Just remember to keep your eyes closed. (figure 2)

4) Now use crayons to color in some of the closed shapes that have formed. (A closed shape has borders on all sides.) (figure 3)

If you’re studying the difference between open and closed composition, note that the composition is open. The marks begin and end off the page. If you start and finish the marks on the page, the composition would be closed. Aha, you say, but what if you start the marks on the page and finish them off the page? In that case, the composition would still be open, because the forms or shapes are only partially contained on the page. For example, if you draw the branches of a tree going off your page (because there’s too many to fit them all on the surface), then you’re utilizing open composition.

Joan Miro practiced a method of art called automatic drawing that is perfectly suited for a kids’ art project. After you’ve had a few successes with this project, you can return to it with any number of variations. For example, trace your marks onto additional sheets of paper, and color each one differently. Good luck!

Additional Resources:

Joan Miro Art
Joan Miro- Wikipedia

Using metaphors pushes the speaker to sift through experience and memory in search of a fitting comparison. What is it like to start your day without coffee, for example? There is no right answer, but the process of finding the right comparison promotes robust reflection.

All said, a good metaphor gives the listener a quick, vivid understanding of what you’re trying to say. While most grammar school kids are unable to create metaphors out of thin air, most know one when they see one and can decide whether it does a good job describing something.

The following exercises are designed to enhance kids’ familiarity and appreciation of metaphors. Simply select one or more of the multiple choice answers. If none of the answers does the job, then work with your child to make your own comparison.

(NOTE: Strictly speaking, the following exercises are similes because the word ‘like’ is used in the comparison. The main difference between a simile and a metaphor is that a simile uses the word ‘like’ or ‘as’ in making a comparison.)

Giving a horn to an ape is like. . .
A) giving an apple to a horse
B) giving a ball to a dog
C) giving a book to a cat
D) none—-it’s more like:

Making art is like. . .
A) opening birthday presents
B) singing
C) doing chores
D) none—-it’s more like:

A neighbor’s dog that won’t stop barking is like. . .
A) a car alarm that won’t shut off
B) a bird that won’t stop singing
C) a cat that won’t purring
D) none—-it’s more like:

Waiting ’til later to finish an ice-cream float is like. . .
A) waiting ’til later to finish your chores
B) waiting ’til later to call a friend
C) waiting ’til later to finish blowing out your birthday candles
D) none—-it’s more like:

In the comment section below, Sadie from Washington State

makes a good point about when a metaphor becomes a simile.

Lighting a candle with water is like. . .
A) riding a bike no handed
B) using a banana for a telephone
C) wearing socks that don’t match
D) none—-it’s more like:

Fishing with a blueberry is like. . .
A) riding a bike with one peddle
B) reading a book in the shade of a tree
C) laughing ‘til your side hurts
D) none of the above—-it’s more like:

A guerrilla with an umbrella is like. . .
A) a mouse with a house
B) a frog with a log
C) a boar with an oar
D) none—-it’s more like:

Building a block tower so tall that it falls down is like. . .
A) eating so much cake and ice-cream that you get sick
B) washing your hands with scented soap
C) using a lot of colors in an art project
D) none—-it’s more like:

Doing math homework is like. . .
A) doing chores
B) singing
C) riding a bike
D) none—-it’s more like:

Having only one crayon in your box is like. . .
A) having only one box of cereal in the house
B) having only one book on your shelf
C) having only one radio in a car
D) none—-it’s more like:

Not giving something back to a friend after you borrow it is like. . .
A) telling the friend that he or she has a spot on their shirt
B) telling the friend that he or she has a hole in their backpack
C) telling the friend that he or she doesn’t really matter
D) none—-it’s more like:

Writing a book report is like. . .
A) doing an art project
B) cleaning the house
C) inventing rules for a new game
D) none—-it’s more like:

Getting stuck in traffic is like. . .
A) waiting at the top of a roller coaster
B) waiting for your birthday
C) waiting at the doctor’s office
D) none—-it’s more like:

Another way to promote your child’s familiarity with metaphors is to have metaphor competitions. Simply agree on the first part of the comparison. Then each person writes down the second part of the comparison. Now share and compare your answers. For example, start with ‘Giving a radio to a giraffe is like…’ and let each player write an answer.

Showing examples and practicing metaphors with kids may not, as Aristotle says, ‘impart a command’ of the craft. But then again, it you never give paint and brushes to kids, you’ll never find out what they can paint. Have fun!

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The question is best seated in the context of learning environment, since that environment determines so many lifelong traits, preferences and abilities. It really depends on what you value. If you value a robust learning environment, then go with books. In fact, fill your house with books—create a setting that energetically encourages scholastic exploration. Simply put: there’s nothing like books here, there and everywhere to stimulate the love of learning.

It’s a question of lifestyle. If you fill your house with books, that means you’re taking trips to bookstores. You’re exposing your child to environments where learning and the pursuit of knowledge are held in highest esteem. You’re making regular visits to your local library, where your child marvels at the seemingly endless variety of titles, and is allowed the privilege of selecting half a dozen books to take home. Of course you linger and sit and read together, and lower your voices when you share a thought because others around you–like minded people–are trying to read. They’re building ideas. They’re using their minds creatively. And guess what? –That pursuit is protected. It’s held in highest regard. You have to keep your voice down. That’s the environment.

By contrast, compare the electronics store where you buy a Kindle. Is that a scholastic environment? Is that the kind of place that holds learning in the highest regard? Not quite. It’s a place where giant screen televisions, video games and stylish gadgetry win the day. All those products come to you by way of marketing and advertising. You’re a consumer who’s expected to keep up. Today’s Kindle book is tomorrow’s Kindle television. Oh, right, the Kindle television thing is already here.

Keep in mind, if you choose a lifestyle of books and learning over entertainment and gadgetry, your household activities will point in the same direction. For instance, your child reads about Curious George making paper boats, and next she wants to make paper boats. That’s a short step from paper-making activities in general, origami, model building. You can say the same about Madeline’s outfits and the invitation to paper doll making, drawing, coloring and textile projects. In other words, you’ve created an environment that encourages creative, exploratory activities.

Hey wait a minute, you say, how about the techno whiz-bang environment? Doesn’t that foster creativity, too? Hmm, let’s see. Somebody else wrote all the programs to the games. All the outcomes and possibilities are predetermined. You passively follow the sub-routines, zone out, and experience intense emotional stimulus. In the end, you say something like ‘that was cool’ and feel a strong compulsion to play again.

Like we said earlier, it’s a question of lifestyle.

Read About the author.
See also Spaghetti Box Kids home page.

Wholesome around the house games are a great way to maintain a robust learning environment. Kids generally learn better when they are enthusiastic, and new activities stimulate your child’s curiosity and eagerness to explore how things work. Plus, a steady course of new activities helps prevent your child from slipping into the passive world of electronic entertainment.

Best of luck!

-three straws
-two sheets of ordinary 8.5” x 11” paper
-invisible tape
-one Popsicle stick (optional)

What to do:

1. Tape three straws together. Just wrap a a small amount of tape around one end of the straws, then do the same thing on the other end.

2. Tape the three straws to a Popsicle stick. Leave about 1.5 inches of Popsicle stick exposed. If you don’t have a Popsicle stick you can skip this step. (figure 1)

3. The flap: (8.5” long x 1.5” wide) Cut a strip of paper 8.5” long and about 1.5” wide. Think of it like you are cutting the header off of a document. If your child is doing the cutting, make a line first, then let her cut along the line. Now tape the flap to the Popsicle stick. Tape it right about even to the end of the straws. (figure 2) (If you are not using a Popsicle stick, just tape the flap directly to the bottom of the three straws).

You’re done making the wind flap.

Now comes the decoration. You can decorate your project any way you like. Here’s one option that uses curled paper to look like wind currents:

4. Decoration (11” long x 2.5” wide) Cut a piece of printer paper along the length so that it is 11” long. The width should be about 2.5.” Now fold the length in half so that it ends up only 5.5” long. (figure 3 and 4)

5. Now fold approximately one inch of the closed end onto itself. (figure 5)

6. Decorate the front and back with crayon or marker. Any decoration will look good. (figure 5 and 6)

7. Cut thin strips from the open end toward the closed end. Don’t cut into the one inch fold you made in step five. (figure 7)

8. Use the edge of scissors to curl the paper the way you curl a ribbon (practice on scrap paper if you need to). (figure 8)

9. Now roll the one inch strip you made in step five like a hat band. (figure 9 and 10)

10.Wrap the “hat band” around the three straws and secure with tape. ((figure 11)

11. Your wind art project is now complete. ((figure 12)

12.When you blow, hold it so the flap hangs over the opening of the straws—that way the flap will wave energetically every time.

Once you get the hang of this wind art design, try some variations. For example, try two straws instead of three. Or four straws. Make the flap longer, or thinner or fatter and see what happens. You can also try two flaps instead of one. What happens if you put holes in the flap, or cut a design along the edges? There’s really no limits to the variations you can pursue. Good luck!

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Math trees are a part of mathematics called graph theory. That’s not the kind of graph you used to plot the slope of a line back in the day. It’s a type of graph that is used in computer science and other areas of discrete mathematics where only specific quantities are allowed.¹

To Get Started You Need:

- Q-tips (several dozen)
- Pennies or colored cotton balls (several dozen)
- Pencil and paper

Rules:

A math tree consist of lines and end-points (edges and vertices). The rules are simple. I’ll summarize them here:

(These rules are for an irreducible tree–the kind you saw on the chalkboard in Good Will Hunting.)

1. Every line must have an endpoint on both ends.

2. Only one line can connect two endpoints.

3. Lines cannot intersect.

4. An endpoint can have one, or three or more lines coming from it, but it cannot have two. (This is the rule that makes the tree irreducible.)

Games:

(Use a penny or cotton ball for the endpoint, and a Q-tip for the line…)

1. Build a tree together. Begin by placing a single endpoint on your table-top. Now take turns doing the following: add one line and one endpoint. Watch the tree grow. Be sure to pay attention to the rules, especially rule #4. When you’re finished, examine the tree. Verbally identify, then correct any mistakes.

2. Completely remove all the lines from the tree you made in game one. Look at the array of endpoints that are left. Now add the lines back to the tree. When you’re finished, examine the tree. Identify and correct any mistakes.

3. See which player is first to determine how many combinations are possible when there are exactly five endpoints. (This is very easy.)

4. See which player is first to determine how many combinations are possible when there are exactly six endpoints.

5. See which player is first to illustrate three different graphs when the number of endpoints is exactly eight.

6. See which player is first to illustrate five different graphs when the number of endpoints is exactly ten (if necessary, use pencil and paper instead of Q-tips and pennies).

7. Using pencil and paper and a timer, in two minutes see which player can graph the most combinations when the number of endpoints is exactly twelve.

8. Use pencil and paper, see which player is first to graph the following: A robin lays four eggs. A year later, one of the four (now an adult) lays four eggs. A year later, two of those four each lays three eggs. Related: how many eggs were laid in total?

Math trees offer a useful device to chart combinations and relationships between items. They also provide an easy resource to play math games with kids. The games are flexible enough to invite participation on many levels. Once you’ve got the hang of things, try explaining a graph out loud without the use of visual tools. For instance, the answers to games three and four above–even game eight–could be explained verbally next time you’re in the family car on your way to the grocery store. And really, what could be better than pondering irreducible math trees while circling for a parking spot?

Good luck!

¹Our natural (counting) numbers are an example of discrete mathematics—when kids play hide and go seek, one person counts ‘1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, ready or not here I come.’ That’s a case where only discrete quantities are allowed. If the person counted using real numbers, where fractions, square roots and repeating decimals are allowed, it might take a very long time to start a game.