Sidewalk Circus

Discovery, Flexible Thinking, Imagination, Picture Books, , ,

“Sidewalk Circus”

Sidewalk Circus, a wordless book, brings the Garibaldi Circus to town in an unusual way. No one notices these shadowy circus performers at a crowded bus stop except for a pair of children. Tight ropewalking construction workers. A juggling pancake flipping cook. The Flying Trapeze Brothers window washers.

This book promotes imagination, discovery, and flexible thinking.

TITLE: Sidewalk Circus

AUTHOR: Paul Fleischman

ILLUSTRATOR: Kevin Hawkes

PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press, 2004

AGE GROUP: 4-8

CREATIVE COMPONENTS: imagination, discovery, flexible thinking

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

1) Make a list of forest animals. How can each animal’s shadow be a circus performer? For example, a duck flying up from the pond is the cannonball act.

2) How might you plan birthday party games as circus acts? Which circus act is your favorite?

EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

To learn more about author Paul Fleischman, visit: http://www.paulfleischman.net/index.htm

To learn more about illustrator Kevin Hawkes, visit:

http://www.kevinhawkes.com/home.htm

Creative Thinking Prompt: Invention Inspired by Nature

Creative Problem Solving, Creative Thinking Prompts, Nature,

Creative Thinking Prompt: Invention Inspired by Nature

What do owls and humpback whales have in common?

Wind turbine blades!

Researchers Ian Clark, William N. Alexander, William J. Devenport, Stewart A. Glegg, Justin Jaworski, Conor Daly, and Nigel Peake looked at an owl’s silent predatory flight for inspiration to reduce the amount of noise that wind blades emitted. They noticed tiny hairs that look like fringe stuck up on wing feathers, which smoothed the air flow into a neat stream. After creating a 3D printed plastic coating that mimics the owl’s feather structure and applying it to the blade, turbine noise was reduced by fifty percent.

Biologist Frank Fish noticed bumps running along the fins on a humpback whale. Fish studied and discovered that these bumps create small vortices that help the fin cut through water. By developing a bumpy edge to a turbine blade, noise is reduced and efficiency increased. This is now known as the turbercle effect.

Edge of a prototype wind turbine blade – Whalepower Corporation

Creative Thinking Prompt: How might an owl or whale influence you to redesign or create a new common household item like a spoon, lawn mower, or bike?

EXTENDED CONNECTIONS:

https://cosmosmagazine.com/physics/turbine-blades-inspired-owls

https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/10-technologies-inspired-nature

Wonderfall

Nature, Originality, Perspective, Picture Books, Poetry, , , , ,

“Wonderfall”

In Wonderfall readers discover how a tree changes through the four seasons. Author/illustrator Michael Hall’s creative free-verse poems substitute the word fall for the suffix –ful to show each change. Colorful illustrations depict each new word.

Event + fall = Eventfall

Force + fall = Forcefall

The back of the book provides additional information about the animals featured in the book as well as the relationship between squirrels, acorns, and trees can be found.

This book promotes creative, inventive, combination, different perspective, and originality.

TITLE: Wonderfall

AUTHOR: Michael Hall

ILLUSTRATOR: Michael Hall

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins Children’s Books, 2016

AGE GROUP: 4-6

CREATIVE COMPONENTS: creative, inventive, combination, different perspective, originality

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

1) Close your eyes. What do you imagine when you hear the word Fall? Open your eyes and jot down words describing what you imagined. Remember to use your five senses. Write a free verse poem about Fall. A free verse poem does not follow any rhyming patterns or meters.

Here is a website that shows how to write a free verse:

https://www.poetry4kids.com/news/how-to-write-a-free-verse-poem/

2) Pick 5 words that end with suffix –ful. Change them into –fall words like author Michael Hall did in his story and draw what each word would look like. Example: colorful -> colorfall What does Colorfall look like?

EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

To learn more about author/illustrator Michael Hall, visit:

http://www.michaelhallstudio.com

http://www.michaelhallstudio.com/pages/books/wonderfall/video.html

Creative Thinking Prompt: Out of This World Tasty Galaxy

Combination, Creative Thinking Prompts, ,

Creative Thinking Prompt: Out of This World Tasty Galaxy

Ever wondered what a galaxy might taste like? Dessert makers have.

©Sweetambs

  Instagram: @sobeautifullyraw

   

@https://cakecrumbs.me/2013/07/24/jupiter-structural-layer-cake/

Creative Thinking Prompt: Out of This World Tasty Galaxy

Make a list of 25 different foods. They may not be just desserts. From your list pick five that seem unusual or weird to you. How might you pair a galaxy with those foods? From there, choose one galaxy food. Sketch out what it would look like. List the ingredients and steps it would take to make your food. If you have permission, try making your galaxy food. And don’t forget to name it!

EXTENDED LEARNING

©Sweetambs

To learn how to make and decorate galaxy cookies, visit:

http://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/galaxy-cookies/

Doggone Feet!

Humor, Originality, Perspective, Picture Books, , ,

“Doggone Feet!”

One day Dog follows Legs (who becomes his owner) home from the park. Dog cleans up the floor after Legs and licks his hands clean. They make a great pair until Toes comes home with Legs. Dog doesn’t know what to think about two more feet. “I guess there’s room for four feet,” Dog thinks. Then Boots shows up. And then more feet show up. And more. What’s a dog to do?

From beneath the dining table, Dog tells of his growing family life from his dog-eye point of view. Full of humor and rhyme, read to discover the surprise ending.

This book promotes creativity, originality, and different perspective.

TITLE: Doggone Feet!

AUTHOR: Leslie Helakoski

ILLUSTRATOR: Leslie Helakoski

PUBLISHER: Boyds Mills Press, 2013

AGE GROUP: 4-8

CREATIVE COMPONENTS: creativity, different perspective, originality

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

1) Pick an animal and “see” the world through its eyes. Remember if it’s a small animal the world will look enormous and vice versa for a larger animal. Roleplay – behave like that animal. Now pick an object. How might that object “see” the world around him?

2) Challenge yourself to keep an open-mind when you come across something that you don’t think you’ll like. For example, I didn’t think that I would like to eat baked asparagus with cream cheese but I ended up really liking it. Now it’s a favorite of mine. But if you end up not liking what you try, it’s okay. You experienced it!

EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

To learn more about author/illustrator Leslie Helakoski, visit:

https://www.helakoskibooks.com

Watch the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6Y888XmPh0

Creative Thinking Prompt: Infinite Space Defined

Creative Problem Solving, Creative Thinking Prompts, Originality, Perspective, , ,

 ©Chul Hyun Ahn

Creative Thinking Prompt: Infinite Space Defined

How do you define space? How might you show (represent) space?

South Korean artist Chul Hyun Ahn enjoys exploring how to define infinite space through his art. He creates portal-looking sculptures using light, mirrors, color and illusion.

    

Images©Chul Hyun Ahn

EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

https://www.artsy.net/artist/chul-hyun-ahn/works

https://creators.vice.com/en_us/article/ypn95b/illuminating-infinite-spaces-meet-chul-hyun-ahn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIqBdvrJ4VE

 Think Deeper: Ponder this – If something is infinite, does it have a center point?

How Can You Dance?

Creative Expression, ,

“How Can You Dance?”

This picture book is a celebration of creative movement. Readers will have fun dancing these new steps.

Imagine how you can dance with spring in your shoes, you can’t move your knees or you’re mad as a bee.

This book promotes creative expression and making connections.

TITLE: How Can You Dance?

AUTHOR: Rick Walton

ILLUSTRATOR: Ana López Escrivá

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2001

AGE GROUP: 4-6

CREATIVE COMPONENTS: creative expression and making connections

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

1) Make a list of feelings. How might you dance to sadness or happiness or scared?

2) Substitute movement for your name. For example, my name Ann is shown by jumping up and clapping my hands above my head.

3) Tell a short story using only movement (no words). You can use a story you already know or make one up. 

EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

To learn more about author Rick Walton, visit:

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Children%27s_Authors/Rick_Walton

To learn more about illustrator Ana López Escrivá, visit:

https://www.jacketflap.com/ana-lopez-escriva/6807

Creative Thinking Prompt: Knolling

Creative Expression, Creative Thinking Prompts, Perspective, , ,

Adam Hillman, SpaghettiOOOOOOOOO, 2016

Creative Thinking Prompt: Knolling

Knolling is defined as arranging objects at 90 degree angles from each other and then photographing them. American sculptor Tom Sachs uses knolling as an integral part to his process. He describes the process of knolling in his 2009 studio manual, 10 Bullets.

  1. Scan your environment for materials, tools, books, music, etc. which are not in use.
  2. Put away everything not in use. If you aren’t sure, leave it out.
  3. Group all ‘like’ objects.
  4. Align or square all objects to either the surface they rest on, or the studio itself.

Object Arranger Artist Adam Hillman creates his artwork using knolling. By carefully arranging items, he makes colorful compositions and then photographs them.

        

Images ©Adam Hillman

Think Deeper: Try your hand at knolling. Collect objects from around your home that share a common trait and arrange them using 90 degree angles.

EXTENDED CONNECTIONS:

To view more of Adam’s artwork, visit:

http://www.ufunk.net/en/photos/adam-hillman-instagram/

http://adamhillman.tumblr.com

https://www.instagram.com/witenry/?hl=en

To learn more about knolling and view artwork, visit:

https://creativemarket.com/blog/what-is-knolling-the-overhead-photography-trend-explained

Woolbur

Creative Expression, Humor, Originality, , ,

“Woolbur”

Woolbur doesn’t think or behave like the rest of the flock. He does things his way.

“I carded my own wool,” said Woolbur. “No more tangles.” 

“It’s unheard of!” said Maa.  “I know,” said Woolbur. “Isn’t great?”

His parents don’t understand him. “You must follow the flock, dear. It’s what sheep do.”

Instead Woolbur teaches the other sheep a different way of doing things.

This book promotes humor, creative thinking, taking risks and originality.

TITLE: Woolbur

AUTHOR: Leslie Helakoski

ILLUSTRATOR: Lee Harper

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins Publisher, 2008

AGE GROUP: 5-8

CREATIVE COMPONENTS: humor, creative thinking, taking risks and originality

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

1) Design a wacky hairstyle for yourself and wear it to school.

2) Pick something that you feel you do well at and teach it to someone else.

3) Invent a game using cottonballs.

 EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

To learn more about author Leslie Helakoski, visit:

https://www.helakoskibooks.com

To learn more about illustrator Lee Harper, visit:

http://www.leeharperart.com/leeharperart/Welcome.html

Creative Thinking Prompt: DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion®

Combination, Creative Expression, Creative Thinking Prompts, Originality, , ,

Creative Thinking Prompt: DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion®

Creative expression + creative movement + environment + inter- and intra- relationships = DIAVOLO

Diavolo’s mission statement is to explore the relation and interaction between the human body and its architectural environment to understand how we are being affected not only socially, but physically and emotionally. Dancers fly through the air from structures designed by Jacques Heim. Their acrobatic dance performance incorporates strength as well as emotion to tell a story.

In 1992, French-born choreographer and visionary Jacques Heim created DIAVOLO, an acrobatic dance company that incorporates unique geometric-architectural props. Diavolo stands for “I fly” in Latin and “day” in Spanish. Currently, they are competing on the TV show, America’s Got Talent.

To learn more about Diavolo, visit:

https://www.diavolo.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc2hrLbvXMg