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I had a difficult time when approaching this project. My creative juices were just not flowing and I had no idea what to do. I was discussing my dilemma with my husband and he suggested using Coke as my normal object. We could try out some different things that Coke is rumored to be used for. I decided a scientific approach may be just what I needed. We had a good time experimenting with Coke.
Coke in its natural habitat... the kitchen in a glass of ice.
Using Coke to antique a photo.
Cooking with Coke. This is actually something I used to do is college and everyone thought I was crazy!
I read that Coke can be used to curl your hair. Maybe we didn't do it right, maybe it doesn't actually work, or maybe my hair is the wrong "type". The Coke seemed to give me some curl while still in my hair, but after I rinsed it out, all I was left with was a head that smelled faintly of flat soda.
One thing that is common to hear is about the corrosive powers of Coke. I can't believe that I sometimes put this in my body!
I know this approach was probably a little different than was expected, but we're supposed to be creative. right? I enjoyed tapping into my more scientific nature and now I think a little differently about Coke.
What's the big idea?
As I was reading about observing, I thought about a favorite Yogi Berra quote, “You can observe a lot by watching.” Mr. Berra was certainly right in the traditional sense and most simplistic form of observation. However, as I am learning, observation is so much more than seeing things with your eyes. Robert and Michèle Root-Bernstein point out that observation “goes well beyond the visual” (36).
I believe it is true that they say. If you are deprived of one sense, the other senses are then heightened. I like museums where I can only use another sense, such as touch or smell, to obtain information about an unknown object. This is an activity I would like to do with my students as we are exploring nouns and adjectives. Students will be given as unknown object, a thing, and have to use other senses than sight to describe it using adjectives. Another activity would be to give the students the name of a person, place, or thing and they have to describe how that noun would smell, feel, taste, sound and look like without actually having the physical noun in their presence. The sense of smell and taste would certainly have to tap in to their creativity.
The second activity might even require some imaging. I believe imaging to be a process of visualizing an object that you do not readily have in your possession. For example, if a student had the word “ball”, they would most likely picture something round as would most people. However, if they were given “football” the image in their head would change. I could do an activity starting out with general nouns such as “ball” for the students to describe and then move to something more specific like “football” and the students can compare their original image with the new image they have been given.
Observing and imaging are both skills that are not inherent. These skills take practice to master and as teachers, we have a responsibility to assist our students with mastering these skills. As we can observe objects with our different senses, we can also imagine how certain objects would line up with those senses. Most imaging in “polysensual” (59) and that means we can usually imagine different items or feelings using multiple methods whether they are aural, kinesthetic, or visual. I think it is important for students to understand that there is not one right way to imagine something.
Another way imaging and observing work together is in the recreation of an object that cannot be readily seen. As the students observe an object using their other senses, they are most likely also creating an image in their mind. This image can then be translated into a drawing using their observations. The observations can also be used to elaborate on an object in a story. If a student is having difficulty writing about an object, observation and imaging can be used to assist the student in visualizing the object in new ways.
Although observing and imaging are different, I believe that they are essential skills and when they are used together, students will gain a greater understanding of the world around them. It is important that teachers recognize this pairing as a crucial element in furthering the education of their students.
I believe it is true that they say. If you are deprived of one sense, the other senses are then heightened. I like museums where I can only use another sense, such as touch or smell, to obtain information about an unknown object. This is an activity I would like to do with my students as we are exploring nouns and adjectives. Students will be given as unknown object, a thing, and have to use other senses than sight to describe it using adjectives. Another activity would be to give the students the name of a person, place, or thing and they have to describe how that noun would smell, feel, taste, sound and look like without actually having the physical noun in their presence. The sense of smell and taste would certainly have to tap in to their creativity.
The second activity might even require some imaging. I believe imaging to be a process of visualizing an object that you do not readily have in your possession. For example, if a student had the word “ball”, they would most likely picture something round as would most people. However, if they were given “football” the image in their head would change. I could do an activity starting out with general nouns such as “ball” for the students to describe and then move to something more specific like “football” and the students can compare their original image with the new image they have been given.
Observing and imaging are both skills that are not inherent. These skills take practice to master and as teachers, we have a responsibility to assist our students with mastering these skills. As we can observe objects with our different senses, we can also imagine how certain objects would line up with those senses. Most imaging in “polysensual” (59) and that means we can usually imagine different items or feelings using multiple methods whether they are aural, kinesthetic, or visual. I think it is important for students to understand that there is not one right way to imagine something.
Another way imaging and observing work together is in the recreation of an object that cannot be readily seen. As the students observe an object using their other senses, they are most likely also creating an image in their mind. This image can then be translated into a drawing using their observations. The observations can also be used to elaborate on an object in a story. If a student is having difficulty writing about an object, observation and imaging can be used to assist the student in visualizing the object in new ways.
Although observing and imaging are different, I believe that they are essential skills and when they are used together, students will gain a greater understanding of the world around them. It is important that teachers recognize this pairing as a crucial element in furthering the education of their students.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
I have been exploring parts of speech, but more specifically nouns, adjectives, and verbs. In my mind, those are the most basic, closely related parts of speech. When writing, we choose a noun and then have to use adjectives and verbs to describe that noun. In my "What's the big idea?" assignment, I talked about a ball and then specifically a football. I was a cheerleader in high school and football has always been one of my favorite sports. I began thinking about ways to describe these experiences when I remember a recently released song by Kenny Chesney, a county favorite of mine. It's called "The Boys of Fall" and perfectly uses adjectives and verbs to describe football using every sense. It creates such a mental image. I would first recommend to listen to the song with your eyes closed to imagine the song in your head. Then watch the video and see Kenny's interpretation of the song.
Clearly, the assignment was not to find an already created example interpretation of our topic, so I decided to do a little writing on my own. I am going to create an image of football through the eyes of a cheerleader.
The Eyes of a Cheerleader
Tennis shoes pounding on the track
Practicing stunts and jumps as the crowd walks in
In strut the boys holding hands
Fans going crazy in the stands
The band strikes up
The fight song plays
Stand up and cheer is what we do best
The stadium erupts, but we lead the call
We know each boy who carries the ball
We can smell the sweat
We can hear the clash
Our boys fight hard, we will give them that
We yell, we jump, we flip, we fly
The fans getting crazy because we tell them to
We have the power to make the team hear us
We are the ones bringing up the team's spirit
No doubt about it, those boys work hard
We love them like brothers
When they lose, we lose, too
But when they win, we're all the kings of the school
It's a game for the fans and that's where we come in
We're there to encourage the boys to win
We give them support with our encouraging words
Marching in to battle each Friday night
We're there and refuse to let them give up the fight
Practicing stunts and jumps as the crowd walks in
In strut the boys holding hands
Fans going crazy in the stands
The band strikes up
The fight song plays
Stand up and cheer is what we do best
The stadium erupts, but we lead the call
We know each boy who carries the ball
We can smell the sweat
We can hear the clash
Our boys fight hard, we will give them that
We yell, we jump, we flip, we fly
The fans getting crazy because we tell them to
We have the power to make the team hear us
We are the ones bringing up the team's spirit
No doubt about it, those boys work hard
We love them like brothers
When they lose, we lose, too
But when they win, we're all the kings of the school
It's a game for the fans and that's where we come in
We're there to encourage the boys to win
We give them support with our encouraging words
Marching in to battle each Friday night
We're there and refuse to let them give up the fight