Leprechaun Traps- Solving the Problems of the Future?

It is March, it is March

Windy Days, Kites at Play

Leprechauns and Shamrocks

Leprechauns and Shamrocks

Spring is here! Spring is here!

Spring is almost here! I am so excited! After the past few months of insane rain that has hit  California, I am welcoming spring with big, open arms. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming. And I can hear a little voice in my head say, “You know what Spring means, right? Summer is coming.” EEEEEEEKKKK!!!

And we all know that summer is literally the best time of year.

Why else does every other country song sing about summer like we are getting a little taste of heaven? Because we are people, we are.

Anyway back to spring, spring means Leprechaun Day! And boy, oh boy are my munchkins excited about Leprechaun Day. We are making Leprechaun Traps to try and catch those sneaky guys so we can take all their gold (duh). My students have been sharing all kinds of ideas of how to catch the leprechauns (ladders and trap doors are the rather popular theme at the moment).

And then yesterday I had a kiddo say to me, “I’m not making the trap, my daddy’s gonna do it!”

I gently explained to my student that the point is for them to use their imagination and creativity, not for their mommy and daddy to do it for them.

This is the biggest problem I feel that teachers face when having students complete projects at home. We risk having the parents just doing the project for their child. Which completely defeats the entire purpose of a project sent home. I completely understand that life gets hectic and people get busy and sometimes it just feels easier to do the project for them.

But at the end of the day, it robs the child of that creativity and excitement to make something NEW and innovative. And that’s what we really want to teach our children. To become problem solvers and critical thinkers so they can solve the arising problems of the future.

I know, I know, you’re thinking, “Really, Katherine, leprechaun traps are going to help our children solve the future crises of our world?”

And my answer is, in a way, yes! They are developing problem-solving skills by taking a current problem (pesky leprechauns running about) and developing a plan and designing a machine that solves that problem (leprechaun trap). And isn’t that how all great innovators have changed the world? By taking a current problem and developing a solution to solve that problem? Or take it one step further, solving a problem that doesn’t exist and providing a product that people don’t even realize they lack (Apple, anyone?) 

Then who’s to say that five year olds making leprechaun traps aren’t doing the same thing?

Mrs. Barker says they are!

Have you ever experienced a parent doing a student’s project for them? How did you handle it?

Is there a strategy you have found to be successful to prevent such plagiarism?! I’d love to hear your stories!

Later Gators!