Charts for Creative Learning

[Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] this teacher has found the charts planned by children encourage creativity and shared decisions charts that are purchased or made by the teacher add Clarity to explanations charts created by teacher and pupils involve Cooperative research and planning charts are designed to help children understand difficult material charts are important because they're adaptable to small and large groups they're easy to produce handle and store they are low in cost they can be used at all grade levels try making some charts there are many materials you can use these rolls of butcher paper are handy and inexpensive more permanent charts can be made of bond chart paper tag board poster board corrugated cardboard or show card a novel idea is to use roll down window blinds charts may be part of a folding stand or easel flipover charts make may be held together with the use of a header easily made this helps in storing them sometimes you'll pin charts to the bulletin board or clip them to a chart rail they can be suspended in several different ways with drapery Rings or plastic rings and tape held with a staple holes can be reinforced with cloth Rings or metal or plastic grommets a handy idea is to use small grommets and shower curtain rings charts made of heavy material are transported and stored in a corrugated folder with a taped hinge and string ties a stand for flip charts can be purchased or made from an old projection screen stand use an easel for heavy charts once you have decided on your topic select the type of chart to make then sketch it out thumbnail sketches are important remember a cluttered chart will be hard to read small illustrtion ations will not be seen at a distance so use big ones a tsquare and triangle are useful in making guidelines or you might find it quicker to use some type of chart liner it can be made of Masonite wood or cardboard like this one for the lettering itself use a lettering pen paint felt nib pen cut letters grease pencil chalk or crayon experiment to find out which method you like best you may want to use more than one you can also use commercially made diecut letters or you can cut them from paper in any size or color you wish attach them to the chart with rubber cement or glue remember they should be large illustrations are important you can compile a file from children's drawings photographs magazine illustrations newspaper clippings and calendars the dry mounting process will permanently fasten illustrations to the chart they can also be glued in place or they can be temporarily mounted by slits or photo Corners the edges of cardboard charts can be protected by strips of plastic tape plastic tape can also be used for bar and line graphs fabrics and other textured materials add interest and emphasis to a chart exciting effects can be obtained with three-dimensional items attach them with rubber bands wire glue or Staples charts have many uses in the classroom in language development and reading each child can recreate an experience through his own painting he then relates his story to the teacher making use of his own expanding vocabulary or he writes it himself words he may not be sure about can be selected from a vocabulary chart developed by the teacher and the class he is pleased that others can read his story and share his experience in Social studies and science important findings can be given their place on a research chart songs to be learned may be placed on a chart notice that the lettering is large enough for all to see a chart showing the functions of government helps to clarify this complex top topc comparisons on charts may be shown by symbols lines bars or pies a key should explain the meaning of each value and chart symbol pictorial charts can show areas that are far away or very small or the inside of objects or specimens we have seen that charts can be prepared by the teacher to add visual information to an explanation they can be cooperatively planned and produced by teacher and pupils or they can be created by the children in relation to their experiences involve your classes in chart making follow these simple steps decide on a topic select the materials plan the arrangement select the lettering choose illustrations and use and evaluate charts creatively [Music]