Saturday, March 27, 2010

Skill Toys From Around the World - 5th Grade Workshops

As part of the 5th grade Global Awareness Technology Project, Flow Circus recently visited Newington Forest Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia to introduce students to skill toys that have traveled the Silk Road. Students learned the history of 4 different toys and then had a chance to test their own skills with the various props. As one students commented while playing with a set of flower sticks, "I bet people that had these were never bored!"

In addition to using toys to illustrate how cultures interacted and influenced each other, we discussed how the materials used to make the toys varied based on resources available and/or new inventions. Below are excerpts from thank you cards/letters written by the students after the workshop:



I never knew that history could be about toys! Today really inspired me.


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The best part was when you taught us about how they were made and how they got from place to place on the Silk Road. Thank you!


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You were entertaining and you made learning a blast. I have gotten lots of ideas for my project.

1 comment:

  1. We just received another batch of thank you notes from students at Newington Forest Elementary School and wanted to share a few more quotes.

    "Thank you for coming to our school and teaching us about the old toys. I have never had so much fun in a library before."

    "I never knew that toys from a long time ago could be so fun. I had such a great time playing with the toys."

    "The best things about the toys are they have no cords, batteries, never need to recharge, and you can always learn a new trick."

    "I would like to learn more and more tricks. So I am going to check out a book so I can learn."

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