Teaching on a shoestring : an A-Z of everyday objects to enthuse and engage children and extend learning in the early years

In Teaching on a Shoestring: An A to Z of everyday objects to enthuse and engage children and extend learning in the early years, Russell Grigg and Helen Lewis explore the educational value of familiar objects and suggest practical activities to help develop young learners' cross-curricular skills. We take many everyday objects for granted. But in a time of ever-tightening school budgets these objects can be invaluable in affording low-cost, high-impact opportunities for learning. With these value-for-money principles in mind, Russell and Helen have packed this practical A to Z handbook to the brim with fun facts, inspiring ideas and exciting activities to help teachers make the best use of familiar objects as launch pads for effective learning. Underpinned by solid theory, Teaching on a Shoestring investigates the learning potential of twenty-six inexpensive, readily available resources from apples to ice cubes to zebra-patterned fabric and shows how they can be exploited to develop in young learners the four skills widely regarded as essential in the twenty-first century: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. The book is organised into two parts: covering theory, then practice. In Part 1 the authors examine the nature of an object-rich learning environment and discuss the benefits of enquiry-based learning, in which the emphasis is upon promoting collaboration, dialogue and higher-order thinking in real-world contexts. In Part 2 the learning opportunities around the twenty-six objects are laid out in detail to illustrate how they can be put into practice. While the book focuses on object-based pedagogy employed with the under-sevens age category, many of the principles can also be applied with older children. There is a common format for the enquiry into each object, arranged into the following sections: In a nutshell key background information about the object in its broader context; Did you know? interesting facts about the object; Ready key vocabulary, resources and health and safety factors to consider; Steady learning goals and intentions; Go activities which show how teachers can develop the four skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity around the object; Other ideas follow-up cross-curricular ideas; and Find out more websites and other references for further information. Suitable for early years educators and anyone who works with young children. This Wonderfully Quirky Book Will Change The Way You Look At Your Desk Forever With Stories Of Accidental Genius, Bitter Rivalries, And An Appreciation For Everyday Objects, Like The Humble But Perfectly Designed Paper Clip And The Utilitarian, Irreplaceable Pencil. How Many Of Humanity's Brightest Ideas Started Out On A Scrap Of Paper, A Post-it, Or In The Margins Of A Notebook? In A Delightfully Witty And Fresh Voice, James Ward--cofounder Of The Boring Conference And Collector Of The Arcane--explores The Secret Histories Of Deskbound Supplies, From Pencils To Fluorescent Ink, And The Gleaming Reams Of White Paper We All Take For Granted, Encouraging A Deeper Appreciation And Fascination For The Things That Surround Us Each Day. In The Spirit Of The Evolution Of Useful Things And A History Of The World In 100 Objects, Ward Transforms The Mundane Into Stories Of Invention, Discovery, And Even Awe. The Perfection Of The Paper Clip Is A Fascinating Tour Of The Objects That Touch Our Daily Lives, Filled With Charming Drawings, Illuminating Stories, And Winning Humor That Will Satisfy Curious Minds And Armchair Inventors-- The Gem -- Pins And Clips -- Everything I Know About People, I Learnt From Pens -- Had A Love Affair But It Was Only Paper -- They Can't Move Until I Pick Up A Pencil -- We All Make Mistakes -- Take Me, I'm Yours -- Wish You Were Here -- Back To School -- The Highlight Of My Life -- I'm Sticking With You -- Your Business Card Is Crap -- Hypertext On A Refrigerator Door -- A Staple Diet -- The Storeroom Of Knowledge -- Tomorrow's World. James Ward. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 273-274) And Index. From making correction fluid at home to the dark secrets of fluorescent ink, via pencil wars and moments of accidental genius: James Ward leads a tour through the stationery cupboard. We are surrounded by stationery: half-chewed Cristal Bics and bent paper clips, rubber bands to fiddle with or ping, blunt pencils, rubbers and Tipp-ex. They are integral parts of our everyday environment. So much so that we have no idea of the stories they have to tell. But James Ward is here to explain how important stationery is to us. After all, who remains unmoved by the sight of the first sheet of a brand new notepad? And which of humanity's brightest ideas didn't start life on a scrap of paper, a Post-it, or in the margins of a notebook? Exploring these everyday objects, Ward reveals tales of invention - accidental and brilliant - and bitter rivalry. He also asks the difficult questions, who is Mr Pritt? What does shatter-proof resistant mean? How many pens does Argos use? And what do design evolutions in desk organisers mean for society? Perhaps most importantly, it's time to ask Blu-Tack: what are the 1000s of uses they claim? Combining telling details, peculiar facts, a love of humour, hubris and brimming with curious stories, this book will change the way you look at your desk forever. "This wonderfully quirky book will change the way you look at your desk forever with stories of accidental genius, bitter rivalries, and an appreciation for everyday objects, like the humble but perfectly designed paper clip and the utilitarian, irreplaceable pencil. How many of humanity's brightest ideas started out on a scrap of paper, a Post-It, or in the margins of a notebook? In a delightfully witty and fresh voice, James Ward--cofounder of the Boring Conference and collector of the arcane--explores the secret histories of deskbound supplies, from pencils to fluorescent ink, and the gleaming reams of white paper we all take for granted, encouraging a deeper appreciation and fascination for the things that surround us each day. In the spirit of The Evolution of Useful Things and A History of the World in 100 Objects, Ward transforms the mundane into stories of invention, discovery, and even awe. The Perfection of the Paper Clip is a fascinating tour of the objects that touch our daily lives, filled with charming drawings, illuminating stories, and winning humor that will satisfy curious minds and armchair inventors"-- Provided by publisher "This wonderfully quirky book will change the way you look at your desk forever with stories of accidental genius, bitter rivalries, and an appreciation for everyday objects, like the humble but perfectly designed paper clip and the utilitarian, irreplaceable pencil. How many of humanity's brightest ideas started out on a scrap of paper, a Post-It, or in the margins of a notebook? In a delightfully witty and fresh voice, James Ward ... cofounder of the Boring Conference and collector of the arcane ... explores the secret histories of deskbound supplies, from pencils to fluorescent ink, and the gleaming reams of white paper we all take for granted, encouraging a deeper appreciation and fascination for the things that surround us each day. In the spirit of The Evolution of Useful Things and A History of the World in 100 Objects, Ward transforms the mundane into stories of invention, discovery, and even awe. The Perfection of the Paper Clip is a fascinating tour of the objects that touch our daily lives, filled with charming drawings, illuminating stories, and winning humor that will satisfy curious minds and armchair inventors." Change the way you look at office supplies forever with this wonderfully enlightening and quirky exploration of the fascinating backstories of everyday objects, such as the humble and perfectly designed paper clip and the utilitarian, irreplaceable pencil.How many of humanity's brightest ideas started out on a scrap of paper or in the margins of a notebook? In a delightfully witty and fresh voice, James Ward—cofounder of the Boring Conference and collector of the arcane—explores the secret histories of deskbound supplies, from pencils to fluorescent ink, and the gleaming reams of white paper we all take for granted, encouraging a deeper appreciation and fascination for the things that surround us each day. In the spirit of The Evolution of Useful Things and A History of the World in 100 Objects, Ward transforms the mundane into remarkable stories of invention, discovery, and even awe. The Perfection of the Paper Clip is “a hugely entertaining experience for the reader...this engaging book is an absolute must” (Booklist).