Thomas County first and second graders visit the Garrison-Pilcher Media Center regularly to check out books, enjoy read-alouds, and engage in interactive makerspace sessions.  A recent session revolved around the standards of nonfiction text features, force and motion, and life cycles.

Media Specialist Elexis Griffin began her lesson by comparing a non-fiction and a fiction book about pumpkins. Students were able to identify the general differences between the two types of text and then specifically discuss the text features that can be found in non-fiction books and how those help the reader understand the text. Griffin presented a timeline of how a pumpkin grows as well as a diagram of a pumpkin life cycle.  The comparison was extended with the reading of a fiction book called 10 Spooky Pumpkins, and Griffin acting out the story with her students.

To set the stage for the makerspace, students design their own "spooky pumpkin patch" by placing candy pumpkins in a field. Students were tasked with using craft sticks, clothes pins, rubber bands, twist ties, and spoons to create a harvester that will pick the pumpkins out of the field before a winter storm comes. After the young creators make their harvesters and test them out, they were given five minutes to try and harvest all of the pumpkins out of the field. If their harvester is not working, they have to fix what is wrong. Lastly, the students share why their harvester worked or did not work.

Captions:

 Destin Jackson, Nautica McDonald, Delilah Woodcock, and Sloane McCoy cooperate during   a makerspace activity in the Garrison-Pilcher Media Center.

 Charlie Deibert, Kassidy Samuel, Sam Carter, and Kyana Coleman work hard to create a tool from   common objects to move candies from one spot to another.

  Emma Such attempts to “harvest” her pumpkin from her pumpkin patch while Destin Jackson proudly shows      the success of his makerspace test. 

Tycen Scott and Lyrik Gilbreath compare ideas as to how they will create a harvester for their pumpkin patch   makerspace problem.

  Keegan Ansley, Knox Norton, Autumn Powell, Kameah Matthews-Daniels, De'Marion Newkirk, and Caleb          Sinclair carefully choose from the supplies at their makerspace station after an interdisciplinary lesson                involving motion and force, text features, and life cycles.