Showcasing, Vera Lopes and "Acting Out Opposites"

While brainstorming teaching activities that make use of digital photographs, Vera Lopes, assistant director and pre-kindergarten teacher for Kindercourt Schools in San Carlos, California, hit upon a picture-perfect idea.

"I told the class it might be fun to make a book of opposites that we acted out ourselves," she explained. "We discussed what opposites we wanted to illustrate, making sure there were enough for everyone to be in the book. We made a list of all the opposites and gathered the props we needed, such as a large bucket, a book, and a pegboard."

The students took digital pictures of one another illustrating opposites from the list, and discussing the meaning of each word. When all the pictures were taken, Lopes attached each photo to a separate page and added a caption. She then put the pages in sheet protectors inside a binder and shared them with the class.

"The children enjoyed acting out the opposites," she reported. "It helped them understand what an opposite was, and of course they loved seeing what they looked like!"

The simple activity required a digital camera, computer, printer, binder, sheet protectors, paper, and the props necessary to bring the opposites to life. The students enjoyed the lesson so much that Lopes is already planning to repeat it this fall -- perhaps adding to the book throughout the year. She also would like to send copies of the book home so the children could share it with their families.

"My advice to others who want to do this activity is to have some ideas to help the children act out the opposites," Lopes said. "Kids can usually think of opposites, but acting them out is a different story!"

Article by Cara Bafile
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