What makes a person creative? It is a trait that we are born with, or can it be taught and learned? According to a recent story in the New York Times “Once considered the product of genius or divine inspiration, creativity — the ability to spot problems and devise smart solutions — is being recast as a prized and teachable skill. Pin it on pushback against standardized tests and standardized thinking, or on the need for ingenuity in a fluid landscape….Traditional academic disciplines still matter, but as content knowledge evolves at lightning speed, educators are talking more and more about “process skills,” strategies to reframe challenges and extrapolate and transform information, and to accept and deal with ambiguity.” Creative Studies is becoming increasingly popular as a course and field of study at colleges and universities across the country.
It is never too early to begin to encourage students to develop their of creative potential.
February is a particularly great time to bring inventors into your lessons to inspire your students to explore their own innovative ideas for inventions. Do you plan on including Garrett Morgan in your lessons for Black History month? My first-grade level F reader Garrett Morgan: Inventor, will describe to your students the important inventions this great African-American inventor made, including the traffic signal light. This is one of the books contained in the collection of leveled readers entitled "Famous African-Americans in U.S. History, Leveled Books for Grades 1 – 3."
February 11th is the birthday of birthday of Thomas Edison. My first-grade level E reader “Thomas Edison: Inventor” will teach your students interesting facts while they will build their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension. Benjamin Franklin recently had a birthday, on January 17th. In Benjamin Franklin, my first-grade Level G reader, students will learn about this famous American statesman, writer, printer, scientist, and inventor.
Combining reading and social studies activities, this first-grade Level F reader provides interesting facts about Alexander Graham Bell- Inventor of the Telephone. Your students will build their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension as they read the story, answer questions, and have fun with the criss cross puzzle. My second-grade leveled reader "Robert Fulton - Steamboat Inventor" provides a brief history of Robert Fulton's life and his love for invention. Steamboats, a submarine, and canal systems were some of the projects he worked on during his lifetime. I hope that you enjoy exploring inventions and inspiring creativity in your own classroom.
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