I Just Can't Stop

At Staples, this past September, there was a good price on Uniball liquid green ink pens - my marking preference.  I had the pack of 3 already in the cart before I caught myself, "Stupid, you have enough ink in the 4 green pens you already own to cover this final year."

I very reluctantly put them back on the display hook - but they were such a great deal!

I just can't seem to stop.  I still find myself spotting cool stuff to use in my teaching.  For 35 years I've always had an eye out for "educational" things (educational can be a very large and encompassing umbrella).  Here is but a small sampling of my collection that will need a new home come June.

- garage sale Twister, along with two shot puts used to demonstrate in science the  law of conservation of motion (similar to a spinning skater stretching out her arms and twirling faster as she pulls them in)

- 8 track tape taken apart to show the ingenious way a loop of tape can unwind and rewind itself  (No, I never listened to this when I was younger!)

- garage sale strobe lights - drama and plays use

-   floating rock, purchased on vacation somewhere - density in science

- map I purchased in one of the Caribbean Islands, used when I teach the songs of the Caribbean and the grade 6's do their percussion unit

- garage sale lid off of an oil drum - best cheap gong ever!

- heat lamp - grade 7 science

- one of my old speakers with the magnet pried off - science electricity unit

- fossil trilobites - purchased on vacation in Colorado

- garage sale tub (note the hole drilled in the centre of the bottom) add a rope, and stick and get a washtub bass instrument

- dollar store plastic tube you swing above your head.  Demonstrates the progression of notes in a vibrating tube

- my old ceiling fan motor disassembled showing electromagnetic coils (electricity)

- some of the myriad of maracas (purchased on vacation or found at yard sales)

- don't know where these came from, but they were in the staff room at AV Graham when I arrived in 1984 and I just inherited them.  You never know when you'll need a couple of sombreros.  They have been  used multiple times somewhere in the school every year. 

-steel drum (actually in tune!) purchased from the maker on a beach in St. Lucia

- flute from Art in the Park made from PVC plastic pipe

- seed pods from a tree in St. Lucia that when dried, the seeds shrink and shake inside (the one in the middle has been broken apart and the indentations where the seeds were can be seen).  I brought 45 of these home in my luggage and was able to give one to each kid in my grade 5 class.

- recorders and flute made from bamboo

- a bamboo scraper and a metallic scraper made in the Caribbean from an empty tin can (actually used by the locals in their bands)

- authentic Chinese gong (12" diameter) purchased in second hand store near Orillia for $20

- cardboard cutout of television set (lots of "TV Shows" done with this prop)

- 5 1/4" floppy disk (see, this is why they were called floppies, because they bend and flop)

- 5 gallon plastic water jugs used as cheap djembes for drumming with music classes

The above pictures were taken during a quick walk through of my class.  I think I'm gonna need a bigger garage - especially when I have to bring my album collection home from school!!!