Leprechaun Traps!

 I started making leprechaun traps with my Kindergarten class today, and I am always amazed at the amount of reasoning and higher level thinking that goes into making them.  I put out lots of materials for the kids to use: paper plates, foil, clothespins, yarn, paper clips, gold bells, little baskets and boxes, and anything else I could think of.  I just kind of let them go, and work with their group to come up with ideas.

 I did give my students two things to think about:
1.  Why will the leprechaun come to your trap?  What will attract him?
2.  What will make the trap fall?

I have my students explain their thinking....how will the trap work?  It is so fun to hear what they have to say--they can really come up with ingenious ideas.  They can also see their trap's weaknesses when they talk about it.  Metacognition or thinking about your thinking is a very important higher level thinking skill.

Watch for pictures of our Kindergarten traps tomorrow!

Here is a wonderful site  to visit.  There is a webcam where you can watch for a real leprechaun in Tipperary, Ireland.  There are also videos of what other people have seen!  So cool!

If you decide to make a leprechaun trap, click here to read a very cute article about How to Catch a Leprechaun.

Happy inventing!
Debbie