Have you ever considered creating a choice board of contest entries and creative submissions?
Recently, I was updating and revising this list of Contests and Competitions, and it brought back memories of years when my students went crazy submitting things to kids’ magazines and contests. They worked on these mini-projects during Genius Hour or as they finished other assignments, and they were motivated to work hard to meet deadlines.
It’s always fun when the whole class gets excited about entering a contest. But have you ever thought of posting several contest entries and creative submissions and encouraging students to consider one that they might like to try?
During one season, I had students working simultaneously on all kinds of projects. One group teamed up on an entry for the NPR Student Podcast Challenge; a few math lovers worked on advanced problems offered online, such as these; one or two worked on poetry to submit to a poetry contest; and others were taking on invention challenges. We had some winners, too, which was super exciting!
CONNECTING to CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS
INVENTION – Any creative challenge can be connected to S.C.A.M.P.E.R., and if you haven’t seen the introductory video, it’s a fun one to share with students. It clearly demonstrates how creative thinking tools can inspire innovation.
ART – The Doodle for Google Contest inspired me to create this cool slide deck: S.C.A.M.P.E.R in ART. I had so much fun discovering how creative thinking tools and strategies might inspire artists. You can find other art contests, including this one, on the Contests page.
POETRY – The connections to S.C.A.M.P.E.R. are endless. Find enough for an entire unit HERE. Perusing possibilities might inspire your poets.
PUZZLES – Some students love solving and creating puzzles. Challenge them to reimagine new types of puzzles. Read more HERE.
MATH – I created a unit for K-2 students that connects S.C.A.M.P.E.R. with Numbers and Math. I pondered and shared some creative math ideas for older students in this post. Contests and submission opportunities for creative math entries, such as this one, seem few and far between, so let me know of any you find.
Please share your experiences incorporating contests and challenges in your classroom! Some great opportunities are coming up in January, too, and that’s a great time to present a new kind of challenge!
I’m still thankful to Alicia Menchaca for sharing tips and details about the 90-Second Newbery contest. Her students participated and WON! You may want to go back and check it out!