Pumpkins to Earth

I have a tech question.
I want to put the blog, The Tempered Radical in the 'blogs we follow'. How is this done? I can't seem to locate it on the dashboard. Lorax?

Thoughts. I am amazed at the capacity of human beings to learn. For the last two weeks, 75 sixth graders have been bringing pumpkins to school. These shining orange squashes looked fantastic sitting around the room. We have been studying maps. So, of course our glorious squash would soon become, the Earth.

First, my dyad mate, the teacher and I made up a lesson about geography for them. They received new colorful social studies text books with great information about different types of maps. But, we thought-how can we get them to be engaged and absorb the skills about maps? We decided to pick one country, Africa, and set up 5 groups per class. Each group would have the responsibility for coloring their map (from an enlarged plain map of Africa) physical or political or language groups, completing a key, making a nice compass rose, maybe adding some flags, etc.

I love watching the teacher present the same lesson to three different sixth grade classes! But, what was really noticeable was how the children worked together. As I walked around the class, I found them equitably dividing work up between them. I think that given the opportunity, youth do seek equality and justice, if they are fostered in respect and equity. We didn't have to do much of anything. They got the art, the paper, the research, the maps, decided which among them would write or color. The best part is seeing these lanky youth stretching their arms, standing up and painting, just using their bodies. They flourish. I do not think these students should be sitting all day. Art, coloring, mapping, walking, engaging in groups are all types of activities that stimulate different parts of their expanding brains. It was a beautiful sight!

To top it off, one week later they painted the pumpkins for two whole days. This was even more fantastic. All of a sudden, they had to take their two dimensional map understanding and place it on something round. It was a big stretch for some for others, not so much. You could feel the ZPD moving like a slinky, paintbrushes in hands trying to remember which continents and which seas, etc. Then, carrying their (at times enormous!) pumpkins outside where they lined up against the wall, three deep and a total of 75 baby blue and green globes was beauty to behold! A big thanks to teachers willing to go the distance, paint in hand!