Melvin: A biography (1.0)

The story behind the music (Please don’t sue me!) 

I guess I should explain the concept of Melvin a little more.

Melvin is my ultimate teaching tool.

Melvin helps me teach about everything by creating challenges. With a computer, the interwebs, and a little creativity, I can use Melvin to create a lesson for any class.

There is a formula to it, and it is surprisingly easy. Here is an example for my state Massachusetts.

Step one

Pick your poison, that is to say choose your standard ____________

For this example lets do second grade math.

We will focus on the critical goals, specifically number three: using standard units of measure

Students recognize the need for standard units of measure (centimeter and inch) and they use rulers and other measurement tools with the understanding that linear measure involves an iteration of units. They recognize that the smaller the unit, the more iterations they need to cover a given length.

Step Dos

Pick another standard ____________

Lets try second grade science.

Once again, aiming for the big picture here so lets do the general outline. I especially like the shout out to Piaget.

As Piaget noted, young children tend to describe anything that moves as alive. For purposes of working with students in grades PreK–2, who do not yet understand the continuity of life (e.g., from seed to seedling to tree to log), living can be defined as anything that is alive or has ever been alive (e.g., muskrat, flower, roadkill, log) and nonliving can be defined as anything that is not now and has never been alive (e.g., rock, mountain, glass, wristwatch). Over time, students refine their intuitive understanding. They begin to include in their definition of living such behaviors as eating, growing, and reproducing. They learn to use their senses to observe and then describe the natural world. Noticing differences and similarities, and grouping organisms based on common features are skills developed in the life science curriculum at this grade span. For a more in-depth discussion of this issue, please refer to the National Science Education Standards.

Step 3

Create a lesson plan ____________and an assignment __________that involve the two disciplines. The class of 2nd graders I tried this with were digging butterflies at the time.

It may also help to create roles _________to help facilitate the lesson.

Step Four

Use Melvin the Moose to talk the #%$@ up about your lesson. And what I mean by that is use Melvin in examples.

e.g. Melvin loves to sing. Can you make a song that involves Butterflies and Math?

e.g.2 Melvin loves trucks. Can you think of a way trucks relate to butterflies?

Step Liù

Lather, Rinse, and Repeat

With this one moose I can create lessons about anything.

And that’s not even the best part, but more on that later.

To Be continued ___________ ____________ _____________