Role Models Rock! - A MUSIC ACTIVITY for Girls

Music is said to be the universal language! This project taps into our student’s love of listening to music.  Famous women in history can be amazing role models for our Stargirls related to their accomplishments, leadership, persistence, and values.  Women who have achieved success in the disciplines of math and science are often disregarded, as seen in the movie Hidden Figures. 

The objectives for this project include:

1.  Research Skills: Stargirls identify a female role model to investigate. (Four important facts will be identified for slide one)

2.  Analysis: Explore songs whose lyrics connect metaphorically with the accomplishments or character traits of the female selected. (A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison between two things that are not alike but share a common characteristic.)

3. Written Analysis: Explain the connection (metaphor) between the song selected and the accomplishments or character traits of  the female role model selected. 

4.  Communication/ Technology: Creating three slides for a combined group slide show.

Slide One: A picture of your role model, her name and four interesting facts.
Write your name on this slide.

Slide Two: The title of your song and the lyrics that represent your role model.

Slide Three:  Explain the connection (metaphor) between the song selected and the accomplishments or character traits of  the female role model selected. 

The following link will take you to a group slide show complete with step-by-step directions and examples of slides created by Stargirls. You may also organize your own slide show and create a link.

Paste in Url
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1geissGLSLXG_zdbT7CiiDVdnA1EF_cBtZgJzxqL7keM/edit?usp=sharing

Have fun!

Stargirl Choice Board

            Stargirl Choice Board

A Choice Board is a graphic organizer that provides students the power to choose “how” they will learn and demonstrate what they have learned. A Choice Board can be created for any subject and provides a selection of learning experiences in Content, Process, and Product. This freedom allows students to be more responsible, accountable, and independent in their learning. Research has shown that Choice Boards help to improve motivation because they tap into students’ Multiple Intelligence strengths and their interests.

Get Creative with Corona Virus Face Masks

Hi Everyone,
Hope you are finding lots of ways to get creative during this quarantine.
Now that we are required to wear a face mask for protection against the virus,
I thought, why not get creative with making my mask. My theme, of course, is Stargirl!
I found my pictures in Google Images and had to reduce them in size.
Then I cut them out and used Mod Podge to place them on the mask. 

The biology teacher suggests putting a paper towel inside when you wear it.

Have Fun!

Stargirl - Creative Activities in the Arts for Mindfulness

How many of you have an "Enchanted Place?"  A place where you can go either physically or in your mind?  A place where you can "close your eyes and erase yourself."  Chapter 17 in the book Stargirl describes her Enchanted Place and it is also beautifully portrayed in the Disney + movie.  Create an Enchanted Place of your own. Travel there to feel relaxed and a sense of peacefulness especially when you feel stressed and experience anxiety.   Let Stargirl guide you in finding and creating your personal Enchanted Place.

1.  Sit cross legged in a comfortable position and take off your shoes.  Stargirl calls this the art of doing nothing.  A deeper kind of nothing!

2. Training your mind to do nothing is a challenge! It is difficult to mentally rest. Our mind is always bouncing from thought to thought.

3.  Now, imagine that you have a GIANT eraser.  Begin at your feet and focus on erasing yourself bit by bit until you have nothing left to erase but your mind.  Training your mind and calming your senses is the hardest part.

4. You will become most peaceful when you can erase all the thoughts cluttering your mind.  Only then can you achieve "nothingness."

5.  Once you achieve "nothingness," you will experience a sense of peace.

                                                     

Here are a few creative ideas for you,  Have some fun!

If your "enchanted place" is a physical spot you like to go, Draw or Paint it.

Create an "imaginary enchanted place."  Draw or paint it.

After you have returned from "nothingness'' write a poem or story.

Journal how you feel?  Were you able to achieve a peaceful state of mind?  Did you feel more relaxed physically?  Does it become easier each time you erase yourself?

Find some relaxing music to play while you "erase" yourself.

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Stargirl - Acts of Kindness Challenge

Have you watched the Disney Plus movie Stargirl? If not... what are you waiting for? It is perfectly cast and there are so many special moments and lessons for girls to learn about individuality, social relationships, self esteem, goal setting, acts of kindness, creativity, mindfullness and more. You could also read the book of the same title by Jerry Spinelli.

Today's blog focuses on Acts of Kindness:

In this time of distress, many of us are experiencing anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Sound like what we are all experiencing today!


Why not refocus our attention to ACTS OF KINDNESS? That was one of Stargirls special traits and often she never let on that she was the person initiating the Act of Kindness. She made cards, sang songs, gave secret presents and thought of original ways to make someone happy.

Stargirl Challenge.
Many people, old and young are experiencing anxiety. Many parents are stressed because the schools are closed. Be creative! What Act of Kindness can you develop and carry out?
Think of the elderly that live in your neighborhood, someone who is sick, someone who is scared... take time to put a smile on their face! The Arts are a GREAT way to accomplish this!

Post your idea at stargirl-program.blogspot.com
You will also find more activities!

Stargirl Blackout Poetry

Blackout Poetry is fun for kids and adults alike.   All you have to do is select words of interest
from a written page such as a magazine, book, or other printed material.  We used a worn Stargirl book for ours.

Blackout Poetry is about deconstruction and then reconstruction.  A blackout poet believes that there is a poem lying within the words of any page.  You just have to discover it!  Single words and short phrases, when pieced together, can form a masterpiece!  To create yours, do the following:

1.  Materials: Plenty of black sharpies, pencils, and other colored markers.

2.  Find a Stargirl book that has been worn.  Carefully rip out some of the pages. 

3. Allow the students to select several pages.

4. Instruct the students to scan the page and look for key words that might form a theme.

5. Read the page and circle words with a pencil that stand out on the page.  You may not change the order.  Do not circle more than 3 words in a row.

6. Analyze the words circled and create your poem.  Erase the words you do not want to use.

7.  Decide on an illustration to enhance your poem. Do not color over your words.

8.  Create a masterpiece.  Share your poems in a Blackout Poem Gallery.

See the examples below:

                                                                 Page 95 - Stargirl

We were alone
The only ones in school
Walking in the hall
Noise melted away
Utterly alone
Two people in a universe of space and stars.
I had dreamed!

                                                                      Noteworthy
                                                                      Interesting
                                                    Strumming, Singing, Strutting, Twirling
                                                                     She's not real!

Stargirl- Build Self Esteem and Reduce Anxiety by Creating a Star Jar (Lesson Plan)

Discussion Time: Stargirl was completely comfortable with who she was - an individual!

The Thin Ideal is the concept that describes the ideally slim female body.  The common perception of this ideal is a woman who is slender with a small waist and little body fat.  Like a Barbie Doll!  This is an important discussion to have because the media promotes the "thin idea" and this often has a negative effect on young girls resulting in poor self esteem, eating disorders and depression.

A Barbie doll was used to spark a discussion about how the media portrays girls/women and sends a message that is unattainable for many girls to reach.  A Barbie, turned into a real human, wouldn’t be able to stand, walk, or menstruate due to her weight and measurements. Body image is a huge problem for any girl or woman of any age.

View the following video: 5 Ways to Promote a Healthy Body Image for Girls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFBZ9c9pnbw

1.  Talk About Health:  Discuss eating right and staying physically active.  Remind students that there is no one right body type.

2.  Do a Reality Check: View media posts and investigate how much photoshopping was done to create the images of the models.

3. Discuss the Bottom Line: Most images you see are designed for advertisements to sell something.

4.  Celebrate Wins: Focus on accomplishments and praise the character traits needed for achievement.  Celebrate women in history and their achievements that do not focus on body type but instead making a difference in our world.

5.Set an Example: Ban Fat Talk in your home and at school, model healthy examples.

Activity:  Create a Star Jar: A Focus on Positive Traits and Achievements

The Girls create a list of their positive traits and achievements and place them in their Star Jar to read when they are feeling down. This activity focuses on positive self esteem and empowerment.

Materials:

• One jar for each girl.  These can be purchased at Walmart.  (12 smooth jars@ $8.99)
• Strips of cut colored paper that will fit into the jar.  (The girls will roll them and tie them with twine or ribbon )
• Star Stickers to decorate the jar (A selection for girls to choose)
• Twine/ ribbon and a tagboard star cut from a template for students to write their name.
• Any other materials you would like for decoration.

Procedure:

1. Discuss the "Thin Ideal" as presented above.  (Share thoughts, ideas, and stories) 
2. Discuss:  Sometimes our focus is on negativity rather then the positive achievements and things we value about our life. 
3. Today we will create a "Star Jar." Pass out the a jar to each girl and 5- 10 slips of colored paper strips.
4. Say: Think for a minute about all the things that make you special.  
5.  Ask: If Stargirl were to do this activity, she might write?  Examples below. 

•  I am an individual.  I do not conform to what others expect me to be at school.  I am my true to myself.  
• I do kind things for others like creating special cards, adding to their collections.
• I play the ukulele and love music.  I even sing happy birthday during lunchtime in the cafeteria to the other students..
• I am artistic.  On Valentines Day, I create special valentines for everyone in my class.
• I am creative:  Sometimes I wear costumes to school.  I love to dance in the rain.
• I love animals and even have a pet rat.

2.  Mirror Messages: Read about a campaign started to help promote positive esteem.  Brainstorm and implement solutions of your own.

https://www.dosomething.org/us/campaigns/mirror-messages?source=facts/11-facts-about-body-image.

3.  Start you own campaign! Brainstorm ways that you might get the word out!   Create an Action Plan and implement your ideas.  

4.  Share them on this blog

Pictures from our Stargirl Meeting.