Human Crane - Principled Approach to Warm Up Design - In-Service V, 2018

Human Crane

The unit opener for World English 1 Unit 8 shows a large dock filled with shipping containers and cranes.

1) Before class create a mimio with 4 diagrams showing different patterns with 4 equal sized rectangles (the shape of a Jenga block). They can be in any configuration.

2) Tell students they will work in teams to operate a large construction crane. Create teams of 3 or 4. One student in the team will be the crane. That person should be blindfolded. The other students in the group are the crane operators.

3) The teacher gives each group 4 Jenga blocks and projects the images of the four diagrams. The crane operators have to give instructions to the blindfolded student. This student is only allowed to manipulate the objects with one hand. Operators can only give instructions verbally. They cannot touch the blocks or the blindfolded student.

4) Teams race to complete all four diagrams. When the complete one they have to call over the teacher who will check that they have it accurately done then they can start with the next one. The first group to finish all four will be the winner.

Use your handout as a reference to answer these questions:

-Does this warm up fit into one or more of the five categories? 

-What function(s) does this warm up serve?

-What principles are present/missing?

-How might you adapt, improve, or expand upon this warm up?