Reindeer Games
W
hat do migration and magnets have in common? Why mazes, of course! Recently, Green Valley Second graders used what they know about magnets, cardinal directions, and coins to create a challenging maze activity.
Students worked with our librarian,Mrs. Haskins,to research the migration patterns of reindeer. After that, it was time to build the magnetic reindeer, but in order to do so, students had to complete an invoice requesting materials. They had only $2.00 to spend, and could not exceed their budget. Once materials were purchased and the reindeer designed, it was time to create the maze.
Students worked in teams to create a maze on cardboard. Each maze included the cardinal directions on both sides of the cardboard, a maze trail that represented reindeer migration, and at least two obstacles that reindeer might really encounter during migration.
Students teams were challenged to move the reindeer through the maze. The magnetic reindeer sat on top of the maze whe
re the pattern could be seen. The reindeer’s creator used a powerful magnet from the underside of the maze to move the reindeer, where only cardinal directions could be seen. The team mate watched from the top and gave navigational advice, but could not point. Only the terms North, South, East, and West could be used for navigation. When the maze was completed successfully, team mates switched positions. After that, students could trade mazes with other teams.
Students reflected on the project with a Pic Collage activity. They included pictures of their creations, included facts about reindeer facts about magnets, and included the rules of the maze game.
The World Cup project went way beyond the scope of traditional SOLs. It created cultural awareness, embraced essential 21st Century Skills of communication, collaboration and creativity, and created deeper learning for all those involved.
accomplished easily using traditional methods. Green Valley Elementary fourth graders recently experienced this first hand.
All of the students received certificates of completion once finished, but that wasn’t what they really took away from the experience. They practiced logic and problem solving and learned how to work together to when faced with difficult task. Students from both schools plan to continue to practice the tutorials found on the 
This challenge encouraged students to think creatively about the letters in their name. They were highly engaged and very focused on the task at hand.