Submitted by Robin Hopper, Chugiak, Alaska
Idea posted January 20, 2003
Sometimes when kids play the paper plate concentration game, they end up being a bit wound up by the end of class. Well, I collect juice can lids from my kids all year long. (You know, the kind that's on each end of a can of frozen orange juice. They have nice rounded edges.) I take them home and wash them, and then use a Sharpie pen to make them into concentration "cards." I do 12 pairs that match, plus one that says "wild," for a total of 25 that the kids spread out in a 5x5 grid of lids. I make 5 or 6 sets of these groups of 25, put each set of 25 into a ziplock baggie, and then split the kids up into groups of 4 or 5. Each group gets a baggie, then they sit down on the floor, set up the 5x5 grid and start to play. If they have a question, they raise their hands for my help, but otherwise, there's no need for anyone to talk. The baggies are GREAT to have on hand for those days when I don't have much of a voice or for quick sub activities.
I use this for identifying notes on the staff - one juice can lid will say "F in a space," and the matching lid will have a small staff with the note drawn in the F space. Variations could include musical terms and their definition, composers and their most famous composition, etc.