The document discusses the benefits of project-based learning through mascot-inspired activities, highlighting their positive impact on memory retention, student motivation, and creative expression. It provides a structured procedure for utilizing mascots in storytelling, engagement, and classroom interaction, underscoring the importance of sensory experiences in learning. Ultimately, it emphasizes how these projects foster lifelong learning, critical thinking, and socialization among students.

1. Teaching Children
with Mascot-Inspired Projects
Malu Sciamarelli

2. The benefits of project-based learning:
• Thematically organised materials are easier to remember and learn
• The presentation of coherent and meaningful information leads to deeper
processing and better learning
• There is a relationship between the student motivation and interest, and a
student’s ability to process challenging materials, recall information and
elaborate answers
• Expertise in a topic develops when
students reinvest their knowledge in
a sequence of progressively more
complex tasks

3. Why mascots?

4. Storytelling and Creative Writing

5. Procedure:
• Mascot: name
• Senses:
1. Sight
2. Hearing
3. Touch
4. Taste
5. Smell
• Sit in a nice spot: help them write stories/poems based on their
experience, using the mascots
• Back in the classroom: name one thing they discovered using the five
senses
• Tell the stories/poems out loud using the mascots
• Document them in a poster in the classroom or a blog

6. Examples:
The flowers of my garden
Shine brighter than the sun.
Brownie plays with us
And we have so much fun.
(Ana Luiza, 9 years old)
On the other side of the world
The sun shines brighter than here
Dubi and all his friends
Smile for everyone to see.
(Giulia, 7 years old)
The sun is shining
And I am shining too
But why is Snow
So sad and blue?
(Maria Fernanda, 8 years old)
Brownie, Dubi and Snow
Are laughing and laughing.
They are rolling on the ground
And everyone is coming round!
(Chiara, 8 years old)
If you are feeling blue
Vanilla’s flowers
Will come to you
And give you superpowers!
(Lorena, 8 years old)

8. Variation:
• Repeat the ‘five senses’ activities inside the classroom
• Draw pictures of the five senses
• Ask them to write an acrostic poem using the five senses or the name of their
mascots:
B lue sky
R ough bark
O range scent
W histling wind
N ice soft grass
I tchy mosquito bite
E ating sweet raspberries

9. Benefits:
• Writing a story / poem will flow naturally
• Use of mascot: playful engagement
• Fun-loving environment
• Risk is encouraged
• Boost creativity

10. Conclusion
Projects:
•Reach all students
•Get them engaged
•Ownership of their learning
•Lifelong learners
•Critical thinking and problem solving skills
Mascots:
• Increase engagement, imagination and creativity
• Increase motivation
• Allow them to write their own stories – personalisation
• Confidence to take risks in a fun-loving environment
• Stimulate socialisation and playfulness

11. Thank you!
Email: malusciamarelli@gmail.com
Website: www.malusciamarelli.weebly.com
The C Group: http://thecreativitygroup.weebly.com
Creativity Book – British Council:
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/creativity-english-language-classroom