By Amy Wallot
amy.wallot@education.ky.gov
In an effort to spice up a check presentation assembly, the staff at Southern Elementary School (Fayette County) came up with an idea that was one of the most fun activities I photographed all year — live action Angry Birds.
Southern Elementary was selected by code.org to receive a $10,000 award for their plans to commemorate the Hour of Code week. According to Brittany Haehlen, STEM lab teacher at Southern Elementary, instead of presenting the large check during an assembly, they decided to have an event where the students could actually do something.
One end of the gym was stacked with towering boxes. Neon green balloons with pig faces were stuck on and in the boxes. Students chucked Angry Bird balls at the structure, starting on their backs and flinging the balls in a catapult-like motion as they sat up. All grade levels had a chance to participate.
Students and staff were also encouraged to dress up as their favorite technology character. There were a couple Marios and Angry Birds, lots of video game t-shirts and a handful of costumes I wasn’t hip enough to recognize. My favorite was 2nd -grade student Spencer Loy’s Minecraft costume. The awkwardness of his outfit made him walk with caution, making him look even more like an actual person in the game.
Check out the recent Kentucky Teacher article Conducting code in the classrooms for more information on the Hour of Code.
Gym teacher John Nord explains the rules of the life-sized version of Angry Birds to students at Southern Elementary School (Fayette County).
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 6, 2013
Second-grade students Donald Walker and Oscar Medrano throw as hard as they can to knock down the green balloon pigs during a life-sized version of the Angry Birds game.
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 6, 2013
A balloon pig survived a round of Angry Birds.
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 6, 2013
Kendra Reynolds, Shayla Cordray and Katie Allen laugh as they play a life-sized version of Angry Birds at Southern Elementary School (Fayette County).
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 6, 2013
Connor McCurdy peaks into Spencer Loy’s Minecraft costume.
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 6, 2013
Second-grade student Alexis Hollon wears an Angry Birds hat.
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 6, 2013
Linda Sullivan and Kishan Smith react to boxes and balloon pigs falling after throwing Angry Birds balls at them.
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 6, 2013
Angry Birds are lined up to to be thrown.
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 6, 2013
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