Summer Series Classroom Transformations Part 1: What are They?

Welcome to my summer series on classroom transformations. In this first part of the series, we will be looking at what classroom transformations are. For some of you, this may be a completely novel concept and you are wondering just what a classroom transformation is. By the end of this post, you will know, hopefully be inspired to stick around for the rest of the series, and even attempt one of your own this school year. 

What are Classroom Transformations?

Classroom Transformations are a way of teaching that fully engages your students in the content through environment and experience. Think about it this way, if I am learning about Paris, for example, how can I put my students in that environment without booking a red-eye to France? What are the sites, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels of that beautiful city? I will enhance my curriculum to bring in as many of those as possible. I want my students to feel as if they are in France for that day, from greeting them with a "bonjour" at the door in the morning and having French music playing (sounds), to having a photo, background, or even 3D model of the Eiffel Tower as they come into the classroom (sight), I want them to feel as if they have stepped into France. Maybe I have some French pastries to help encourage and reward them during their content learning (taste & smells). Hopefully you get the idea. 

Is there a Purpose to doing this?

Of course there is! It is all about engagement. You want students to learn and to be excited to learn. It makes it easier when they have the desire to learn, and it eliminates behavior problems when they are fully engaged. Transformations are one of the best ways I know to get students to buy-in to the learning they would have to do anyway. Sometimes I hear students beg to go in from recess because what we are doing in class is more fun and exciting than recess itself! That is a win, friends!

Do Classroom Transformations have to be Elaborate?

The simple answer is no. A transformation can be super elaborate, or simple. It can incorporate many of the senses, or just a few. A transformation can take over your entire classroom and day, or be a simple set up in one area or for part of the day. You decide how much you want to put into it. 

Are Classroom Transformations Expensive?

It depends. You can go all out and spend an endless amount of money, if you want to, but that doesn't have to be the case (and for most teachers it shouldn't be). You can easily spend little to no money on them as well. To save money, think about who you could borrow items from. Could you have parents sign up to bring consumable items, such as food? Other teachers, your family, even student families are a great resource for borrowing decor items. You can use cardboard and paint, a cheaper option, to design elements for a classroom transformation. But remember, you can keep it small and not have to put in much work at all. It is amazing what a few one dollar table cloths can do to help you change your tables or desks into a mini transformation. 

Classroom Transformation Examples

Let's look at a few examples right now. You will see that some transformations take little or minimal effort and others can take a lot more time. The great thing is, you decide how much to do or not do. You decide how much to spend or if you are going to spend even one dime. It is totally up to your preference. 

Indiana Jones Archeology Transformation:

When I taught 6th Grade, social studies for the year was all about ancient civilizations. How do we know so much about those civilizations? Through artifacts. How do we find artifacts? Through archeology. So, it was a natural conclusion that we needed to have some hands-on experience with archeology and who better to bring it than Indiana Jones.

This transformation was super simple, but the students were no less excited than if I had gone all out. I put some Indiana Jones music on, borrowed a coat from a friend, used some clay pots and shells and other pieces I already had, and purchased some sand (less than $10), and  a few magazines (Cannot remember the cost, but minimal). I used a container that I already had and filled it with sand. I created a grid like archeologists use and buried one artifact in each section. We used brushes and other art tools to uncover the artifacts. I prepped students to think like archaeologists by telling them things like how artifacts can be fragile. We talked about how artifacts can be hundreds or thousands of years old and could crumble or break easily and discussed ways to keep artifacts from being damaged. Then students took turns becoming archeologists and unearthing artifacts. They were super careful as they uncovered pots and shells and other items from the "past". We looked at all the artifacts and, just like real archeologists, figured out what we could understand about the people that left these things behind. Students were 100% engaged from start to finish with this simple transformation. 

Glow Day Transformation

For Glow day, it was a little more work. First, I purchased some black lights. I got a set of three for probably around $65, but I kept in mind that I would use these repeatedly, and I have used them for probably five years already. This is a transformation I do every year, so I wasn't too worried about the investment. Plus I could use these for other transformations such as space or caving (study on rocks). I also got black plastic to cover the windows to make the classroom pitch black. I purchased a set of class neon spy hats at Dollar Tree and have had them for years as well. We also use glow sticks for games and highlighters to write with.

Usually, I use this transformation to kick off our multiplication unit. Students jump into a full morning of times tables games and activities that all glow and engage them. This is not too hard to set up, but does take more time than the archeology activity. 

Space Transformation

My space transformation was a lot of work to set up and used a lot of supplies. Thankfully, I have a friend who loaned me about 90% of the decor and supplies I needed. I just added in a few space themed activities and the supplies for those, which were minimal. I had to purchase or have on hand things such as yarn, straws, etc. 

This one involved decorating the front of the room, covering the windows to create a dark room, like space, and also putting the black lights up again. This one was of course a hit. I used this near the end of the year to continue learning and bring engagement in a time when engagement is hard to come by. 

Classroom Transformation Wrap up:

This gives you an idea of what classroom transformations are with some pictures to help you visualize how it all comes together. We are going to continue to explore through this summer series on classroom transformations. My hope is that you will find inspiration and ideas to help you set the stage in your own classrooms!

What's next? Here's a quick look at what we will be learning during this series:

Part 2: Inspiration (Where do you get ideas?)

Part 3: Linking the Standards (This is not just for fun)

Part 4: Set Up (The hows of transforming your classroom into something magical)

Part 5: Transformation Day (What does this look like...think a day in the life of a classroom transformation)