ECE Eagles SCAMPER

The Elk Creek Elementary S.C.A.M.P.E.R. fair was a hotbed of creativity and ingenuity, as students from the Gifted and Talent Pool Program let their imaginations run wild. Trash cans were no longer just receptacles for garbage; they were transformed into make-shift fishing nets that allowed the students to catch their imaginary prize. Meanwhile, wooden handles were given a new lease on life as "The New Broom... and stuff," a multi-purpose tool that could be used for a variety of tasks. Even humble toilet plungers were repurposed, becoming versatile gadgets with endless possibilities.

This exciting event was part of a 5th Grade Gifted and Talented  Program designed to foster innovation and critical thinking. The S.C.A.M.P.E.R. activity, in particular, challenged students to take existing ideas or inventions and adapt them for a new purpose. S.C.A.M.P.E.R. stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify/Minimize,
Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse/Rearrange. Through this process, students learned to think outside the box and explore the endless possibilities of everyday objects. The result was a burst of energy and excitement that left everyone feeling inspired and empowered.

Fifth grader Wyatt Falke, brought an air of showmanship to his “New Broom. . .and stuff” invention - a wooden handle with interchangeable heads. 
“Why waste the 200 steps to go and get your shovel, when you can twist off the broom, and put the shovel head on to go out and shovel your driveway?” he queried the group of elementary student on-lookers.
These types of projects, help Wyatt and his peers expand their thinking.
“It forces you to show your creativity and show something that you may have never seen about yourself before,” he explained.

“I like it because we can discover different uses for things like  a water bottle other than just drinking. You can develop other ideas for the same item,” added Hayden Bumpus.  Hayden created six ideas for her bottle including a planter, funnel and a smaller version for young children with small hands.

Keith Bushman is not only Elk Creek’s music instructor. He also serves as the Gifted and Talented Coordinator for the school. He explained that the S.C.A.M.P.E.R fair project was about helping students stretch themselves beyond their typical academics.

“It’s about creative problem solving and thinking,” said Bushman.”There certainly are many communication standards that we are meeting, but really, projects like this help our students build character. Many students that are academically gifted are afraid to put themselves out there and they may be afraid to be wrong because for some of them, school is easy. School is quick. They pick up things with less repetition. So they need lessons that they have to work for a little bit more. We want to get them to build confidence in their abilities, and build perseverance in an arena where they may not have an idea where to begin.”

Sebastian Ponce Gutierrez was definitely feeling the struggle while developing his fishing “net” from a trash can.

“I think what I liked the best was the brainstorming and how much brain power it really needs.”