Inspired by the story of the famous Macy’s Parade told in the book “Balloons Over Broadway” by author Melissa Sweet, young readers at Churchville-Chili’s Chestnut Ridge Elementary School created their own version of the famous parade, complete with fanciful balloons and entertaining commentary.
Second-grade teacher Jodi Piontkowski wanted students to get excited about reading and participate in a memorable learning experience. She worked with Instructional Coaches Andrea Lynch and Stephanie Ricci to design a special lesson that incorporated reading, analysis and discussion, creative writing, art, science and engineering principles, along with collaboration skills and teamwork.
Student partners worked together to design their own balloon animals: whimsical giraffes, foxes, flying horses and lions. They decorated their puppets with colorful materials, taking care not to pop them. Students also had to consider how they would control and fly their finished balloons across a green screen, which was then replaced with a video backdrop of the actual New York City parade route. Team members each wrote a description of their balloon and took turns recording each other’s scripts as parade day commentary. Teachers pulled the technology pieces together into a final video.