Grab an instrument and join the no-wood, no-wind, steel-only orchestra!
Banjo
Cymbals
Ferrinho
Glockenspiel
Metallophone
Musical Saw
Spoons
Steel Drum
Theremin
Tubular Bells
Triangle
*join the audience*
Voting ended onDec 10, 2025
Note:
Since starting the poll, I have instituted the following changes
Musicians in the Spoons section may choose to play the Cowbell instead.
Please let me know if you wish to play the bass version of your instrument. We really need to round out the sound.
Descriptions of unfamiliar instruments below:
The ferrinho (pronounced feriño) is a 90cm piece of steel. If you already knew what a ferrinho is, then you ABSOLUTELY HAVE to tell me how you knew! It's a specialty local instrument used in Cabo Verde, a tiny island nation off the Atlantic coast of Africa. It's mostly used for an upbeat dancey music genre called Funaná, and ever since learning about it on Afropop Worldwide, I've become a little obsessed.
Glockenspiel -> Metallophone -> Tubular Bells (it's like a Pokemon evolution line!)
Banjo is a steel stringed instrument, often with a steel frame as well. If you didn't know, it's also got African origins. Also, bass banjo is technically a real thing
The musical saw is a real instrument! You use a bow to make the whole metal body of the saw vibrate. It's really cool :)
And finally, the theremin! This video explains it better than I can.
I'm to the point where a bad grade doesn't truly affect me the way it used to. I mean, I still feel upset when I get a bad grade, but I'm not you know "full on tears, this is going to ruin my life, I'm a failure, I have brought shame and dishonor to my family". Now, I've realized that even though I did get that low grade on my math test, I still passed that class. It made me work harder, and now I actually don't despise math like I used to...now I despise science. But, I think of it like a learning opportunity, more of a warning. One test, or even a couple isn't going to ruin me or whatever. The only thing that could hurt me is if I stop trying, if I were to look at the low score and say "Well, there's no point in trying anymore." And let me tell you friend, there is a reason to keep going, to keep fighting. That test score is not in control, you are in control. Are you really going to let that grade that means absolutely nothing control you? That's what they want. That packet of paper wasn't the actual test, how you respond to the test is the actual true test. They want you to crack under pressure, they want you to fall, they want you to give up all hope and accept the fact that you just couldn't make it to the other side. NO! I will not allow this! You aren't trying, because you think that's the only way to become in full control, except it's not. You're letting them get to you, no matter how much you argue and disagree with something, they will always be above you, waving that paper, saying that they control your grade, that they control you. Don't give in, rise above. You may not make it to that high A in the end, but you'll make it farther than before, and you'll see that you aren't to be controlled. Keep pushing forward, and I'll see you on the other side. "Bad grade?" Shush, child.
How can we make matzah in a home kitchen that most practicing Jews would consider kosher for Passover, and which everyone would agree is delicious?
Teacher resources:
From shmura to 18-minute matzah, and round to square machine-made matzah, what really is the difference?
Do Now:
How come bread can be either leavened (big and airy) or unleavened (flat and dense)? What are some ways you think might be different in how they are made?
Class Discussion:
Is anyone Jewish?
What can anyone share about matzah, the Passover seder, etc?
Has anyone made yeast bread at home before?
If you had to make bread that absolutely, definitely did not leaven even slightly, what would you do?
Direct Instruction:
Business and manufacturing types may be familiar with something called Six Sigma practices. Wikipedia claims that it was invented in 1986, but to my mind it was invented millennia ago by the authors of the Talmud, because for every mitzvah (Torah commandment) that is even slightly ambiguous, there are traditions that absolutely, definitely prevent the possibility of infraction.
Reading Exodus 12:15-20, there is a very, very clear and strict zero tolerance policy towards any amount of yeast being eaten during the week of Passover. If you do not sweep every crumb of chametz (leavened bread) out of your house before the 15th day of Nisan, and you accidentally eat something leavened prior to the 21st day of Nisan, then you can get exiled.
However☝️ you are explicitly commanded to eat matzah (unleavened bread) during this week. So how can you make sure that you're doing it right?
Check for Understanding:
What causes chametz to be leavened in the first place? Yeast!
And where does yeast come from? The store? The fridge? Maybe that's where you got yours, but back in the old days, it came from the air itself!
If you leave flour and water together in the open air, cells of wild yeast will naturally begin to eat the carbs in the flour, producing CO2, alcohol, and more yeast.
Cross Cultural Connection:
In Matthew 16:5-12, Jesus warns his disciples to beware of "the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees". They think he's being literal but he means The teachings that are common in the area.
The traditional solution is to have a separate cache of wheat to use during Passover which is kept absolutely, definitely completely dry to prevent any accidental growth of wild yeast upon it. This is called Shmura. And when the time comes to actually mix this shmura flour with water, you traditionally use well water that was drawn the previous night and left to "sleep" (mayim shelanu, which would make a great drag name) in order to keep it cool.
All of these precautions ensure that you have 18 minutes to turn Shmura and Mayim Shelanu into Matzah. Any longer than that and the wild yeast from the air around you might begin to metabolize 😲 so you better bake it as quickly as possible! Thankfully, it's super easy to mix flour and water, roll it out into a flat dough, and place it on a baking stone/tray.
Is this the only way to ensure you are not eating any leavening? Well, there's an old saying that two Jews will have three opinions.
Activity:
Every year for the past ten years I have tried making my own Matzah because I don't like the extremely thin and crispy type of matzah they sell in stores. It's perfectly acceptable to make yours thicker, softer, and chewier, so long as you aren't breaking any other rules. And this year, I think I've finally figured out a recipe worth sharing.
It does not use Shmura, but by heat-treating regular flour it keeps with the spirit of the law (in my opinion).
It does not use Mayim Shelanu, but that's more of a tradition than a requirement.
I add salt and other things to make it tasty.
It takes 5-10 minutes from start to finish, and it's very easy!
If this makes you uncomfortable, that's fine! I welcome your thoughts and opinions.
Custard Matzah
You will need:
All purpose flour
Milk
Eggs
Salt
Stove + Frying pan (oiled; cast iron is best)
Microwave + Large microwave safe bowl + Small microwave safe bowl
Utensils (at least a fork, but a whisk, spatula, and wooden spoon are also helpful)
Understand that I don't actually measure anything (sorry), so all of these weights and volumes are approximate.
Put, like, 5 handfuls of flour into the big bowl, stir it around to break up any lumps, then microwave it for 2-3 minutes. Take it out one minute before it's done and use the fork/whisk to break it up (it will harden as the steam leaves the flour). Note: heat-treating the flour kills any yeast (and E. coli) that was living on it.
In the smaller bowl, add, like a quarter as much milk as you used flour. Add, umm, more salt than you think you'll need but not a lot of salt. Like, a big spoonful. When the microwave is free, heat it up for about 2 minutes until it's hot, maybe steaming, definitely nowhere near boiling.
Oil and heat your pan. It will need to be hot and ready as soon as the dough is ready, so only turn the heat down if it begins to smoke.
Crack two eggs into the hot salty milk and stir stir stir until it looks custardy (because it literally is).
Pour the custard into the hot flour a little at a time and stir with the big spoon. Unlike when making pancakes, over-mixing is better than under-mixing. Keep going until you reach a desired consistency. Whatever consistency you desire! Hard, thick cakes? Okay! Soft pancake batter? Sure! Don't overthink it, this is a quick, easy and cheap recipe; what do you lose by trying it again?
Get your hands wet. I recommend dipping them in the custard, but water is fine too. Salt water is even better, but I didn't tell you to prepare that.
With your wet hands, scoop/pour the dough/batter into the hot pan (try not to touch it), then to push down on the top surface of your soon-to-be flatbread to get it flat and even.
After a minute or two, use your fork/spatula to turn the matzah over. This can be a little tricky, so hopefully you didn't make your matzah too big if you're not good at it. I'm good at it, and I still mess it up sometimes. Cook it for another couple of minutes, flipping again as needed until it is brown on both sides.
It's done! If you're not sure it's cooked in the middle it literally doesn't matter because you already heat-treated the flour and the eggs are definitely cooked through.
And it's an incredibly versatile recipe, too. Here's one I made for lunch today with tomato paste and jalapeño condensed milk (it was on clearance and marked kosher for Passover), plus a little cheese pressed into the top.
Feel free to try making your own variations and sharing them here! Especially let me know if you try a sweet one.
Template for an About Me booklet (sent to me by @endemiccharm)
I did send a response by the way, but I could not figure out how to fold a piece of paper like that (I'm sure it's easy and I was just being kinda dumb), so instead I cut a paper into 9 rectangles and wrote a little about myself on each one.
Technically not a lesson plan, but I wondered if you would be willing to promote the Australian Conservation Foundation’s national art competition?
Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open now on Facebook, and one of my students has been selected as a finalist(!)
You can see her work here: <Facebook dot com> /share/1HyFsaEBw1/ or all the Wild At Art finalists here: <facebook dot com> /share/1CYt7moKWi/
Or (especially if the links don’t work) by searching Australian Conservation Foundation and visiting their fb page.
There’s a lot of stunning artworks, and I very proud of my student!
(If you wanted a lesson plan, this could probably be used as stimulus for either a visual art lesson, or a science/geography lesson researching endangered species)
Art Education, all grades, Global Perspectives
Essential Question:
How can art raise awareness of issues that matter to us?
Do Now:
Think about the plants and animals that live where you live. Are there any that are really special to you? Are there any that are more special because they're really rare? Think about it and draw a very quick doodle of one special plant or animal that you rarely, if ever, get to see.
Class Discussion:
Allow students to continue working on their doodles if they choose. Let students share what plants and animals they picked. Then find ways to ask the following questions.
What does it mean if a type of plant or animal is Threatened or Endangered?
Can they name any Threatened or Endangered species that live in their country?
How can we raise awareness of Threatened and Endangered species in our own lands?
Direct Instruction:
Wild at Art (pun deliberate) is an annual art competition run by the Australian Conservation Federation (ACF) for Australian children ages 5-12. Right now (12 November, 2025), all of the finalists’ entries are posted on Facebook for the public to see.
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I have been researching this because my beloved mutual @storieswritteninthesand has a student who is a finalist in the competition!
Della, age 11
Please click the link, read Della’s reflection, and leave likes and comments for her to read. While you're there, check out the other entries and do the same!
This is definitely not the entire reason I wrote this post, don't be absurd. I only blog for shameless and selfish reasons.
⁂
Higher Order Learning:
In this activity, the students will roleplay as judges by using the following information from ACF.org.
To begin, have the students read this background information about the reason behind Wild at Art.
Australia is spoilt when it comes to wildlife. Our extraordinary and celebrated species, from the koala through to the wollemi pine, have evolved isolated from the rest of the world over tens of millions of years.
But sadly in modern Australia, our governments are failing to protect the plants and animals that make our nation so unique.
We have caused the extinction of more mammals than any other nation, and today more than 2,000 plants, animals and ecosystems remain under threat of extinction.
Once a species is lost it can have ongoing ramifications for people and nature. Extinction is a confronting but important concept. There are cultural, scientific, ecological and moral impacts from the extinction of species.
It is also important that your students understand the rules that each artist had to follow.
Every entry has an original illustration of a plant or animal that is native to Australia.
The subject of each entry is currently threatened or endangered.
The artists all had to do a lot of research and thinking before starting their drawings.
Each artist also wrote a reflection (50-150 words long) to help explain their message and what inspired them.
The entire thing had to come from the artist’s own hand, and no tracing was allowed.
Here is a summary of the judge’s criteria, taken from the website.
[Judges] are not simply looking for works that display outstanding technical skills. They will be looking for surprising or interesting interpretations and compositions, and work that demonstrates an emotional connection with the species.
Here are the criteria the students should use to judge each entry.
Concept: How well the work relates to the threatened species theme
Quality of Composition: How well the artistic elements work together to convey the theme
Creativity and originality of expression: How imaginatively the work conveys an idea or emotion, or incorporates a specific story.
And finally, here are the official categories of winners in this competition. Your class should unofficially select winners, too.
Best artwork, ages 5-7 (1st and 2nd place)
Best artwork, ages 8-10 (1st and 2nd place)
Best artwork, ages 11-12 (1st and 2nd place)
Most unusual entry (1st and 2nd place)
Best plant entry (1st and 2nd place)
Best regional entry (1st and 2nd place)
Best artwork from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child (1st and 2nd place)
Best written entry (1st place across three age categories)
Once you’ve covered all of that, all students (and Tumblr users) should go to the ACF facebook page to browse the leave comments for as many artists as you can. There are 100 finalists this year, so check out as many as you can!
Please remember that you are not an official judge in this competition, but everyone loves feedback and recognition for something they put so much hard work into.
