To accompany feature “Are fidget spinners tools or toys?”

SCIENCE 

Before Reading: 

1.  What do you do to keep yourself from being distracted during the school day? Are there any tools or tricks that you use to help?

2.  Do you have a fidget spinner? Does it help you stay focused on something? Or does it distract from what you should be doing?

During Reading:

1.  Why have some schools banned fidget spinners in the classroom?

2.  What is myasthenia gravis?

3.  What is a patent?

4.  Name three examples of a sensory manipulative.

5.  Why do occupational therapists prescribe fidget tools to some of their patients?

6.  How might fidgeting help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

7.  Why might fidget spinners be a distraction in the classroom and who would likely be most affected?

8.  What role can the spinners play in fidget therapy?

9.  Why won’t fidget spinners necessarily help someone who requires movement to keep them focused?

After Reading: 

1.  Some schools have banned fidget spinners in the classroom. Are those bans justified? Use information from the story to explain your answer.

2.  How can your school help students who need more movement in the day? Use evidence from the story to come up with a proposal for your school.

MATH 

1.  Julie Schweitzer conducted a trial of attention tasks with 44 students. Of these, 26 had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. What share (in percent) of the total does the ADHD group make up? Show your work.

2.  Some YouTube videos have shown people measuring fidget spinners rotating up to 5,249 times or more per minute. The spinner doesn’t spin at maximum velocity the whole time. But if it spun at this maximum for 1.3 minutes, how many spins would that add up to? Show your work.