Month: August 2017

Earthquake Detector

Leave a comment

One student made an earthquake detector using Lego.

(Agency: When students are actively involved in discussion, questioning and by being self-directed in their creating (as opposed to passive receiving)

He explained. “This is an earthquake detector, when there is an earthquake it spins.”

Teacher “Which countries have it? Do you get them in China?”

Student “England, Germany, France.”

Teacher “And how does it help people?”

Student “It tells them there is an earthquake. How do earthquakes happen?”

We watched a Brainpop video on fast land changes to help us lean more about earthquakes. we will continue to inquire into natural disasters.

SLO’s

  • there are bodies on water/land on Earth
  • how to ask questions about the natural and physical environment
  • that natural disasters can happen
  • enthusiasm and respect for nature and Earth
  • their care and concern for Earth and its environment

We found a replica of an Ancient Chinese Seismograph @nischina

Reggie “It tells you if there is an earthquake. It was made in China. An emperor made it.”

Care and Empathy 

Leave a comment

As the weeks progress many examples of how students grow as a community become more visible. Helping each other navigate through tasks, showing concern and empathy for those who are hurt and supporting each other emotionally helps create a safe, caring and thoughtful learning environment.

One student holds an ice pack for another who is hurt, while another helps to tie up an apron.

Students help rebuild a broken wooden tower.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/900297029338906625

SLO’s

  • communicate with others in order to experience relationships and make friends
  • reach out for help when it is needed for themselves or others
  • identify when their actions have impacted on others

Baking for Others

Leave a comment

We were excited to hear that the students in one of the Grade 2 classes will be our reading buddies for the year. We decided to bake cookies for them. Ms. Angie helped us bake the yummy chocolate chip cookies.

  • Reggie “We are making cookies with Ms. Angie.”
  • Ruby “We put the flour in there.”
  • Cornelis “Also we need some butter.”
  • Franz “Ms. Angie showed us the cookies in the book.”
  • Cornelis “She needs ingredients.”
  • Reggie “Butter, sugar.”
  • Ruby “And flour”
  • Cornelis “And brown sugar. And we also need chocolate and butter.”
  • Ruby “Also she needed eggs.”

  • Franz “We are stirring the egg.”
  • Jasmine “I put my hand on the table and the other hand on the shirt. That is egg.”

  • Amber “One hand I hold the bowl and the other hand I am stirring the dough.”
  • Cornelis “I was waiting and my hands were on the chair. Because Jasmine was doing it I had to wait for it. I asked Jasmine can I have it to stir?”
  • Ruby “I said…can I have a turn?”

  • Reggie “That is dough to make cookies. Because we need to roll it into a ball.”
  • Cornelis “And also we need to put some flour in our hands.”
  • Ruby “Because it does not stick.”
  • Abby “I wanted to put it on the tray.”
  • Ruby “She put them in the oven.”
  • Hannah “Because the cookies are still raw.”
  • Reggie “Then they will turn right.”
  • Cornelis “Also you need to bake them until they are all ready.”

  • Cornelis “We went to the Grade 2 class.”
  • Hannah “My sister’s class. I gave it to my sister.”

  • Reggie “They said Thank You!”

  • Hannah “Ms. Linnie and Ms. Nora got cookies too.”
  • Ruby “We gave them because we have to eat them.”
  • Reggie “Because we wanted to share.”

SLO’s

  • develop an inquiring mind
  • ask simple questions
  • make observations
  • follow a template/guide for study
  • make statements that reflect their understandings
  • develop their ability to reflect by describing the sequence of activities undertaken
  • listen to others
  • co-operate and share in mixed groups
  • learn to take turns
  • accept that others might have different opinions and preferences about things
  • participate in communal classroom activities
  • develop age appropriate skills for different social occasions

Writers Workshop

Leave a comment

A group of students gathered to look at a range of books written by some of their favourite authors. There was a discussion about how writers create books. While browsing through the books they noticed that:

  • there were pictures on the cover
  • the pages had pictures and words

Cornelis “The person who draws the pictures is the illustrator.”

Teacher “Can we become authors too?”

The students began to brainstorm ideas for their books. They drew inspiration from some of their favourite characters and interests.

  • princesses
  • fast cars
  • Star Wars
  • Frozen Lego
  • car races

They began to put their ideas down on paper to retell their own stories. Some were scary and others entertaining.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/900655214629236736

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/900653075920060416

SLO’s

  • draw sequenced story maps and label illustrations
  • plan/write/draw stories based on experiences
  • use illustrations to tell a story
  • communicate in different ways

A Picnic

Leave a comment

During the last few days we have been sharing our ideas about appropriate behaviour in a variety of settings (Responsibility). We had a new picnic mat in class and this encouraged a discussion on how we can work together as a community.

  • Cornelis “We are eating.”
  • Ruby “That is me and Cornelis, we are peeling the orange.”
  • Reggie “They are helping.”
  • Ruby “We are eating our snack. We are being in a circle.”
  • Jasmine “We are all sitting together.”
  • Ruby “That is the rule. We have to share the mat.”
  • Cornelis “Also, you don’t step on the picnic mat.”
  • Ruby “Because it will get dirty.”
  • Lawrence “We can’t step on the picnic mat or the food.”
  • Cornelis “You must not touch someone else’s food.”
  • Reggie “We wash our hands because it is dirty.”
  • Amber “We can’t step on the mat. When the picnic gets dirty we dirty our food as well.”
  • Hannah “We are sitting in a circle on the mat because we can put our food on the mat.”

Loose Parts

Leave a comment

“As long as materials can be moved, redesigned, put together, and taken apart in a variety of ways, they are classified as loose parts.” – Simon Nicholson, 1971 (Founder of the idea of Loose Parts) 

Loose parts are any collection of natural or manmade objects that can be used to extend and further ideas in children’s play. They are open-ended materials that can be moved, combined, taken apart and redesigned.

A group of students were playing with loose parts, mirrors and 10 frames.

Some explored the concept of number, counting the items they chose to use in their creations.

Some created symmetrical patterns.

“I used 12 things. They are the same on both sides.”

A few students created shapes.

And others wanted to create stories using the resources.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/899554864362946562

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/899554963277217792

We Are…

Leave a comment

During the last few weeks the students have been settling in, getting to know their peers and exploring their new learning environment. How do they demonstrate the attributes of the  Learner Profile? 

They are…

Inquirers

“What will happen to the water bead when I put it into the water?”

  • We ask questions.
  • We like to learn and discover new things about the world.
  • We are curious, we will carry this love of learning throughout life.

Risk Takers

“I can help you get the money out.”

  • We have the courage to try new things.
  • We are not afraid to give it a go even if we feel shy.
  • We try to solve problems in a lot of different ways.

Thinkers

“We are trying to make the marbles travel through the pipes.”

  • We are thoughtful.
  • We try to solve problems and make good decisions.
  • We do this by thinking about things and by learning from our mistakes.

Open-Minded

“We like listening to stories read in different languages.”

  • We know that people are different and may do different things.
  • We know that not everyone will think like us and that’s fine.
  • We listen and try to understand others.

Knowledgeable

“I can create a picture using these shapes.”

  • We have learned many things.
  • We can tell you about these things and we can show you.
  • We can use this information to solve problems in life.

Reflective

“How does this story make you feel?”

  • We think about what we have learned, what we are good at and what we can improve the next time.
  • We take the time to think about our actions and their effects.

Caring

“Can we water the garden?”

  • We care for other people and try to help others.
  • We care about everything around us.
  • We want people around us to be happy and we are sensitive to their needs.

Communicators

“I can draw a picture of ME!”

  • We talk about our ideas.
  • We are able to express ourselves in more than one language.
  • We can also communicate using mathematical language, symbols and drawings.

Principled

“I can share the money with you.”

  • We always try to do what is right.
  • We are fair and follow rules.
  • We are honest with ourselves and with others.

Balanced

“I like to create tall towers.”

  • We eat healthy food and we exercise.
  • We like to learn about different things.
  • We understand it is important to have a balance of work and play.

Nature Creation

Leave a comment

The students went for a walk around the school in small groups. They observed nature and collected little treasures to bring back into the classroom. They noticed and discussed information about the flowers and vegetables growing in the school garden plots. They created a piece of art using their nature collections.

“We used pebbles, sticks, leaves, seeds, chillies, tomatoes and moss to create a picture.”

SLO’s

  • the impact of simple actions on their immediate environment
  • how to take care of things
  • the ability to take care of things 
  • appreciation of own environment and all living things in it
  • a sense of wonder and curiosity 

Water Beads

Leave a comment

The students were exploring with water beads. They enjoyed moving their fingers through them, exploring the texture of the soft sticky pebbles.

One student found some new beads. She wanted to know why they were different. It was hard. It had not been put in the water. She worked alongside a teacher to place the bead in the water.

She observed it over the day. She noticed that the bead was bigger. She explained “The bead got bigger because the water went into it, just like when water goes into your tummy.”

She drew a picture of her experiment.

SLO’s

  • develop an inquiring mind
  • ask simple questions
  • make observations 
  • make simple plans 
  • collect objects related to their study
  • draw simple drawings to express what they see/study
  • sort and classify objects into categories by attributes (Similarities & Differences)
  • communicate views and knowledge 

Friendship and Agreements

Leave a comment

The students listed to the story ‘A Cat and a Dog‘ by author Claire Masurel. In this story, a cat and a dog live in the same house, but they are not friends. They fight all the time, about everything. Then disaster strikes. Dog’s beloved ball bounces up into a tree and is stuck. Cat’s precious stuffed mouse falls into the pond. The story illustrates how a simple act of kindness can foster friendship.

Cornelis “They are angry, they are fighting, they are causing trouble.”

Reggie “Maybe they don’t like each other.”

Teacher “How can they solve the problem?”

Cornelis “They can put the carpet down.”

Reggie “One can sleep on it one night and the other the other night.”

We discussed problems we may have in school. The students began to brainstorm ideas for how we can work and play in school. We discussed Good Choices. SLO’s

  • identify the consequences of their actions
  • accept responsibility for own actions
  • listen to others
  • respect differences
  • co-operate and share in mixed groups
  • learn to take turns
  • accept that others might have different opinions and preferences about things
  • resolve arguments peacefully
  • participate in communal classroom activities
  • develop age appropriate skills for different social occasions

All About ME!

Leave a comment

The students used photographs of themselves to observe details and draw pictures using card and black marker.

Reggie “We drew a picture of us.”

Abby “I am lying down on the carpet and putting my legs over.”

Reggie “I felt good because I was comfortable.”

Mia “I was standing outside. I said ARG!”

Abby “I drew Abby. I have two legs and shoes.”

We had to decide how to display our pictures.

“NO, DAVID!”

Leave a comment

The students listened to the story ‘NO, DAVID!’ by author and artist David Shannon.

This story is about a little boy who broke all his mother’s rules. He jumped on the furniture, and he broke his mother’s vase! As a result, all David ever heard his mother say was “No, David!”. The story was read in English and Mandarin. 

A group of students drew pictures of David and shared their own ideas about rules and why we should have them. They talked about being safe, making good choices and caring for everything around us.

Pictures of David.

SLO’s

  • observe, discuss and comment on the information being conveyed in illustrations
  • use illustrations to tell a story
  • use a variety of implements to practise and develop handwriting
  • share ideas
  • and experiences through discussion
  • use illustrations and body language to communicate and convey understanding

If You Take a Mouse to School

Leave a comment

The students listened to the story ‘If You Take a Mouse to School‘ written by Laura Joffe Numeroff. Bringing a mouse to school may not be the best idea, no matter how much fun it might seem! The detailed illustrations share a story about a little mouse who starts with asking for a lunchbox. The busy mouse tends to get himself into a lot of mischief throughout the school day.

SLO’s

  • listen and respond to picture books, showing pleasure, and demonstrating their understanding through gestures, expression and/or words
  • listen and respond in small or large groups for increasing periods of time
  • focus on a speaker and maintain eye contact

The New Classroom

Leave a comment

Today was the first day for a few of the students. They explored centres in the classroom and got to know some of their new friends.

Starting in a new school or a new classroom can be overwhelming for some students. Getting to know the community that we work and play with takes time. We need to trust and be patient. The students explored their options for play and were eager to take on new challenges. These are our first steps. Watch this space to learn more about our interesting stories and journeys of learning.