Month: November 2018

Numicon Shapes

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We have been exploring Numicon Shapes to learn about number. 

The students were invited to use the manipulatives to learn more about numbers. They gathered around the table in groups of 2 and 3, using the spinner to choose the numbers as they tried to fill in their tray. They talked to each other about the numbers they ‘got’ on the spinner, and then quickly looked for the corresponding number shape. They played again and again, and then moved on to explore other spaces in the classroom. 

We noticed how the students quickly identified the different number shapes by colour. They matched, sorted and created with the shapes. They developed an awareness for space, as they looked at the patterns and thought about the area they had left in their trays. The games encouraged conversation about number and colour. Students worked as individuals and teams, they had opportunities to take turns and solve problems at play. 

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1068445422144839680

SLOs

  • Understand that number names relate to a specific quantity
  • Recognise groups of zero to five objects without counting, in real life situations
  • Estimate quantities to 10
  • Understand the terms more or less, same as

Which One Doesn’t Belong?

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We noticed 4 shapes. One shape did not belong to the group. Which one is it? We had to justify our answer. 

This one does not belong because…

  • Amber “I think this one because all the others have 4 corners but this one doesn’t.” [in Mandarin]
  • Freida “Because it is a triangle.”
  • Ms. Shemo “It is the only one that has 3 corners and 3 sides.”

This one does not belong because…

  • Michelle “It does not have colour. There is no colour inside.” [in Mandarin]
  • Nicolas “Because inside is no colour. It is not the same shape as this.”
  • Ms. Jiao “It is empty inside. No colour.” [in Mandarin]

This one does not belong because…

  • Lawrence “This is coloured. This is square. This is not the same as

  • Ethan “Because it is beautiful. I like square.” [in Mandarin]
  • Ms. Tina “The others are skinny, this one is wider.”

This one does not belong because…

  • Felix “Because it inside is coloured and inside it is red.” 
  • Ruby “Because it is not the same colour. It has not got the same shape.”
  • Si Hyun “Because it is coloured and like a car.”
  • Charlotte “The colour is different.” [in Mandarin]
  • Jiwoo explained that he chose this one because it was red, the same colour on his shirt. He explained that it also had a different direction to the other shapes.”

SLO’s

  • Name and classify 2D shapes
  • Use everyday language to describe position, direction and movement of objects in relation to others

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

• Observe carefully.

• Find unique characteristics.

Handwriting Without Tears

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We used the ‘Alphabet Mat‘ to look for the letters in our name. We first found the letters in Ms. Shemo’s name. Students who had the letters S-H-E-M-O in their names looked for letters on the alphabet mat. 

The students were introduced to manipulatives used with the programme ‘Handwriting Without Tears‘. 

The students use special wood pieces to create the letters. These are placed in a particular order which help students learn to print them correctly. The students used the wood pieces to make the first letter of their name. 

 

The programme introduces students to the capital letters first. All capitals start at the top and strokes are made in correct sequence. 

SLO’s

  • write letters of the alphabet
  • use a variety of implements to practise and develop handwriting and presentation skills

Shapes

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The students discussed what they know about shapes.

  • What are their different characteristics? 
  • How can we describe, organise and compare shapes according to their properties?

We used the following pictures to direct our discussions. 

  • Jasmine “It’s a circle.”
  • Nicolas “Balls look like circles.”
  • Amber “I think the wheels on the car is circles.” [in Mandarin]
  • Poli “NIS is a circle.” [referring to the NIS badge on his T-shirt]
  • Ruby “Lollypops.”
  • Nicolas “Lollypops are round.”
  • Alejandra “Bubblegum is a circle, like a ball. Like a wheel it goes round and round.”

We had a discussion about a circle’s curved edge. It had no corners and no sides.

  • Ruby “Because it has 3 lines.” [referring to the 3 sides.]
  • Alejandra “It has 3 corners.”
  • Lawrence “I see triangles in blocks.” [in Mandarin]
  • Alejandra “A house has a triangle on the roof.”
  • Ruby “I think the ice-cream cone has a triangle.”

  • Jiwoo “This one, is this one.” [Jiwoo is referring to the shape on a block we have in the classroom.]

  • Nicolas 8 corners.” Nicolas showed us how he made 8, counting 4 fingers from each hand.
  • Ruby “On one square there is 4. 4 and 4 make 8!”
  • Poli “8 sides.”

SLO’s

  • Identify, name and sort common 2D shapes

Take a Vote!

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A student wanted to play with the coloured sand while there were hammers at the table, so she asked her friends if they want to play with sand or hammers. All students and teachers took a vote and there were 11 people that chose sand, 5 chose the hammers. Therefore, we got to change the table activity to sand play! 

Agency: Through these experiences students are learning that they have an active voice and stake in the classroom and community. 

SLO’s

Data Handling

  • Record observations using simple tally marks (1 line/1 object)

  • Be able to explain data using simple language such as same and different/more or less/most or least

Space

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Lawrence was busy creating stories at the ‘Writing Table’. He explained, “This is the sun, up in the sky.” He pointed upwards.

Lawrence explained that he had seen the sun and the sky at the planetarium. he said the sun was ‘so big’.

We wonder what more we can learn about space…

The next day he went to the school library to see what resources he can find to help him with his research. 

The teacher shared a picture on the screen. It looked a lot like the picture from Lawrence’s drawing.

https://www.wallpaperup.com/311535/Sun_stars_planets_Earth_space.html

The students gathered to discuss their theories. 

  • Alejandra “It is the fire!”
  • Lawrence “That is not fire.”
  • Nicolas “That’s the sun.”
  • Nicolas “We live in the air. The Earth circle on the floor is flat. It’s wiggly when we walk to the side. How can that happen?”
  • Charlotte [Pointing to earth] “We live there, the place we live now.” [in Mandarin]
  • Jasmine “Everybody lives in the Earth. We are standing on the earth.” [in Mandarin]
  • Alejandra “That is the moon. The small one. Aliens live on the moon.”

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1064422566444453889

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1064461728535109632

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

Considering new perspectives

• Seek information.

Communication Skills

Speaking

• Express oneself using words and sentences.

Reading, writing and mathematics

• Understand that mark-making carries meaning.

• Use mark-marking to convey meaning.

• Document information and observations in a variety of ways.

Planning a Performance

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A learning story as it unfolds…

November 16

The students in PreK-K1C were excited to see the PE Assembly. They were amazed by the different skills and acts presented.

A group of students asked, “Can we have our own show?”

Teacher “If you can plan your own show, then we can present it.”

The students began to put their thoughts down on paper. They communicated their ideas through detailed pictures and words.

They discussed their initial ideas with each other. They edited their pictures based on the feedback they received from others.

They presented their ideas and initial planning to their teachers.

Next, we brought our ideas together.

Nicolas suggested that we should have the ‘ribbon dance’. He wanted to use face paint and glitter on the ribbons.

“Ribbon Dance.”

Another ideas was to include the ‘hot-wheels’, another name for cartwheels. We wondered, what might we do to ‘be safe’ while presenting these different performances.

Alejandra suggested that we should include ‘the splits’ and ‘the bridge’. She also suggested we add some ‘Ballet’ and ‘Taekwondo’. She explained that we need to have the right costumes for that.

Nicolas suggested that we eat well before the performance. We need to eat plenty of broccoli and drink lots of water.

“The food you need to eat.”

“You are strong.”

Nicolas suggested a piece of music. He hummed the tune. “Do you know that one?” he asked. We decided to share the tune with Ms. Angie and ask her if she knew the song.

Where shall we have this performance? We had two options. The stage in the Early Years or the Green Gym. We needed to check with Ms. Angie and see if the gym was available to us.

Who will be our audience? Who shall we invite?

The students decided that we would invite the parents, siblings, grandparents, Ayi’s K2 and all PreK-K1 classes.

Alejandra explained that she will be happy to create the invitations for the performance.

We gathered to see what resources we already have. We found lots of ribbon!

We wonder where we can find the costumes, the music and other resources we need for our performance…

November 19

We spoke to Ms. Angie about our ideas for the performance.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1064437470245220352

We wondered if all the students wanted to take part in the performance. A few students went over to talk to everyone, to find out if they also wanted to join in. Nicolas asked Ms. Tina to help him translate but Alejandra offered to help with translating. Most of the students decided that they wanted to join.

Three students went over to the costume cupboard with Ms. Angie to see what costumes were available. We needed to ask permission before we took the costumes. What about face paints? We needed some designs! 

We also wondered when we can have the performance. We looked at the school calendar to find a suitable date. Ms. Angie helped us look for a ‘special day’. 

We decided to have a sign-up sheet to help the students choose what they would like to perform.

November 21

The students voted on their performance choice. 

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

Evaluating

• Organize information.

Considering new perspectives

• Seek information.

• Practise some “visible thinking” routines.

Research Skills

Formulating and planning

• Ask or express through play questions that can be researched.

Data gathering and documenting (audio recording, drawing, photographing)

• Gather information from a variety of sources (people, places, materials, literature).

Communication Skills

Listening

• Listen to information.

• Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.

Speaking

• Participate in conversations.

• Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

Reading, writing and mathematics

• Use mark-marking to convey meaning.

The Accident

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  • Felix “What is it? Ms. Cherry, she is in the room.”
  • Nicolas “Did she break her leg?”
  • Alejandra “Ms. Cherry!”

Alejandra shows Freida the picture.

  • Jasmine “That’s Ms. Cherry.”
  • Ruby “Ms. Charry has a broken leg because she has something on her foot.”
  • Amber “Because he hurt his leg.”
  • Alejandra “It’s because Ms. Cherry looking for some people for the window. Someone broke the window and Ms. Cherry go to say something and some pieces fall from the window and fall on her foot and all the foot.”

A few days before we had spoken to the students about a broken window in Ms. Cherry’s class. It had broken when a student threw a stone.

  • Felix “I think when the window come then its broken then the foot.”
  • Nicolas “She is smiling and her foot is broken!”
  • Charlotte “Its broken.” In Mandarin “Ms. Cherry bones are broken.”
  • Alejandra “We can give to Ms. Cherry some flowers and chocolates.”
  • Teacher “How do you know she will like to have flowers and chocolates?”
  • Alejandra “Flowers. Because I love!”
  • Felix “In the house then it is broken and then it came this. She fell in house.”
  • Poli “Ms. Cherry and doctor and here and here and doctor.

  • Nicolas “Maybe she go to the house upstairs and lies down and then she fall down from the bed and then she went out and looked to the window and then she falled down to the ground.”
  • Freida “Ms. Cherry will sit on…”
  • Ruby “Wheelchair.”
  • Frieda “Ms. Cherry go on a wheel chair and then she goes to a doctor on the wheelchair.”

  • Ethan “Ms. Cherry is hurt, and her legs are in some straps. I don’t know what happened.” 9in Mandarin)
  • Ruby “Its bandages.”

The teacher explained that she had no money. How can we earn some money to buy some flowers and chocolates. The children suggested we ask Ms. Angie because she had money. She used money to buy things from the supermarket when we went to buy things.

  • Nicolas “We can make our own chocolates. We can pick flowers from the garden. From the playground where there is a spider web.”
  • Alejandra “Ms. Cherry comes to the nurse and see its broken and she sits down to the doctor and she can push her and the chair in the office. He can call her doctor to help to push.” (the nurse will help to push the wheelchair)
  • Lawrence agrees that she needs some chocolates and flowers.
  • Felix Ms. “Cherry comes a doctor.”
  • Poli “Ms. Cherry and doctor and pillow and house and put on floor.”
  • Alejandra “My mum and me go shopping I can first say to mum, ‘Can I buy some flowers for Ms. Cherry’. Because I like. My mum has some money to buy.”
  • Lawrence “Girls like Chocolates and flowers. Boys no.”
  • Nicolas “I like flowers.”
  • Ruby “Maybe in the window, someone threw the rock in her window and I saw the crack and then maybe it fell and hurt her foot. Also she go to the doctor and go get a plaster, and also why did someone crack her window?
  • Alejandra “It’s because in her house, so many bad guys go to her house, it’s a fire and then she hurt her leg.”
  • Poli “Ms. Cherry and doctor and house and home and flower and chocolate.”
  • Lawrence “It’s boys no like flowers. Girls thinking, boys is boys thinking.
  • Ruby “Boys like chocolates and girls like flowers. Boys don’t like smelling things. I know because you know Ms. Cherry has flowers, it will make her feel better.”
  • Freida “I wasn’t to bring chocolates and flowers. I have money for buying fruits and vegetables.” 
  • Nicolas “Wait!!! I have money in my bank! Remember my small money!”

We wonder what action students will take…

The next day we discussed our ideas. We checked with Ms. Angie about getting flowers from the garden, but we have not seen any. We know that there are flowers growing in the garden plots, but those do not belong to us. The students explained that, “We can’t take things that do not belong to us.” 

We then wondered if we can make our own flowers. Ms. Angie offered to help us create our own flowers. We could use paper, card, tissue paper, pipe-cleaners and glitter. Nicolas was concerned that the flowers won’t smell like flowers. He suggested that we spray perfume on our flowers. 

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1064459094642180096

What would you like to say to Ms. Cherry?

The students went to see Ms. Cherry with their flowers and notes. 

Ethan wanted to know how Ms. Cherry broke her leg. 

Jasmine wanted to know why Ms. Cherry was not getting better. 

The children wished Ms. Cherry a quick recovery and then went back to class to have snack.  

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1065870247196950528

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Social Skills 

Interpersonal relationships

  • Practise empathy and care for others.
  • Listen closely to others.
  • Be respectful to others.

Social and emotional intelligence

  • Be aware of own and others’ feelings.
  • Be self- and socially aware.

Kelso’s Choices

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We read the book ‘Big problems and small problems’ and had a discussion to decide if the different situations were big problems or small problems. We listened to students’ perspectives.

  • Charlotte “杠子，要用的。” [He has to use it.]
  • Ethan “因为人家要用它。” [Because he needs that.]
  • Nicolas “Big problem. He can’t walk if somebody get it and pushing him on the floor.”
  • Alejandra “他已经走不动了，他还抢他的。” [He can’t walk. He’s snatching that.]
  • Ruby “It’s a small problem. Because he is pushing him.”
  • Poli “Big. Look!” (Pointing to the stick.)
  • Jiwoo “Hit.”

  • Ethan “大问问题，会压死的。” [Big problem. He will die because of the push.]
  • Amber “大问题，她坐在他的身上。” [Big problem. She is sitting on him.]
  • Charlotte “小问题，因为摔倒是小问题。” [Small problem. Falling down is a small problem.]

https://www.livescience.com/27279-bullying-effects-last-adulthood.html

  • Nicolas “Big problem. Because they are laughing.”
  • Ruby “I agree.”
  • Alejandra “He can tell his mummy and daddy.”
  • Jasmine“他们在嘲笑他，大问题。” [They are laughing and making fun of him. Big problem.]
  • Poli “Big. The are no play.”

 

  • Sarah “大问题，在打架。”[Big problem. They are fighting.]
  • Jasmine “Big problem. They are fighting.”
  • Jiwoo “Big. (showing the action of hitting.)
  • Sarah “大问题，因为他在凶那个男孩。” [Big problem. He is very aggressive to the boy.]

  • Ethan “大问题，因为红色的是血。” [Big problem because the red is blood.]
  • Charlotte “小问题，因为红色不是血。” [Small problem, because the red is not blood.]
  • Amber “他抓住了他。” [He caught him.]

  • Ethan “因为他把那个男孩弄哭了，小问题。” [Because he made the baby cry. Small problem.]
  • Poli “Big.”
  • Lawrence “因为他抢玩具但没有受到伤害。” [Because they are snatching toys, nobody is hurt.]
  • Jiwoo “Small.”

  • Ethan “小问题，他们在抢东西。” [Small problem, they are snatching things.]
  • Charlotte“他们在拔河，小问题。” [They are playing tug-of-war, small problem.”
  • Jiwoo, Poli “Small.”

  • Ruby “It’s a small problem because they are doing like this.”
  • Sarah “他们在生气。” [They are angry.]
  • Nicolas “I think it’s a small problem, he just make that.”
  • Alejandra “Big problem because they are doing like this.”
  • Amber “他想要黄色的笔，她也想要。小问题，因为他们没有打人。” [They all want the yellow pen. They are not hurting.]
  • Lawrence “他们在生气。” [They are angry.]
  • Amber “打人才是大问题。” [Hitting is big problem.]

  • Jasmine “他们两个在抢东西，没有受伤，所以是小问题。” [They are snatching things. Nobody is hurt, so it’s a small problem.]
  • Amber “不同意，因为她头上受伤了。”[I don’t agree because she is hurt on her head.]
  • Lawrence “大问题，同意Amber。”[Big problem. I agree with Amber.]
  • Jiwoo “Small.” (Jiwoo and Poli used a wood block to role play the situation)

Students went through the pictures and explored ‘Kelso’s Choices’. They listened to the story Willow Pond and chose the strategy they wanted to use if they had a small problem. Then they coloured the strategy they chose.

 Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Social

Interpersonal relationships

  • Practice empathy and care for others.
  • Listen closely to others.
  • Be respectful to others.
  • Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns.
  • Help others.

Social and emotional intelligence

  • Be aware of own and others’ feelings.
  • Manage anger and resolve conflict.
  • Be self- and socially aware.
  • Be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a learning group.

 

Self-management

Mindfulness

  • Take responsibility for own well-being.

Perseverance

  • Use strategies to problem-solve.
  • Manage own emotions.
  • Manage feelings and resolve conflict.

A Pair of Socks

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We read the story ‘A Pair of Socks‘ by Stuart J. Murphy, illustrated by Lois Ehlert. In this story a sock is trying to find its match.

  • Lawrence “Ten socks!”

  • Freida “A pair of ‘socks‘ is the socks on your foot. I have 2 socks.”
  • Alejandra “Two.”

After reading the story the students took off their shoes and socks. They placed their socks in a pile on the floor.

  • Can we find the matching pairs?
  • What is the same and what is different?

  • Alejandra “Blue and blue. Black and black (referring to the black outline around the balls and the black writing on the second sock)
  • Sarah “This one no ball. This one no line.” (pointing to the black line at the top of the sock)

  • Alejandra “This have rainbow this one no.” (referring to the coloured frill at the top of the pink sock)
  • Lawrence “This is pink this is blue. This is small this is big.”
  • Jiwoo “Small. Big.”

  • Felix “This is not brown.” (one is pink and the other a grey)
  • Poli “Line, this one no.”
  • Alejandra “This is small this is big.”

  • Lawrence “This pink, this no pink, brown.”
  • Felix “That is not brown and not white.”
  • Amber “This no pink, and in this one pink.”
  • Alejandra “This one had pink here and here.” (pointing to the heel and toes)
  • Jiwoo “This one big. Too small this one.”
  • Lawrence “This have this, this no, this white and this is no.” (referring to the white stripes)
  • Nicolas “No it has got rainbow”

Next, we matched the socks using the iPad.  

SLO’s

  • sort 
  • explain thinking
  • share ideas
  • listen to others’ perspectives
  • discuss same and different

A Muddy Mess!

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A new space opened up to the students. The space was shaded by the young trees and the ground cleared out so that it can take on a new life in the playground. A week of rain contributed to new opportunities for learning. The ground was soft, muddy, slippery and ready to be explored. The playground was full of muddy puddles. The students ran around in their wet boots, jumping in the mud shouting with excitement. It was so much fun!

At the end of the second day, the challenges were apparent. The children’s boots were covered in mud. Their clothes were muddy and clay blobs lined their faces. 

The class gathered for a walk outdoors. The students quickly observed how fun play had also resulted in disrespect for the environment. They noticed and commented on their observations.

There were mud balls on the walls.

Mud on the wooden pillars.

Trucks in the pond.

Mud in the sand pit and on the fire truck.

Mud on the windows and on the carpets.

And Ms. Cherry’s window was broken by a travelling stone!

A plan was needed!

The students gathered to discuss what they had noticed.

How might we have fun and still be respectful of our environment?

  • Alejandra “We need to remember to stay ‘STOP’ because I think that we can’t clean the muddy puddle off the window.”
  • Ruby “No throwing mud on the wall because the wall will crack.”
  • Nicolas “If somebody throws the mud on the wall then you can’t clean it.”
  • Felix “Not running and pushing because it’s not ok.”
  • Ruby “When someone pushes you two times then you have to tell the teacher. Play with the trucks in the sandpit. But now the sand pit is covered in mud because someone threw the mud in the sandpit. When you are being rude to your mummy and daddy, then they will be sad. When someone is not your friend then find an English other person and I play with other friends in Chinese.”
  • Felix “The fire truck is not in fire (there is no real fire)”.
  • Freida “Don’t put the mud on the wall and not on the fridge. Because it will break. You cannot wipe it.”
  • Lawrence “我们不能把泥巴扔在窗户上。我们不能把泥巴放在脸上，也不能把泥巴放在自己和别人的身上。” “We can’t throw the mud on the window. We can’t put the mud on the face, on our body or others’ body.”
  • Alejandra “我们不能把泥土仍在别人的脸上。如果有人扔泥巴的话，我们可以告诉老师。” “We can’t throw the mud on people’s face. We can tell teachers if somebody throws the mud.”
  • Ethan “我们不能把泥巴扔在窗户上。” “We can’t throw the mud on the window.”
  • Charlotte “我们可以用泥土来做城堡。而且我们要洗手。”“We can use the mud to make castle. And we should wash our hands.”
  • Lawrence “我们不能把泥巴带到教室里面来。我们要在玩泥巴的地方玩。” “We can’t bring the mud into the classroom. We have to leave the mud in the muddy space.”
  • Alejandra “我们可以用泥巴来做公主。” “We can use the mud to make princess.”
  • Lawrence “ 不能把玩具弄坏。”“We can’t break the toys.”

We continue to talk about how we can make playtime a great experience, while reflecting on how we can respect our environment. 

SLO’s

  • the impact of simple actions on their immediate environment
  • how to take care of things
  • enthusiasm and respect for nature and Earth

Mushrooms

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  • Ethan “它们不能吃，吃了会肚子疼。” “We can’t eat it, otherwise our tummy will feel hurt.”
  • Felix “I think this is a superman.”
  • Freida “I think it’s mushroom.”
  • Alejandra “This is we can’t eat it because it’s not wash. If we eat, tummy hurt. We need wash and cook.”
  • Amber “我觉得是蘑菇。切切切，洗一洗，煮一下，然后洗手吃掉。” “I think it’s mushroom. Chop, chop, chop, wash, wash, wash, and cook it. Then we wash hands and eat it.”
  • Ruby “Sometimes you touch the mushroom in the forest, your finger hurt.”
  • Jiwoo “Small one.”
  • Nicolas “I’ve seen on in the forest. I have one mushroom at home. I was thinking we could eat it.”
  • Ruby “I hold it gently. Then we bring it home and we wash it and cook it and then we eat it.”
  • Felix “I think this we need a map.”
  • Alejandra “If we open the cap, the white and black fall down.”

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1061838105945067520

We are wondering…

  • What does it feel like?
  • Can we eat them?

The students drew pictures and created stories about mushrooms. 

Nicolas “I made a story about mushrooms. There are different shapes of mushrooms. Animals eat mushrooms, and when they finish, they have many shapes. I’ve seen mushrooms in the mountain, dinosaurs live there. And when the mushrooms grow up, they become apple trees.”

Jiwoo “Mushroom! Big mushroom, small mushroom!”

Thinking Skills

Analysing

• Observe carefully.

• Synthesize new understandings by seeing relationships and connections.

Generating novel ideas

• Use discussion and play to generate new ideas and investigations.

Considering new perspectives

• Seek information.

Research Skills

Formulating and planning

• Ask or express through play questions that can be researched.

Data gathering and documenting (audio recording, drawing, photographing)

• Gather information from a variety of sources (people, places, materials, literature).

• Use all senses to observe and notice details.

Communication Skills

Listening

• Listen to information.

• Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.

Speaking

• Express oneself using words and sentences.

• Participate in conversations.

Morning Meeting – Leader of the Day

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Morning Meeting is a special time for the students. It is a time when students greet their peers and adults by name, and prepare to settle in to play, explore and learn together. Morning Meeting activities help build a strong sense of community and sets the students up for success. Students are encouraged to listen, look at the person who is talking, and manage their bodies, which sets the tone for a respectful and trusting learning environment.

This morning, one student was in charge of the lunch order.

I asked Nicolas, “School lunch or home lunch?” Because he needs to eat. 

Letter ‘s‘ is for school lunch and letter ‘h‘ is for home lunch. 

Alejandra “We put it into the packet and then we put it on the door.” 

Each morning, the students will be responsible to place the order. 

We wonder, how many students will eat lunch tomorrow?

Self-management

• Complete tasks independently.

• Follow the directions of others.

• Follow classroom routines.

• Share responsibility for decision-making.

Robots

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Alejandra “We have a robot. It cleans the ants!” 

What? How does it work?  Alejandra drew a picture to tell us all about it. 

The diagonal lines at the top are the control. The black dots are the ants and the orange square is the robot. The blue squares inside are the buttons.

Alejandra said, “It moves around and cleans the floor. It sucks in all the ants. There is no need to clean the house!” 

Are there robots in school? Where might they be?

A group of students went on a walk to the Design lab at school. They looked around the space. There was a lot of Lego. We noticed some strange equipment on a table. Ms. Cynthia helped us explore further. 

We wondered if we could make our own robots. What would they look like?

A few students drew their own robots.

We wonder, can we create our own robots? 

We decided to ask Ms. Sonya…

We found out that a Grade 9 student at NIS is an expert on robots. He plans to come in to show us how we can make robots step by step!

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1062295951312748544

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Research – Formulating and planning

• Ask or express through play questions that can be researched.

Candles

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Ms. Angie had a gift bag. We were curious and wanted to know what was inside. Ms. Angie showed us the gifts.

They were tea-light candles! 

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1057924053925691392

How are candles made? Can we make our own candles? 

We wonder…

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

  • use discussion and play to generate new ideas and investigations
  • seek information
  • ask or express through play questions that can be researched
  • select information sources and digital tools
  • gather information from a variety of sources (people, places, materials, literature).
  • use all senses to observe and notice details
  • participate in conversations.
  • negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers

Cake and Lollypops?

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Inspired by the process of making pasta, the students decided to create their own recipe’s to make lollypops, cupcakes and cookies.

Research – Formulating and planning

  • • Ask or express through play questions that can be researched.
  • • Use all senses to observe and notice details.
  • • Record observations—drawing, using emergent writing skills, marks or symbols using emergent writing skills.

Thinking – Analysing – Observe carefully.

Evaluating – Organize information.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1057933022144561152

Evaluating and communicating – Present information in a variety of modalities.

They decide to tell Ms. Angie (The Atalerista). How can we combine cakes and lollypops? We decide to make cake pops! Ms. Angie shows the students some pictures of cake pops. The students gather around her and are excited to try this new recipe.

Reading – Access a variety of sources for information and for pleasure.

A group of students went across the road to purchase the items needed to make the cake pops. 

Thinking

  • Analysing • Observe carefully.
  • Evaluating • Organize information.
  • Considering new perspectives • Seek information.

Freida “We went shopping because we have to buy all the stuff to make a cake. We bought eggs and chocolate and flour and sugar. And then bring it back to our school. Because we need to make them because they are so yummy.”

Jasmine “We need chocolate. We need ham and chocolate. We need to make cupcakes.

Felix “Buy the Suguo to make the lollypop.”

Sarah “With eggs and sugar and flour. We are make lollipops.”

Amber “Supermarket, to keep the cake. Eggs, too many. Chocolate, no eat, not to eat too much.”

Research – Formulating and planning • Use all senses to observe and notice details.

Then we started to make the cake pops! 

Felix “Took a flour and eggs and chocolate. Then this cake. Like this lollypop.”

Nicolas “We had a bowl the chocolate, and we had some chocolate and some yellow thing like egg. The egg turned white and yellow and we put it in a bowl and then it was chocolate and we put candy on it.”

Lawrence “Mix to make cake pop.”

Amber “Flour, 6 flour. No eating flour, eating hurt me. The we put eggs, 3. Then we put water inside. No eating, drinking flour water. Because no eating 烤箱(explaining that you put it in the oven). 冰箱 里. (explaining that you put it in the fridge)”

Freida “We collect some eggs and then we need flour. Then we put some cake and then we melt the chocolate and then we mix it up with cake. Then we melt the chocolate and put it in the stick and put it inside and then we put the chocolate and put some sprinkles. The melter melts chocolate. Like my mummy just puts some chocolate, like Nutella.”

Social – Interpersonal relationships

  • • Listen closely to others.
  • • Sharing, taking turns.
  • • Help others.

Communication

Listening

• Listen to information.

• Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.

• Ask for clarifications.

Interpreting

• Interpret visual, audio and oral communication: recognizing and creating signs, interpreting and using symbols and sounds.

• Understand the ways in which images and language interact to convey ideas.

• Recognize the meaning of kinaesthetic communication (body language).

Speaking

• Express oneself using words and sentences.

• Participate in conversations.

• Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

Reading, writing and mathematics

• Access a variety of sources for information and for pleasure.

• Document information and observations in a variety of ways.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1060413790804537344

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

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We read the story ‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus’ by Mo Willems. In this story the bus driver takes a break from his route, but then a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place-a pigeon! We noticed the way the author used thinking clouds and speech bubbles and changed the way the text looked (craft moves) to express emotion.

Students choose to retell the story.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1058269728349667328

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1057927595377942528

SLO’s

  • retell familiar stories, including key details
  • identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book
  • follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page
  • recognise that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters
  • speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly

The next day, we decided to draw our own pigeon. 

A group of students decide to create their own stories about pigeons.

We explored how we can use some of these ‘craft moves’ in our own writing. We also discussed how books were made and noticed that books have/can have:

  • a title
  • the authors name
  • pictures and words

When adding information students were invited to:

  • add details to drawings
  • add speech balloons to pictures to use dialogue
  • include thinking clouds to share what the characters were or thinking or wondering about

Students choose to share their stories using multiple languages.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1058270653046960128

SLO’s

  • tell their own stories using illustrations and words
  • observe, discuss and comment on the information being conveyed in illustrations
  • use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic