Exploring Number

Online Learning

Focus: Mathematics (Number) 

Go on a number hunt around your house.

I found these numbers in my house! 

  • What numbers can you find?
  • What are the numbers used for?
  • Did you find numbers outside as well? What were they? 

You can draw pictures of the places you find numbers. Record the numbers you see. 

Here is a number line to help you. 

Here is a video story on how to write numerals. You can follow along to read the book or refer to it if you are unsure of how to write numerals 1 to 10. 

You can use a sand or salt tray to practice writing numerals!

Don’t forget to share your learning!

We are learning that:

  • numbers are a naming system
  • numbers can be used in many ways for different purposes in the real world
  • numbers are connected to each other through a variety of relationships
  • making connections between our experiences with number can help us to  develop number sense

Paper Art

Online Learning

Focus: Self-management Skills, Thinking Skills (Mathematics – Shape and Space)  

Jiwon and Michelle used scissors and paper to explore their creativity. They folded paper carefully and then used scissors to cut out different shapes. Jiwon created flowers and Michelle created monster masks.

Jiwon – Flowers

Here is one way to create art with paper:

You can create your own paper art!

You might want to cut out different shapes on your paper, or even different patterns! 

Pay close attention to the way you hold a pair of scissors. 

  • While cutting with scissors, the open and close motion allows children to build up the little muscles in their hands. These muscles are important because they aid in writing, drawing and painting.
  • Cutting develops eye-hand coordination as it requires children to use their eyes and hands in unison to accomplish the task of cutting. Eye-hand coordination is important for catching/throwing balls, eating with a spoon, and zipping a coat.
  • Cutting encourages your child to use both sides of the body at the same time while each hand is performing its own task (bilateral coordination). When cutting a shape, a child must hold the paper with one hand while the other hand is opening and closing the scissors and moving forward to cut.
  • Cutting improves focus and attention. These skills build a child’s capacity to pay attention to detail, not only in the classroom but in everyday life. These skills are essential to being able to read books, listen to instruction and complete tasks.

Clap the Alphabet

Online Learning

Focus: Communication Skills (Literacy – Alphabet knowledge) 

Watch Ms. Kelli as she ‘claps’ the letters in the English alphabet.  

Some of the letters are short (a, c, e), some are tall (b, d, f) and some hang down (g, j). Ms. Kelli will also show you how she claps her name. The alphabet chart at the end of the video can be used as a guide.   

Can you clap your own name?  

Language and Literacy Skills

Alphabet Knowledge

  • recognise and name lowercase letters in abc order

  • recognise and name the letters in own first and last name
  • recognise and name lowercase letters in random order

  • say the alphabet from memory

Sorting

Online Learning

Focus: Thinking skills, Research Skills: Mathematics (Data handling)  

Watch the video to see how Sarah has been sorting the cutlery in her kitchen drawer and how Ms. Shemo has been sorting the earrings in her jewellery box.  

Make a collection of interesting, small objects from

around the house.

Sort the objects into different sets. 

How did you sort the objects? 

Feel free to share a picture of your own sort.   

This activity helps children to notice the properties of objects and helps them to understand that people (mathematics and scientists) categorise objects according to their defining properties. You can repeat this activity as often as you like, indoors and outdoors, using different objects. Over time, the children develop increasingly creative ways of sorting the objects! 

Colour Zoo – Shape and Space

Online Leaning

Focus: Communication Skills (Mathematics – Shape and Space) 

Listen to the video story ‘Colour Zoo‘ by Lois Ehlert.

This wonderful story explores shapes and colours, with illustrations of shapes on die-cut pages that form animal faces when placed on top of one another.

  • How might you explore your creativity through shape and colour?
  • What animals or objects could you create using shape and colour?

Share your shape pictures with your friends.

Note: Encourage the children to describe the shape by number of sides and corners. Compare shapes by asking what similarities and differences they see. Describing shapes helps children learn about the properties of shapes which eventually leads to a deeper understanding about shape and space.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s) 

  • observe carefully
  • notice relationships
  • record observations using drawing or emergent writing
  • draw expressively, experimenting with various ways to move and produce marks
  • draw recognizable shapes, person and simple pictures
  • add personal elements to shapes of pictures

Sound Patterns

Online Learning

Skills: Research Skills, Thinking Skills

You have been using musical instruments to create sounds with Ms. Heidi.
Ms. Shemo has been using objects around her house to create different sounds.

Each object has its own colour. 

Listen and watch to see if you can hear the sounds

repeating in a pattern‘.

  • What objects can you use in your environment to create different sounds?
  • How might you create your own sound patterns?

Here are a few pattern cards to help you as you create your own sound patterns!!! 

Through these experience, children will have opportunities to:

  • use their senses to explore everyday objects
  • to use everyday objects to create sound
  • describe, model and extend simple patterns with shape, colour and real objects

 

Showing our creativity in different ways through Performing Arts

Focus: We can express our thoughts, ideas and feelings through music.

Task: Find an item, or items, in your environment that you can make different sounds with.

  • 1st – Items that you ‘shake‘ to make a sound
  • 2nd – Items that you ‘scrape‘ to make a sound 
  • 3rd – Items that you ‘tap‘ to make a sound 

Here are the sound materials and pattern documented. Can you see and hear the pattern?

A Bridge

Online Learning

Skills: Thinking Skills, Research Skills

Challenge: The Coin Bride

You will need:

coins

a chopstick

Instructions:

Gather some coins and use them to build a bridge. The chopstick should be able to pass under your bridge without touching the coins! How tall, wide and strong can you make your bridge?

Take a photo or a video of your bridge, reflect on (and share):

  • How many coins did you use to make your bridge?
  • What helped you create your bridge?
  • What other materials can you use to create different types of bridges?

Here are a few different bridges around the world. Feel free to share some examples of the different bridges you create!

Sophie has created a bridge using her toys!

The Bridge Test:

Leming and his brother Leyang were wondering which material would be the most suitable to create a bridge.

They wanted to learn through ‘trial and error’, this is the work of a ‘researcher’. 

They have gathered some materials to test their theories. They have paper, plastic and wood.

The Paper Bridge.

The Wooden Bridge.

Their Conclusion:

  • “1-wood 2- paper with more strength 3- plastic 4- paper with less strength”

You might want to try your own experiments to see which materials are best suited when creating bridges!

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

Analysing: Observe carefully.

Generating novel ideas: Make unexpected or unusual connections between objects and/or ideas.

Considering new perspectives: Ask “what if” questions, Identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Research Skills

Formulating and planning: Ask or express through play questions that can be researched.

Data gathering and documenting (audio recording, drawing, photographing): Use all senses to observe and notice details.

Bean Sprouts

Online Learning

Focus: Communication Skills (Literacy), Self-management Skills, Research Skills   

Mung bean sprouts are a vegetable grown by sprouting mung beans. We can add them in our soups, stir fries and salads.

Here is a story about a little boy named Jack. Jack has some magic beans! What will happen when they start to grow in his garden? Watch and find out!

Let’s try to grow our own mung bean sprouts!

Follow the instructions in the video to make your own.

Remember that they need plenty of water to grow!

Here are some other suggestions:

@M the Scientist explains and demonstrates the process!

“I want to make the mung bean sprout. I use these materials: mung、gauze、plastic case and water. I need to wait.”

@M the Update…

I have  been documenting the growth my ‘Mung Bean Sprouts’. I kept a journal to record my observations. Note the calendar in the background to see the daily updates!!

@B the Gardener:

Listen to the instructions and then follow them carefully to grow your own bean sprouts. Remember to make sure your mung beans have plenty of water!

@B DAY 7:

@Ms. Shemo Day 3:

@Ms. Shemo Day 7:

Day 7

Sarah:  Day 7:

Sarah has been taking care of her bean sprouts over the past week.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

 

  • observe carefully.
  • give and follow instructions
  • test generalizations, strategies or ideas
  • express oneself using words and sentences
  • choose and complete tasks independently

Not a BOX!

Online Learning

Focus: Communication Skills (Literacy, Unit of Inquiry)

We have been exploring how ‘We can express ourselves through the Arts’. Read the story ‘Not a Box’ by Antoinette Porter.

If you have access to the internet, you can also watch the animated version here:

If you had a box, what would it be?

It’s NOT a BOX! It’s a…

Here is another story about a BOX.

Listen to the story ‘What to do with a box?‘ by Jane Yolen and Chris Sheban

If you have a box, what will you do with it?

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

  • express oneself using words and sentences.
  • use mark-marking to convey meaning.
  • express ideas and thinking creatively.

Shape Hunt

Home Learning

Focus: Communication Skills (Mathematics – Shape and Space) 

Go on a shape hunt to see what shapes you can find. Have your child describe, photograph or draw the shapes they find. 

Observing and discussing details such as the number of sides and corners, helps the children notice that shapes have characteristics that can be described and compared’.

Shapes are all around us, in our homes, in our playgrounds and in all our favourite spaces.

  • Do you see the hidden shapes?
  • Can you name them? 

Tyson used many shapes to create a showman. He used shapes to create his picture.

Leming and his brother were exploring and creating shapes using train tracks and other familiar objects. 

Can you name these shapes? 

Michelle created a ‘pyramid’ using lots of ‘loose parts’ in her garden.

Bruce created a picture using shapes. He used an app to draw a rose with several triangles!

Bruce discovered a face with many mosaic little squares!

@Felix’s Project:

“Yesterday we were at IKEA and bought a new shelf for Simon’s room. I was very busy to build it. When we were almost ready I recognised some shapes in the shelf. Circle, square and rectangle. The box comes with Playmobil.”

Play Dough

Online Learning

Focus: Self-management Skills, Research Skills

Make play dough with your family. Post a picture of something you created with your play dough!

Recipe: PLAY DOUGH🌈

👉🏼YOU’LL NEED:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup table salt
  • 2 tbsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • Food colouring

👉🏼INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Combine the flour, salt and cream or tart. Mix well.
  2. Add the oil
  3. Mix a few drops of food colouring into the boiling water and add to the bowl.
  4. Mix everything very well and massage with your hand until it is no longer sticky.

💡Storage: Wait for the play dough to cool completely. Wrap in plastic and place in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 6 months.

………..

Felix and his family decided to make play dough. Here are the ingredients and equipment they needed. They didn’t use cream of tartar. Instead, they used citric acid.

Felix and his brother had a lot of fun!

They decided to make yellow, green, blue and pink play dough! They used tools to cut and mould their dough. 

You might want to use a pair of gloves as you add the colour 🤭!!

A pond, ducks, trees, balls and a bridge! 

Measurement: Length

Names and Words

The Photograph