Category: How We Organize Ourselves

Earth Week

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Does trash last forever?

We began our day by talking about Earth Week and the different activities that we might be engaged in to bring awareness to our role in keeping the environment safe and clean.

During snack time, the children noticed the amount of garbage we were producing. The children shared their observations and began to suggest how we could solve some of the problems we have with trash. 

One suggestion was to reduce the amount of packaged food we purchase and bring to school. Another way is to avoid using plastic or disposable cutlery.

To learn more about trash, we watched a Mystery Science video on the question ‘Does trash last forever?’.

The children were surprised to see the mountains of trash that humans had collected.

They were sad to see what plastic in the ocean can do to the different creatures and plants that live in the water.

As part of our ongoing research into what happens to the trash and garbage we collect at NIS and Nanjing,  Ms. Nicole gathered some videos and photographs of garbage being collected around the city in Nanjing.

The children quickly recognised the workers in orange uniforms. We talked about the important service they provide to keep the city clean, safe and beautiful. How could we be more mindful of the waste we generate each day and how this affects our environment? 

Finally, we invited the children to bring in all the recycled materials they could find at home to see how we can sort, organise, re-purpose or create with these materials.

The children brought in recycled materials and then thought about the different ways they could recycle, create or re-use the items.

  • Wyatt “I am making an airplane fighting robot.”
  • Oxford “I am making a robot.”
  • Oliver “I am making a new flowerpot for new flowers.”
  • Motong “I am making trash boxes.”
  • Lydia “I am making a unicorn.”
  • Eli “I am making a rocket with a fire engine at the end.”
  • Liz “I made a bird and a bird’s nest.”
  • Beomjun “This is a little home.”
  • Jeongyoon “I am making a drum with a big cup.” 
  • Yui “I made a person with blue hair.”
  • Hana “I made a turtle.”

 

 ACTION: Taking Responsibility

SEE

  • Eli “I see Oxford cleaning up so many of the toys.”
  • Liz “I see some of the other children are not cleaning up.”
  • Lydia “I see some children are playing with the water and Oxford is cleaning up so many things.”
  • Motong “Oxford is NOT counting things.”
  • Jeongyoon “I see some people drink water when its tidy up time.”
  • Eli “I see the people are not cleaning up the shovels and Oxford had to clean all of the shovels up.”
  • Morning “I see people throwing toys in the Shed when its clean-up time and it’s very messy.”

THINK

  • Liz “I think other children are not cleaning up and are running around. I think play the things and not clean up.”
  • Oliver “I think some people just don’t want to clean up, they just count and clean up only 3.”
  • Lydia “I think them is play together and teacher ring the bell and them not clean up, just play.”
  • Eunbyul “I think some people do not clean up and drink water.”
  • Motong “I think Oxford did not play.”
  • Wyatt “When the bell gone, just play and not clean up it’s not ok.

You don’t get the toys and you don’t play.

  • Jeongyoon “I think only some are cleaning up.”
  • Liz “I think the teacher is done and the people are looking and Oxford just cleaned up. The playground is not clean up its not nice because its then so messy.”
  • Lydia “I think play is over and them play and go to drink water and teacher say take 2 gongs and then they go to class and not clean up, Oxford is cleaning up.”

WHAT CAN WE DO?  

  • Motong “Clean up all the toys and don’t count the toys. We hear one bell we need to clean up, and we hear two bells we can drink water.”
  • Lydia “We can tell people. We can take a paper writing and use the glue stick and tell everybody play and everybody needs to clean up.” Make a poster.
  • Eunbyul “We can drink water after we clean up.”
  • Eli “We can say to people ‘You HAVE to clean up even if you don’t play anything because this is everyone’s playground’.”
  • Wyatt “You hear the gong, you need to clean up.”
  • Morning “Put the trucks on the shelf and the shovels on the hooks.”

 

 

Caring for Living Things

We have noticed the child’s continued interest in living things in the Early Years playground. We decided to share some of the documentation the teachers have collected of the children’s play.

  • Liz “We found worms and roly-polys in the soil.”
  • Lydia “We are in the outside and we used the shovel to find the worms and the roly-polys and put them in the water. They were swimming. It looked like people swimming. We gave them to Eli and they are making a house for them.”

  • Eli “I hide them where the wood things are and I put the cap on so the roly-poly won’t come out and I can play with it next time. I put some leaves so they can eat.”
  • Oliver “It’s a baby beetle. They dig in the wood.”

  • Eli “They live in the wood.”
  • Oliver “They love the playground, they want to live there every day. They have lots of fun things to do. They are playing hide and seek under the soil.”
  • Liz “We put worms in the water. It was like water on my hand.”
  • Eli “I think you can’t keep them forever or they will die because you keep them every day in that pot and he eats all of the fruits and then they will have nothing to eat and they will die.
  • Oxford “There we have so much creatures.”
  • Oliver “You can just take a picture of anything you want to keep or the creatures you keep them for many days they won’t have anything to live.”
  • Wyatt “I and Eli play with the roly-poly and then put it in a cup and we just play there. And then finish playing.”
  • Liz “When we look at the worm they are moving, she wants to go to the soil because worm don’t like you holding it. Put it in the soil quickly.”
  • Motong “When we hold the insects we need to put some wet wood because they like it.”
  • Morning “I am looking at the roly-poly because it’s coming in the cup and then we put it back because they like the wood.”

We noticed that the children have a deep appreciation for the living creatures in nature. Their theories about the different insects reveal how they observe, form generalizations and develop understandings of nature. The children’s discussion about their play outdoors shows their sensitivity and growing awareness of how to care for living things and what they need to survive in their natural habitats.

  • We wonder how the children might document what they see, hear and know about the world around them.
  • We wonder how we might continue to develop their curiosities about the different creatures in our environment.  

The Garden Plots – Making Decisions 

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The gardening group (composed of student representatives from each class) gathered to discuss their project. Their task for the day was to document what was still growing in the garden and how they might organise the garden plots.

Thirteen gardeners joined the meeting with Ms. Hannah. They began by revisiting their agreements. The gardeners reflected on what it means to be a respectful listener “We talk one at a time and listen to others as they share their ideas.”

Then, they reflected on what they did during the previous session.

  • Emma “We don’t have many plants.”
  • Oliver “Some plants survive when it was snowing, it means when it’s snowing they are not very scared of the cold. The big plant is dead because it’s not cold protection.”

The team wondered about the ‘temperature’ and what plants ‘need’ to ‘survive’ and thrive.

Which plants might grow in the different seasons?

Which ones will survive?

  • Jacob “Because that big plants got too much water and it would die and too much worm pee pee it will die too.”
  • Logan “Earthworm poo, could it help?”
  • Jenny “Not too much water, not too dry (in Mandarin)”
  • Adelyn “Not too much sun”
  • Oliver “If you get a dragon fruit then dig a whole and then a plant will grow and the flower will grow and it is actually a dragon fruit. If you use the outside part of the strawberry seed and put it in the dirt it will grow strawberries. I know how to grow a watermelon to a shape that you want. If you get a square shape cube and dig a hole and then open it and then close it and then it will be the shape.”
  • Albert “If you grow watermelon then you will get a watermelon tree.
  • Keira: “In my home, there are orange trees.”
  • Jacob “Watermelon black and watermelon white seeds. People can eat the white seeds and plant the black seeds.”
  • Emma: “At my home, I have a paprika tree.
  • Albert: “At my home, I have a bamboo tree.”

Teacher “This is a shared space. We have 5 classes. Which means we need to find a way to share the plots. How might we do this?”

The gardeners gathered their clipboards with paper and writing tools. They looked at the plants in the plot and began to draw to share their observations and thinking.

Teacher” How do you know something is still alive?”

  • Emma “Because the seeds were still in the mud. And it didn’t fall out. Some was out but some not.”

We noticed that the team considered the size and shape of the plots when documenting their thinking. The gardeners were encouraged to think about and explain how they knew the plants were still alive. They used their senses to observe carefully, sharing their theories about the growth of plants and the weather. As they visualised the space, they began to share suggestions on how the plots may be allocated to the different classes in the Early Years.

The gardeners gathered to share what they had learned and to decide on what they would do next.

  • Oliver “One is a bigger plot and one is smaller.”
  • Sophia “Prek-K1 has more children so they use the bigger plot and K2 use the smaller plot.” (in Mandarin)
  • Emma “Also we need to plant so many new plants because only in some places there are plants.”

The gardeners agreed with Sophia’s suggestion.

  • Emma “PreK-K1 has 3 classes and K2 has 2 classes.”
  • Albert “The bigger one to PreK K1 and the smaller one to K2.”
  • George “One class has one space.”

The children took a vote and agreed with George’s idea.

The team’s suggestions were based on the number of classes in each grade level and the number of students in each of them. The teachers wondered how they might encourage the gardeners to show the division of a space.

Games

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The teachers noticed that a group of children had been interested in making their games during inquiry playtime. They often used recycled paper and cards to design and create their games.

Recently, the Grade 4 students visited K2, to ask the children about the arcade games. This was connected to their Unit of Inquiry ‘How We Organise Ourselves’.

First, the Grade 4 students conducted a survey, to learn more about the younger children’s interests in games. Then, they returned to create a list and gather feedback to learn “What might make the game fun?”.

  • Jeongyoon “Rules and tag.”
  • Motong “If we don’t have rules and we don’t know how to play.”
  • Oxford “”

We noticed that the children continued to refer to the ‘rules’ in a game. We wondered if the children were making connections with the games they play in their P.E. class, as conversations at the end of the lesson highlight important behaviours that make games fun and engaging. The teachers decided to dig deeper, to learn more about the children’s thinking. The teachers decided to ‘use the discussion to generate new ideas and investigations’.

Why do we need rules in the game?

  • Jeongyoon “If the game has no rules, it’s not a game, because it’s not fun.”
  • Motong “Because we don’t know how to play if we don’t have rules.”
  • Oxford “Rules let us know what we can do and what we can’t do.”

The children highlighted the ‘function’ of rules in the ‘organisation’ of a game. Then, the children drew the games they liked on large chart paper. We noticed that many of the games had mazes. Was this something that interested the team?

We discussed the kinds of games the team would like to make for the other children in the EY. We wondered…

  • How might we gather information to learn about the games that the EY children like to play?
  • What does a game need to have to make it exciting and fun?

The team gathered to discuss their next steps. Could we use a survey or draw some graphs to show our findings?

Oxford chose to create a survey that included three games. He planned to ask the children in the EY to choose their favourite game, to help him decide which game he was going to finally make. The three games to choose from were ‘Whack-a-Mole’, ‘Maze’ or ‘Treasure Hunt’.

Motong chose to create a survey with three choices of games for children in the Early Years. His games were ‘Car Race’, ‘Solider Game’, ‘Code Guessing.

Jeongyoon chose to use the maze game and decided to write some questions that would help him find out how he could make his game fun for the children in the EY.

  • Question 1: Do you like water in the maze game?
  • Question 2: Do you like easy games or hard games?

Documenting Food Waste

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During Assembly, the Grade 4 students shared what they had learned about waste at NIS. They shared the data they had gathered about food and power waste.

The teachers decided to ask the children what they thought about the Grade 4 presentation.

  • Eli “Don’t waste any food. Because if you waste food then the people who make the food work very hard to make the food so that is bad.”
  • Teacher “What is waste?”
  • Oliver “Wasting water, if I throw the water that is in my bottle that is wasting money.”
  • Children “No wasting food!”

We shared a photograph of the EY lunch.

  • Eli “We should eat all of the food in your plate.”
  • Oxford “Why we can’t eat vegetable pizza?”
  • Eli “Drink the milk after eating all of your food because if you drink milk first it will just make a soup in your tummy and your tummy will not be comfortable.”
  • Oxford “We can just eat the vegetables.”

We decided to gather our own data on food waste as the Grade 4 students said that food waste in the Primary was higher than in the Secondary!

Observations and reflections from the children:

  • Oliver “Liz eat all of the lunch.”
  • Motong “Eli ate every food.”
  • Eli “The food was yummy because the sausage was very yummy.”
  • Oliver “We wanted to see if we are not wasting food. I think 4 people eat a little bit of lunch but I was not right.”
  • Oxford “I think people eat 3 things, egg and sausage and rice.”
  • Lydia “One child eat the food.”
  • Eunbyul “Some people is not eating food and sausage. Some people are hungry eat the lunch. People no eat lunch people is more hungry and people is sad.”
  • Wyatt “I think 2 people eat all the food. It is a good thing because 2 people eat vegetables.”

  • Jeongyoon “I think some people drink milk first then they don’t eat vegetables.”
  • Eli “I see somebody eat the sausage and rice but not eat the egg and vegetables, this is not a good thing because vegetables are healthy. It is good for your body. You get a little bit sick because if you don’t eat vegetables every day it will not be healthy. The vegetables are waste. Then people take lunch away and they can pour it away.”
  • Oliver “It actually goes into the kitchen trash. The kitchen trash. I don’t know what they do.
  • Oxford “Will they recycle the food?”
  • Morning “Maybe some people just drink the soup and not eat the lunch. Because the soup is yummy. People need to eat of the lunch because lunch is helpful.”
  • Yui “I didn’t finish all the food because I don’t like vegetables. Bit it’s not good. We need to eat vegetables. Vegetables are good for your health, if we don’t eat vegetables we will get sick (in Mandarin).

 

What happens to the kitchen trash?  

  • Oliver “Lots of people waste so much food. This is the bin in the kitchen. I found out that the people put the trash in the bin and someone will come and then they will put it outside somewhere there are no houses and no people and also no plants. And also there are no internet and it’s also no river. The water have all dried away.”

  • Teacher “What is this place called? Have you seen a place like this before?”
  • Oliver “I saw it on a video. I don’t know.”
  • Lydia “It’s a place where there is no cars and no grass and flowers. Only for the trash. And the car will come and dump all the trash there.” (in Mandarin)
  • Oxford “Like Ms. Hannah has. There is a place behind a car park area to decompose the food.” (in Mandarin)
  • Wyatt “It’s in the bin, you can’t eat what is in the bin. Animals eat it. Many food is there and polar bears eat it.”
  • Oxford “Polar bears don’t eat it.”
  • Eli “I think not the polar bear eats because the polar bear is in a place where there is lots of snow and if the polar bear is there it will feel very, very hot. Maybe a bear eats it.”
  • Morning “I think a zebra.”

We wonder what happens to the food waste after the cafeteria puts it outside the building.

We wonder if animals eat it.

Our inquiry continues…

What can we grow in the garden plots?

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Many of the children worked to maintain the garden plots in K1. The children noticed that some plants had died, and others needed to be pruned.

The children began to make suggestions on what they could grow next. We decided to gather this information using pictures and words.

The children were invited to share 2 suggestions. Then, we sorted and organised the information.

The children quickly noticed that some suggestions such as flowers (8) and trees were very popular. Other suggestions were mint plants (3) orange plants (1) grass (1) trees (5) strawberry plants (5) apple trees (3).

We wonder what we need to know about these flowers and plants to be able to grow them in our EY garden. We wonder what resources will help us learn more about the needs of these plants.

Our inquiry continues…

Learning Outcomes: We are learning that we can…

  • gather information by asking questions
  • record data on simple graphs
  • present information using pictographs where one picture equals 1
  • explain data using simple comparative language

The Garden Project

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@O and @L were our classroom representatives, working with Ms. Hannah and Ms. Eileen on the ‘Garden Project’.

On their return to class, they presented their ideas to K2A.

They explained the ideas they had discussed, sharing their drawings where they had documented their suggestions for improvement.

The Gardening Team have decided to:

  • cut and prune the overgrown bushes
  • add the cut pieces to the compost bin
  • use the compost to help the new plants grow
  • replant the seeds to make new plants
  • use the lemongrass and mint to make tea
  • and make space to grow other new plants for the season.

The children were excited to be part of the Garden Project.

We look forward to their next steps!     

The Shop

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A few children have been making ‘money’ using cardstock.

During a conversation about money, the children shared their experiences and thoughts about money; the difference between money from countries and the ability to pay for things they want to purchase from a shop.

One child decided to explore this idea further while at home and prepared a presentation for the children. He began his presentation by explaining how much money he had earned and saved by doing his ‘jobs’ (chores) at home.

Noticing the child’s interest in using money to purchase items, the teachers decided to share a cash register that was stored away in the classroom.

The child was excited to play with the cash register but there wasn’t any money in the till. He decided to create his own money for the till. Then he decided to make different items that he could purchase using the money in the till. He carefully drew items you would find in a store, adding price tags to let others know how much each item costs. 

During a class meeting, the teachers shared photographs of this process with the rest of the class. The children began to make suggestions about opportunities to play with the items, the cash register and the money that had been made. The idea of a shop began to grow.

More children joined in creating items that could be sold at the shop.

The children set up the shop, including all the items they had made in a basket next to the cash register.

We wonder how the children may explore this new area in the classroom.

We wonder about the conversations they will have in relation to the concept of purpose and function, resources, needs and wants.

We wonder how the children may use this opportunity to model spending money and trading in role play experiences.

Organising the Shed

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We observed the children at the end of outdoor recess as we noticed that they were having some challenges with putting the toys away in the designated spaces. We were particularly interested in learning more about the storage system in the ‘shed’, a storage space where all the water toys, cooking utensils and trucks are housed.

We decided to start by revisiting past documentation on ‘The Shed Project’, to learn more about the space. The previous K2 class had organised the space, ordered pegboards and hooks for the toys, and posted signs to help the children know where to store the toys.

A group of children went into the Shed to think about their next steps.

  • Liz “It is dirty and messy”
  • Lydia “We can clean it up!”

The team worked together to clean up the shed. They gathered all the rakes and spades and hung them up on the pegboards. They sorted the water and sand toys, and placed the bamboo waterplay toys, in separate tubs.

We noticed that the signs and labels were wet, and the messages were smudged.

When we returned to the classroom, the team created new labels for the shovels and rakes.  

We compared a label that was in the shed with a new one.

Teacher “What do you think happened to the label?”

  • Oliver “Melting. The colour has almost go off from the water. Someone came with a bucket of water and put it and it melted the colours.”
  • Howie “It will come off.”

The children decided that a piece of plastic would protect the paper. We looked around the classroom for the type of plastic we could use and discussed each option.

The plastic like the drawer…

Oliver “That is too hard and too heavy.”

The plastic that is used to cover the food container…

  • Oxford and Howie “It breaks easily.”

The plastic pouch…

  • Eli “It is too small”

The plastic folder…

 “It’s too big.”

The different ideas presented by the children moved us to offer a suggestion, a plastic film that is used on the overhead projector screen. The children quickly made the connection.

  • Oliver “Ms. Eileen has a transformer to turn this card save, then no water can melt the colour and smudge it.”

The team went with Ms. Eileen to prepare the cards for the machine.

  • Morning “Put the paper in.”
  • Wyatt “Put the paper in the plastic.”
  • Liz “Then no water in the paper.”
  • Liz “Plastic in the machine.”
  • Morning “It is going on the side and the paper will not fall out of the plastic.”

  • Liz “It is so hot.”
  • Eli “It has power. If you don’t have the power it can’t move out and in.”
  • Oliver “And it can not stick the plastic together. Because it’ hot it sticks.”
  • Oxford “Because this has a yellow sign says no touching.”
  • Eunbyul “It says ‘NO Finger In’.”
  • Howie “If you put your finger it will get hot and stick together.”
  • Liz “Cutting paper because no cutting paper, these is so big. Plastic in and cut into two.”

After presenting their process to the rest of the class, the team went to the shed to put the new signs on the wall.

  • Morning “Put the paper on the wall people will know the yellow one does not go to the red one.”
  • Oliver “The blu tack behind the picture will get smudged.”

Next, the team will visit the rest of the classes in the Early Years to share their video with the children, to tell them about the new labels. They hope this will help the children think more about the way we store and care for the toys in the Shed.

This project was connected to the unit of inquiry ‘How We Organise Ourselves’ as it encouraged the children to look at community spaces around them and to consider how they might take responsibility for the care and maintenance of these spaces.

Revisiting a Project: The Bike Park Signs

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Revisiting a Project

We looked at the bikes outside our playground.

  • Liz “It’s messy people will get fall down.”
  • Morning “If we run around and we didn’t know the bike is on the way we will trip over the bike.”
  • Wyatt “If you put them like this people won’t see them clearly, we won’t know if we lost one.”

Ms. Eileen “Is there another way to park the bikes?”

The children started to organise the bikes. We noticed a picture on the wall showing how the children parked the bikes the previous year.

Ms Eileen “Did they park the bikes the same way? Why did they park like this?”

  • Lydia “The bike is opposite from ours, it is easier for children to ride it away.”
  • Liz “If we put them properly when the fire comes, we can go through the door quickly and we are safe.”
  • Wyatt “If we park the bike in a wrong place when the fire comes the bike will burn.”

We went back to reorganise the bikes.

Ms Eileen “Do you think this is the best way to park the bikes?”

  • Morning “We can ride the bike out easily.”
  • Jeongyoon “Everyone played with the bike we can tell them.”
  • Lydia “We need to tell everyone.”

We looked at the parking signs the K2 made together last year.

The children decided to put the signs up to let the other children in the Early Years know how to park the bikes.

The group presented their learning to the rest of the class.

  • Jeongyoon “Outside.”
  • Liz “Bikes clean up.”
  • Lydia “Cars. Me see the bikes are in a mess. (in Mandarin) If a fire comes then we can’t get to the escape door.”
  • Morning agreed with Liz’s statement adding “Clean the bikes.”
  • Wyatt “When people park the bikes in front of each other then its easy for the children to bump into the bikes. (in Mandarin)”
  • Morning explained that the team had an important task so they needed to “park the bikes together”
  • Eli “Park the bikes nicely on the road and the other side. People will step on the wheel and fall down.”
  • Oliver “If you don’t park the bikes nicely, someone will be running where you park the bikes then someone will hurt yourself.”
  • Oxford “I will tidy up and put them back.”
  • Howie “Put them nicely because when someone comes, the people can quickly run outside.”
  • Motong “Clean up the car because the car cannot come in.”
  • Eunbyul “Everybody bikes play and everybody children play and finish then tidy up. Bikes and children and me friend together tidy up.”

The class thanked the team for their work and presentation. Next, the team will need to think about sharing this important message with the rest of the Early Years Community.

The Rainbow Nest: A Plan for Play

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We have observed some of the children exploring the new nest in the Early Years playground. We have noticed small groups of children gathering in or around the nest to play games and make snacks with ‘mud’.

At our Morning Meeting, we asked the children about the nest and the ideas they had for play in the new space. A few of the children did not know about the old nest and how it transformed into the ‘Rainbow Nest’.

The children explained that the old nest was:

  • Children “Broken.”
  • Howie “The birds get the stick.”
  • Liz “The cat.”
  • Eunbyul “The sticks around the nest.”
  • Oxford “It’s the water (rain).”
  • Oliver “Its because it has been burned and the fire truck helped to make the fire away.”

Teachers: “But what ideas do you have for the new nest? How might we use this new space?”

We went outside to look at the nest, to sit in and around the space to visualise possibilities.

The children began to record their ideas in their notebooks.

We noticed that some of the children drew the nest, taking care to show the details in the woodwork and seating area.

Howie “Drawing the nest. I am sitting on the wooden planks.”

Others recorded the possible activities in the space.

When the children returned to class, they presented their individual ideas to the other children. We documented these possibilities on chart paper to help us look for the best and most frequent suggestions.

 

While presenting, the children speaking to the group practised using their voice (oral language) to share their perspectives while the audience worked on being active listeners. 

Lydia “Me is talking about the drawing to everybody.”

The children identified five ways we can use the new nest.

We could use the space:

  • As a reading area.
  • To make cookies.
  • To play and build with sand.
  • To play games.
  • To eat snacks and lunch.

Oliver and Howie suggested making the Rainbow Nest ‘more beautiful’ by adding plants around the nest, on the ground and on the wooden structure.

Oliver “I want to add some decorations on the nest to look more beautiful.”

The children discussed the idea of using the space to have a morning snack. They began to suggest different ways to keep the space clean. As the nest is a community space in the Early Years, we wonder how they might work with the rest of the community to develop these ideas further.

Launch – The Early Years Gathering

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It was time for us to gather at the Piazza, a gathering spot in the Early Years Centre where we come together to sing dance, listen and connect with others. This morning we began with the song and ended with a dramatic story. The teachers took videos and photographs of the Early Years gathering, to help the children reflect on the morning’s activities.

Next, the children were invited to draw what they saw, heard and felt while they were together as a community. We listened to the children’s ideas and wonderings. Some guiding questions encouraged the children to think about the purpose and ways we come together. We paid attention to common themes and ideas that the children presented through their drawings and discussions. When the children watched the video, they told the story of connection, fun and laughter.

We noticed that the children were beginning to talk about agreements and behaviours that would make the EY gathering a positive experience for everyone.

Some suggestions were:

  • Choose a good sitting spot for listening (respectful listening).
  • Sit in a circle, at the edge of the last circle (including everyone).
  • Talk and sing together (enjoyment, connection).
  • Listen to instructions so that everyone knows what to do (listening for information).
  • Use a speaking voice when we speak and a singing voice when singing.

We wonder…

  • In what ways do we come together with others?
  • How did we feel in different situations where people get together?
  • What makes something a good experience?

This led to a conversation about the different situations that bring us together.

The children explained that we come together to…

  • sing
  • dance
  • read
  • play games
  • talk

We documented our ideas on chart paper to help us think about the ‘purpose‘ and ‘ways‘ we come together. We decided to use photographs to document our thinking. 

Developing Agreements for Indoor Play

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It was wet and muddy outdoors during playtime. The children were invited to play in the campfires. They moved around the space and explored the different spaces, inquiring with materials and discovering new friendships. Towards the end of playtime, the teachers let the children know that it is time to tidy up. A gong informs the children that it is time to transition.

The children heard the gong.

Oliver “It was tidy up. Everything was messy. Everybody played and they didn’t tidy up.”

Lydia “Here not good.”

Eunbyul “No beautiful. Everybody no tidy up.”

Eli “Every children play and didn’t tidy up and then the teachers said to tidy up. It is too messy.”

Eunbyul “Everybody make a circle. Tidy up.”

Eli “We talked about cleaning up the toys. And the classroom was too messy.”

Oliver “All the children come to somewhere near PreK-K1. Ms. Pat said can you tidy up in 10 minutes?”

The children worked together to clean up the EY spaces.

Oliver “We tidy up.”

Lydia “Everybody tidy up.”

This experience presented the children with an opportunity to explore the relationship between spaces, materials and people, and our role and responsibility in maintaining play spaces.

The Rainbow Nest

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What experiences might we have in our new space?

What are some exciting things that might happen?

The children began to share their ideas about the different types of play, and the materials they may use in the new nest.

  • Eli suggested that we put some bird seeds on the table at the center of the table to invite the birds in the EY playground to visit the space.
  • Morning suggested that we include some bird homes.
  • Oliver was excited about the possibility of birds visiting the space and imagined the birds would then bring sticks to make their nests. Would there be any eggs?
  • Liz thought hard about the new space and wondered if we could grow some grass around the nest.
  • Oliver built upon her idea, suggesting that we ask Ms. Hannah for some seeds and grow some beautiful flowers around the edge of the nest.
  • Lydia She suggested adding some flowers on the table too.
  • Jeongyoon decided that playing hide and seek in the space would be fun.
  • Motong and Wyatt asked if we could add materials in the space so we could draw and paint in the nest.
  • Oxford, Wyatt and Oliver thought it would be a great space to have a picnic snack.

Developing agreements for the space.

Next, we discussed the idea of food in the space.

  • What would we need to remember if we brought food into the nest?
  • How might we keep this space clean?

After some thought, the children discussed the need for agreements. They didn’t want food on the floor as the nest would get messy and people would not want to sit in a dirty space.

  • Oliver suggested that we only draw on paper and not on the benches. This will help us look after the nest. Oliver “We need a door window and a roof so no cat can come over.”

The children went outdoors with Ms. Eileen and Ms. Jo.

Ms. Jo “How many people do you think can fit in the nest?”

in the nest at one time. The children used their mathematical knowledge to estimate.

They wondered how many children might be able to play

  • Oliver “I think 2, because I counted.”
  • Eli “I think 22. I think this is a big, big space.”
  • Oxford “14 children.”
  • Lydia “6 children. They can sit around (in Mandarin).”
  • Jeongyoon “22”
  • Morning “10 children. Or 6 or 7.”

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to observe the space to document the play and learning experiences that take place in the Rainbow Nest.

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
  • listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas and listen to information
  • participate in conversations

The NEW NEST!

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The Early Years community were excited to be back at school. The children ran outdoors to explore the garden, to see what was new and what has remained the same. They noticed a piece of equipment covered with a large black cloth, with a red ribbon at the side. What was under the fabric?

The children were excited. They ran around the structure, sharing their ideas and guessing what might have happened to the piece of equipment that was in this area of the garden.

  • Oliver G “I see inside there is some wood, and some of it is green, orange and yellow. Different colours of water! Blue water!
  • Emma “A new nest!”
  • Oliver G “I see rainbow water!”
  • Matt peeks under the black cloth “Here, see one more!”
  • Motong “Is it a rabbit?” (In Mandarin)
  • Oliver G “Inside I think there is 2 hamsters for K1 and K2. The hamsters are cute!”
  • Eli “A rainbow nest! Because inside it looks like a table. I jumped up and I looked inside.”

We gathered closer to listen to what Ms. Jacqui was saying.

Ms. Jacqui “Last semester, the Early Years students said they would like a nest. They worked on a design and they said we want to sit inside. They wanted rainbow colours. I wonder what the nest looks like now?”

We were ready to unveil the playground equipment.

The children walked in. They gathered around the table and stood on the circular bench, laughing and talking to each other about the new design.

They were excited to see how the suggestions they had made had become a reality. As they walked inside the new nest, they noticed that there was water on the floor.

Oskar G recalled his design and suggestions and quickly reflected on the changes that had taken place and the ones that didn’t.

Oskar G “I don’t see Rosemary.”

The teachers acknowledged his observations, making a quick note of the importance of ‘voice’ and ‘process’ in learning.

Oliver G “There is water on the bench we also need some windows we can also use lots of umbrellas.”

We look forward to observing how this redesigned space meets the needs of our young learners and how it evolves over time. We wonder what stories the children tell around this space, and how it contributes towards their learning experiences in the Early Years.

Welcome to K2A @NIS!

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We are ready for yet another learning adventure with our NIS community. We wonder🤔 how our #curiosity, #courage and #passion will ignite our learning experiences this year.

We began by exploring the K2 and Early Years space, listening, learning and thinking about the different experiences we might have this year.

The children quickly settled in, connecting with old friends and building new relationships.

Throughout the day, we explored different routines in K2 that help us get ready for the day’s learning.

The children labelled their baskets, cubby, portfolio boxes and other resources to help them manage their belongings. Building independence helps children make informed choices and set them up for success.

In the morning, we sat together to eat our community breakfast. This is an important time for us to build community and good habits. Eating healthy snacks and making good choices with food helps children become more aware of the connection between our mind and body.  Being responsible for classroom jobs and following classroom agreements helps us work and play in a positive, supportive learning environment.

During the day, Ms. Sue (Primary School Counsellor) and Ms. Dora (Mandarin Teacher) came in to greet and work alongside the children. The children listened to stories, played games and explored language and feelings through a range of activities.

The children play a central role in their learning and know their voices and opinions matter. We believe that our young learners are capable and naturally curious, able to pose and solve their own problems.

We believe that relationships (with people, materials and spaces) are at the heart of our programme. We believe the community plays a pivotal role in the development of our children. As we continue our learning journey together, we invite you to be part of our learning experience.

The Bike Park Signs

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Over the last few weeks, a team of young designers worked together with Ms. Eileen and Ms. Jo, to create signs for the bike park. After conducting their research, they decided to create the signs using wood, as this was a material that could be used outdoors in all types of weather. After considering many options for the message, the team decided to use the wood-burning tool to burn the message onto the wood instead of using paint, markers or other writing tools. 

They began by planning their message out using pictures and words, to inform the early years community how to park the bikes safely in the bike park area. Their pictures served to remind the children where to park and in which direction the bikes needed to be stored at the end of playtime.

The team considered the type of wood and the size of the sign. Then, they used sandpaper to make sure the edges of the wood were smooth. 

They learned how to use the wood-burning tool to burn the messages on the pieces of wood. They had to think about staying safe and focused throughout the task.

Finally, their signs were ready to be mounted in the bike park area. They talked to each other about the best place to put up the signs and what materials they would use to attach the signs in the different spaces. Noah decided that his sign should be placed standing upright in the bike park. Mason, Sean and Eunice decided that their signs should be attached to the wooden fence dividing the play area. The team were proud of their hard work, and were excited to see that the Early Years community were now well informed about safe parking in the playground.

K2 students are aware of the impact they can have on the community. They understand how they can actively engage in various stages of learning: including thinking about, planning, modifying and creating for a purpose. Through active discussion and questioning, they were able to direct their own learning. The ‘Bike Park’ project helped them make connections to the real world. Through a range of experiences, they could consider perspectives, possibilities and outcomes that would benefit the community. They considered their own responsibility in shared spaces, and were able to use their voice and actions to bring a sense of purpose and belonging to these community spaces.

The New Nest Design

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Following on from our last meeting about the nest where we gave Ms. Jacqui suggestions for the design, Mr. Arek and his team presented a first draft design of the nest to the children in the Early Years. We gathered to discuss the design and give Mr. Arek some feedback and suggestions for consideration.

What we like…

  • Doho “We can see the flowers. The colours are good and have flowers and the nest has a chair. And grass because the flowers can grow up.”
  • Tracey “The nest is beautiful because it’s clean.”
  • Kenan “The nest is good. We can have a picnic.”
  • Joon “The nest is like a rainbow.”
  • Sanghyeok “Have a desk and the flowers, this is good.”
  • Sean “The flowers are good and we can sit down and eat the snack because there are chairs. And we can draw.”

Everyone likes the flowers on the table.

Everyone likes the flowers around the bench.

Everyone likes to have the table.

Suggestions

  • Mason “I think we need to make the nest bigger. And we can have a picnic in it and have some water to drink in it.
  • Allen “I like the inside because the floor is flat. We don’t like the wood chips because its bumpy and it makes us fall down.

Wonderings

  • Eunice “Can we have a bird house?”
  • Sanghyeok “Can we have small animals in there, like birds and butterflies?
  • Mason Can we have a bed in the nest then somebody can sleep in it? Can we make a bigger nest?” Can we have a door? Can we put grass on the floor?
  • Allen Can we put the picnic mat? Can we make it bigger?”
  • Noah “How does the bench part stand up when there are no legs?”
  • Tracey “Why is it a rainbow inside?”
  • Sanghyeok “Why are there flowers on the table?”
  • Eunice “Can we have cushions on the bench?”

A Gift to the Early Years

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Amazing Grace Nature School and Mr. Tommy gifted the NIS Early Years some new plants. The children in PreK-K1B worked together with the facilities team at NIS to uproot some of the grass and then plant the new trees.

The children in the Early Years were excited to see 10 tea trees, 3 mulberry trees and 2 new peach trees!

As we discussed the developments in the EY garden, the children suggested ways of showing our appreciation to the facilities team and Mr. Tommy’s team.

They thought about giving them gifts, seeds and plants and even writing them emails. Finally, they decided that drawings on a card would be the best option as they would be doing it all by themselves.

We wonder when we can prune the tea tress to make our own tea.

We wonder how long we will have to wait to eat the peaches and mulberry from our new trees!

The Shed Project – Installing the Hooks

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Over the past few months, we have been planning and organising the Shed.

After a planning meeting with Ms. Jacqui, the project team decided to order hooks for the pinboards in the shed. After their data collection, they placed an order for the hooks.

The hooks for the shed arrived through the post. The team worked to attach them to the pinboards.

Another team went to the shed to count the number of hooks and signs we need. They recorded their information on the iPad.

Then, created labels with images and numbers to let the children know how to sort and store the different items in the shed.

While planning and organising ‘The Shed’, the children took responsibility and ownership of their learning spaces and materials.

They worked in teams, sharing ideas, listening to different perspectives and working together for a purpose. They used their thinking skills to explore possibilities, to reimagine spaces and solve problems in creative ways.

The children used their knowledge of number and data handling when collecting and sorting information. Discussing and presenting ideas, documenting their learning and using what they know about signs and labels to inform others, developed their literacy skills.

The Insect Museum

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Field Trip PLAN

We are planning a field trip to the Insect Museum. We gathered to discuss important information to help us plan a safe learning expedition. Some questions on a planning template helped the children draw, write and discuss their ideas.

What will we need to take on the trip?

The children decided that they will need:

  • a water bottle
  • a snack in a box
  • a cap
  • home lunch (if this is their choice for the day)
  • in a small backpack!

The teachers will take clip boards and writing tools for drawing and writing.

It would be a good idea to put on some insect repellent spray before arriving at school!  

 

What would we do at the Museum?

 

Many of the children were curious about the creatures that live in the Insect Museum.

 

They hoped that they could touch, feed and look at the insects and reptiles. They also wanted to make animal homes and eat a picnic lunch together.

 

What would we like to learn?

  • How does the chameleon catch its food?
  • Why does the chameleon change its colour?
  • Why are snakes poisonous? We want to learn more about them!
  • Can we borrow the insects?
  • Why can’t we let the insects out?
  • How many legs do insects have?
  • How long can snakes grow? (length)
  • Why can’t we touch snakes on their heads?
  • How do snakes catch their food?
  • How do alligators move in the water?
  • Why does the beetle have 8 legs?
  • Why are snakes scary?
  • Why does the beetle go on the tree?
  • Why do bugs have 6 legs?

We are excited to learn more about insects and reptiles!

How might we be safe?

The children suggested the following actions that will help us stay safe:

  • Wear the seatbelt on the bus
  • Follow the teacher’s instructions
  • Be gentle with the insects and reptiles.
  • Stay together.
  • If you are scared, don’t touch the animals.

What would kind behaviours look like?

  • Help, if someone falls down.
  • Sit on the seats and talk quietly on the bus.
  • Be careful when looking for sticks.
  • Take a first aid kit in case we need medicines.
  • help each other be in the green zone, stay calm.
  • Be gentle and quiet around the animals.

Our Brainstorm!

We wonder what we might see, learn about on our field trip…

We wonder what action we might take as a result of our learning…

Watch this space! 

Proposals to Ms. Jacqui

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Different teams have been working together to make changes to the Early Years Playground. They have been conducting their research to look for ways to organise the play areas to make them safe and functional.

The ‘Shed Project’ team had received samples of the hooks for the pegboards.

They checked the height of the pegboards and tested the hooks to see which ones were most suitable.

Doho, Sean, Kenan and Eunice were ready to share what they leaned. They presented their ideas to the class and Ms. Jacqui.

Kenan liked all the hooks but decided that the circular ones were the least useful as they were too big and the tools fell through them.

Doho, Sean and Eunice also preferred the long straight hooks as you could hang more tools on them.

Ms. Jacqui was very happy to see the curved edges on the hooks as they were safer for the children.

We noticed that the children used a range of mathematical vocabulary; bigger, longer, shorter, to express their ideas about measurement.

The class gave them some feedback on the different ways the toys could be hung up.

Ms. Jacqui “How many tools do we have and how many hooks will we need? We don’t want to buy too many, we just want to get what we need.”

  • Tracey “We can count them!”

Tracey explained that the pegboards could not be mounted higher as the younger children have to be able to reach the tools.

Next, the team will work together to decide how many hooks we need to order for the shed. Then, they will need to put in a purchase order to buy the hooks. Ms. Jacqui suggested that they ask Mr. Jamie, the Grade 4 teacher to help them attach the hooks as he has a drill.

 

Next, we presented the proposal for the ‘Bike Park’. The children explained the reason for the yellow lines on the floor. We asked Ms. Jacqui if we can paint the floor. Ms. Jacqui agreed that the emergency exits, and walkway should always be clear.

Ms. Jacqui thought about the idea of painting the ground. She wondered if there were other ways to let people know that it was a ‘NO PARKING’ area.

  • Kenan “We can put a ‘NO Parking’ sign!”.
  • Mason “Put and red X on the floor!”

These were all great suggestions.

Next, the children explained the arrows in the parking area. They worked hard to convince Ms. Jacqui that their proposals will help the riders park and ride the bikes safely and quickly.

Ms. Jacqui “Instead of just painting it right away, what else can we try first?”

  • Tracey “We can put a sticker!, We can test it first!”

The children had many different ideas to communicate the message. We will begin to ‘test’ some of the suggestions to see how they work before asking for the floor to be painted.

We noticed how the children shared their thinking, providing examples to convince others of their ideas. We noticed the children listening to each other, building on each other’s ideas to find ways to solve problems and look for the best solutions. We look forward to our next steps in making the Early Years Playground more exciting, organised and safe.  

The Shed Project – Organising the Space

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Sean, Kenan, Eunice and Doho have been leading in the ‘Shed Project’. They sat down to decide their next steps.

  • Teacher “The maintenance staff have fixed the pinboards. What do we need to do next?”
  • Kenan “We need to put a thing like a peg on the pinboard.”
  • Sean “What is a hook?”

We looked at some different types of pegboard hooks.

  • Kenan “We need to put the hooks because there are too many things.”
  • Sean “So dirty. Floor is sand. Some people play with sand and throw the sand.”
  • Eunice explained that the sand needs to be “outside in the sandbox.”
  • Doho “Some children put the sand inside. And some children mess it together.”
  • Eunice “Making the things dirty.”
  • Kenan “We need to put the sand back in the boxes. The sand needs to be in the EY Playground.”
  • Doho “Don’t put the sand inside the shed. Play in the sandbox. We need to clean the floor and put the sand back into the box.”
  • Kenan “We need to put the shovels on the pegboards.”
  • Sean “Pans and play cooking things, hang them up on the pegboards.”
  • Doho “NO putting things on the floor!”
  • Kenan “We need to put a sign.”
  • Eunice “Some person is making messy cooking. Don’t make a mess. Go to the sandpit and play.”
  • Doho “Some children making cooking and throw the sand inside.”
  • Sean “Put the trucks on the racks.”

The team drew pictures to share their thinking.

The team presented their ideas to the class and asked for other suggestions to make the space better.

Kenan “We need to put the spades on the pegboard.”

Questions and Answers:

Patrick “Why are the shovels on the pinboard.”

Kenan “Because there are so many shovels. We can use the pinboards.

Patrick “But I did not see the shovels on the floor. Can we put 2 shovels in one hole.”

We might think about the different ways we can organise the shovels.

Sean “Put the trucks on the racks.”

Questions and Answers:

Tracey “Why do not have new toys? Why are there racks on two sides?”

Sean “There are many cars.”

We might need to think about purchasing some new toys.

Eunice “We need to put the sand toys on the rack.”

Questions and Answers:

Tracey “Why is the sand on the floor?”

Eunice “She gets it and puts it on the floor.”

Tracey “Why did she throw the sand out and put it on the floor and the clothes?”

Eunice “She did not throw, she is playing.”

Doho “We need to cleanup inside the shed.”

Doho explained his drawing and answered questions about the shed, the sand on the floor and the shelves on the side wall that will be used to store more toys.

The team will consider the ideas suggested by the class. They would like to propose their suggestions for improvement to Ms. Jacqui to plan their next steps. 

The Bike Park Plan

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The teachers set up a time lapse video after playtime to provoke the children’s thinking. We watched the video during our class meeting and discussed what we noticed.

We reflected on what Noah had said about blocking the emergency entrance. We also noticed how Kenan and Noah parked the bikes, making sure they are parked in reverse.

Noah used the iPad to show the class how we could keep the walkways in the playground clear of tricycles.

He thought about what he had learned through his research about the school parking lots, and then used the iPad to show how the lines could be marked on the floor. The yellow lines would be a ‘NO PARKING’ area. The class gave him feedback as he made the plan.

 

 

 

 

The messages and signs team are ready to begin their work on the signs to help the EY community know how to park the bikes.

Another team will present their ideas to the facilities department and relevant personnel in school, to help them make the changes they need. They will need to convince the facilities team that their suggestions will ensure we have a safe and organised playground.

Tricycle Agreements

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The children have been discussing the ‘Bike Park’ and making plans to change the space, to make it more organized and safe. Hearing the children’s ideas on what we ‘should NOT’ do with the bikes, we decided to invite them to think about what we ‘CAN do’ instead.

The children put their ideas on paper, using drawings, words, sentences and discussion to express their thinking.

Then, we put all the ideas down on one chart paper.

In the next few days, the children will present these ideas to the rest of the Early Years classes and decide if changes need to be made to these agreements. Through this experience, we noticed how the children:

  • documented and shared ideas using drawing, emergent writing and annotating images
  • listened actively and respectfully to others’ ideas
  • participated in conversations
  • shared responsibility for decision-making

The Bike Project – Research Groups

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Our Bike project continues, with children leading research projects to help them make the best decisions for their outdoor space.

 

Name for the Parking Spot: Conducting a Survey

from our brainstorm on the different A group of mathematicians interviewed the Early Years community to find out their preference for the name of the parking spot. The two choices were BIKE PARK or BIKE GARAGE.

The team used tally marks to record the data on the survey.  

Then they worked together to calculate the total for each choice.

Through their research they learned that more people preferred the name ‘BIKE PARK’!

 

NO PARKING area: Field Visit

The children wanted to find a way to create a ‘No Parking’ area near the emergency exit. We know the school has many NO PARKING areas and areas where you can park. Noah went on a field visit to learn more.

  • What do we notice in the parking spaces?
  • How is the space organised?

Noah created a video to share what he learned from his research. We wonder how we might use these ideas to help us organise the tricycle park.

  

Signs and Messages:

Another team of researchers brainstormed ideas for the signs. They began by looking for signs around the Early Years Centre.

  • What materials are signs made of?
  • How are colours, shapes and words used to share messages?
  • What messages and actions do they communicate to people?

They used the iPads to record their observations and brought photographs back to the team.

The researchers discussed their observations while Ms. Eileen documented key points on chart paper. 

The team decided that ‘plastic’ would not be an appropriate material to use as they didn’t know how to make plastic.

They didn’t want to buy plastic from the shop as it was their own project. They wanted to make the sign all by themselves.

 

‘Paper’ and ‘card’ were not the best materials for the signs as it breaks and tears easily.

Although card is stronger, it will get wet when it rains as the signs will be outdoors.

 

Yet another choice were ‘stickers’. They may last longer and are waterproof, but they might come off after a while.

The team decided that stickers were not a suitable choice either.

 

They noticed that the ‘wood’ was very strong and wouldn’t rip. If they used thicker wood, it would make the sign stronger.

The team decided that wood would be the perfect material for the signs.

They wondered if someone used stone to carve the wood, or fire to draw the sign. They decided that their next step would be to meet Ms. Jo and Mr. Danny to ask them more about the sign. Other ideas the team would consider:

  • How big does the sign need to be?
  • Where will the sign be placed?
  • How will it be fitted safely?

The team wondered how they might use what they have learned about traffic rules, signs and important messages in their own planning.

We look forward to our next steps as we begin to use what we have learned to organise the ‘BIKE PARK’.

The Bike Project: Fixing the Tricycles

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We held a class meeting to talk about our nest steps with the Bike Project.

Mr. Danny and Mr. B joined our meeting and took note of the problems the children shared about the older bikes in the playground.

  • The front wheels are wobbly.
  • Some bikes don’t have the pedals.
  • Some bikes don’t have the rubber sleeves on the handles.
  • The seats are moving around.
  • The back tyres are wobbly.
  • Some of the screws at the bottom of the trikes are not tight enough.

A team went back to the design room to bring the tools they needed. They were HEAVY!

Then, the expert mechanics got to work with their eager assistants, tightening nuts and bolts, fixing the wobbly seats and adjusting the wobbly wheels. 

The mechanics took the bike for a test run to see if there were any more problems that needed their attention. The ride was smooth!

Pinboards for the Shed

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(Organization, function, systems)

A few weeks ago, a group of children went into the shed to try and organise the space. They noticed that the spades, sand toys and kitchen items were left all over the shed. We decided to try and organise it.

We ordered some pinboards but they needed to be mounted on the walls.  

The children decided where the pinboards should be mounted.

Ms. Hannah sent the information to the maintenance staff department.

 

 

When the maintenance staff arrived, they opened the boxes. The pinboards were blue! We saw some screws in the box.

The maintenance staff thought about the children’s request. There were more pinboards than we had planned to have but the team shared some good suggestions. They began to mount the boards in the shed.

Now we have new pinboards to organize the tools and toys.

Our next step is ‘to discuss and agree on how we might organize the space so that people can use the different items safely’.

We continue to see the children taking ownership over their spaces, observing, discussing and creating functional spaces that meet their needs. The children know they have a voice, and that their ideas and creative thinking can lead to positive changes that support the community. Through these experiences they explore how community spaces can bring a sense of purpose and belonging.

Organising the Bikes

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Two photographs of the bikes in the Early Years playground were presented to the class.

What do you notice?

The children looked carefully at the bikes and shared their observations.

They noticed that:

  • The bikes are squished and people might bump into each other when they ride.
  • They might break the bikes when they try to get them out.
  • The bikes are parked all over, (messy) and it is hard to move the bikes out when needed.
  • Some of the accessories for the bikes are not put away safely.
  • People can bump into the exit doors because there is no space to ride them.
  • The bikes are blocking the fire exit and people might fall over the bikes when trying to get out in a hurry.

The children suggested that we:

  • Make big signs to tell people what to do.
    • ‘Park the bikes straight’
    • ‘NO bikes in the water and sand’
    • ‘NO Parking’ sign near the emergency exit.
  • Add lines to show the no parking area.
  • Make a list of all the things we need to fix on the bikes.
  • Conduct a survey to find the most suitable name for the park. The two choices are BIKE PARK and BIKE GARAGE.

Next Steps… 

Creating A 3-Dimensional Map

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We began to plan Bee-Bots map. The children revisited their initial ideas to help them make decisions. 

What do we need to consider when we make a map?

We began by thinking about the width of the road. How wide will the road need to be?

What will Bee-Bot need on the map?

How can we use directions to describe position and motion of an object?

We brainstormed ideas, considered different perspectives and began to think of ways to document our plans.

Then, a group of children began to create a map. First, they suggested ideas and made decisions about the location of different spaces and places on the map. They wanted an airport, cinema, garden, hospital, bridge and traffic lights. We noticed how the children listened to each other, considered ideas and collaborated with the goal ‘to make a map for Bee-Bot’.  

The team gathered the materials they needed for the project and used design and creative tools safely to create the map on a large piece of cardboard.

Two teams have completed making a city for Bee-Bot. Throughout the process they considered different perspectives, and challenged and justified ideas to make a city that Bee-Bot would like to live in. The children explored different materials and tools to construct the structures they needed, recycling and reimagining a new purpose for a range of plastic and paper products.

The teams were ready to test the Bee-Bot. They gathered to learn how to programme it. Ms. Jo has given the children some feedback and information that they will use to make a plan for their next step.

TASK: Estimate the distance of ONE Bee-Bot step.

They will need to explore direction, measurement, functions and purpose to plan an exciting and safe journey for the robot.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

  • listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas and listen to information
  • participate in conversations
  • negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers
  • share responsibility for decision-making
  • use strategies to problem-solve

Peels, Plants and a Barrel

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Function, Responsibility, Nature

Some of the K2 students noticed a large barrel in the EY playground. We decided to share 3 images with the children to spark their curiosity and help them explore connections. 

How might these three images be connected?

The children began to share what they noticed, tapping into their prior knowledge to share their viewpoints.

Many of the children wondered about the barrel. It looked strange. They decided that it must be for water. They thought that the barrel was connected to the plants because plants need water to grow.

  • Do banana peels grow into plants?
  • Are the peels good for the plants?
  • Why do we need a barrel of water near the garden plots?
  • Is the water for the toilets?

We wonder how we can find out about the barrel. Perhaps the community can help us with our research.

A group of volunteers interviewed the teachers and students to see what they could find out about the barrel.

-What is it?

-How is it used?

-Why is it in the playground?

The team came back to share what they had learned.

Tracey “We were spinning the barrel. We can’t put worms in it because the worms will get sick.”

Two children went outdoors to test the barrel to see if it does spin around.  

  • Noah “I asked Kyle What is this?”
  • Allen “Ms. Dora says this is eat food put on the bin. Apples and banana peels and watermelon. No eggs.”
  • Mason “We go to some teachers and children and we asked them ‘What is this?’. And they said you put some rubbish in it. We can’t put plastic and glass and meat and egg.”
  • Noah “We can put egg shells in it.”

The research group documented their ideas on chart paper.

They watched a short video on what to put into a compost bin to help them expand on their initial thinking. The team visited PreK-K1B and Keira presented the ideas her class had documented on chart paper.

two children presented what they learned about the items that can go into the compost bin.

We wondered what we might do next?

Some of the children suggested that we begin to collect the food we throw away and put it in the compost bin. A few other children wondered what will happen to the food if we left it out.

-Perhaps ants might come in to eat the food.

-It might get yucky.

Nicolas explained that when you put these types of foods into the bin, they get rotten. Then, the soil can be used to put into the plants and that will help all the fruits and vegetables grow!

We know that we can use our senses to observe and notice the changes that happen in nature. We know that we use these skills to help us make decisions. We look forward to seeing how these observations may lead to action.

Our work as composters begin…

The Bike Project

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An invitation to create and build.

A group of young mechanics went to the Design centre to look for experts who can help them assemble the new tricycles.

Mr. Danny and Mr. B volunteered to help them with their project. Their task was to assemble a bike that was safe and worked well.

The bike mechanics began by looking closely at all the different components that were needed to assemble the tricycles.

The expert mechanics Mr. B and Mr. Danny worked alongside the children, helping them find the correct parts, the appropriate tools and the nuts and bolts that held the structure together.

The tricycles did not include instructions on how to assemble them, therefore, the mechanics had to work together to solve problems along the way. We noticed that the young mechanics asked the adults questions in order to learn more about the process.

They were deeply engaged in their inquiry, collaborating, testing, and thinking as they learned and applied new skills.

Volunteers from the Early Years classes have assembled all four of the tricycles.

They were excited and proud to ride them in the Early Years playground during their breaks.

The process of assembling the tricycles helped the children explore the concepts; structures, materials, mechanics, tools, safety, purpose, design and collaboration.

Action!

Following the project, the children have begun to notice some maintenance issues with some of the bikes and trikes in the playground.

Attention was also brought to how the bikes are parked each afternoon (systems and organisation). We wonder what steps they would take to help keep the bikes organised and maintained. We wonder what action the children may take as a result of their experience (initiative).

The Bee-Bot Maps

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(Function, Systems)

A few weeks ago, the children saw some Bee-Bots in the Design room. They were curious about them and wanted to know how they worked. Tracey and Patrick went to meet Ms. Jo to borrow a Bee-Bot from the Primary Design Room.

Ms. Jo gave them specific instructions on how to use the Bee-Bot.

When they returned to class, they wrote down the instructions and presented them to the class.

Paths and Maps

In the Secondary Design Centre, the children noticed the paths on the floor. They wondered if the paths were for the Lego robot cars.

  • Tracey “I think this is for the Bee-Bot.”
  • Mason “ I think it is for the new bicycles because I see that line before. The bicycle can ride in there. If you don’t go on the lines you will bump.”
  • Eunice “Arrows because car is go to see arrow and go.”
  • Patrick “When you go on the arrow you can go on the right (correct) way.
  • Kenan “You will bump on the table and on the chair if you go the wrong way.”
  • Tracey “We will look at the side and we will touch the Bee-Bot arrow and the Bee-Bot will go.”

We noticed that the Bee-Bots needed directions to help it move.

The teachers knew that the Grade 1 students had also created maps. We went over to take a look at their maps to see what we could learn.

We noticed a picture on the wall.

  • Patrick “It can help us know where to go. I have it at home. It can tell us which directions to go.”

  • Noah “It’s a map!”
  • Kenan “It’s zoo.”
  • Tracey “The road is for the Bee-Bot but it’s too small for it.”
  • Patrick “Look, a city.”
  • Tracey “My idea is we make a big line and let the Bee-Bot go!”

We were inspired. We wondered how we can create our own maps. The children wanted to include roads, a garden with flowers for Bee-Bot to drink nectar and more! The K2 cartographers began to plan their own paths and maps.

They used directional words to explain movement on the maps. Then, we watch how a group of K1 children had created a city a few years ago. We brainstormed new ideas. What more do we need on a map to make travel a safe experience?

The teachers observed the children using arrows to show direction, symbols and signs to share important information, buildings and places to meet the needs of the robots, and labels to help the reader understand key information. 

Bee-Bot’s Maps

We look forward to observing how the children use their skills to complete their collaborative project.

Robots All Around!

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We have visited many different design spaces in the school. We noticed the interest the children showed in the different machines and robots in these spaces. We decided to read a book about robots.

What do we already know about robots?

What can robots do?

We began by drawing and writing what we already know about robots. Then, the children shared their ideas with a buddy. The children explained how robots:

  • help us stay safe
  • clean the house
  • help us have fun

We noticed that the children were exploring the concepts form, function, systems and jobs.

Next, we read the book ‘Robots All Around!’ together.

We discussed the main idea, made predictions as we read and shared text-to-world connections. We looked carefully at the pictures and discussed new vocabulary.

 

Then, the children drew what they have learned about robots.

  • We wonder what robots the children have at home.
  • We wonder what these robots help us do.
  • We wonder what more we can learn about robots.

The Nest – Feedback and Updates

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A few volunteers from the Nest Re-design Team went to speak to Ms. Jacqui. She was ready to share some information and feedback regarding the suggestions the young designers had proposed.

Ms. Jacqui began by reminding the designers what happened during their last meeting, when she received a proposal for the Early Years playground equipment, referred to as ‘The Nest’. The Design team took notes and drew pictures to help them remember the key points they needed to share when they return to class.

The designers remembered asking Ms. Jacqui about

  • the plants
  • if they can play games in the space
  • if they can have chairs outdoors
  • if they can add a door, a bed and grass

Ms Jacque “I went to see Mr. Arek and his job is to think about and plan the school, to make sure everything is working correctly and safely.”

Designer “And he is in charge of the money!”

Ms. Jacqui explained that we needed to order and pay for the materials we purchase. Mr. Arek has to think about that when he makes a plan.

Mr. Arek said the following might be possible:

  • we can have benches to sit on and a table for picnics
  • plant flowers

We have to keep the circular shape.

He might need to come and ask the designers a few more questions. It might take time. There is concrete under the nest. We will have to wait until the summer to make the changes in the nest.

The designers made a few new requests.

  • a door to enter the space
  • a toilet
  • a roof (when it is raining we can hide in it)
  • some homes for the bees and the butterflies

Ms. Jacqui considered the requests as the designers said that the bees are good for the garden. A home for the bees was discussed. She informed the designers that some people in our community are allergic to bee stings, and they can get quite sick. This means that having a beehive might not be very safe.

Designers “What about birds? Can we build a nest for them? We can put the nest for something to sleep in.”

Ms. Jacqui wondered about the nests for birds. Some birds like to build a nest and some like to live in homes that people make. We have to get permission to build big things, but we can put little things in the EY playground. 

We wondered what birds live in the EY garden and what makes a good birdhouse. Some research is required to help us make a plan.

Patrick and Mason presented the feedback to the rest of the class. The children have more questions and wonderings about the living things we share our space with.

The Bikes

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(Organisation, Collaboration, Function of Spaces)

Kenan saw bikes in boxes in the shed. The group of problem solvers wondered who can help them assemble the new bikes.

Mo asked his dad Mr. Danny if he could help. Mr. Danny agreed and asked Mr. B, the Design teacher to help too.

A group of children went over to the Design room to inspect the space.

Would it be a good space to assemble the bikes?

They met the two teachers and had a look around.

Mr. B had many different tools in the room.

Some were very big and heavy. Mr. B showed the young designers some of the tools that we might need to assemble the bikes. We noticed that the children used measurement vocabulary (big/small/heavy/lighter/long/shorter) to describe the different tools.

They decided that the Design room was a great space to assemble the bikes as it had so many tools and plenty of space to work in. Mr. B suggested that we bring one bike to the Design room to begin the process.

Patrick, Mason and Tracey borrowed a wagon from the Library and used it to transport the box with the bike parts to the Design room.

It was a challenge to steer the wagon, but the team worked together and also had some fun along the way!

The designers in the Early Years will take turn to help with the bike assembly.

We wonder what the new bikes look like.

Are they bigger than the ones we have in the EY playground?  

Are they one or two-seater bikes?

The Shed Project

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Capable learners know that their voices are heard, and that their ideas and choices can influence their learning projects and the learning environment. With this in mind, we went outside to inspect the playground.

  • Tracey “This is the shed. Inside the shed there are toys. We play and then we tidy up.”
  • Mason “We can get some things from it. We can play with the sand.”
  • Patrick “We can clean the shed and put the materials into the box. In the box there is a basket and sometimes we put the materials in the box.”
  • Allen “In the house, we can put the toys that are used for outdoor play. Inside, the toys are broken. Some toys are not really hard so we can’t break them. We need to use it carefully to get the sand.” (in Mandarin)
  • Eunice “Inside the shed there are things for cooking like mud and sand and spoons and bowls. Sand and water make the mud.”
  • Doho “The shed looks like a house.”
  • Kenan “The shed is not clean because some things have mud on it.”

A group of problem solvers went to the shed to inspect it.

Eunice “There are boxes inside.”

Sean “This is a box.”

 There were many boxes in the shed. What was in there?

We inspected the boxes to find out. 

Tracey “We can use the empty boxes to make things like K2B.” 

There were new pinboards in some of the boxes. We don’t know how to make them so we wondered who we could ask. We decided where we would like the pinboards. These boards will help us organise the tools and materials in the shed. 

Sean “Put the pinboard here.”

  • Kenan “There is a little car, we need to make it.”

  • Patrick “My dad always teaches me how to fix things. I can make it. Can we ask Ms. Jo?” 

Noah, Patrick, Tracey, Mason and Kenan want to help.

  • Tracey “I think it is a new table.”

We wonder if we can find an expert to help us fix the bikes and the shelf.

Mason and Patrick recalled some maintenance staff coming in to fix a broken sink in the Early Years.

  • Patrick “They wear the uniform. They can fix it. The uniform is blue and red. I saw them go under the sink and fixing.”
  • Mason “I saw it and I tell him it is broken. And he get a tools (a knife). He cut with it.”

When the children were playing outside Ms. Shemo told Mo about the new bikes in the shed.

  • Mo “My dad is a design teacher because he can fix things. I can ask him if he can fix the bikes.”
  • Ms. Shemo “Could your dad help the children fix the bikes in the shed?”
  • Mo “I will ask my dad when he comes to the gym. I will ask if he can help because he knows how to fix the things, that is why he is a design teacher.”

We are excited to see how the EY problem solvers sort out the shed.

The Nest – Presenting New Ideas

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The children at NIS know their voices are powerful and that it can impact their choices and opportunities for learning. Therefore, we have been designing, planning, creating and discussing ideas for ‘The Nest’. Our next step was to think about the different ways we can use ‘The Nest’. 

  • What can we do with the space?
  • How might we use the nest?

We began by discussing the ideas shared by PreK-K1B students.

Then, we used paper and fine-line markers to document our own ideas. The children began to discuss their thinking, drawing and adding labels to express ideas.

We collated the suggestions on a chat paper and noted the key points. They presented their ideas to the rest of the class. Some of them included:

  • Playing games
  • Having a picnic
  • Eating snacks
  • Resting
  • Drawing
  • Growing plants
  • Taking care of nature by building homes for birds and squirrels

The children in the other EY classes presented their own ideas to the group.

Their next step would be to present the ideas to Ms. Patrick and Mr. Arek. They will consider the suggestions and look for ways to incorporate the ideas presented by the children in the Early Years.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

  • organize information
  • draw conclusions and generalizations
  • use discussion and play to generate new ideas and investigations
  • present information in a variety of modalities
  • listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas and listen to information
  • express oneself using words and sentences
  • participate in conversations
  • negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers
  • use mark-marking to convey meaning
  • share responsibility for decision-making

The Nest Project

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Big Idea: Designs grow out of natural curiosity.​

We gathered as a group to talk about a piece of outdoor equipment. The children typically refer to this space as ‘The NEST’. The young designers were invited to share what they notice and think about the image.

The first step was to ‘Empathise‘, to learn more about the people who we are designing and creating for. In this instance, it was for the children in the Early Years. 

 

  • Allen “Ms. Bella like to look this house is broken. Ms. Bella look, said, not good.”
  • Kenan “It is broken and Ms. Bella is looking and she is so sad because it is broken. Boys and girls sit there and kick there.”
  • Eunice “This sticks are broken.”
  • Tae Woo “Ms. Bella is standing and looking fix the sticks.”
  • Chloe “Broken”
  • Tracey “The sticks are broken because the boys and girls are sitting on the sticks.”
  • Noah “I think it is a nest.”
  • Patrick “It is a big stick house.”

After the designers shared their observations, we began to ‘Think’, to find as many solutions as we could to solve the problem with ‘The Nest’.

The young designers went outdoors with their clipboards, paper and thin line markers, to look for innovative ways to solve problems and better utilise this great space.

Then, the young designers presented their ideas to the class as we documented these proposals on large chart paper.

Through our observations, we noticed that the children named and suggested many different design and construction materials and tools in their plans.

They made these suggestions by tapping into their prior knowledge about the properties of materials used for building structures.

Some designers visualised the space in unique ways, bringing in design ideas and elements that would offer comfort and purpose. Their sketches included pictures, words, symbols, and numbers. Essentially, they used what they know about writing to communicate ideas as they documented their thinking on paper.

When presenting their ideas to the class, the designers listened and engaged with interest. We noticed how they made connections with what they see, what they heard, and what they know, while looking for ways to understand and solve problems through authentic experiences.

The children suggested including a title on the chart paper, ‘K2A’s ideas to fix the NEST!’.

 

We are excited to dive into our next step, to create prototypes!

Design

Through this experience, the children had opportunities to:

    • identify needs and opportunities for designing, through exploration
    • generate ideas from their experiences and interests
    • add to others’ ideas
    • choose an idea to pursue

The Cave

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We often talk about the spaces in our classroom environment, and the different agreements we need to ensure the spaces and materials are used with respect and care.

‘The Cave’ is an elevated space within the classroom. It is one of the children’s favourite learning spaces within the classroom. It is often a space for roleplay and quiet reading. However, over the last few weeks, there has been some tension around the use of ‘the cave’.

We brought the children together to discuss the issues related to ‘the cave’.

  • Why has it been closed?
  • What are some of the problems we have had when using the cave?

The children had markers and paper to sketch their thoughts. Then, they shared their ideas with a buddy.

The buddies shared what was discussed. Notes and ideas were documented on chart paper [in black]. We made our thinking and observations visual.

Finally, we decided on how we can solve the problem by creating agreements [in red].

A vote was taken on how many children could be in ‘the cave’ at one time. A decision was made after the children were consulted.

During our discussion and documentation of ideas, problems and possible solutions, we noticed how the children:

  • gathered information by listening and interpreting ideas
  • listened actively and respectfully to others’ ideas
  • recorded observations using drawing and writing
  • expressed themselves using words and sentences
  • practised empathy and care for others
  • were respectful to others
  • were aware of their own and others’ impact as members of a learning group
  • shared responsibility for decision-making

The Sandpit

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We noticed the Support staff clearing out the sandpit. We were curious and decided to investigate. A few of the children who frequently play in the area, building dams and waterways, went out to speak to the staff to inquire about the work being done. 

Later, Patrick and Noah shared the photographs with the class and explained the situation to everyone.

  • Patrick “We want to make a river and we need water so we put the sand on the waterway. Then there were rocks in the river. They are cleaning the water way and put the rocks on the sand. There is big trouble because the waterway has sand.” 
  • Noah “Everyone put the sand in the drain because we wanted to make a big river. He (the workers) are cleaning the sand. We are watching how they take out the rocks.”

  • Noah “The workers are taking out the rocks. The water is stuck. Don’t put the sand in the pipes because the water cannot go. They were telling not to block the way.”
  • Patrick “Ms. Shemo said, this waterway is not clean.”

When it was outdoor playtime, Patrick ran out to the waterway and began to clear out the drain and waterway.

Noah quickly joined in to help. Olivia and Kenan joined in.

When the water started running down the waterway, they all cheered and squealed with joy!

When children have agency they reflect on their actions and take ‘action’. They understand that they have an active voice and stake in their classroom and community.

Playtime Invitations

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The children documented their play scenarios through their drawings, they presented them to the class.

  • Chloe “I like to jump.”
  • Doho “I like to play Sean.”
  • Mason “I play hide and seek with Matthew and Andy I play in a special place.”
  • Olivia “I play with Tracy, Noah.”
  • Noah “I like to play with Tracey, Olivia.”
  • Tracey “I like cat game with Olivia and Noah.”
  • Patrick “I like to play with sand. I can make river with water and shovels. First I dig a hold then I put water in the hole. I make another hold and they put together and the river makes.”

  • Sean “I like to jump on stones.”
  • Eunice “I like to Pikachu.”
  • Tae Woo “Play with friend.”
  • Kenan “I am riding my bike.”
  • Allen “Me outside play Olivia, Tracey, Noah.”
  • Euijin “I like to run and play on the hill by myself.” [in Korean]
  • Andy [

We used this information to create a visual of the different games and groups the children played in.

The children began to talk about the different games and play experiences they had outdoors. Some of the children asked if they could join other games. The students thought about the language they could use to invite others or to ask to join a group at play.

– “Could I play with you?”

– “Can I play with you?”

– “Do you want to play?”

Next, we read the story ‘Strictly NO Elephants’ by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. This is a story about a boy who has a pet elephant. When the local Pet Club won’t admit a boy’s tiny pet elephant, he finds a solution. The story focuses on The story focuses on friendship, inclusion and community.

We revisited the play scenarios chart to see how we might invite others to our play and games.

When the children went out to play, we noticed a change in the groups as they played and explored different parts of the playground. There were more children on bikes, less in the waterway and more playing imaginary games with new friends. We used a different colour (orange) to document what the children shared.

  • We wonder how this piece of documentation might change over the next few days.
  • We wonder what the children will learn from their play.
  • We wonder about the different ways they come together as a community.

We come together to play!

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We have noticed the children engaging in different types of play outdoors. Following on from our discussion on safe and kind playtime, we decided to ask the children more about their play. The children took their sketchbooks and pens outside to think and document the experiences they have during outdoor playtime.

The adults took note on the ideas the children shared through their drawings. We listened for recurring themes and different perspectives on well-being, interaction, participation and inclusion.

The children began to show and explain their drawings. We noticed how they showed ‘action’ and ‘engagement’ with peers.

Common interests such as hide and seek, imaginary games and construction with sand and water brought them together.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Social Skills

  • Practice empathy and care for others.
  • Be respectful to others.
  • Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns.
  • Help others.
  • Be self and socially aware.
  • Be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a learning group.

 

Writing How can I tell others about my drawings?

The children included writing to share information about their drawings.

Through this process they:

  • told, drew and wrote about the picture.
  • wrote letters for each of the sounds they could hear.
  • used the ‘Alphabet Chart’ to look for the letters and sounds they need.
  • used actions to identify the letters of the alphabet (letter shapes).
  • left spaces between words.​

Finally, they shared their drawing and writing with the class.

Playground Essential Agreements

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The children have become more comfortable with their outdoor spaces and are curious about the different options for play. We have noticed the children play hide and seek, race around on the tricycles, make dams and waterways with sand and water. They have been playing creative games, climbing, running, and taking care of the plants in the EY garden.

Today, the children approached the teachers with some playground concerns. They were wondering about the different games and agreements they had for play. After listening to the children’s views, we called a class meeting.

The teachers posted a picture of the children playing and it led to a group discussion about the way we wanted to feel in the playground. The children shared their perspectives, stories and offered suggestions. At the end of the discussion, we made a list of the most important ideas.

When we are playing outdoors, we:

  • can ‘play’ with the toys
  • can play hide and seek
  • use a gentle, careful touch
  • ride the tricycles on the road
  • keep the sand in the sandpit
  • are safe
  • are kind
  • put the toys away when we hear the gong sound once
  • line up when we hear the gong sound twice

We will continue to encourage the children to think of ways in which they can have fun and play safely in all the different community spaces we use.

What brings us together?

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We sat down to share our thoughts on ‘when and why’ people come together.

Morning Greeting, Morning MeetingEach morning, we come together to greet each other. We sit in a circle so that everyone can see the speaker. Our time together helps us connect with each other. When we greet our friends, we look at each other, use a calm voice and respectful language. Our names are special because it helps us identify each other. A person’s name can also have special meaning or story attached to it.

  • Kenan “Sit on the blue carpet because I need to make a circle and talk to friends.”
  • Patrick “We talk about ideas.”
  • Tracey “We are going to a circle to say ‘hello’. We said ‘hello’ with a butterfly. We wave hands.”[with action]
  • Noah “It’s Morning Meeting.”
  • Patrick “Every morning we say ‘hi’. We feel happy. When someone says ‘hello’ to you, you say and it will take you to a good place and you will be excited.” [points to his heart]
  • Olivia “Because say ‘hello’, and ‘good morning’, morning we go to school.”
  • Tae Woo “Ms. Eileen is greeting. Like a butterfly.”

Through this experience, we learn to value our diversity and appreciate our uniqueness. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to learn about our community and to find ways in which we might be connected.

 

The Fire Drill

This week, we had an announced fire drill. Before the drill, we talked about the different safety measures we take when the alarm goes off.

During the practice, we took a picture of K2A while they were sitting together silently.

The image was presented to the children. The children quickly explained “we know it means the fire is here. Not a real fire!”

 

Snack Time

  • Doho “Everybody is hungry.”
  • Sean “Eating snack.”
  • Kenan “Everybody is eating on the blue carpet.”
  • Patrick “We are on the blue carpet. We wash hands and then we take snack box and then we eat the snack. But now we eat in the book space.”
  • Olivia “Because eating fruits.”
  • Patrick “The trash is on the blue carpet so we need to tidy up and clean.”
  • Noah “We clean up. We fold the blankets. We put it where it belongs. Then we have Morning Meeting.”

 

Lunch

  • Chloe “Eating lunch. Wash our hands, its dirty. Wash hands in the toilet. Stand, line up. Lunch in the red box. Take it out. Eat the lunch. Drink the milk.”
  • Eunice “Finish and put it away. And line up. I put away.”
  • Kenan “First line up. Then go to lunch. Then, we can finish and then go back to class. Everybody cleans up because eating the food is everybody.”

 

Cleaning Up

  • Tracey “We are together playing.”
  • Mason “Clean up because too messy.”
  • Tae Woo “Cleaning.”
  • Olivia “We cleaned up because we played with block toys.”
  • Mason “If you don’t clean up the things will lost.”
  • Patrick “When you don’t tidy up other play it’s a mess and cannot use it to play. The people who play with the toys they go away. And now another people cannot tidy up it. We are happy then we can play again.”
  • Allen “Very tidy.” [in Mandarin]
  • Andy “Everyone is tidying up. After cleaning up it will be very tidy. And people will find the things they need easily.” [in Mandarin]
  • Sean “Tidy up blocks and animals. Animals in basket.”
  • Noah “If the toys are lost then we can’t find it. Then we lost them. We will feel sad because we lost one. We clean up so they don’t lost.”

We noticed that we come together:

  • to be with people
  • to talk to people
  • because it makes us feel good
  • to greet each other and share information
  • to be safe
  • to eat
  • to work and celebrate special occasions
  • to read and learn
  • to clean up after play

We wonder how we might create opportunities that bring us together.

Powerful Messages about Waste

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How might we communicate a powerful message?

How might powerful images communicate important information? 

The students were invited to create the own powerful messages. They used their notes from previous research to think about the important information they wanted to share with others. The students were encouraged to reflect on the issue of ‘waste‘, and think about the action they could take as a result of their learning.

The students went through the writing process to create a first draft. Then, they revised and edited their writing in order to publish their final piece of work. Next, a drawing that communicated a powerful message was created. Finally, we used a green screen to produce a video. The students continued to work on speaking confidently, expressing ideas and information in order to inform and engage an audience.

Waste – Data Collection

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Where does all the waste go?
The students had differing views on what happens to the waste we produce. We gathered to discuss and document these ideas on chart paper.

The Power of Images

Our inquiry into waste has been thought provoking and engaging. We watched 2 videos to help us tune into the ways we produce waste and the impact it has on the world around us. The first, was a video to mark ‘Earth Day’ and the second, a documentary on the journey of plastic bottles. While watching the video, the students took notes, using pictures, labels, sentences and words, to capture important ideas shared in the video.

Next, an image with icons was shared.

The students were asked to work in teams to guess what messages the icons conveyed. They worked with their partners to decide on the labels they would attach to the images. The students explained their ideas, making connections with what they have seen, think or already know.

The students have been writing questions to help them learn more about waste management. They have been conducting interviews, gathering data and taking notes to capture different perspectives and information shared by the community.

The students will continue to document their learning and present their findings on waste. Focused literacy sessions on word choice and grammar helped the students improve their pieces of writing.

We continue to discuss and explore the impact our actions have on the environment as we consider the action we can take as a result of our learning.

What waste do you produce?

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What waste do you produce?

We took a closer look at our morning snacks to think about the different types of waste we produce. The students took a photograph of their snacks before and after they ate. Then, they discussed what they had noticed.

  • Even the banana peel is waste.
  • The food that drops on the ground then goes to waste.

We paused to think about the different ideas shared. We decided to sort and collect our waste for the day.

We could see how the students were wondering about the journey of waste. They documented what they know about the journey of waste. 

What happens to the waste we produce?

Waste

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What is waste?

What waste do you produce?

The students noted down their initial responses to the two questions. All student responses were shared and a table was created to show the WHAT we waste.  

A student in a Grade 5 was conducting a survey on single use plastics. We gathered to discuss and answer the survey, making note of the different types of single use plastic we use and the waste we create as individuals and as a community. We made a list of the items we might use. 

Plastic:

  • straws
  • disposable food containers
  • cutlery
  • cups
  • bottles
  • garbage bags
  • shopping bags
  • packaging  

 

We made a list of the waste we produce or the things we waste.

Then, we included this information on a graph to help us orgainse our information. We learned that the two things we waste the most are food and time.

We were looking at describing how and why we produce waste. We included some language to help us explain the reasons why using language for cause beyond ‘because’ (since, as, so, therefore) and language that helps us show contrast (although and even though).

The class came up with some wonderful ideas to improve their writing on the topic.

What happens to the waste we produce?

The Researcher

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The students are deep into their research, finding out, sorting through, and making connections between the data they gather.

They have conducted surveys and interviews to gather information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, to learn more about the concept ‘connection’.

 

The students have been referring non-fiction texts, videos and talking to others about ‘transformation’ and ‘change’.

They document their learning on chat papers and books, drawing, note-talking, and writing about their discoveries.

Through their research, they continue to see how technology has ‘changed over time’ and the ‘impact’ of these changes on our own lives.

The students continue to piece together their information, understanding that we live in a world of interacting systems (‘networks‘ and ‘connections‘) in which the actions of any individual element affect others.

 

We continue to explore how our choices advance technological changes and the impact of these choices on our lifestyle and environment. Through our research, the students continue to explore how ‘Technology and development have the power to transform peoples’ lives’.

Key ideas we have developed as a result of our explorations are:

How we play games has changed as video games have become easier to use. You can carry the games anywhere you want. A long time ago we played a lot of games outdoors, like tag games. Now people play more games on devices. Now we can play games on other devices like, laptops, iPads, and phones. Video games can be learning games so they can help us with spellings, languages or math.

Negatives:

  • If you do not have WIFI then you can’t play the games on devices.
  • Your eyesight gets worse because we are looking at devices.
  • Playing games on devices does not help your body, you need to move.
  • You need to charge the games using electricity. If you don’t have electricity, then you cannot play it.
  • Devices take a long time to decompose, and this is bad for nature.  

 

The way we communicate has changed because we can call or text message with phones, iPads, app watches, computers. We can send messages quickly and easily. We can share ideas with people. We can take tests quickly on Seesaw, we can get feedback from our teachers and then correct our work quickly online. Sending letters or messages through email is faster.

Negatives:

  • First you need to find the people you want to talk to before you use apps to chat.
  • If you don’t know the people, then it can be unsafe or dangerous.
  • You need WIFI to make it work.
  • If you spend too much time on the devices, then your eyesight will get worse.

The way we serve and prepare food at restaurants has changed with the introduction of robots. Using the robots make it quicker and easier to prepare and serve the food. You can serve more people when you have robots. We can do many things at the same time because we use robots to help us work more efficiently.

Negatives:

  • If the robots break, then the people in the restaurant won’t be able to get the work done.
  • The robots are expensive so they might be hard to buy.
  • If you always use the robots, then people might be not be good at doing those jobs.
  • Sometimes the robots might not work because there is a problem with the battery or the WIFI.
  • It takes a lot of time to make and programme the robots.
  • When we don’t need the robot anymore then we throw it away and then it goes into nature, and it is hard to decompose because there are wires, metal and plastic that take a long time to decompose.
  • Robots need power to work, it takes electricity. Electricity is made with oils and that is not good for the earth and nature. It also causes air pollution, and this is bad for the animals and humans. We breathe the bad air and that is bad for our bodies.
  • The robot might explode and that can hurt the people and nature.

 

How we listen to music has changed as we can use electricity to make the music players work. We can use apps on the phones to listen to music.

Negatives:

  • if you always listen to loud music, it will affect your hearing.
  • Some musical instruments need electricity to work

The ways we organise and choose books have changed because of technology used with the library systems. It helps us search for books quickly. You can return the books quickly.

Negatives:

  • Less time to talk to people face to face because there are devices to help people.
  • It can be bad for nature because you use laptops, and these are hard to decompose.
  • It takes a lot of time to programme the system.
  • You need to use electricity to make the system work. If you do not have electricity, then you cannot look for books.
  • You need people to help you use the library system.

 

How we clean our homes have changed because we use robots to do the work. It is more efficient because you can do other things while the robot is cleaning your house.

Negatives:

  • Robots have sensors and if there is water then the robot might not work. It can catch on fire.
  • The cleaner can get stuck and not work when it gets entangled with fabric, carpets, or objects.

How we create electricity has changed over time. We make electricity by using water, wind and sun. A long time ago we used water and wind turbines to make electricity. We used trees to cut out a wheel shape. The wheels have some space, and the water gets into it. Then we can make electricity. The wheel is like a spinning wheel and then it connects to a motor and it turns. When it spins it gets more power, and the power become electricity. Now, we use solar power to make electricity. It is quicker and the solar panels are waterproof and you can use them a long time. You don’t have to pay for electricity. Wind turbines can be made under water and on land. Windmills can be used too. The wings on the windmills spin and make electricity. Just the same as solar panels, the windmills can make electricity quickly.

Negatives:

  • When we use wind turbines it only makes a little bit of electricity.
  • Animals live in trees so if we use too many trees to make these machines then it is not good for nature.
  • When we use too much electricity it is bad for nature as it takes a lot of power to make electricity. And in some building they make electricity and it makes a lot of smoke and that is bad for nature.
  • If you touch the plugs when you have wet hands, you can get hurt.
  • There can be explosions because we use electricity.

The way we fight fires has changed because fire trucks are stronger and faster. The fire alarms to tell people to get to safety. We use a phone to call the firefighters. We use a fire extinguisher to put out the fires. The chemicals are inside, and they come out as soaps, air, or liquids to put out the fires. We use robots to put out fire. The water sprinklers have sensors, and it will spray water if there is a fire.  

Negatives:

  • If the fire alarm is broken, then we won’t know there is a fire. If the batteries do not work the alarms will not work.
  • If there is a fire and the system or devices explode, then the fire can become worse.

 

Using computers has changed the way to search for information. We use apps on computers to get information and search like on Google. We use computers in the Library, to have online meetings, check the news and the weather. We also use computers to do work, connect it to the TV and watch movies even change the language. We can use computers to play games. A long time ago the computers were in big rooms and then they became smaller and smaller. People had to go inside the computer to make them work. They evolved so you can take them to different places. A long time ago we could only write on the computers.

Negatives:

  • When we work on the computers for too long, your eyes will get red and you might need to wear glasses.
  • Computers are made of many things and some of the things are in nature. They are bad for nature.
  • Computers take a long time to decompose.
  • If you are still learning how to use the computer you might break it.
  • If you are using a computer every day, and after about 5 years it gets old. You need a new one and it costs a lot of money.
  • When the computer CPU is weak then there is a blue background and there is a message that says that the computer has got stuck. Then you need a new computer.

Inquiry Projects

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We gathered to talk about the two images.

We had a discussion on the ways our lives are affected by technology.

Next, we discussed the following concepts.

Then, we began to plan our own research project.

The Steps

The students began to follow the steps in order to develop a Research Plan

We wonder what we will uncover through our inquiry.

Watch this space to learn more… 

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