Category: Voice & Choice

The Prototypes

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Over the last few weeks, the students have been creating their prototypes based on their design plans and related research. They have continued to add more details and descriptions to their initial plans, thinking deeply about the different materials that are available and how they might use them to create the ‘MOST CHALLENGING‘ part of their design. The task would need to meet the following criteria. 

Design Plans and Prototypes

The House with a Pool (Challenge: The waterfall)

The Hotel on the Water (Challenge: The Slide with 2 loops)

The Prototypes

The students have been moving between the design rooms and the classroom, testing and choosing from a range of materials to fit a purpose. The students persevered, working at their own pace, talking to others about the challenges and how they were learning through trial and error. 

Personal Reflections  

The students have been documenting their learning journey, reflecting on challenges and how they have found solutions through the design process. 

We consider reflection an import part of the learning process. Therefore, students were encouraged to document their own learning journey while reflecting on the following:

  • what has been done (process)
  • the materials (What materials did you use? Why?)
  • the challenges (difficult parts/jobs)
  • the solutions (What did you do? What made it work?)
  • the skills (research, thinking, self-management, social and communication skills)
  • what has been learned (What have you learned from/through the steps/tasks?)
  • feelings and emotions 

The students are working on putting together a Design Journal to share their individual learning story. These will be presented at their final presentation to the community. 

Conceptual Understandings: Students understand that:

  • a push or a pull affects how an object moves or changes shape (Physics).
  • different materials can be combined for a particular purpose (Chemistry).
  • science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events.
  • we solve problems during the creative process by thinking critically and imaginatively.
  • designs grow out of natural curiosity.
  • skills can be developed through play.
  • technologies are tools that extend human capabilities

Students were able to:

  • demonstrate control of tools, materials and processes.
  • identify, plan and make specific choices of materials, tools and processes.
  • to identify the stages of their own and others’ creative processes.
  • make predictions, experiment, and anticipate possible outcomes.

Prototype Research

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The students have been conducting their research, discussing their findings and making plans that will help them create prototypes of their structure designs. 

They continue to reflect on and document their own process of learning. 

The students have been reading books, watching videos about structures, forces, energy and materials to help them make decisions on their own plans. 

The students put their initial ideas on paper. They made plans, using words, diagrams and information that they would require in order to create their prototype. Their aim is to create a prototype; an early sample, model, or a product built to test a concept or process. 

Throughout this process the students will have opportunities to:

  • be actively engaged in various stages of learning, including: thinking about, planning, modifying and creating
  • be actively involved in discussion and questioning, and be more self-directed in their creating
  • apply their understanding of concepts through the construction of their projects
  • make connections to the real world by taking past experiences into their investigations/projects
  • face challenges, and will be given the freedom to independently overcome these or fail through trial and error or experimentation

The Community Garden Plot Project

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24 March 2021

We have been using manipulatives to explore measurement. We have been measuring the Perimeter and Area of different shapes. 

Mr. Danny, the Activities Director needed some help. He asked the students if they could create a map of the ‘Community Garden Plots‘.

We began by brainstorming what we already know about maps. We documented our thinking and ideas on chart paper. 

Next, we thought about the map of the ‘Community Garden’.

  • What should it include? 
  • What would we NEED to create the map?

The students wrote down their ideas. They shared their ideas with each other.  

A plan was beginning to unfold. 

Then, we went to the garden to take a closer look at the garden plots.

  • What else do we need to think about?
  • What steps do we need to take to complete the task?

The students continued to document their ideas on paper. They discussed their ideas with each other. 

What skills would we need to complete the task? The students shared their thinking. 

(Developing the Approaches to Learning​)

  • Kavel “You have to manage yourself. I think we should use thinking skills because we need to think how we need to measure the right proper way. We need to put the tool on the ‘0’ or it will be the wrong measurement.” 
  • Carlotta “You use thinking skills, to think about how you are going to measure things. You also need to use your social skills because you are already measuring one thing then you got to tell other people that they should not measure again.”
  • Chanwoong “We use communication skills because we all have different ideas so we have to communicate ourselves. We also need research skills because we have to ask questions about it and we have to gather and research the information on the garden.”
  • Reg: “You have to use your communication skills when you have already done a task you have tell others you have already done it. We also have to use Math skills because when we make the plot when we make the area around the garden plots, the perimeter, so we know the area of the plots. It will help us when we make the map. Like 1 meter of it can be like 30 or 20 cms.”
  • Hannah “You will need to use your mathematical skills, to write down the things like ideas and then count because we need to count how many plots.”
  • Sky “We need to count, because we need to know how many of the trees, pots and plots we need to draw on the paper. We need thinking skills because if we don’t think and we just say its like 2 cms (estimate) then we will get the wrong answer. If you measure it correctly then you will get the right answer. We need to be mathematicians because we need to add all the meters and cms. together. If you don’t you will have the wrong answer. ” 
  • Stella “We need Math skills, because you need to make a map you still need to think of math. 
  • Changhyeong “We need thinking skills because we need many ways to measure the ground.”

 

24 March 2021

Over the last few weeks, the students have been collaborating in their groups to plan how they will create the map of the ‘Community Garden’ at NIS.

We created a table to list the materials we will need to complete the task. Students populated the table based on the needs of their individual group.

Next, we sourced the materials from the resource room.

Then, we went out with our tools and resources to begin measuring. The students had to decide how they will manage their task and document their learning. Through this experience, the students have many opportunities to use the skills and knowledge, for an authentic purpose.

We wonder what our next steps would be….

The Design

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We started by looking closely at different structures. As the students shared their observations, ideas and connections, we wrote these down on chart paper.

The students helped create questions to help them think deeply about the concepts:

  • Purpose – Why do we NEED this structure? (Sky/Hannah)
  • Connection –
    • What connection does the structure have to our (someone’s) lives? (Chanwoong)
    • How are the materials connected? (Sky “Like the foundation and the glue.”)
  • Function – How does it work? How do the materials work? (Kavel)
  • Causation – What causes something to happen? (Hannah “Because of what…something happens…”

As the discussion continued, we began to see common ideas that were important to consider when designing and creating structures.  Some of these included:

  • the purpose
    • if the structure served a functional purpose (used for or to do something)
    • if the structure was to share a memory (keep a memory alive, remember something)
    • if the structure creates beauty
  • the weather conditions
  • materials and how they are connected to the structure and each other
  • the place – the location
  • details such as colour and patterns

Next, the students were invited to think, design and create. The Task:

If you could design any structure in the world, what would it be?

Glass Pyramid

Royal Gardens

The Whirlpool

The Smart Lake House

Air Cleaner

Science Laboratory

The students began to create their sketches, labelling and providing important information about who, why and what their structures were about.

Conceptual Understandings:

  • we solve problems during the creative process by thinking critically and imaginatively
  • designs grow out of natural curiosity

The Newspaper Challenge

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The students worked in groups to create a structure with newspaper. They first planned and tested the materials and then reviewed their plan before building the structure. They had to built the newspaper structure within 30 minutes. 

  • Let’s make a triangle. (Sky)
  • It’s tilting. (Carlotta)
  • Let’s stick this together. (Sky)
  • Everybody working so good so fast. (Carlotta)
  • Don’t stick here because…(Hannah)
  • This is so hard. We can do this! Come on team! (Reggie)
  • If we don’t do win this, it’s ok. At least we do this. (Elena)
  • The small one or big one? (Kavel)
  • We can make a hole then put more stick in. (Sky)
  • This is smart! (*responding to Sky’s idea) (Reggie)
  • I know why it’s always falling. Let’s tape this first. (Carlotta)
  • That’s good. (Elena)
  • We need to cut this smaller. (Carlotta)
  • I got 16 tape out. (Stella)
  • We are not ready. It’s still tilting! (Carlotta)
  • It keeps on falling. (Elena)
  • No more cylinder! (Kavel)
  • Can someone hold this area? (Reggie)
  • Good job! You make more to have stable bottom. (Carlotta)
  • More stand under here.
  • We are changing ideas. (Reggie)

The next day, the students were tasked with discussing and documenting their learning during the activity.

They needed to: –

  • introduce the team
  • share what was done (process)
  • reflect on the problems and solutions
  • explain what was learned
  • develop plans for next time

We wonder what we might do next…

Presenting ‘The Museum’

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The students have completed their informational reports and are ready to include them in their final display. They are now ready to present! 

We wondered who might like to visit and learn about our museum. The students made a list. 

Then, the students created invitations, arranged the presentation space and created a sign to let people know what is being presented.

Next, they delivered the invitations to their invitees. The students were encouraged to discuss and make decisions throughout the process and presentation. 

Invitations 

Setting up the Museum

Signs and Information about the presentation 

Informational Reports

The Presentation

The Museum

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The students continue to work on their research projects for their Unit of Inquiry ‘How the World Works‘. Their task is to create a museum to show how technology has changed over time and how it has affected people’s lives.

What is a museum?

We began by visiting a virtual museum by the National Museum of Natural History. The students noticed and commented on the objects, descriptions, information and significance of the objects scattered throughout the museum. We wondered how WE might create a museum to share our learning and discoveries. It was time to make a plan! 

As the students planned and designed their artefact/object, they went back and forth to the information documented in their poster. They conducted interviews, read books and watched videos to learn more about their chosen area of interest.

We noticed how they added and/or re-evaluated the information they have gathered to show their understanding of the concepts change, connection, technology, systems and transformation. Their artefacts/ objects need to show how technology has changed over time.

The following visual rubric was shared with the students to help guide the task.

The students began creating descriptions about their topic, providing information about:

  • how technology has changed
  • how technology has affected our lives
  • the positive and negative impacts of technology

They had an opportunity to share their learning journey with their friends in Grade 2B. The students listened to each other, asked questions and also gave the students feedback. 

Research Posters 

The students have competed their report writing and editing. They are creating an informational poster that would be included in their final museum presentations.

We look forward to their final creations and presentations! 

The Memory Book (Continued)

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We gathered to reflect and update our plan for the Memory Book. We went through the process we have followed and thought about our next steps. 

The students have all created their individual stories for the Memory Book. 

Out next step was to discuss and come to an agreement on the look and feel of the book, starting with the front and back cover. The students decided that they wanted to create both a hard copy and an electronic version of the book. 

The students decided to vote on the colour of the front and back cover. They suggested a table would be a useful tool to document our data. Two popular choices emerged. Green and Purple. 

Yet another table was created to help us decide which colour would be used for the front and back cover. 

Next, we voted on the different titles the students had suggested. A clear winner emerged. The book would be titled ‘2A Memory Book‘.

The process documented

Watch this space to learn more about our next steps…

The Memory Book

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The students have been working on their short stories, which will be included in the final Memory Book. They have followed the writing process, moving from their draft to their edited and published versions.

These books are now displayed in the G1 and 2 corridors along with our learning stories.

We took some time to share these stories with each other.

We have followed our initial plan, created our stories and are in the process of creating our class mural. We gathered to discuss our ideas for the Memory Book.

  • What about a title for the book? How will we decide which one to choose?
  • How would we organize the different stories?
  • Where will this book be displayed?

The students continued to share what they thought our next steps would be. Some suggestions included:

  • author interviews
  • page numbers
  • a blurb
  • a contents page
  • photographs of the authors
  • headers
  • images and diagrams of planners and the mural painting

We know that these decisions need to be made as a group, as this is what we ‘value’ in 2A. Watch this space to learn more about our next steps…

Storytellers in the Community

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We have been creating stories that we want to share with our community. These stories are significant as they have a message or an important idea to communicate to the reader.

The students used a story planner to help them decide on the important elements of their story.

Then, they wrote their stories and shared them with the class. After making changes and editing their writing, they were ready publish their work. Many of the students decided to create their own short stories. These stories will be included in a Grade 2A Memory Book.

The class had discussed the idea of creating a collaborative piece of art or artifact, that communicates our stories and culture to the community. We had a large piece of canvas in the classroom. We wondered how we could use this piece of canvas to create an artifact.

  • How big should it be?
  • How would we draw on it?
  • Where will we display the mural?

We made a plan. The students shared their ideas and perspectives. What if each student drew a picture from their story, on the canvas? We would have 16 stories!

The students wondered how big each section would need to be. One student measured the width of the canvas and shared his suggestion for dividing the canvas.

The students agreed that each section would be 35cms. wide. But what about the length?

The students began to suggest different lengths. 45cms in length? 50cms. in length? We created a chart to document the data as the students voted for their choice. 

Then, we drew two of the most popular measurements on paper.

Next, the students voted to decide on the best length.

An agreement was reached. Each section of the canvas would be 35cms. X 55cms.

We will have 16 sections and 16 images that share what we value as a community.

We are finally ready to divide our canvas and begin to draw our stories to create the mural.

We have a plan to guide us as we create together.

The students used Book Creator to publish their short stories. These stories will be included in a Grade 2A Memory Book.

Here are a few published books:

Each student painted an image on a mural that represented their individual story. The students enjoyed this collaborative project that tells a story about the culture and values we share as a community.

Our Learning Story continues…

Story of Learning

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We sat together, to gather our thoughts, to explore where our learning has taken us.

What have we learned through our research?

Over the last few weeks, we have been diving deep into our Unit of Inquiry. We have been generating ideas, sorting through information, conducting our research and making connections between concepts and ideas. Together, we have developed a deeper understanding of our unit under the Transdisciplinary Theme ‘How We Express Ourselves’.

The students have been asking questions, reading books, conducting surveys, documenting data, presenting findings, sharing ideas and taking action.

We took a closer look at our Central Idea ‘Communities come together through expressions of culture’.

Our deep dive into the different themes, vocabulary, concepts and ideas, have helped us uncover the Central Idea.

The students quickly made connections with what they have been learning. We documented our thinking on chart paper.

  • What stories might WE want to tell?
  • How might we EXPRESS these ideas?
  • What do we want others to know about OUR culture?
  • What forms of expression bring US TOGETHER as a Community?
  • HOW might we document these ideas?
  • What artefacts can we CREATE?

We wonder how we might take ACTION!

Research Groups

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We are excited about our research!

First, we asked a question that requires information seeking.
Then, we sourced books from the library that may help us learn more about our chosen topic of interest. We used the library catalogue with assistance, to locate information sources.


We selected books on a variety of topics through RAZ Kids and EPIC.
We will refine our existing questions and dig deeper with more questions as we continue our research.

We will continue to listen to student presentations, read a variety of books and talk to the community, to learn more about ‘how communities come together through expressions of culture‘.

  • (Information literacy: Formulating and planning, data gathering and recording, synthesizing and interpreting, evaluating and communicating)
  • (Communication Skills: Exchanging information-Listening, interpreting and speaking)

 

November 9, 2020

Our research has led to many new understandings. We have continued to include our developing theories and ideas on our mind map.

 

 We continue to wonder about the different ways cultures are expressed (Form) and the similarities and differences between them (Connection).

Ryder explained that “If there were no stories, in the future people won’t know things in the old time.” Why is this important to us? We continue to wonder how communities come together through expressions of culture.

An Inquiry into Expressions and Culture

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How do we express ourselves? What is expression?

The students began to share their ideas and we documented their thinking on chart paper.

“We express ourselves through, dance, music, games, drawing, painting…”

(Creative thinking: Generating novel ideas and considering new perspectives)

We wondered what we ‘value’ as a community in Grade 2A. We documented our discussion on chart paper.

We discussed why teamwork, kind words, sharing, turn taking and group work was important to us. We agreed that this was the culture of our classroom or ‘how we did things’ as we worked and learned together.

(Creative thinking: Generating novel ideas and considering new perspectives)

Three students shared photographs of different objects, experiences and artefacts that they valued (in their home/ as a family/ in their culture).   

(Communication Skills: Exchanging information-Listening, interpreting and speaking)

We reflected on the discussion we had about the different ways we express ourselves. The students began to think about the different aspects of expression they could learn more about. What tools can we use to conduct our research? How might we present our research?

(Information literacy: Formulating and planning, data gathering and recording, synthesizing and interpreting, evaluating and communicating)

The students agreed that they could conduct their research by:

  • reading books and magazines
  • interviewing people
  • watching videos

We continue to wonder ‘how communities come together through expressions of culture‘.

The students were invited to look around their home and post photographs of the different expressions of culture. These could be artefacts, traditions and customs.

Storytellers

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Two groups of students read interesting fictional stories that included animal characters. We decided to share these stories with the rest of the class.

The students had to decide who would be involved and what role they would play. Some decided that they would be part of the props team, helping to create the setting and the props for the story. The students had to cooperate, find ways to work together and listen to each other’s ideas.

The Setting

The Characters and Props

We reminded ourselves of what a good audience might look like. We had to plan, prepare the props, run through a practice and then perform for others in just 50 minutes!

Maths Provocation: Jimmy’s Ramp

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Jimmy set up a ramp for his toy cars. He and his brother Joe each sent one car down the ramp. 

We gathered to think about the provocation. Here are some of our initial wonderings.

I wonder…

  • … whose car is faster.
  • … whose car goes straight
  • … if the car falls down
  • … how the ramp is made
  • … if the cars fall down from the side of the ramp
  • … what Jimmy used for the ramp
  • … who pushed it down first
  • … whose car is slower

Joe’s car rolled 15 centimetres farther than Jimmy’s.

1) If Joe’s car rolled 27 centimetres (cms), how far did Jimmy’s car roll?

How could you get started?

2) Does this problem make you think about addition or subtraction?

3) Whose car rolled farther? Draw a number line to model the problem.

4) Follow Up:

Make your own ramp with books, cardboard, or other materials you find. Roll 6 different objects down the ramp and measure how far they go.

5) Record your data on a table.

6) Make up your own story problem with the results.

We began to construct some questions that we might want to ask about the data in our table. 

Mr. Matt worked with the students to help them create questions using ‘Question Words’. 

Sample Student Questions:

we wonder what YOUR ramps might look like…

The Lego Graph

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Lego is popular and fun to play with. It is also a great resource to explore learning.
The students were invited to create one object using 20 pieces of Lego.
They displayed these creations in the atelier.

We all noticed how different the creations were.

Next, we took a photograph of our creation.

We wondered how we might sort the pieces we used in our creation. The students suggested three possible sorts.
-by colour
-by the number of ‘dots’ a piece of Lego had
-by length (long and short)

Then, we decided how we might document our sorts on a table. Here are two possible options. The students decided that a tally table would be the best way. We decided that we would have colour on one column and tally marks in the next.

We know that information can be expressed as organised and structured data. We constructed and labeled a vertical graph to document our data.

Finally, we wrote 3 questions that we might ask our friends about our graph.
What questions can YOU suggest?

Each student worked on their own creation, to follow the different steps needed to document their own learning.

Here are two examples:

Readers Workshop

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The students gathered to discuss ‘WHY’ we read.

We talked about the following statement:

‘Readers read to get smarter, and to learn about themselves, other people and the world.’

‘我们阅读，为了变得更聪明，可以了解自己，了解其他人和这个世界。’

‘독자는 더욱 똑똑 해지기 위해 또한 자신, 다른 사람들 그리고 세상에 대해 배우기 위해 읽습니다.’

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Goal: to become fluent readers

Strategy: Read Appropriate-Level Texts That Are a Good Fit.

Why Children Need This Strategy: “In order to read fluently, all readers need texts that they can read with a high degree of accuracy and automaticity. When readers are provided with texts that are too difficult, fluent reading is impossible” ( Allington 2009a, 26).

Next, we created two anchor charts to help us make good choices.

‘3 Ways to Read a Book’

‘IPICK’

During our time in the Library this morning, we provided students with time to find ‘good fit’ books.

We encouraged the students to reflect on the information we shared during our group discussion. Our goal is to encourage the students to makes these choices independently.

We talked about a perfect reading spot. What might this look like? We created a choice board to help us stay focused as we read each day.  

Students were introduced to their R.E.D. Log Book. They will use this book to record and reflect on their daily reading each day.

Their R.E.D. Book Log needs to come into school each morning.

Each day, we practice reading in the classroom. We understand that the best way to become a better reader is ‘to read‘. We know that reading can be fun and exciting! 

We Identified the behaviours of ‘Read to Self‘ and created a chart to help us become more independent with our reading.

What are some of YOUR favourite books? What reading strategies work for you?

The Board Game

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@S created a game using stones from the ‘loose parts’ collection.

Next, she decided to make a chess board game. @S began by making a big square, including lines for playing the game.

She made triangles and circles that represent the two teams.

Then, she made poster to inform others about the ‘rules of the game’ and instructions on how to play the game.

@S “The paper around the game is because we don’t want the pieces to go outside.”

Before sharing the game, @S said “We have to test before we really played.” So she played the game with Ms. Tina and created a video to show her friends how to play the game.

The Instructions:

Step 1: Put the two circles here.

Step 2: Put the triangles here.

Step 3: Put the two black circles here.

Step 4: The people don’t want to go outside so we need this paper here.

Step 5: If he goes outside he cannot go inside.

@S played the game with Ms. Jiao.

Through her creative design, @S:

  • used discussion and play to generate new ideas and investigations.
  • interpreted visual, audio and oral communication: recognizing and creating signs, interpreting and using symbols and sounds.
  • expressed herself using words and sentences.
  • understood that mark-making carries meaning.
  • used mark-marking to convey meaning.
  • chose and completed the task independently.
  • demonstrated persistence in her task.

Paint and Painting

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Making Decisions and Managing Tasks

How do we create? How do we express our creativity?

We decided to spend some time exploring with paint in the atelier. Using this medium to create and develop ideas was exciting.

The children began by choosing the materials they need from the shelf. They had to make decisions about what they were planning to do and how they would go about completing the task.

@N had to choose the colour tablets she planned to use. She gathered the materials she needed onto a tray and sat down to paint. She painted “Mummy sleeping.”

@C and @M decided to paint on one paper. Sharing the space and a task involves negotiation, communication and teamwork. They chose the colour tablets they planned to use together, two paint brushes and one large paper.

As they worked, they had to decide who was painting first, which parts of the paper each of them would use and what they were going to paint together.

@S was exploring colour as she created new colours using the existing shades.

@S “It is like a rainbow. Because it’s too many colours mixed. LOOK!, Yellow and blue mixed together make green!”

@S “Me and Serena are inside sleeping. And daddy, mummy and aunty sleeping. And grandpa and grandma are sleeping.”

@J “Baby is swim. Baby, baby together play. Sister. Cookies.”

@B washed his brush and changed the colours he was using. He focused on his task and continued to add on stroke after stroke.

@Y was careful about the colours he wanted to use. He wanted to make sure he did not mix the colours. 

He washed his brush carefully each time he changed the colour. When his friends asked him what he was painting, he said it was “A snake.”

@S was exploring with the colour black. He added a touch of brown to see if his initial colour would change. He was curious about the different marks and strokes he can make with the brush. He observed what his friends were doing as he worked with purpose.

When he was done, he proudly informed the others that he had made a painting of “A snake!” He completed his project by signing his name.

@L was using the brush to experiment with paints. He held the paintbrush gently as he worked. At the end, he signed his name on the paper.

Next, @L cleaned up the space he worked at. He washed brushes, paint pots and cleaned the table.  

When the children finished painting, they all cleared out the spaces they worked at. They washed the tools they used and put them back in the spaces where they belong. They wiped the tables and cleaned the paint splatter off the sinks, floor and other surfaces. Taking care of the materials in a respectful way is important. Managing these tasks independently helps the children develop a strong sense of learning and purpose.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

  • express oneself using words and sentences.
  • participate in conversations.
  • use mark-marking to convey meaning.
  • be respectful to others.
  • be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a learning group.
  • choose and complete tasks independently.
  • share responsibility for decision-making.
  • demonstrate persistence in tasks.
  • use strategies to problem-solve.
  • engage with, and enjoy a variety of visual arts experiences.
  • select tools, materials and processes for specific purposes.
  • use their imagination and experiences to inform their art making.

The Benches

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We have two step ladders. We had to decide which one we would keep to use in the classroom and which one we would give away to someone who needs it. The children called them ‘benches’.

  • Charlotte “PreK-K1 made this one. Because my think so (coloured bench).”
  • Felix “And grade 4 made this (the green bench).”

  • Felix suggested that Ms. Karen could have the second bench. “But we could make more for every class. But maybe we can make more!”

We were not sure if we could make more benches at this point, but we know that we do not need two in one space.

We suggested that we give one away.

  • Charlotte “Ms. Hannah.”
  • Nina “Ms. Krystal.”

We made a list of the people who might want a bench.

Ms. Karen

Ms. Tasha

Mr. Cal

Mr. P

Mr. Dodge

 

Felix “But then we have to make so many!”

 

Ms. Ai

Ms. Pat.

Ms. Jo

Ms. Mad

Ms. Anna Mila

 

  • Charlotte “Maybe it’s too many!”
  • Felix “Maybe we should count them cause we know how many we have to make.”

We counted to see how many people we had on the list. There were 12 people on the list! BUT we did not have 12 benches.

Next, we had to decide which bench we wanted to keep in our campfire. The children voted for the bench they wanted to keep by standing behind their chosen bench.

The children counted to see the results of their vote.

We had 4 children choose the green bench and 8 children vote for the coloured bench.

It was decided that we will keep the coloured bench.

Next, we had to vote on who would receive the second bench.

One by one the children called out the name of the teacher.

  • Felix “But there are two 4’s!”

Ms. Anna Mila and Ms. Pat had received the same number of votes. We now had to decide what to do about our results.

  • Nina “We can make another one!”
  • Felix “We only want 1 more.”

Making one more bench was one option.

  • Sarah “Share!”
  • Charlotte “I think sharing with people teachers.”
  • Michelle “Sharing is caring.”

Some of the children agreed that we can ask them to share the benches. But Felix insisted that making one more bench was a better idea when he said, “Because I like to build.”

We wonder how we might solve this problem…

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s) 

  • Organize information.
  • Draw conclusions and generalizations.
  • Seek information.
  • Gather information from a variety of sources (people)
  • Record observations—drawing, charting, tallying
  • Sort and categorize information and materials; arrange into forms or order, for example, with graphs, marks or symbols using emergent writing skills.
  • Analyse and interpret information.
  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Understand that mark-making carries meaning.
  • Share responsibility for decision-making.
  • Use strategies to problem-solve.

Community Storytelling with Props

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A group of children were gathering the cushions, moving them around the space and propping them up together to create a story.

They all had different ideas on how the cushions should be used, how they need to be organised and who would be in charge of that job.

As they played and told their stories, they had to find ways to work together, share ideas and solve problems.

They laughed, read stories and enjoyed collaborating.

These cushions have been the source of play throughout the week.

Each group took turns to prop them up at different angles, arrange them in cozy corners, as they worked together to create and organize their stories.

Yet another group have been using blocks and small world toys (animals) to tell their stories.

These structures represent different habitats for animals. Each block is placed strategically, each stone serves a purpose and animals are sorted into different spaces, based on the ideas of the group.

Through their play, the children are using their creativity to design and express their ideas and stories through the ARTS.

Children learn how to: 

  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas and listen to information.
  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Negotiate ideas with peers.
  • Take on pretend roles and situations.
  • Be respectful to others.
  • Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns, helping.
  • Be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a learning group.
  • Follow the directions of others.
  • Share responsibility for decision-making.
  • Demonstrate persistence in tasks.
  • Use strategies to problem-solve.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Zoonana

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We looked at a picture on the screen. Michelle quickly stated that she recognised the picture. She has been there before. There were many animals there.

Felix recognised the writing on the sign and said “ZOO!”

Yes, the word Zoo was at the beginning of the word. The place we were planning to visit is called ‘ZOONANA’.

We had a few pictures of Zoonana. We first looked at the pictures to see what animas we might see on our visit. The children called out the names in English and Mandarin.

They shared their thinking and ideas:

  • Jiwon “We like fish.” (in Korean)
  • Yoochan “Only looking at the crocodile.”
  • Leming “We can’t put our hands into the mouth of the crocodile because he might bite.” (in Mandarin)
  • Bruce “If you see the skunk, then you have to hold your nose so they are not smelly.” (in Mandarin)
  • Sarah “People cannot touch crocodiles because crocodile can eat people’s fingers and people’s fingers are cut.

  • Nina “We can’t put our hands in wolf. Because if we put our hand in wolf he will bite us.”
  • Michelle “I have a good question. Can we go to the Zoonana, can we pick up (take) we clothes and do drawing there? And we can feed the bird?”

  • Teacher “Why do you want to draw when you are there?
  • Michelle “Because I want to draw the bird.”

Everyone thought it was a good choice.

  • Felix “We have to stay where the other kids are, you don’t go loose (get lost).

Everyone agreed that the children should stay together.

  • Sebastian said he likes the “Fish and birds and they say peek, peek, peek.
  • Yoochan helped Jiwon share her ideas. Jiwon said she liked to see the rabbits. Sebastian agreed.
  • Nina “I like the rabbits.”
  • Yoochan wondered if there were owls.
  • Teacher “I wonder how we can get to Zoonana?”
  • Michelle “With the school bus.”

We recalled signing up to go on the bus. A group of children from PreK-K1B came by a while ago to collect the data, to see how many busses we needed to order. They have booked the bus for us.

We talked about the things we will need to take on the bus. Our lunch and a water bottle. We knew some parents will join us on the trip to help us stay safe and have fun as we learn about animals; how they grow and change and what they need to survive.

  • Felix “Do we going to take our own bag?”

We agreed that the children will take their own bags. We talked about the journey, how we travel on the bus, that we need to wear our seatbelts and not run away from the adults.

  • Teacher “What else can we do to stay safe?”
  • Michelle “We can hold hands. We hold hands with our teachers and friends.
  • Sarah “All mummies and daddies are going too?”

We reminded the children that only some of the parents will join us on the trip. But we knew that this was ok.

We are excited about our trip…we wonder what we might learn on our visit. 

How do we capture a moment?

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Felix was excited as he came into school. He said that he found ‘ice’ on the grass. He said he had it in his hand and was sad that he could not bring it to class. He was invited to see if there was any more ice on the grass in the EY playground. His eyes lit up. He quickly put on her coat and ran outdoors. He came back with a piece of grass in his hand.

He looked sad.

He stated that there was ice on it ‘just now’. When asked what he thought might have happened, he explained that it has melted because the “inside is too hot”.

What if we did not have to bring it inside?

We thought about this for a moment.

What if we found a way to capture a moment? A picture?

Felix quickly chose an iPad and went back outside to document his observations. He came back with a beautiful picture of frost on the grass. He was simply beaming with pleasure that he was able to share what he experienced in the morning.

Felix “I got it! Ice.”

A Learning Journey – SEEDS!

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A group of children visited the garden and came up with many ideas about growing. They wanted to plant apples, flowers and bananas. They also drew pictures to explain what plants need.

  • Michelle “We want to draw the picture.”
  • Charlotte “Seeds.”

Although the children were excited to grow their own plants, they were not sure how to get started. They had many questions about growing. They went to Ms. Hannah to learn more about seeds as she is the ‘growing expert’ in the EY.

  • Michelle “We look in the seed in Sarah’s (K1B) room, nobody can see, we can see.”
  • Charlotte “This is too many seeds. Have tomato seeds and broccoli seeds.”
  • Sarah “Seeds.”

  • Sarah “We have sunflower seeds and tomato seeds, and broccoli seeds, and cucumber seeds.”
  • Felix “And salad seeds.”
  • Charlotte “茄子.” [Eggplant.]

  • Michelle “我们想要种一些种子。” [We want to plant the seeds.]
  • Sarah “我们需要浇水，还要一些太阳。” [We need water and sun.]

  • Felix “I hold some seeds. Plant them. Soil, water and sun. We have to dig in, and then put it in. We need dig in more down.”
  • Michelle “我们要挖一点点，不能太深，不然种子不会发芽，种子会死，它就不会长大。” [We have to dig a little bit, otherwise the seeds won’t shoot. They will die and won’t grow.]
  • Charlotte “如果太深的话就长不大，因为喝不到水还有阳光。” [If you dig too deep, they won’t grow, because they can’t get the water and the sun.]

  • Jiwon looks at the seeds, “The black seeds grow and become the food we eat? If you mix the white seeds with pink, will the pretty pink flowers bloom? White, mixed with red seeds in the delicious strawberries which will be brought up?” [translated from Korean]

The children received different seeds from Ms. Hannah. She also provided the children with lots of useful information about plant growth. When the children came back to class, some students helped document the information they gathered.

1 tomato 2 salad 3 sunflower 4 cucumber 5 broccoli

 

  • Felix “I’m writing the things, like the sunflower.”
  • Sarah “Writing the seed.”

Some students helped make pop-up labels which will be inserted in the garden beds to help identify the different plants.

The children reflected on their learning journey and sequenced the events.

Next they shared their experiences with the whole class.

Sarah “就是一个小种子，如果人们给它浇水，出太阳，它就会发芽，然后它发芽之后会变成花。草和土，是因为生长需要土，这些草它也要土也要水也要太阳，它会长得像花朵一样大。” [This is a small seed, if you water it, and the sun comes out, it will shoot, then it will become a flower. Grass and soil, because it needs soil to grow. This grass needs soil, water and sun, it will grow as big as flowers.]

Felix “I draw the seeds and the soil and sun and rain. It was growing, so high like up to the wall. First, put the seed into the soil, then you going to put the soil on the seed, it’s going to rain, so the plant will grow. And the sun comes out, the plant will also grow.”

Charlotte “首先先有小草刚生长出来，然后有个人没看见小草就洒在小草上了，雨天来了，哗啦啦哗啦啦啦，然后扔了一个种子，又重新开始生长，然后又哗啦啦哗啦啦，然后晴天又来了，然后长成了一朵漂亮的小花。” [Firstly, the small grass come out, then somebody watered the grass without seeing it. It’s raining, ‘hualala’ (the sound of rain), then put a seed inside, it begins to grow again. Then ‘hualala’, then the sun comes out, then it turns to be a beautiful flower.]

Tyson “这里有太阳有种子长出来，之后就长了大大胖胖的种子，还有太阳出来了，还有小草长出来了。” [Here is sun, the seeds grow up and become big and fat. Then the sun comes out, and the grass comes out.]

Michelle “这个是一个东西，是水果，去看种子的东西，我们带了很多种子，我们去种种子，去农民伯伯那里种种子。我和Charlotte挖呀挖呀，然后我们浇水。” [This is a thing, it’s fruit. We went to see some seeds, we took some seeds, we go to plant some seeds. We go to the farmers to plant the seeds. Charlotte and I dig, dig and dig, then we have to add water.]

We have so many ideas, we are now ready to plant our seeds!

The Garden Plot

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A group of children went out to visit the PreK-K1 garden plot.

  • Sarah “Leaves!”
  • Felix “Do you know what? You can eat theses leaves over here. I just tried one. And it smells like… Michelle, smell on it.”
  • Michelle “It is yummy.”
  • Charlotte “What’s this? You can eat it.”
  • Charlotte “I see little brown on in the green leaf.”
  • Sarah “It has a circle like big, big, big.”

  • Michelle “I can see. You can eat this.”
  • Charlotte “you can eat this leaves.”
  • Felix “Lucas and me, we put these ones just into the earth.”

What might we grow here?

  • Felix “Tomatoes or something. Strawberries.”
  • Sarah “Maybe carrots.”
  • Felix “Maybe chillies. Maybe apple trees?”
  • Nina “Flowers, pink and blue flowers.”
  • Michelle “Red flowers
  • Sarah “We need this one.” (pointing to the soil)

  • Felix “Earth.”
  • Sarah “Water.”
  • Felix “Sun.”
  • Sarah “More water and more sun.”
  • Felix “I can put the water.”
  • Michelle “Water, and sun and then grow.”

The group presented their ideas to the class.

  • Felix “We saw leaves and some plants. I wanted to smell the leaves. It smelled like spicy.”

Who grew these plants?

  • Michelle “I want to smell. Because I like it. These are like leaves and I smelled it. Sarah in K1B. I and Charlotte and Sarah and Nina know it.”
  • Sarah “This is a farmer who grew it.” (in Mandarin)
  • Sarah “It is a little bit this one. The green one. Tomatoes, carrots, strawberries and apples.”
  • Michelle “Banana.”
  • Felix ”Maybe cucumber. We need earth. The black earth.”

We wonder how we might grow our own plants and vegetables…

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

Analysing

  • Observe carefully.

Generating novel ideas

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

 

Communication Skills

Listening

  • Listen to information.
  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.

Interpreting

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

Speaking

  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

The Design Projects

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The community have been spending time during their breaks, creating different items using the different materials provided by the children. 

They have used wooden blocks, clay, glue and nails to create a variety of items.

Some of the projects were in the ‘construction’ stage, some of them were completed and labelled.

The children frequently visited the space to see the many projects being carried out.

They discussed the projects and decided to share their thinking and questions with the creators.

Felix “Thank you for build tree house.”

Sebastian “A car. A tool for pushing the car. Then the car put there.”
Tyson “这个是车子。谢谢。因为你们给我们做了很多东西。”[This is car. Thank you. Because you help us make a lot of things.]

The children were inspired, they wanted to create their own projects. They used the materials to make iPhones, iPads, vehicles and houses.

“这是一个美国的飞机。” [This is an America airplane.]

Felix “This is a ipad. You can measure everything how heavy it is. And it can look under the floor.”

We wonder what else we can make with the different materials we have around us.

How might you be inspired to create?

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

  • Observe carefully.
  • Seek information.
  • Ask for clarifications.
  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
  • Choose and complete tasks independently.
  • Demonstrate persistence in tasks.
  • Use strategies to problem-solve.

Lines

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The children have been using many different types of lines in their drawings, messages and paintings. Some of the lines develop into different pictures of objects, and others become letters and numbers.

Lines in maps…

Lines in messages…

Lines in letters…

We read the story ‘The Line’ by Paula Bossio. Upon seeing the cover page, Felix shouted “Ms. Tina!” He was referring to the litter ‘T’ in the title of the story.

The children began to call out and identify the different letters in the title, ‘THE LINE’ that were also in their names.

H is in Charlotte

E is in Michelle and Charlotte

L is in Leming

I is in Michelle

They circled the different letters they recognised.

Next, we read the story and made a note of all the different lines that were in the book. In this simple wordless picture book, a little girl finds a long black line. She wiggles the line, slides and spins inside circles that the line has created.

Later in the story, the line transforms into bubbles, a jungle vine to swing from, a tightrope to balance on and a big, hungry monster! We notice how the author and illustrator expressed the different emotions of the little girl in the story.

We observed the lines Felix and Yoochan have created using the ramps. They have made a road that goes to the beach.

We can draw many pictures using different lines. Here are a few different types of lines.

The children created pop-stick puppets using different lines.

@F uses lightening lines and other shapes to create pop-stick puppets. He then decides to create a puppet show using the different pop-stick characters and objects.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Communication Skills

Speaking

  • Express oneself using words and sentences.

Interpreting

  • Interpret visual, audio and oral communication: recognizing and creating signs, interpreting and using symbols and sounds.
  • Understand the ways in which images and language interact to convey ideas.

Reading, writing and mathematics

  • Understand symbols.
  • Understand that mark-making carries meaning.
  • Use mark-marking to convey meaning.
  • Document information and observations in a variety of ways.

Helpers in the Community

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We had a second step ladder in the classroom. But again, we had to assemble it!

This time we decided to ask our community to support us. We placed all the pieces of wood, screws and tools in the corridor, along with the instructions. We included a ‘message’ to the community.

A week went by. Nothing happened. The step ladder was still in the box. A few days later, we saw a student working on the project. He was assembling the step ladder during his lunch break.

The next day, a few other children joined in to help. A week later, the step ladder was completed. The community helpers posted their own ‘message’.

We decided to send them another ‘message’. We thought that they may like to paint the step ladder they have assembled. The quickly joined in to help.

The step ladder was beautiful.

The children in PreK-K1C were excited to see the green, white and silver step ladder.

What other ‘messages’ can we send them?

The students began to share their ideas. Can we ask them to help us again?

  • Felix “Can you please build a tree house? We can bring trees. We can bring small trees (sticks). Put something sticky.”

  • Michelle “Could you please build a garden? Put leaves and flowers. And keep garden books. Chairs here. People can make lion in garden.”

  • Tyson “大椅子。很多木头。” [a big chair. Many pieces of wood]
  • Teacher “How will the Grade 4 students know what type of chairs we want them to make for us?”

The children used paper to draw their designs.

They collected the material the community may need to use to create the different items. Craft sticks, twine and scissors for the tree houses.

Play dough for the garden.

Pieces of wood, a hammer and nails for the chairs.

  • Felix decided to move his tree house close to the bulletin board. “They can see what my tree house looks like.”

Will the community see our messages?

We wonder what will happen next…

https://twitter.com/shemogani/status/1174867793679773696

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s) 

  • Observe carefully.
  • 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.
  • Interpret visual, audio and oral communication: recognizing and creating signs, interpreting and using symbols and sounds.
  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
  • Understand that mark-making carries meaning.
  • Use mark-marking to convey meaning.
  • Share responsibility for decision-making.

Developing a Sense of Community

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We gather as a group each morning to welcome the day, to greet each other, to share news and to talk about the projects that we might want to follow or complete.

Our Morning Meetings are a time to learn about each other. A time to share our individuality, diversity and common aspirations. We sit in a circle, where there is no hierarchy. We are all the same in this space. Together we find ways to create a democratic environment where we respect, care and learn about each other’s perspectives.

During this time, a member of the community checks in with others to place the lunch order. While completing this task, we learn each other’s names. We learn how to listen to others, respond to questions and collect data.

One member of the community then goes over to the cafeteria to deliver the cards to the staff, placing the order for lunch. They bring back the fruit snacks, which we eat together at the snack table. 

At lunch time, a few children go over to the kitchen to set the table, to prepare for our meal together. We all sit together to eat our ‘school’ and ‘home’ lunches. We focus on independence, encouraging and learning good table manners.  We pass the food platters around, serving only what we can eat, talking about balanced diets and good hygiene. We discuss waste and care for the environment. After lunch, we pack up all the cutlery, crockery and clear away the dirty dishes. Taking responsibility for the spaces we use is an important part of our learning together.

Being caring and accepting others is one of our Essential Agreements. We seek out and celebrate instances when these agreements come to life in the community.

The teachers frequently sit together with the children, sharing what they have noticed.

Making invisible actions public and celebrating instances when the community have been able to solve problems together through dialogue and collaboration. These are great opportunities to highlight the role of kindness, empathy and care in communities.

The children frequently create with blocks, loose parts and other materials in the classrooms. Sharing the materials as we create can be a challenge for some of us. It is important to be able to capture instances when we act as a community. 

In the picture below, the students noticed that there were many people crowding around the library check out counter.

When the teacher shared her observations, the children quickly lined up behind one another, waiting patiently for their turn to check out their books. Being mindful and respectful of different behaviours in different places helps us create a calm and positive learning environment.

In order to make this happen we spend a lot of time, learning about ourselves; our actions and behaviours, how they affect us and the others around us, how we can manage these emotions.

The Zones of Regulation help us visualise and verbalise emotions. We refer back to this language to help us learn how to manage our feelings, emotions and actions.

Here are some examples of kindness in the Early Years.

We aim to seek out opportunities that bring us together as a community. In order to celebrate our PreK-K1 community, we worked together to bake muffins that we then shared with our friends.

Our community is more than just our PreK-K1 friends. The children frequently visit the other campfires in our Early Years space, to play with the other children and explore the different centres. In the picture below, a K2 student reached out to a K1 student, when he could see that she was unhappy in the playground.

Caring for others helps us develop a safe, kind and positive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to learn.

Central Idea: What we do matters to others.

Lines of Inquiry:

  • how we behave towards others (perspective)
  • appropriate behaviour in a variety of settings (connection)
  • the impact of our behaviour on others (responsibility)

Key Concepts: connection, perspective, responsibility

Related Concepts: acceptance, relationships, attitudes, behaviours

Banana Muffins

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A group of children were curious about the new kitchen.

They wanted to know if they could use the kitchen to prepare some food. After many discussions, they had decided that they wanted to make cupcakes!

One morning, the children noticed a long sheet of paper on the whiteboard. There were many different pictures on it. The children began to share their ideas about the pictures.

  • Felix “It’s a list. Everything you need to make.”
  • Charlotte “Make a mooncake.”
  • Tyson “Car cake.”
  • Felix “You need sugar to make cupcake. I think this is sugar, this is banana.”
  • Sebastian “Put the egg in the sugar, and open, put it in yoga. Here, yoga. It’s going inside. Put banana inside.”
  • Bruce “蛋糕。” [Cake]
  • Felix “I think we are going to make banana bread.”
  • Sarah “I don’t think it’s sugar, it’s this one.”

There was a box with Ms. Shemo’s name on it. We opened the box.

There were many different bags inside. There were some eggs and bananas.

Felix decided to write the numbers next to the pictures.

3 eggs…

6 milk…

18 butter…

2 sugar…

We had all the items on the list. We decided to make the banana muffins.

All the children helped to make the muffins.

First, we add 4 cups of flour.

Next, we add all the other dry ingredients.

Then, we peel the bananas. We mash the bananas.

Then, we add the eggs.

Then, we add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Then, we add the batter into the muffin moulds.

Finally, we put the muffin trays in the oven.

Yum, yum, our banana muffins smell great!

We have made plenty of muffins. We will share them with our whole PreK-K1 community!

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s) 

  • Observe carefully.
  • Organize information.
  • Analyse and interpret information.
  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas and listen to information.
  • Interpret visual, audio and oral communication: recognizing and creating signs, interpreting and using symbols and sounds.
  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
  • Understand symbols.
  • Choose and complete tasks independently.
  • Follow the directions of others.

The Tree House

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During free choice, @F drew a picture of a tree house. He was interested in making his own tree house.

There were some tree houses made by older students in the Design Room. Three children were excited to visit the space to learn more about the tree houses.

They looked at the tree houses very carefully and had a discussion with

@terSonya.

On the way back to the Early Years Centre, they passed by Mr. Zach’s design room and talked about the tools they saw through the window.

When they came back to the Centre, they had more ideas about tree houses. They decided to draw pictures and included many interesting details.

Other children decided to create their own designs too!

  • Michelle “这是一个树家。我的家人都在里面，Sarah想到我家来玩，这是太阳，这是锅，这是两个水瓶，这是拖鞋，这是楼梯和门。我变成美人鱼上去睡觉。” [This is a tree house, my family lives inside. Sarah wants to play at my home. This is the sun. This is the stove, these are two water bottles. Here are shoes. This is a ladder and door. I change into a mermaid and go to bed.]

During outdoor playtime, some children decided to create ‘bird tree houses’. They used different materials around the playground to make the house.

We wonder where our interest in tree houses would lead us..

Students have AGENCY when they…

  • are actively engaged in various stages of learning, including: thinking about, planning, modifying and creating
  • are actively involved in discussion, questioning and by being self-directed in their creating (as opposed to passive receiving)
  • apply their understanding of concepts through the construction of their projects/play
  • make connections to the real world by taking past experiences into their play worlds
  • express their theories of the world and these are honoured in the environment

The Kitchen

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The children were very excited to explore the new kitchen in the Early Years Centre. They visited the kitchen and used the thinking routine ‘See-Think-Wonder’ to document their ideas. They inquired into the ‘form’ and ‘function’ of the space.

WHAT WE ‘SEE’

  • Sebastian walked around the space, pointing and talking about a variety of objects. “The table. For sit down. Some fruits. Some more plants. The bin, put in. This is for washing, wash it (pointing to the sink where we wash our hands).”
  • Charlotte “我看到了3个微波炉。” [I see three ovens.]

  • Felix “I saw tea maker. It’s for making tea. What is the shiny thing with two doors? It’s something we make the food cold. Here you can make pizza inside. It’s gonna be hot inside you can make pizza inside. I can see plants, that is beautiful. Spoons, forks, cups are inside.”

  • Michelle “洗手台，还有一个箱子，灭火的。还有喝水的地方。一个大冰箱，来放在里面有东西。有垃圾桶，扔垃圾。”[A washing table. A box for putting the fire. And a place for drinking water. A refrigerator, which we can put things inside. A bin for putting trash.]

  • Sarah “我看到了一个烤箱，用来烤东西的，可以做披萨，我们可以做蛋糕，做煎饼，还有很多柜子，还有叉子和勺子。”[I see an oven, for baking things. We can make pizza, we can make cake, pancakes. And there are many cabinets, and some spoons, forks.]

  • Nina “I see 冰箱，还有门，还有喝水的水池，还有冰箱。用来放东西的，还有微波炉，用来做东西的，可以烤红薯。还有水池，可以洗手，洗碗。Flowers， 还有垃圾桶，扔东西的，还有树叶，还有红色的东西。”[I see a refrigerator and a door. And a sink that we can drink water. The refrigerator is for putting things. And a microwave, for making things. We can bake sweet potato. We can wash our hands in the sink, also we can wash dishes. Flowers. And bin, for putting trash. And leaves. Red things.]

WHAT WE ‘THINK’

After naming the things they see around the kitchen, the children were eager to share their suggestions of how we should use this space.

  • Sebastian “Cupcakes! Pancake! Banana cake!”
  • Felix “We can make fruit cupcakes!”
  • Nina “Banana soup.”
  • Sarah “胡萝卜蛋糕，苹果蛋糕。”[Carrot cake, apple cake.]
  • Michelle “抹茶味的蛋糕。”[Matcha cake.]
  • Charlotte “Strawberry cake.”
  • Jiwon “This place has lunch, cooks and washes hands. I want to take funny pictures with my friends here. For example, superman pose. I want to play kitchen with my friends here, bot toys. What I want to do most is want to eat chicken here.” [In Korean]

Some of the children used pictures to share their ideas.

We ‘WONDER‘ how we might make these different foods in our kitchen…

Our inquiry continues…

Through this project, we had opportunities to……

  • Observe carefully.
  • Find unique characteristics.
  • Synthesize new understandings by seeing relationships and connections.
  • Use discussion and play to generate new ideas and investigations.
  • Practice some “visible thinking” routines (Ritchhart, Church and Morrison 2011).
  • Use all senses to observe and notice details.
  • Listen to information.
  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.
  • Understand the ways in which images and language interact to convey ideas.
  • Understand that mark-making carries meaning.
  • Use mark-marking to convey meaning.
  • Listen closely to others.
  • Be respectful to others.

-Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Children have AGENCY when they…

  • are actively engaged in various stages of learning, including: thinking about, planning, modifying and creating
  • are actively involved in discussion, questioning and by being self-directed in their creating (as opposed to passive receiving)
  • make connections to the real world by taking past experiences into their play worlds
  • have an active voice and stake in the classroom/community

See Think Wonder Template

The Step Ladder (Part 2)

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The children have been working hard to finish constructing the step ladder. Felix suggested that we could paint it! Nina and Yoochan joined in. Together they sat down and had a discussion, they created a ‘plan’ and a ‘design’.

 

  • Felix “I want to colour it on. Red. The whole colour will go off if it’s raining.”
  • Yoochan agreed with the idea Felix presented.
  • Nina “I want to draw Tina on it.”
  • Felix “It’s for inside because there is nothing to play up outside. Everything is down. We have two, one for inside, the other one for outside. We don’t paint the outside one.”

After the discussion, the group put down their designs on the paper.

Nina “Ms. Tina, in the chair. Tina red. This is Tina’s dress. This is Tina’s head and shoulder and mouth. This is his neck.”

Yoochan “A dinosaur. Red dinosaur.”

Felix “I want to colour the whole and I use red, blue, shiny blue.”

Later, they went over to Ms. Karen’s campfire to look for the different coloured paints they had planned to use. They stated to decorate the step ladder!

Sewon and Jiwon showed an interest in painting and joined the group. They chose their favourite colour and painted the step ladder very carefully.

The next day, Felix, Sarah and Nina presented the painted step ladder to the group. They talked about the project, explaining the different steps they took to complete the job.

  • Nina “Painting.”
  • Felix “Build it.”
  • Sarah “With this one (pointing to the screws).
  • Felix “I didn’t know how to do this. Because, here is not one of these (pointing to a piece of wood that does not have a screw).
  • Felix “Because it is beautiful. To get up higher. Because you can get some things to play from.”
  • Sarah “Going high.”
  • Felix “It is for you to go high. For everybody kids to get higher. One for the teachers and one for the kids.”
  • Sarah “Teacher go high they go boom.”
  • Teacher “What other things can we make?”
  • Felix “A shelf. Shelf things.”

The children were so excited about the step ladder. They gathered around it and looked at the different project pictures that were posted, showing the stages of its journey. They gently touched the step ladder, testing the dry paint, discussing the colours they had used.

Through this project, we had opportunities to……

  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.
  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
  • Use discussion and play to generate new ideas and investigations.
  • Demonstrate persistence in tasks.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Children have AGENCY when they…

  • are actively engaged in various stages of learning, including: thinking about, planning, modifying and creating
  • are actively involved in discussion, questioning and by being self-directed in their creating (as opposed to passive receiving)
  • apply their understanding of concepts through the construction of their projects/play
  • have an active voice and stake in the classroom/community
  • face challenges and are given the freedom to independently overcome these or fail through trial and error or experimentation
  • are risk-takers
  • express their theories of the world and these are honoured in the environment
  • reflect on their actions and self-regulate.

The Step Ladder

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Our new campfire has tall curved shelves. They are great for storing our resources and creations. However, we realised that we cannot always reach the top of the shelves. Even the teachers were not tall enough!  

We decided to order a step ladder from IKEA. It came in a box. It was in pieces! We had to fix it ourselves.

A few of the children took up the challenge. @S stated that she knows how to do it as her grandpa and grandma always fix the furniture in the house. She knows how it’s done.

@S wanted to be in charge of the screws. @F wanted to read the pictures in the instruction manual. It was decided that he would be the person telling the team where the screws fit, and which wooden pieces were needed.

The children wanted to know the name of the tools we were using. We invited @MrZachG the Design teacher, to come over to the Early Yeas space to help us. He told us the tool was a type of wrench!

The children talked about the pictures they saw in the booklet. They noticed the sequence of steps and the need to follow them.  

@F noticed that there are different kinds of screws. He looked closely at the different pieces of wood to see where the screws needed to be inserted. This was a challenge. There were so many different pieces!

He wondered in which direction the screws needed to be turned. After many attempts, @F said…

“Because it’s harder and harder, so I know I’m right.”

Others joined in to see how they can help. The project allowed for opportunities to learn through trial and error.

Conversations revolved around size, measurement, purpose and safety. We wonder what other tools people use to create different objects…

Through this project we had opportunities to …

  • Observe carefully.
  • Seek information.
  • Ask or express through play questions that can be researched.
  • Analyse and interpret information.
  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas and listen to information.
  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
  • Understand symbols.
  • Understand that mark-making carries meaning.
  • Be respectful to others.
  • Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns, helping.
  • Choose and complete tasks independently.
  • Follow the directions of others.
  • Share responsibility for decision-making.
  • Demonstrate persistence in tasks.
  • Use strategies to problem-solve.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Building Relationships through Kindness and Cooperation

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The children have been creating homes and trains with blocks and loose parts. These creations live around the classroom, and the children frequently revisit their creations to build upon ideas or reconnect with the stories that live within them.

  • Felix “They are building the house. I was building an animal train.”

A train that carries animals

A home for animals

The children use ‘people blocks’ (wooden blocks with pictures of the children on them) to signpost important structures or ongoing creations that need to be protected. Unfortunately, as the children played around the classroom, the creations were knocked over. The children were sad.

  • Sebastian “Breaking.”
  • Michelle “Sad, because it’s broken.”

They wondered what they could do to help.

  • Sebastian “Fixing. Me”

We had pictures of what the structures looked like before they were knocked over. The children looked at the pictures and began to recreate them with the blocks. They worked together and helped rebuild all the broken sections of the structure.

  • Felix “I take the thing on the animal train and build from Sarah, Michelle and Charlotte.”

While working together, the children were able to show empathy towards others. They had opportunities to talk about their feelings and the different ways they can express themselves.

The children continue to show respect for others through their actions and language. These are wonderful opportunities for us to talk about the essential agreements we create as a community, that help us have fun and stay safe.

Through this exploration we had opportunities to…

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

•    Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas and listen to information.

•    Express oneself using words and sentences.

•    Participate in conversations.

•    Practise empathy and care for others.

•    Be respectful to others.

•    Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns, helping.

•    Be aware of own and others’ feelings.

•    Be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a learning group.

•    Use strategies to problem-solve.

-Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

The New Space!

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Welcome to the new school year and to our exciting Early Years space! We have been exploring the different centres within the space to learn more about ourselves, our community and the environment.

Here are a few stories that we would like to share.

Dramatic Play

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing social skills, emotional skills, independence, oral language, my imagination and responsibility. It helps me learn how to make positive, healthy choices. I may use these skills as a mother, father, safety officer, lawyer or politician.

 

Block Play

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing motor skills, math concepts (number, size, shape, space), oral language, social skills. eye-hand coordination, self-control, and my imagination. I need these skills as a builder, engineer, designer or architect.

 

Art

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing my creativity, small motor skills, problem solving, sharing, cooperation, independence and responsibility. I need these skills as an artist, illustrator or designer.

 

Story Time

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing alphabet knowledge, oral language, print knowledge, listening skills, eye-hand coordination, concepts about the world, and the desire to read. I need these skills as a publisher, journalist, author, creative writer or librarian.

 

Science

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing a curiosity about the world, sensory skills, problem solving, language skills, and experience with the scientific process (observing, predicting, experimenting, recording, reporting). I will utilise these skills as a doctor, lab technician, pharmacist or astronaut.

 

Mathematics

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing oral language, social skills, small motor skills, concepts about quantity, shape, size, pattern, and an interest in math. I need these skills as a computer programmer, surveyor, accountant, teacher or mathematician.

 

Table Tops

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing small muscles, eye-hand coordination, attention span, social skills, and concepts about size, shape, colour pattern. I need these skills as a chef or dentist.

 

Language

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing oral language, alphabet knowledge, print connections, phonological awareness, visual skills, book knowledge, phonics; motivation to read. These are important skills as it will be important to know how to read.

 

Writing

It looks like I’m playing, but…

…I’m developing eye-hand coordination, small motor skills, alphabet knowledge, self-confidence, vocabulary, and an interest in print. I will use these skills as a journalist, administrative assistant, counselor, artiste, musician or poet.

…I’m learning to be

a thinker

a risk taker

a communicator

an inquirer

caring

balanced

principled

knowledgeable

reflective

and

open-minded

no matter who I become!

The Park

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After many weeks of planning, the students were finally able to go on their trip to Golden Eagle.

The PLAN:

Many of the parents and guardians were able to accompany their children on their field trip from NIS to the playground.

First, we gathered together and discussed the agreements we had made on how to be safe and kind.

We remembered to collect the first aid kits. We had our school ID cards, snacks, hats and water bottles.

Parent supervisors took charge and helped the students safely across the roads and onto the train.

The students were excited to be on the train, even though they were getting off at the next stop.

We enjoyed the short walk from the metro station to the park. We all abided by the traffic and safety rules and were excited to finally arrive at the playground.

The students laughed and played in the sun under the supervision on the parents and teachers.

After a while on the play equipment, we all had a picnic. The students in PreK-K1A had prepared snacks for us to eat. Yummy cookies and apples were passed around.

After a snack and lots of water, the students ran back to the play equipment.

All the fun games under the mid-day sun made everyone very hot. PreK-K1B had another surprise for us, ice pops! It was just what we needed to cool down!

It was almost time to get on the bus to return to school. The parents helped the children walk over to the pick-up location. After thanking the parents and guardians for their help we set off back to school.

We were glad that PreK-K1A had booked the buses for us. We were happy that we all had a seat on the bus. The mathematical inquiry we did at school helped us calculate how many busses we needed to book. We were delighted that our research helped us make the right choices that kept us safe and happy.

We would like to thank all the parents and guardians who helped us stay safe on our trip.

During our next few days at school, we sat down to reflect on our experiences. Some of the students drew pictures to help them reflect on the trip. Here are some of the memories they wanted to preserve.

Alejandra “My name is rainbow. Two rainbows come out. It’s in Golden Eagle. The ice-cream. Two people drinking in the Fanta and then a rainbow change colour the colour is pink and green and blue and purple. The backpack of teachers. The yellow sun is still yellow, but then the sun change colour into rainbow colour and then the teacher here drink Fanta too. The ice-lollipops. One is chocolate, another one is bubble gum. And then inside have a small Pikachu.”

Amber “第一个是坐school bus。第二个是跟妈妈牵着手去Golden Eagle。第三个是过马路。第四个也是走过马路。第五个是在那里玩滑滑梯。第六个是爬蜘蛛网。第七个是吃snack，吃了一个饼干。第八个是可以爬蜘蛛网，脚抬在一个地方。第九个是太阳公公底下吃ice cream。然后妈妈送我们去school bus。然后我们坐在school bus上和妈妈说bye-bye。第12个就是回到教室了。”[The first picture shows we take the school bus. The second picture shows I go to Golden Eagle with mum hand in hand. The third picture shows we are crossing the road. The fourth picture shows we are crossing the road too. The fifth picture shows I’m playing on the slide over there. The sixth picture shows I’m climbing the spiderweb. The seventh picture shows I’m eating snack, I ate a cracker. The eighth picture shows that we can climb the spiderweb, you have to put your feet in one place. The ninth picture shows we are eating ice cream under the sun. Then mum sent us to the school bus, then we sat on the school bus and said bye-bye to mum. The twelfth picture shows we went back to the classroom.]

Seungbin “This one apple, two bus. This one mummy, this one me. This umbrella, raining. The is rainbow.”

Chaewon “This turn around, here sit here and turn around, then here flying the balloon. This sand.”

Ruby “This is the sandpit, you know I see candy, it’s very invisible, but I can’t touch it because it’s real. I saw it in the sand area. I see the slide and I also buried the Pikachu but Nicolas didn’t see it. I see a rainbow inside the sky and do you know actually that is sandpit and also I did something very, very, very beautiful, a sand castle.”

Michelle – A map that shows you how to get to the playground.

Lawrence “The Golden Eagle, we are here and Golden Eagle is here, we walk to here, here and here. We on the train is so fast, and we see the other colours make the water black. It has blue, yellow and green water, and black water. Here this one I got a crisscross, it means not go to the water, and this is we walk here to Golden Eagle and there, there, there…… Go to the playground and I saw the Eagle house.”

Nicolas “This is the slide, and this is the food, I ate one cracker and one cake from home. Then this is the ice-reams. This is the rainbow under the sunshine. That is the sandpit, I made a castle there. That’s the grass, that’s the ball.”

 

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Research Skills

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

• Record observations—drawing, charting, tallying—using emergent writing skills, when possible, to write comments, annotate images, and so on.

 

Communication Skills

Speaking

• Express oneself using words and sentences.

Reading, writing and mathematics

• Use mark-marking to convey meaning.

 

Social Skills

Interpersonal relationships

• Practise empathy and care for others.

• Listen closely to others.

• Be respectful to others.

• Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns.

• Help others.

Social and emotional intelligence

• Be aware of own and others’ feelings.

• Manage anger and resolve conflict.

• Be self- and socially aware.

 

Self-management Skills

Organization

• Share responsibility for decision-making.

Mindfulness

• Take responsibility for own well-being.

The Metro Station!

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A group of students went out to learn more about the Metro. When they returned, they shared their experience with the rest of the class.

Teacher “What do we need to do if we want to get on the train?”

The students said we need use the machine to buy the tickets.

  • Sarah “Ms. Angie is telling us how we can go on the metro.” (in Mandarin)
  • Felix “She is pointing where we are.”
  • Sarah “We are putting money inside. Then we can take the metro.” (in Mandarin)

Several students tried to use their lunch cards to pay for the rickets, but it did not work. Then they got money form Ms. Angie and put the money in the machine.

  • Freida “I am getting the money from outside here.”
  • Michelle “Freida get money and I and Freida go to metro.”

  • Charlotte “These are things that you cannot take to the metro. Because some of these things may disturb other people.” (in Mandarin)
  • Freida “Something may explode. No fireworks.”
  • Charlotte “The gun we cannot take to the metro too. And no knives.” (in Mandarin)
  • Jiwoo “He looked who this one and out here he go. (Jiwoo explained that the police officer will take out the items that are not allowed in the metro).

  • Ethan “We put our bags inside and the bag will automatically come out. And then we get it. Then we can take the metro.” (in Mandarin)
  • Amber “Because they have to check what is inside the bag. Because people don’t know what is inside.” (in Mandarin)

  • Freida “Because we need to go up. It’s red because it is not to go. You need to walk over, that side to walk over. Because it’s red. You need to walk and go.”

The students wanted to use the escalator, but there was a sign explaining that it is under construction.

  • Felix “Found one elevator. Because there can go up like in the school.”
  • Jooeon “Escalator, this is in the elevator, not escalator.”

  • Felix “We are touching and telling which high we want to go and this is close and open. We go to 2.”

  • Felix “To put there the bad things inside.
  • Jooeon “And there inside garbage.”

When the students were on the platform, they found some signs immediately. They discussed the signs on the bin.

  • Felix “That is the sign to know what we can put inside the garbage. The bottle, tin and the milk.”
  • Michelle “Then we know how we can put things correctly in the bin.” (in Mandarin)

They wondered what the yellow sign is for.

  • Alejandra “Where the train goes. Please don’t touch it.”
  • Nicolas “When you touch it and the door opens you have to make sure you take the right train.”

  • Tyson “就是这个高铁，就是这个地铁，这个是地铁，我坐地铁去学校上学。” [This is a high speed train, and this is the metro. This is metro, I go to school by metro]

The students took a closer look at the map to find out where they are.

  • Michelle “Don’t know go to what.”
  • Freida “We are pointing to NIS. Over here is NIS. We saw NIS from there. So high.”

  • Sarah “We saw a TV. It is for other people to watch.” (in Mandarin)
  • Jasmine “Watching bad guys.”
  • Tyson “I took the metro before. I took a train far, far, far away. It goes to my school.” (in Mandarin)

  • Felix “Because the escalator goes up.”

Felix noticed there are two different signs on the screen. They decided to go from the green one.

  • Felix “You see the red sign that means it does not work.
  • Jiwoo “tick here. Then it open.”
  • Nicolas “When I go to the metro and there was a red sign it worked. So that cannot be for it. It’s a sign to say it is closing faster.”

The teacher put the tickets inside the machine and the students went through the gates.

  • Charlotte “It will close very fast so you have to go through very fast.” (in Mandarin)
  • Si Hyun “Together goes really fast. Use the card. Put there card in here.”
  • Jooeon “This in the card and open door.”

  • Ruby “Ms. Angie is measuring herself and she is up to the top number. Maybe it says if we are big enough to go to school.”
  • Ethan “They are pointing to how tall you are. If we are up to the red thing then we can go to the school.” (in Mandarin)
  • Felix “If we are this high where the red thing is, then we are heavy.”

They talked about the ticket recycling machine and then left the metro station to return to school.

How do you travel to different places? 

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Communication Skills

Listening

  • Listen to information.
  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.

Speaking

  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

Thinking Skills

Analysing

  • Observe carefully.
  • Find unique characteristics.

Generating novel ideas

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

Research Skills

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

  • Use all senses to observe and notice details.

First Aid Kit Inquiry – Sharing our Research

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How can the medicine help people feel better?

Ethan, Alejandra and Jasmine shared their inquiry about the ‘nurse’ and the ‘first aid kit’ with PreK/K1B.

They shared what they have seen in the nurse’s room. PreK/K1B students were interested in the items in the ‘nurse’s bag’.

They took turns to explain to their friends in PreK/K1B, the different products and items that were included in the first aid kit. Later, Luke posed a question “How can the medicine help people feel better?” 

Jasmine, Alejandra and Ethan were not sure about the answer. They decided to bring the question back to the classroom (PreK/K1C) and have a discussion with their friends.

  • Ethan “生病吃药会好。”[If you are sick, you take the medicine then you will feel better.]
  • Ruby “Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the medicine is not right. There are different kinds of medicine that green one, yellow one……”
  • Seungbin “K1B hurt in Golden Eagle (referring to why do we need medicine).”

Alejandra, Jasmine and Ruby wanted to draw their ideas down and share their findings with Luke.

Here are their ideas:

  • Ruby “The ice pack – when you put on your hair or head or anywhere, then you will be better because you will not feel the hot. The Bubble Gum medicine – it can make you very good that you will never be sick. The cotton stick – it can help dry out the blood. The bandage – when they cover the blood, the blood will dry out then you can play in the Golden Eagle.”

  • Alejandra “This is the bag for somebody hurt and he can put over there and feel better. Medicine all ice pack is for help us if we bump into each other and we are hurt. And it will help us feel better.”

  • Jasmine “So under the nurse chair, nurse get us a lot of things. Nurse gave us a broken thing. You break the blue thing and then down have water. And somebody hurt in Golden Eagle, we can help feel better. Here is the people sit down. Because we have to listen to him, Alejandra and me. Here for people feel better. The nurse people she share me she little bit hurt and Alejandra take there and then Alejandra feel better, then me feel better.”

We were excited to share our answers with Luke ……

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

Generating novel ideas

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

Research Skills

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

  • Use all senses to observe and notice details.

Communication Skills

Listening

  • Listen to information.
  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.
  • Ask for clarifications.

Speaking

  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

The First Aid Kit

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While planning the trip to Golden Eagle, many students wondered about safety; what would happen if they got hurt and who would help them.

Three students followed up on these questions, they interviewed the school nurse. On their return, they presented their learning and key points to the rest of the class.

  • Alejandra “We go to the nurse and we said, ‘can we have the bag to go to Golden eagle?’”
  • Jasmine “And then we go to the nurse, we ask the nurse we can take the bag to Golden Eagle.”
  • Alejandra “And then the Nurse let us go to the bag and then she show us ice pack.”
  • Ethan “And nurse, bag put 1 down.”
  • Alejandra “And then she put all the things on the table and show us, and open it and show us all the things.”

  • Alejandra “There I am holding it and I take off, we need to break the blue cap and then we need to take the water from here and we can then put it where it hurt.”

  • Ethan “If you hurt yourself somewhere you can put it on. You put it on the hand. Because Ms. Ellen is pretending she is hurt.” (in Mandarin)

  • Ethan “When the mosquito bites you, you can use it to put it on. The mosquito does not like the smell.” (in Mandarin)

  • Ruby “How do people get sick in the playground?”
  • Alejandra “If you get hot, hot, hot (fever) in the playground and then you have to take this (strawberry flavoured medication) to get it down.
  • Amber “When I was a kid I had a fever, then I put that on my head.” (ice pack) (in Mandarin)  
  • Michelle “I haven’t used this for a long time but I had a fever several times and I used that too.”
  • Jiwoo “I have band aid.”
  • Alejandra “Teacher needs to hold it because teachers know how to do it.” (first Aid kit)
  • Freida “One day when I was sick and another medicine. Other medicine from the nurse.”
  • Alejandra “Strawberry one?”
  • Freida “I had one day.”
  • Teacher How many first Aid kits do we have to take?
  • Alejandra “1. Because another class, because Ms. Ellen has another 1 or maybe we can share this with another class so to go to Golden Eagle.”
  • Teacher “How many groups are going to the Golden Eagle?”
  • Alejandra “3 Groups. Our class, Ms. Hannah class and Ms. Karen’s class.
  • All the students decided that we would need 3 Fist Aid kits.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1128886274234785792

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

Analysing

  • Observe carefully.
  • Find unique characteristics.

Generating novel ideas

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

Research Skills

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

  • Use all senses to observe and notice details.

Communication Skills

Listening

  • Listen to information.
  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.
  • Ask for clarifications.

Speaking

  • Express oneself using words and sentences.
  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

The Trip Plan

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The students decided that they ALL wanted to go with PreK-K1B to Golden Eagle and signed up on the clipboard chart.

 They drew their own pictures to help them plan the trip. The students had many different ideas. It was time to create 1 plan to help us make the trip a reality. We sat down together at a class meeting to create ‘The PLAN’.  

The students have had many experiences and knew that ‘A Plan’ was an important part of all our ‘projects’. We began by looking closely at the individual plans. 

What are the most important things we need to remember? What shall we include on our trip plan?

 First, we looked at some pictures of Golden Eagle that Ms. Hannah took. We were excited!  

 The students took it in turn to share their key points.

  • Alejandra “We need to listen to the teacher and follow.” (agreements)
  • Charlotte “Car.” (mode of travel)
  • Amber “No running.” (agreements)
  • Jooeon “Car.” (mode of travel)
  • SiHyun “Go there, bus.” (mode of travel)
  • Michelle “Play. Play Golden Eagle.”
  • Nicolas “If you sit with another friends, no fussing when we sit with other friend if he is not your friend.” (agreements)
  • Sarah “Daddy and me to go to Golden Eagle.”
  • Ethan “Is helicopter.” (mode of travel)
  • Jiwoo “Mummy and me and go here and eat food and here play and go.”
  • Freida “In Golden Eagle we have a playground, my mum and brother were there last time. We need to not push and sit on the seats in the bus.” (agreements, safety)
  • Seungbin said that he would like to have daddy join him.
  • Lawrence “We go to Golden Eagle. We have be safe. When we are going, no when we play, don’t say bad words.” (agreements)
  • Ruby “You can take your lunch.” (needs)
  • Felix “And don’t run away, when you don’t call the teacher. Then the teacher don’t know where the kids are.” (agreements, safety)
  • Jasmine “By bus. We need eat lunch.” (mode of travel, needs)
  • Ruby “If we go in a bus, where will the bus park? By train, the fast train, I went there to Shanghai.” (mode of travel)

Who are we going with, when we go to Golden Eagle?

  • SiHyun “Teachers, Ms. Jiao, Ms. Shemo and Ms. Tina.”
  • Alejandra “Ms. Hannah’s class.”
  • Ruby “K1B and K1A.”
  • Alejandra “We can’t run away without saying teacher. We can’t play with the children not in the school. And follow his mum, you will get lost. And don’t eat his food.” (agreements, safety)
  • SiHyun “Take daddy and mummy.
  • Amber “Can take snack.” (needs)
  • Freida “Water.” (needs)
  • Ruby “Water bottles. If it’s empty, we can fill it in the Golden Eagle.” (needs)
  • Amber “And bag.” (needs)
  • Alejandra “Our backpack.” (needs)

What if we got hurt? What would we do?

  • Ruby “We tell mummy and teachers take something to help us.” (safety)
  • Alejandra “Take the nurse!” (safety)
  • Jasmine “We need money.” (Explaining that we need money to travel on the rain) (needs)
  • Alejandra “If our parents come with us to the train, our parents can pay.” (needs)
  • SiHyun “You take your bag because we sit down. And your bag.” (Referring to Ms. Shemo)

SiHyun suggested that we should take the classroom chime, which is used in class to gain attention. When it is rung, it means the students need to sit and be ready to listen. Si Hyun thought we needed this on the bus, to help the students remember to sit down in the bus. (agreements)

  • Ruby “When you ring your bell. You have to do ninja. Then we have to go back to the bus and back to the class. And then when we finish, we eat lunch and then we go to play. We play in the playground and also we can play the grasshopper.” (agreements)
  • Amber “Bag, jacket, snack, lunch, daddy and mummy.” (needs)

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

Evaluating

  • Organize information.

Considering new perspectives

  • Seek information.
  • Practise some “visible thinking” routines.

Research Skills

Formulating and planning

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

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

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

Communication Skills

Listening

  • Listen to information.
  • Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.

Speaking

  • Participate in conversations.
  • Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

Reading and writing

  • Use mark-marking to convey meaning.

The Ladybug (Writers Workshop)

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A group of students found a ladybug in the playground. They were curious about the little bug. We placed the bug in a small container and observed it closely using the iPad.

The ladybug walked around the container as it nibbled on the leaves. Some students sat at the table, around the ladybug and began to draw what they noticed. They shared their ideas and theories and chatted with each other about these interesting little creatures.

After a while the students realised that the ladybug needed to be released back into nature. They gently placed the ladybug on the bushes.

Ms. Tina brought in some books about ladybugs. The students gathered around the non-fiction material and discussed what they noticed.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1126800864889303041

The next day, Lawrence brought a book he had made at home about ladybugs. It was an ‘All About Book’ that teaches you about something. He read the story to the students and we observed the different features in his non-fiction book. We compared the book he made with the books from the Library.

Lawrence had remembered to include:

  • A front and back cover
  • A title
  • The authors name
  • Page numbers
  • Pictures
  • Labels
  • Arrows for direction
  • Close-ups

Lawrence read his story with confidence. He then created an audio story using the iPad app ‘Book Creator’. Listen to his story here:

SLO’s

  • participate and respond actively to read aloud situations; make predictions, anticipate possible outcomes
  • make connections to their own experience when listening to or reading texts
  • listen and respond to picture books, showing pleasure, and demonstrating their understanding through gestures, expression and/or words
  • tell their own stories using illustrations and words
  • focus on a speaker and maintain eye contact
  • observe, discuss and comment on the information being conveyed in illustrations

The Trip

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George, Sophia and Justus from PreK-K1B spoke a group of students in PreK-K1C about a plan they were making to go on a trip out of school.

George explained that they were planning to visit Golden Eagle.

  • Justus “We are going to golden eagle to play.”
  • George “There are 3 playgrounds, 2 outside and 1 inside.”
  • Alejandra “I have been to Golden Eagle. Nicolas too.”
  • Ruby “I didn’t go.”
  • Alejandra “We ate some ice-cream.”
  • George “Play and lunch”
  • Ruby “Maybe take your own lunches.”

George agreed that taking our own food was a good idea.

  • Alejandra “If we have a truck then we can go.”
  • Si Hyun “Truck, go to truck and then go to Golden Eagle.”

The K1B students explained that they had gone to Mr. McLellan to ask for permission to go on the trip.

  • George “He said yes to Golden Eagle.”
  • Justus “He is the boss of the school.”

George explained that there are “47 seats on the bus.”

  • Alejandra “For our class?”
  • Justus “Teachers can go as well.”

Mr. McLellan explained that the Teachers and children have to fill in the form together to see if we can go.

  • Alejandra “Can we all go together?”
  • Hannah “Yes, if we plan it.”

We looked at the poster created by PreK-K1B. They were brainstorming ideas on all the different ways they can earn money to pay for the bus ride. 

  • Alejandra “We don’t need money. No because the magic school bus is from our school so we don’t need money.”
  • Ruby “Actually, the magic school bus, we don’t need money.”

Ms. Hannah suggested that we check to see if we need money, when we fill in the form.

  • Ruby “We can find some of the money from our home.
  • Si Hyun “I have money, so many at my home.”
  • Laurence “We can go out and look for money. At the spider web.”
  • Justus “We can sell food. Watermelon.
  • Sophia “We can use clay to make the animals to sell. To make money.”

The Students wonder where their discussions will take them…stay tuned…

The Showcase

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Central Idea: 

People can express themselves in different ways.

Lines of Inquiry:

  • ways we can express ourselves
  • accepting our diversity

Key Concepts: form, perspective

Related Concepts: gesture, movement, voice, communication, self-expression, creativity

The time has come to plan our ‘Showcase‘. How will we choose to share our expressions, feelings and ideas? The students sat down to discuss the choices they wanted to include in the Showcase. They decided on 6 different acts.

The groups joined an expert to help them learn more about the different ways we can express ourselves.

The Sri Lankan dance group joined Ms. Shemo to plan the performance. There were 6 students who wanted to choose this form of expression. We decided to call it the ‘Asian Dance’ but then changed the name to ‘Sri Lankan Dance‘. We gathered to talk and document our thinking and ideas on chart paper. 

The students decided that they need to think about the following points:

  • costumes
  • bindi’s
  • candles
  • makeup
  • dance routines

The students decided that they need six bindi’s (1 for each of them) and 1 for the teacher. They wanted big ones ‘just like Ms. Shemo wore’ during the Sri Lankan dance performance. They also wanted to wear a saree and have nice makeup.

The students wanted to think about the different dance moves. They began to draw the different moves and then showed the moves using their bodies.

Next, they stitched their costumes using a sewing machine.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1118117868334243840

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1118117402443534336

 

The ‘Hip-hop‘ dance group were inspired by the X-Block students who came in to perform on the Early Years stage.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1109034660724531201

The Hip-hop dance group of 4 students joined Ms. Tina to discuss their thoughts and plan their performance piece for the ‘Showcase’.

Together they:

  • went to the costume cupboard to see if they can find the costumes they had planned to wear.
  • Designed and/or created their own costumes. One student wanted to be a fairy hip-hop dancer, another a boxer and two students decided to be skeletons.
  • Dyed or painted their costumes

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1118121876130189312

  • Sketched ideas for their face paints
  • Provided feedback on the different dance moves
  • Practiced the steps for the performance

 

The ‘Cat Song‘ group started with a group of 14 students. They planned their performance with Ms. Hannah. 

  • Jessica suggested having some dancers as well as singers.
  • Michelle suggested that the dancers could sing and dance at the same time.

The group members all agreed with the decisions. The children decided on the costumes and designed makeup for the Showcase.

 

Yet another group of students joined Mr. Cal to explore sound, rhythm and beat using drums. They were curious about the different sounds they can make with the different drums.

They decided on a song they would like to play while they performed in ‘The Band‘. The group practiced with Mr. Cal to the song ‘Wavin’ Flag’.

Two students decided to join the ‘Taekwondo‘ group with Ms. Victoria. After a discussion they decided on the:

  • costumes
  • soundtrack
  • lead (person the lead the group)
  • Taekwondo moves

They needed costumes and a ‘cool’ soundtrack. They decided to use the song ‘Kung fu fighting’!

The costume for the performance.

One student decided to teach and lead the dance group.

Ruby and Freida decided to express themselves through paints. Ms. Pam led the ‘Painting‘ group as they prepared for their showcase.

Ruby decided that purple hairspray would be a wonderful addition!

The Exhibition

The students eagerly practiced for the showcase. They wheeled the display boards through the gym to the foyer near the Library. The decided where to place the boards and tables that would display their learning journey.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1119101429715619840

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1119102317603639297

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1119101186638901248

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1119081846925447168

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

• Identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Research Skills

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

• Select information sources and digital tools.

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

Communication Skills

Listening

• Listen to information.

• Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.

• Ask for clarifications.

Speaking

• Express oneself using words and sentences.

• Participate in conversations.

• Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

Reading, writing and mathematics

• Understand that mark-making carries meaning.

• Use mark-marking to convey meaning.

Social Skills

Interpersonal relationships

• Practise empathy and care for others.

• Listen closely to others.

• Be respectful to others.

• Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns.

• Help others.

Social and emotional intelligence

• Be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a learning group.

Self-management Skills

• Choose and complete tasks independently.

• Follow the directions of others.

• Share responsibility for decision-making.

Mindfulness

• Take responsibility for own well-being.

• Be aware of body–mind connections.

Perseverance

• Demonstrate persistence in tasks.

Resilience

• Show ability to adjust to new situations.

 

Agency: When learners:

  • are actively engaged in various stages of learning, including: thinking about, planning, modifying and creating
  • are actively involved in discussion, questioning and by being self-directed in their creating (as opposed to passive receiving)
  • apply their understanding of concepts through the construction of their projects/play
  • make connections to the real world by taking past experiences into their play worlds
  • have an active voice and stake in the classroom/community
  • face challenges and are given the freedom to independently overcome these or fail through trial and error or experimentation
  • are risk-takers
  • express their theories of the world and these are honoured in the environment

(IBO, 2018)

The Showcase

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We remember planning a show for our community. It took us a long time. We had so many jobs that needed to get done. It was so much fun.

Soon, we will have another opportunity to be on stage. This is for our PreK-K1 Showcase. We gathered together to talk about the experiences we have had so far.

We remember taking part in the Chinese New Year celebrations, learning more about China, appreciating the culture, language and traditions.

We created our own story ‘Not A Stick’, using our pictures as a way to express our ideas.

We used small world toys to express ourselves through storytelling. 

We shared our stories through the creation of games and drew Zentangle pictures to express our feelings.

We also reflected on how we created stories and shared important messages through our photographs.

We enjoyed going on journeys to other countries through dance, song and food.

Some of us even expressed ourselves while creating flower arrangements!

As we continued to map out our experiences on how people express themselves and their diversity in many different ways, we wondered how we can share some of these experiences with our community. We looked at a picture of the stage in the PAC to help us plan our ideas.  

It was a big space. What should we choose to showcase?

We talked about some of our favourite ideas. After many discussions, the students began to narrow their ideas down. We had 6 options. We listened to the music track of each item to make our choices. It was hard.

Stay tuned to hear more about our next steps!

What do you know about fish?

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An Inquiry Into Fish by Charlotte

Charlotte has a big interest in fish. During play time, she shared many things about fish with Ms. Tina. Later she drew a picture about the different kinds of fish and talked about their characteristics. Here is Charlotte’s initial drawing and thinking about fish.

“这里有很多鲸鲨宝宝，长大了很大，小时候很小，而且很多鱼有自己的蛋。” [Here are some whale babies, when they grow up, they will be very big, when they are young, they are small. And many fish have their own eggs.]

Related Concepts: Growth, Change

“这是鲸鲨刚出生的时候，它出现裂痕，金鲨蛋慢慢长大。它们吃虾，它们很小。裂痕越来越多的时候，它就会破壳。” [This is when the whale was first born, it began to have cracks. They eat shrimp. They are very small. When the shell cracks more and more, the shell will break.]

Related Concepts: Growth, Change

“海鳝。我觉得有点儿可怕，它有小颗的尖牙齿，这是开心的。它很快速度长大，长大了就变得长长的。” [Muraenidae or Moray eel.I think it’s a little bit scary, it has small and sharp teeth. This is a happy eel. It grows very fast, when it grows, it becomes very long.]

Related Concepts: Growth, Development, Form, Change

After drawing some fish, Charlotte went to the library to show Ms. Romero her picture and asked if she can borrow some books about fish.

Ms. Romero showed her some interesting books about fish in the sea and also books about sharks.

Charlotte was so interested in building her knowledge about fish in the sea, and she was keen to add to her inquiry about fish. When she came back to the classroom, she decided to keep adding details on her ‘Fish Board’. Here are some more ideas.

“海里还有白鲸，白鲸的蛋。” [In the sea, there are white whales. This is the egg of the white whale.]

Related Concepts: Living Organisms

“旗鱼最快，它有尖尖的鼻子，可以捕捉猎物，它的猎物是小鱼。它是蓝色和白色的，它需要20年才能孵化。等每个蛋都孵化了，它就会长大。” [Swordfish are the fastest. It has a sharp nose, it can catch prey. It eats small fish. It’s blue and white. It needs 20 years to hatch. When they all finish hatching, they will grow up.]

Related Concepts: Growth, Behaviour, Change, Form

“它还没有出生，它出现了裂痕。小鱼。这些是鱼子，它是可以吃的。” [It isn’t born yet, it has cracks. Small fish. These are rows, we can eat them.]

“海里还有珊瑚虫，圈圈是它的窝，它经常在里面吃东西。” [In the sea, there are also coral reef fish, the circle is their home. They eat there often.]

“咸水，才能在海水里，因为它们喜欢咸水。” [Salty water. Only in salty water. Because they like the salty water.]

Related Concepts: Environment, Habitat, Ecosystem, Growth, Change

“水母的头很软，半圆形，它刚出生的时候还没有孵化，它的触角有毒，不能碰。” [The head of the jellyfish is very soft. It’s a half circle. When it was born, it wasn’t hatched. The tentacles are toxic, you can’t touch them.]

Related Concepts: Structure, Form, Growth

A few students were inspired by Charlotte’s inquiry and they joined in to inquire with Charlotte. They had some great conversations about how different fish protect themselves. Later, they too created their own ‘Fish Game’ by using the small toy fish. They had a lot of fun.

Here is a fragment of their discussion.

  • Charlotte “这是大鱼。”[This is big fish.]
  • Ethan “鳗鱼是很小的，有时候有刺，可以发射自己的刺。”[Eel is very small, sometimes it’s stabbing. It can launch the thorn.]
  • Charlotte “有刺攻击别人，保护自己。” [It can protect itself if it has a thorn.]
  • Ethan “鱼在打架，同类的鱼会打架，不同类的鱼不会打架。”[Fish fight, the same type of fish fight, the different type of fish don’t.]

Related Concepts: Connection, Relationship, Function, Form, Survival

The next day, other two students went through Charlotte’s inquiry board and asked if they could add more information.

The students talked, played and worked together as they built on their existing theories. They continued to add more of their thinking on the inquiry poster.

The learning continues…

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

-Acquisition of Knowledge

use inquiry to acquire information

-Comprehension
make drawing that reflect understandings

Social Skills

-Cooperating

co-operate and share in mixed groups

Communication Skills

communicate in different ways

Research Skills

collect data from the internet to the inquiry

Expressing Ourselves – Games

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We have been exploring how we can express ourselves in different ways. During a regular PE lesson, Ms. Angie gave the students a variety of resources and invited them to create their own games, as a way to express themselves.

The Circus Game

by Nicolas, Felix, Freida and Alejandra

  • Nicolas “This is a circus and they are watching how we did the circus. And then I said who wants to help to be somebody like that? Then they trained, Felix and then catching them and catching and then looping. The cones are so nobody breaks it. This is the mat (red square) so they can go inside. We taught the teacher how to do it. The people when they go inside we had it to do more things. I thought of a circus because of other people stop and maybe sit down. Because maybe they will watch us. In a circus, I was in the Shanghai circus, first we go to Angela and then we go to a shop, get some candy and go to the circus. And they were doing acrobatics. One of them slided down with the head down. I know how to do it. When they are really new to it. And the other one, he was balancing for 6 minutes. Two pieces of golden. They like to train and show the people what they do. I know a circus song.
  • Alejandra “Making a game like a show where people can look it. You need to start again and again. Because I need to do so many things on stage, starting, standing, so many things to do.”
  • Felix “You throw it and then you get it in your hand. The hoop. I like it because that (the game) was so big.
  • Freida “We played the circus. So amazing. We built it better. Just dance and dance.”

 

The House Game

By Jasmine Sarah and Michelle

  • Jasmine “We playing in the games. I in outside with my sister playing this. We do lots of games like this. Same one. Because we want this is short, very ok.”  “我们的家。就是我们可以一起玩，我们可以洗脸刷牙，可以吃饭，还可以睡觉。这里是我们变身的地方。它的名字叫place。是因为是我们创造的东西。是蜘蛛网的地方玩过，我和姐姐一起玩过这个游戏。” [This is our home. We can play together. We can wash our face and brush our teeth, also we can eat and sleep. Here is the place we can play ‘changing’ game. The name of the game is ‘place’. I played it with my sister in the spiderweb.]
  • Michelle “我们会跑来跑去。我在和妈妈还有爸爸在客厅玩过这个游戏， Jasmine, Sarah 去过我家，玩过家家的游戏，我们玩过。我们可以一起唱歌。” [We run here and there, I play this game with mummy and daddy at our home. Jasmine and Sarah went to my home before to play the house game. And we sang together.]
  • Sarah “我们在做家。我们在搭得非常漂亮。我们刷牙。这个地方是我们刷牙的，这个地方是我们睡觉的，这个地方是吃东西的，还有喝茶的。Jasmine和我就变成梅西了，Michelle 和我变成Elsa了，Elsa是我最喜欢的了。” [We are making a home. It’s very beautiful. We brush our teeth here, we sleep here and we eat here. Jasmine and I change into Meixi, Michelle and I change into Elsa. Elsa is my favourite.]

 

The Skittle Game

by Si Hyun, Jiwoo and Ethan

  • Jiwoo “We here. Hitting this (skittles).”
  • Si Hyun “Ball go skittle, knock, fall down. Finished. Jiwoo and Ethan and me play.”
  • Ethan “我们在玩保龄球，一个球滚过去，你怎么打保龄球就怎么打保龄球。我在句容家楼上玩过，我哥哥弹钢琴的时候我和阿婆一起玩这个游戏。” [We are playing bowling, one ball rolls there. It’s the same as how you play the bowling game. I played this game with my grandma in my home when my brother was playing the piano in JuRong.]

 

Skip and Roll Game

by Amber, Charlotte and Lawrence

  • Charlotte “我们在这里做翻跳弓。是跳过去，跳过去再跳过去然后踢到一个东西，踢到一个柱子然后再转回来，再回到原地，很好玩。还有我们三个一起做了翻跳弓，我们三个就跳跳跳……..” [We are playing ‘jump and roll’. You jump, jump and jump then you kick one thing and come back to the beginning. It’s interesting. We three make it and jump and jump and jump……]
  • Lawrence “The jump, because Charlotte and Amber and me say jump, then jump over this (skittles). Jump in the numbers and this (skittle) is fall down. Amber is first, then Charlotte and then me. Because I like this game, because I play all time my home with mummy and my sister.”
  • Amber “我的游戏叫‘太空翻’，我最喜欢玩太空翻。从这里跳到那里，再翻一个跟头，再翻跟头。我把它弄倒，然后再跳跳跳。是Lawrence想到的。我喜欢玩这个游戏。[My game is called ‘Space Somersault’. It’s my favourite game. You jump here to there and turn, a somersault, then another somersault. I break it down and jump, jump, jump. Lawrence thought about this game first. I like to play this game.”

 

The Skito Game

by Jooeon and Seungbin

  • Jooeon “Knock down bowling pins using ring.” [in Korean]

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1101003791611060225

What games can you create to express yourself?

When students have AGENCY they…

  • are actively engaged in various stages of learning, including: thinking about, planning, modifying and creating
  • are actively involved in discussion, questioning and by being self-directed in their creating (as opposed to passive receiving)
  • apply their understanding of concepts through the construction of their projects/play
  • make connections to the real world by taking past experiences into their play worlds
  • have an active voice and stake in the classroom/community
  • face challenges and are given the freedom to independently overcome these or fail through trial and error or experimentation
  • are risk-takers
  • express their theories of the world and these are honoured in the environment
  • reect on their actions and self-regulate.  (IBO, 2017)

THE SHOW!

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The students were excited about the show they have been practicing their different acts and we now ready to perform for an audience. Our final show would include the students sharing the following items:

  1. Gymnastics – Tumbling on the incline mat and wedge ramp
  2. Bridge
  3. Splits
  4. Gymnastics – Rolling 
  5. Cartwheels
  6. An introduction to yoga followed by partner balances
  7. Ribbon dance

The students were particular about the music they wanted. ‘Waka Waka’ by Shakira and ‘Axel F’ by Crazy Frog originally performed by Harold Faltermeyer, and ‘See You Again’ a wonderful Chinese instrumental by Guzheng were chosen for the final show.

A group of students made tickets for the audience. 

The students arrived with their parents, excited to share what they have been working on. Their first job was to put on their face paints.

They gathered together, parents helping their own child, while supporting others students.  

A group of students placed tags on the carpets to let the audience know where they need to sit. They have tags for ‘Parents, PreK-K1A, PreK-K1B and K2.

Next, a group of students handed out the tickets they had made. Each person needed a ticket to watch the show. 

 

A student from K2 acted as MC and welcomed the audience.

“Welcome to the PreK-K1show. We hope you enjoy the performance!”  

And the show began…

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1070858715027275777

At the end of the show, the K2 student thanked the audience for coming in to see the show. Ms. Angie explained to the parents how the show was a student driven process.

Some of the K2 students came in to share the ‘Thank You’ cards they had made for the students in PreK-K1C.

SLO’s

Movement Composition 

  • explore different ways of moving on the floor and on apparatus

The Performance…Organisation

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The different parts of our performance are coming together.

Next, we worked on the invitations. The students took turns to copy write the information that would be included in the card. 

Our cards are ready to go home! 

Ms. Angie came in to help us practice our different performance pieces. First, we needed to collect the mats for our gymnastics performance. The students went over to the storage room and helped carry them into the Early Years Centre. 

Charlotte “I am strong because I eat vegetables and meat!” (in Mandarin)

What about the MUSIC?

A group of students went with Ms. Angie to see Ms. Shanshan. She works in the office across from Mr. Dodge. She may be able to help us get some speakers. Why?

Ruby “Because we want to make the music loud and then we can dance and all the big people can clap!”

Ms. Shanshan told the students that they needed to put in a yellow form and make a request.The students then went over to fill in the form. Ms. Angie helped with the writing.

Ruby “We had to find the paper to know where is the speaker.”

“We are getting the yellow paper.”

Now we are ready to practice our performance. We had to remember to be safe. 

Nicolas “I don’t think that will work because when people do it (cartwheel) they will fall down.” [Nicolas was explaining how we may fall off the side of the stage if we are not careful] 

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1069465945041645568

What about the face paints? 

The students began to create their designs. They included Spiderman, rainbows and stripes. Here are a few of our ideas.

Update!

4th December, 2018

A group of students went on a tour to deliver the invitations to the performance. We have been working through the different tasks to organise the event.

First, we went over to meet Mr. Dodge, and Ms. Mad to tell them all about the show.

https://twitter.com/NISPreKK1/status/1069899449671999490

Then we went to PreK-K1 A and PreK-K1B to invite them too.

We didn’t forget to invite our buddies in K2! 

Watch this space to be updated!!

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

Thinking Skills

• Identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Research Skills

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

• Select information sources and digital tools.

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

Communication Skills

Listening

• Listen to information.

• Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.

• Ask for clarifications.

Speaking

• Express oneself using words and sentences.

• Participate in conversations.

• Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.

Reading, writing and mathematics

• Understand that mark-making carries meaning.

• Use mark-marking to convey meaning.

Social Skills

Interpersonal relationships

• Practise empathy and care for others.

• Listen closely to others.

• Be respectful to others.

• Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns.

• Help others.

Social and emotional intelligence

• Be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a learning group.

Self-management Skills

• Choose and complete tasks independently.

• Follow the directions of others.

• Share responsibility for decision-making.

Mindfulness

• Take responsibility for own well-being.

• Be aware of body–mind connections.

Perseverance

• Demonstrate persistence in tasks.

Resilience

• Show ability to adjust to new situations.

The Performance…continued…

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The next step…

We are excited about performing for an audience, and have been planning our own performance. 

We have been working with Ms. Angie and Ms. Tina to perfect our Ribbon Dance. We are excited about being able to use the ‘rainbow ribbons’ for our actual performance.

Our next step was to decide where we will perform. Ms. Angie told us that the Green Gym was not available for us. The students then decided that the stage in the ‘piazza’ was the next best space.  A group of students gathered on the stage to discuss the details of the performance.

What else do we need to consider?

We decide that we need music. Ruby suggested that we get the “big black things to hear the music” (sound system). She explains that it needs to be placed close to the pillars on the stage.

Amber wonders if we can have food for the audience. Ethan suggests we have ‘candy’ and Nicolas says we may want to offer ‘popcorn’ and ‘water’. We wondered if it was a good idea to have food out in the gym. How messy will it get? How can we manage it?

This leads to a discussion about where the audience will sit. we decide that adults may not want to sit on the floor. The students suggest using the benches. We bring them over to give them a try. Ms. Shemo and Ms. Tina try them out. It feels comfortable.  Our next decision is about communication. How will we inform people about the performance. We talk about letters and then decide on making invitations. The students create their own invitations. They decide to draw pictures of the different performances that will be showcased.

The Invitations

We are wondering if we can have face paints. Who will help us? 

What else do we need to consider?

Our inquiry continues…

Agency: When learners:

  • are actively engaged in various stages of learning, including: thinking about, planning, modifying and creating
  • are actively involved in discussion, questioning and by being self-directed in their creating (as opposed to passive receiving)
  • apply their understanding of concepts through the construction of their projects/play
  • make connections to the real world by taking past experiences into their play worlds
  • have an active voice and stake in the classroom/community
  • face challenges and are given the freedom to independently overcome these or fail through trial and error or experimentation
  • are risk-takers
  • express their theories of the world and these are honoured in the environment

(IBO, 2018)

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