How We Express Ourselves 2016/17
2016/17
Year Long Unit of Inquiry:
Central Idea:
Celebrations and traditions are expressions of shared beliefs and values.
Lines of Inquiry:
- Features of traditions and celebrations
- Why people celebrate
- The different perspectives within celebrations and traditions
Concepts: form, connection, perspective
Related Concepts: traditions, celebration, beliefs, values, belonging, culture
Story #1
Brainstorm
The students have been discussing what celebrations are. They shared their ideas and experiences using pictures and words. 
Story #2
Mid Autumn Festival
The students celebrated MId-Autumn Festival. They listened to stories, drew pictures and made yummy mooncakes.
https://twitter.com/NISKinder2/status/776354964889186304
Story #3
Autumn Festival
We have been reading many stories and discussing different celebrations during the month of October. Stories of dragons, monsters and strange creatures have dominated out reading time. Here are some of our favourites. 
The students have also been creating some wonderful Fall Artwork.
Story #4
Happy Halloween!
We read ‘Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters‘ and ‘Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters‘ by Jane Yolen to celebrate Halloween. We then created our own monsters!
Ms. Olivia came in to read ‘Ten Timid Ghosts‘ by Jeniffer O’Connell. In this story a witch tries to scare ten ghosts out of the haunted house where they live, but in the end, they play a trick on her.
We then watched the video ‘Room on the Broom‘ by Julia Donaldson. The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch’s hat, her bow, and then her wand! When disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?
The students then made finger puppets to help them retell the story.
Story #5
Melbourne Cup
Ms. Suzy showed us a video about the Melbourne Cup, a very important celebration in Australia.
The students enjoyed colouring in horses and attaching them to pop sticks.
Story #6
Family Traditions and Celebrations
The students presented the posters they created to explain their family traditions and celebrations.
Celebrations and Traditions
Santa comes down through the chimney and climbs back up. There are 4 stockings, one for my mum, dad, brother and me.
We make yummy foods and buy a Christmas tree. We put presents under the tree. Santa brings presents for me.
We hide the Easter eggs in the grass. There are candy and sugar in the eggs. Student Question: Why did Jesus die and rise again? A: I only know that Jesus was born by Mary. Student Question: Why is it special? Why does the rabbit come? A: The bunny may think now everybody is gone. So people don’t see them.
Student Question: How does Santa give you presents under the christmas tree? A: Santa put them at Christmas. Student Question: Why do you need a flame? A: The flame makes us warm. Student Question: Why is the celebration important? A: If Santa did not come we don’t know where the presents are.
Story #7
Thanksgiving
The students discussed what they were thankful for. They shared it on a wonderful ‘Thankful Tree’, created by the whole of K2.
Story #8
Chinese New Year
The students discussed the significance of the upcoming Chinese New Year and watched the story of Nian.
They enjoyed creating lanterns to decorate the classroom.
Celebrating Chinese New Year at NIS!
When the students came to school they saw:
The students discussed what they had seen.
- Oliver: I saw them playing drums.
- Vera: I saw the dragon had many colours on the clothes.
- Salva: I saw this dragon is not real. They were men.
- Vera: Like a giant puppet.
- Hally: I saw people inside the lion.
- Gabby: I saw people holding the sticks there to make it feel like they are alive.
Teacher: Why do we wear read?
- Gabby: because the monster Nian does not like red.
- Vera: I wonder if we can make dragons?
- Gabby: I see the dragon has very sharp teeth.
- Oliver: There are rainbow colours on the dragon.
- Vera: The pattern on the body is shaped like an ‘s’.
Our clothes have patterns of dragons on them. The dragons are decorated with patterns.
The students watched a video about Chinese New Year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cRMRp9-Z08
The students then made their own dragons.
