Trip to the Playground

On Tuesday we visited Wat Botum Playground to explore how simple machines are used in everyday life. As a reflection, students drew posters and are working on a visual 'green-screen'  presentation which demonstrates their understanding.

Nica - Painting

Artist Statement - Nica

“My art is called Colourful Princess Celestia. I like my Little Pony so I wanted to paint one. I used colourful water paint, a dark pen, a brush, water, and paper. I like it because it looks beautiful. It looks rainbowy and nice.”

Puppetry

Today the form of art we looked at was Puppetry.

Puppetry is... the making and manipulation of puppets for use in some kind of theatrical show. A puppet is a figure—human, animal, or abstract in form—that is moved by human, and not mechanical, aid.



We had visiting performers come from the Sovanna Phum Art Association. They presented a one and a half hour show in the Black Box Theatre. It was a combination of small puppetry, storytelling, dance and traditional music. Wow! What a show! The children were really engaged by this traditional Khymer art form.

I have uploaded 3 short clips from todays performance. As part of your homework choose which is your favourite and explain why. What story do you think was being told? What art forms were being used?
                                                                           Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

Geometry - 'Shape' in art

We have recently reviewed our understanding of 2d and 3d shapes and angles. The learning outcomes for this are to:

• Recognise and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.
• Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.

Today we made connections between our current unit 'How We Express Ourselves' and this maths strand. We looked at how shape is used in art and how specific artists have created art in which objects and people are broken up into geometric forms.

We looked at cubism as an art form, identifying geometric form in Fernand Leger and Pablo Picasso's work. Then we used shape to create our own original designs...using our imaginations.

Scratch Jnr

Today Mr Matt came and worked with us on an app called 'Scratch Junior'. This is a very early introduction to computer programming. It will be a useful tool when we come to present our narrative writing, as it allows us to present our information in a new and imaginative way. Today we experimented with the tools on this app and then worked collaboratively with a partner to programme our own imaginative scene. This week we may use it to further explain our thinking of one of our unit vocabulary words 'perspective'.

Provocation 'How We Express Ourselves'

This week we launched into our new unit of inquiry. We are currently tuning into the unit, and on Tuesday moved around the grade two classes completing a provocation designed to spark our thinking about different art forms and their purpose. Learners made notes using the visible thinking routine 'I See, I Think, I Wonder'. There were carvings, artworks, sculptures, dances, poems, music, and dramatisations for them to look at...all to provoke their thinking around the question 'What is art?'.

Loving Library!

On our Wednesday library session, we began looking for examples of our new UOI- 'How We Express Ourselves' in the books that we are reading. Wadia shared a great picture book she found about a photographer and an artist...and their different perspectives. It is wonderful to see the students beginning to 'make connections' so early in this unit.

I see / I think / I wonder

Today we introduced a visible thinking routine called See / Think / Wonder. This tool will be used throughout our next unit of inquiry  'How We Express Ourselves'. It will be particularly powerful as we launch into this arts based unit, as it encourages students to think carefully about why something looks the way it does, or is the way it is.

The Purpose: What kind of thinking does this routine encourage?



This routine encourages students to make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations.
It helps stimulate curiosity and sets the stage for inquiry.

Today we used it by focusing on a collection of interesting images related to our current unit. This helped encourage students to further apply their new knowledge and ideas.

They were asked:
• What do you see?
• What do you think about that?
• What does it make you wonder?

On a personal note...I have just got home and have found this massive spider outside my apartment!

My photo is a bit blurry, but it looked just like the one on the right!

I see: A large spider with freaky eyes staring at me from the wall.

It has slight stripes, long legs, and isn't particularly hairy.

I think: It might be native to Cambodia.

It probably isn't dangerous...but it could be!

This may prevent me from sleeping well tonight!

If there is one spider here...then there are probably more.

I wonder: What kind of spider it is.

Which of the children in my class will be clever enough to find out for me.

How I can get rid of it without killing it...(or having to go near it!)

Read Read Read

We love reading! It is fantastic to see the children self selecting high interest books. Many have been investigating the unit books, to help them find the answers to their own inquiry questions.

Why Do You Come to School?

Student Questions

As part of our unit of inquiry, students came up with their own questions for investigation. We looked at 'thick' and 'thin' questioning first, to ensure we came up with robust open ended questions, relevant to our inquiry.

As we delve deeper into what it means to be healthy, students are discovering that their is much more involved than just food and exercise. Some of their questions included;

How does sleep affect our health?
In what ways can friendships affect your health?
How can people make themselves happier?
How can you keep your brain healthy?

Explain Everything

Mr Matt spent some time in our class this week teaching us how to use the app 'Explain Everything'. This will be a fabulous tool to share our learning. We experimented with the tools today, so that we can use this app to successfully share our thinking with others.

Friday Photos

It was wonderful to see the children out and about at break times, enjoying the playground and facilities. 

We finished our name tags to label our cubby holes. 

 We enjoyed our free lunch by Epicure at the cafeteria. These free sample lunches will also be available on Monday and Tuesday. From Wednesday, children who have not signed up for the epicure lunches will need to bring their lunch from home, or have it delivered to the baskets at school by 11.30. Children still need a healthy snack for recess.