Levers

As part of our writing programme, we are looking at writing a procedure. Today we wrote a simple experiment, including our question, hypothesis, equipment needed, the steps involved, and a conclusion. The experiment involved exploring simple levers. Then the class played with their levers, moving the fulcrum and adjusting the force they applied.

Sharing The Planet

Our current Unit of Inquiry is 'Sharing The Planet'. We are looking at urban environments and how we can adapt and modify them in order to bring about sustainable change. During the past few weeks we have been exploring the central idea, looking at unit vocabulary, and deciding on elements that urban environments have in common. In IT we have explored urban environments through Google Earth - taking a scavenger hunt through cities around the world to find examples of infrastructure, recreational areas, services etc.

Sothearath - Clay

Artist Statement - Sothearath

“I used clay to make a picture. I wanted flowers in it because flowers make me happy. I looked at pictures in the internet, I like the one with rainbow flowers by Dsu Dsu. I like the flowers I made and the way I mixed the colours. ”

Ooblek - Dr Suess

Oobleck is very fascinating stuff! The other week Mrs Karyn brought some into class to show us! We used our imaginations and wrote a narrative using the 'what if' scenario of 'what if the ooblek came to life? The children's ideas were fantastic! Ooblek is a non-newtonian fluid. That is, it acts like a liquid when being poured, but like a solid when a force is acting on it. You can grab it and then it will ooze out of your hands. Make enough Oobleck and you can even walk on it!

Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck where a gooey green substance, Oobleck, fell from the sky and caused chaos in the town. We watched the story online, and then made Ooblek ourselves.

Barbie Sails The Hawaiian Regatta

"I chose this book because I have had it for a long time and it is my favourite. I like the pictures. When I read it to the class I felt scared." By Sothearath.

Unit Vocabulary

Today with Ms Tatiana, we reviewed some of our unit vocabulary. Understanding the language we are using will help children make more sense of what we are studying. We looked at pictures and tried to come up with our own synonyms to explain what they mean. Then we carefully matched the words and their definitions.

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:

Not a Box

On Friday we had the early years team visit us to look at our 'not a box' creations. It was wonderful to see the younger children interact with us, asking questions and studying our own creations. What innovative learners we have in grade two! The related concept to out unit of inquiry was 'imagination'.

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.

How We Express Ourselves

Today we began a class rotation designed to unpack the central idea of our unit of inquiry. The central idea for this UOI is :

'How personal perspective influences how we create art'

Children engaged in several tasks. Some looked at the central idea, discussing what the vocabulary actually meant. Then they wrote their own central idea - putting what they thought it meant into their own words. Here are some of their attempts:

'All of us have different personalities and perspectives and that changes how we make art '- Lucas

'We all feel different when we see different things' -Sounavann

'The way that we think affects the way that we make and view art' - Samir

'How we make art makes us feel different ways' - Boramey

'Some people view things in different ways and how we feel isn't always the same so how we make art is different' - Hana

'We all have different ideas, and people are different, so our art will be different' - Sothearath

'How you make art shows how you feel about something' - Ngy Meng

'People are different, so their art is different' - Erika

In other rotations, learners engaged in art activities designed to spark their creativity and imagination. Here are children working on their 'Not a Box' creations motivated by the book by Antoinette Portis. They had drawn up plans as part of a home learning activity, and today some of them began bringing their drawings to life.

We also had a group looking at creating their own piece of original art using nothing but strips of paper and glue. Children were encouraged to reflect on their work through our key concepts.

What is it like? (Form)

Why is it like it is? (Causation)

What are the points of view (Perspective)

The imagination of children never ceases to amaze me. They wove, curled, folded, and cut the paper into unique and original pieces. They are learning to explain why they chose to create it how they did.

This stunning example by Sophia M, became the topic of hot conversation! Children all viewed it with completely different perspectives - linking us directly back to our central idea!

Sophia explained that her design represented 'friendship'. When others looked at it...these are the thoughts it evoked:

'It reminds me of a trampoline'

'I think it is a bunch of flowers'

'I think she was making a rocket ship'

'I think it's like a volcano'

'Maybe the artist was making it look like a jellyfish'

'I don't know what it is...but when I look at it, it reminds me of my grandmother as she loved sculpture'

Wow! Perhaps 'personal perspective influences the way we create art' after all. It clearly influences the way we view it!

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?'.

Wet Recess

It doesn't happen often...but on the odd occasion we get rain at break times. Last week it poured down right on bell time and today the sky darkened so much we thought there'd been an eclipse! Then it bucketed down. Here are some pictures of what the class gets up to during wet recess.

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!)

Guided Reading Rotation

In reading, we participate in a variety of tasks to build our reading fluency and comprehension. Tasks vary depending on our needs, our current unit of inquiry, and the specific skills we need to acquire.
These pictures were taken during today's reading session.


Collage 1: Guided reading sessions with a focus on building comprehension and being able to make meaning form the story.

Collage 2: Using online tools (in this case Raz kids) to listen to, read, and engage in questions about the story.

 Collage 3: Building vocabulary. Here children are using the magnetic letters to create word lists related to our unit of inquiry.

Collage 4: In these pictures, learners are investigating their own unit of inquiry questions...seeking answers using unit books, and online websites and videos.

We Love Swimming!

We love our swimming sessions every Tuesday afternoon. We apologise if we are sometimes a little slow to get changed! If we don't turn up on time to our usual pick up location, you may like to meet us by the pool gate.

CSI - Ms Tatiana

Ms Tatiana has been spending time in the grade two classrooms. She has been helping learners fine-tune their understanding of concepts relating to out unit, through the use of the visible thinking tool 'Colour / Symbol / Image'.

Today they worked in small groups around our units themes and related concepts of balance, choice, responsibility, lifestyle, and health.

Practising 'Calm'

Part of our UOI has focussed on ways to keep our body healthy, but we have also been looking at factors that contribute to our mental wellbeing. Children are identifying ways in which they relax, and activities that lead to their own positive feelings. This week we spent time talking about ways that we relax, and listened to some meditative music to wind down after a busy day. Luckily nobody fell asleep!

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?

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.