In lab we have had a try at a learning activity called contraption maker. The games are directly linked to our UOI and focus on children using simple machines to perform tasks. Our first session last week proved challenging; as children learnt to persevere and solve problems.
Now the children are starting to put their knowledge into practice. Our first groups began making their Rube Goldberg machines in class today. This required patience, teamwork and perseverance. Tomorrow they will test, record, and explain their findings.
We have been exploring inclined planes today. In reading we discovered their many forms and uses. We also conducted some simple experiments to see if the angle of the incline affected the distance a toy car would travel down a ramp. Plenty of fun and very engaged students!
The children in grade two hosted a fantastic Spotlight on the arts evening with the art and music teachers before the holidays. We had many families visit and spend time working through the artistic process with their children. Children also shared their summatives from their ' How We Express Ourselves Unit'. It was a fabulous evening!
“I made pop art. A shirt I was wearing inspired me so I looked at examples on the internet. I liked James Rizzi’s work because it was colourful. I like the superhero Flash so I did him. I used watercolour pencils and black sharpie. I made outlines of the pictures I had printed and used bright colours. The title for my work is Super Pop Techno.”
We have been reviewing our understanding of time during the past week. The learning focus has been on understanding and reading analogue and digital clocks, and the calendar. We are practicing reading time to 5 minute intervals.
" I chose this book because I think it is funny. For how you express yourself, I think people should laugh even if you do something silly. The book makes you laugh because when Thomas thinks it's a monster, it is only a hedgehog. The artist did a good job making the hedgehog look scary at the start of the book."
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!
To conclude our unit of inquiry, we had our shared 'healthy snack morning' on Friday. Children had planned and prepared their snack and confidently explained to the class why it was a healthy choice. Even the 'not so healthy' snacks, were presented by the children as 'occasional' foods. They explained how you need to be eaten in moderation along with a balanced diet.
Then we got a chance to tuck in!
The classroom still smells like sweetcorn!
Children throughout this unit have been 'taking action' to lead to healthier life choices. During Friday's team time, children shared some of the small steps they have taken. These included:
Going to bed earlier to ensure they have enough sleep and are well rested for the following day.
Choosing a more 'colourful' plate at the cafeteria each lunchtime.
Trying to drink more water, in order for feel less sluggish and improve concentration.
Washing their hands more regularly (and more thoroughly).
Practicing ways to calm down when they are upset or frustrated (listening to the Mind Master - Not the head Hassler).
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 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.
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.
Today we had Nurse Alison come and talk with the class about being healthy. She talked about the 5 essential elements to keep our body healthy. Who can remember what they were and post their answer as a comment?
At lunchtime, Mrs Karyn went around with her camera and tried to see who was 'eating rainbows'. We wanted to see if children were eating a balanced lunch with a lot of different coloured foods.
Discussions in our unit of inquiry 'Who We Are', highlighted the fact that we are all unique and have original perspectives of the world and how we think. We decided to illustrate this by drawing 'the shape of our imaginations'. They looked at how they could use designs and patterning to create an interesting and original artwork.
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.
Learning together, growing together, each making a difference.
The vision statement above was created a couple of years ago with ISPP students. It reflects the school's philosophy and is an important guiding statement for all faculty and students. Today we unpacked this vision statement as a class, and asked students what this vision 'looks like' in action. The children had to draw a picture that demonstrated one or more aspect of the vision and explain their thinking. I was really impressed with their creativity and explanations.
The children in grade two hosted a fantastic Spotlight on the arts evening with the art and music teachers before the holidays. We had many families visit and spend time working through the artistic process with their children. Children also shared their summatives from their ' How We Express Ourselves Unit'. It was a fabulous evening!
To conclude our unit of inquiry, we had our shared 'healthy snack morning' on Friday. Children had planned and prepared their snack and confidently explained to the class why it was a healthy choice. Even the 'not so healthy' snacks, were presented by the children as 'occasional' foods. They explained how you need to be eaten in moderation along with a balanced diet.
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'.
