What a busy couple of weeks we’ve had! First I would like to extend a warm welcome to two new classmates: Marcelo and Munryeong. It’s wonderful having new faces in our class.
Week 9 saw us starting a new IEYC unit called “Going Places” which focuses on transportation. We were visited by a stranger named Enid the Explorer who brought us flying carpets. We flew them all around the world, looking down at the ground below, and seeing what we could see. We saw buildings and rivers and of course lots of cars, trains, and busses. Upon landing we explored a fantastical new city and all the transportation it had to offer. When we returned to class we drew or collaged our carpets.
In PE we kept with the theme of transportation and drove cars (scooter boards) around a city. We also did some dance – imagining we were cars, planes, and trains.
We continued looking at different modes of transportation with wheels. We studied what rolls and what does not roll.There was a great maths link there learning about round and flat surfaces of 3D shapes. We tested our different hypotheses regarding what would and wouldn’t roll down a ramp. We used 3D shapes made for maths specifically but also we investigated different objects in the classroom. We also had a grand time rolling cars in paint and printing them on paper.
Next it was time to practice science concepts introducing push and pull. We used various cars and also a makeshift trolley. We read a story about Mr. Gumpy whose car got stuck in the mud and role played that in the Hall. Then we we got messy getting our own cars stuck in the mud!
In Week 10 we continued learning about transportation beginning with busses. We put ourselves into a bus singing our own version of “The Wheels on the Bus”. Then we made 2D shape busses. Also, we drove a bus around the school to various bus stops picking up and dropping off passengers while practicing our counting and simple addition and subtraction
In PE we continued our transportation theme pretending we were bus drivers while playing a version of Four Corners. Then we did some transportation yoga.
It became time to get back on our magic carpets and fly to the beach. It took us so long to get there we didn’t arrive till night time! We explored light and reflection with mirrors, flashlights and colored cellophane – combining them in interesting combinations! We were inspired by the book we read.
Later that day we read another book that takes place at night: Where the Wild Things Are. We compared the two books and decided one could have actually happened whereas one could not. We then made Wild Things masks and danced a wild rumpus!
The next day we read Jack and the Flumflum tree and took a boat to the island of Blowyernose and picked fruit from the tree for granny to help her get better. Later, we made our own boats!
Finally we were off to yet another island. This one tropical and with hidden treasure. We found a river and filled it with animals. We made palm tree stacks. And much to the children’s delight, we went on a treasure hunt (the treasure was lollipops!)
Much to my delight the students have begun exploring our new literacy centre during their free play time. They are engaging in exciting role play writing and using some of the activities such as the initial sounds clipper cards.
They are also demonstrating so many concepts that we’ve covered in class in their play such as patterning when they’re playing with play dough or measuring size. It’s amazing how much learning children do through play.
That’s all for now! Enjoy this last week of school for the term!