We have had a very busy 3 weeks learning about how we can take care of our earth. How what we do matters even if it is a small thing. Each small act adds up. We've learned things like water conservation, energy conservation, how to reduce our waste, reuse the materials we have, and to recycle all products that can be, remember to buy things that we need not just want.
Our tomato transfer went well. We began with the compost in the pot first, then added the tomato plant and finished by topping it up with soil. We had to water our plants so they didn't dry up. We learned that plants are able to make their own food by a process called photosynthesis. The children learned that there are 3 ingredients needed for the plant to process: energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air and nutrients from the soil.
We learned about "cycles" soil, water and life. We understand that all living things must die and that ends their life cycle. When the living thing dies it will decay or rot in the soil giving the soil nutrients it needs to grow new life in plants. The children were also amazed that the water cycle is the only cycle that keeps going round and round and that the water that fell from our sky this week may have been water that was flowing in a river in Africa or on a mountain top in Nepal.
We have also enjoyed learning a new song from Ta'Kaiya Blaney who was just 10 years old when she wrote her first song called Shallow Waters. She is from British Columbia. She is concerned about the oil pipelines and what that will do to our earth and specifically the ocean. We've had some great discussions about this topic as a group.
We did a little science experiment where the children mixed vegetable oil and water. When the oil was poured into the water it rose to the top. This made the children think that it would be easy to scoop off the top. Then they each took a turn to shake the jar and then observe what happened. This happened 5 times and by the third shake and wait the water became cloudy and opaque. I asked the children if the water in the ocean ever stopped moving. They said no because the waves are always moving the water. This made the illustration for them to understand the impact of oil spills in the ocean and the affect it has on all life.
Please enjoy this song...
Shallow Waters by Ta'Kaiya Blaney
We have also been working on spelling and the children enjoy this so much.
It's hard to believe that there are only 5 more weeks of school left!
Friday, 24 May 2013
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Week 31 - Review
What a fantastic week! It was so nice to be able to be outside for the majority of our days enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures...we were even able to have a picnic on Friday.
This month we are learning about being good stewards of the earth. We are learning about a remarkable Canadian, David Suzuki. We have learned that he is a scientist, an environmentalist, and an author. He has a television show that helps people understand science and how it applies to them.
We have learned the parts of a plant: root, stem, branches and leaves. We have learned that a plant needs water, soil, and sunshine to be healthy and grow. We examined soil to determine if it was moist or dry. We are caring for tomato plants checking the soil each day. We also planted sweet alyssum from a seed and dahlia's from a bulb.
We have read Salmon Forest, David Suzuki, which talks about how we are connected to the nature. That we must be protecting and care deeply for the natural world around us. That the natural world works in cycles.
We have been fortunate to have Miss Flynn here with us this week. She is completing her student placement and will be with us until May 9th. It is such a great opportunity for the children to have Miss Flynn in the class because has also worked in a traditional kindergarten room so she is able to help us understand the rules and expectations that the children will need for next year in "big" school.
In the coming week, we will be doing a transplant of the tomato plants...learning about photosynthesis and the importance of compost & worms by building our own wormery.
Enjoy this beautiful weather,
This month we are learning about being good stewards of the earth. We are learning about a remarkable Canadian, David Suzuki. We have learned that he is a scientist, an environmentalist, and an author. He has a television show that helps people understand science and how it applies to them.
We have learned the parts of a plant: root, stem, branches and leaves. We have learned that a plant needs water, soil, and sunshine to be healthy and grow. We examined soil to determine if it was moist or dry. We are caring for tomato plants checking the soil each day. We also planted sweet alyssum from a seed and dahlia's from a bulb.
We have read Salmon Forest, David Suzuki, which talks about how we are connected to the nature. That we must be protecting and care deeply for the natural world around us. That the natural world works in cycles.
We have been fortunate to have Miss Flynn here with us this week. She is completing her student placement and will be with us until May 9th. It is such a great opportunity for the children to have Miss Flynn in the class because has also worked in a traditional kindergarten room so she is able to help us understand the rules and expectations that the children will need for next year in "big" school.
In the coming week, we will be doing a transplant of the tomato plants...learning about photosynthesis and the importance of compost & worms by building our own wormery.
Enjoy this beautiful weather,
Friday, 26 April 2013
Weeks 29 & 30
What a great 2 weeks of school...loving some excellent conversations...engaged children...and sunny days!
One of the most favourite parts of my "job" is when children discover the joy of reading: reading for information and knowledge not only for entertainment. This has happened again! One young girl aged 5 1/2 is reading everything. She grabbed a book about giraffes and brought it to the table during snack, she just couldn't put it down! As she read aloud to the group, she would stop and say, "Did you just hear this? It says in the book that acacia leaves are 74 percent water, that means mostly water, so that is why giraffes can go for so long without drinking water." She would continue reading only to stop to tell them another interesting fact like "a giraffe's stomach is divided into four compartments like that of a cow." She read to them what that meant but I won't re-write it all!
We have been learning about a very important woman named Wangari Maathai from Kenya, Africa. Personally, I think we can all learn much from her and I think it's a perfect way for us to end our unit study of Africa and prepare for our study of the environment and our impact on it for the month of May.
Wangari was a woman who loved her home country of Kenya. She grew up surrounded by the fertile soil, crops of maize, sugarcane and sweet potatoes. She gathered firewood close to her village but never from the Fig Tree that grew close to the sparkling, clean river. The Fig Tree was sacred and all members of the village respected and cared for this tree. Wangari had a deep respect for this land and its people. She was saddened when she returned to her homeland. In only 5 years, while she studied biology at school abroad in America, her beloved country had changed, drastically. The country that once boasted beautiful green forests, fertile soil, and sparkling streams of fresh, clean water had been destroyed. Even the respected Fig Tree that once stood proud close to her village had been cut down. Destroyed by the government and corporate men who decided that it made more "cents" to strip the land bare for commercial farming plots to cultivate tea for export. Wangari knew she had to do something, because "something is better than nothing". She began by planting nine tree seedlings in her backyard, which all ended up dying. She did not give up though, instead she planted more. This was an important lesson for the other women to see. Wangari explained to the women that the tree roots hold the soil in place. When the soil is held in place, the water from the rains are soaked up, and when the water is soaked up the topsoil will not run away like in a landslide and it will not blow away in strong winds. The trees will also produce shade from the strong heat of the sun so the soil will not dry out as quickly. Trees are important. Trees will give us our land back. Wangari also noticed that the women and children were becoming weak and sickly. She determined that it was because of the poor nutritional foods they were eating. When the government men cut all the trees down for commercial farming families were unable to grow the food and raise the animals they would use for their own consumption which provided them with good health. Instead, the people now had to rely on foreign food coming in the form of highly processed - nutrient removed flours and meal. Wangari encouraged the women to collect the seeds from the plants they could find to begin cultivating their own vegetable plots again. Over time other women began to hear about this effort of Wangari and they too joined in. Wangari and the Greenbelt Movement was not welcomed by government officials or the commercial farmers. She was arrested and jailed. Yet, woman by woman, tree by tree, they clothed Kenya with the green of her youth.
We also are learning about "The Little Hummingbird". We have read the story before (when we studied North America) but we are studying it again because Wangari Maathai used this as a lesson for children to understand that even if no one around you is doing anything about a situation that you know is wrong, or too difficult to change, it is better to do something than nothing. We can do our part to make small changes in the world around us. We are to be like the hummingbird. If you haven't read this story...be sure to borrow it from the local library (although I have it loaned out at the moment!)
We have learned a song as well to help us remember about Wangari Maathai...the words go like this.
"Oh we heard, we heard the news of Wangari Maathai
Oh we heard about you, Wangari Maathai,
One woman, 30 million trees, one woman's path to peace
Oh if this, if this be true, just think what we could do!
Woman by woman, tree by tree, one woman's path to peace
Oh little tree, let's grow, oh watoto love you so!"
Watoto means children in swahili.
Here are some pictures of art landscapes I asked the children to draw...
One of the most favourite parts of my "job" is when children discover the joy of reading: reading for information and knowledge not only for entertainment. This has happened again! One young girl aged 5 1/2 is reading everything. She grabbed a book about giraffes and brought it to the table during snack, she just couldn't put it down! As she read aloud to the group, she would stop and say, "Did you just hear this? It says in the book that acacia leaves are 74 percent water, that means mostly water, so that is why giraffes can go for so long without drinking water." She would continue reading only to stop to tell them another interesting fact like "a giraffe's stomach is divided into four compartments like that of a cow." She read to them what that meant but I won't re-write it all!
We have been learning about a very important woman named Wangari Maathai from Kenya, Africa. Personally, I think we can all learn much from her and I think it's a perfect way for us to end our unit study of Africa and prepare for our study of the environment and our impact on it for the month of May.
Wangari was a woman who loved her home country of Kenya. She grew up surrounded by the fertile soil, crops of maize, sugarcane and sweet potatoes. She gathered firewood close to her village but never from the Fig Tree that grew close to the sparkling, clean river. The Fig Tree was sacred and all members of the village respected and cared for this tree. Wangari had a deep respect for this land and its people. She was saddened when she returned to her homeland. In only 5 years, while she studied biology at school abroad in America, her beloved country had changed, drastically. The country that once boasted beautiful green forests, fertile soil, and sparkling streams of fresh, clean water had been destroyed. Even the respected Fig Tree that once stood proud close to her village had been cut down. Destroyed by the government and corporate men who decided that it made more "cents" to strip the land bare for commercial farming plots to cultivate tea for export. Wangari knew she had to do something, because "something is better than nothing". She began by planting nine tree seedlings in her backyard, which all ended up dying. She did not give up though, instead she planted more. This was an important lesson for the other women to see. Wangari explained to the women that the tree roots hold the soil in place. When the soil is held in place, the water from the rains are soaked up, and when the water is soaked up the topsoil will not run away like in a landslide and it will not blow away in strong winds. The trees will also produce shade from the strong heat of the sun so the soil will not dry out as quickly. Trees are important. Trees will give us our land back. Wangari also noticed that the women and children were becoming weak and sickly. She determined that it was because of the poor nutritional foods they were eating. When the government men cut all the trees down for commercial farming families were unable to grow the food and raise the animals they would use for their own consumption which provided them with good health. Instead, the people now had to rely on foreign food coming in the form of highly processed - nutrient removed flours and meal. Wangari encouraged the women to collect the seeds from the plants they could find to begin cultivating their own vegetable plots again. Over time other women began to hear about this effort of Wangari and they too joined in. Wangari and the Greenbelt Movement was not welcomed by government officials or the commercial farmers. She was arrested and jailed. Yet, woman by woman, tree by tree, they clothed Kenya with the green of her youth.
We also are learning about "The Little Hummingbird". We have read the story before (when we studied North America) but we are studying it again because Wangari Maathai used this as a lesson for children to understand that even if no one around you is doing anything about a situation that you know is wrong, or too difficult to change, it is better to do something than nothing. We can do our part to make small changes in the world around us. We are to be like the hummingbird. If you haven't read this story...be sure to borrow it from the local library (although I have it loaned out at the moment!)
We have learned a song as well to help us remember about Wangari Maathai...the words go like this.
"Oh we heard, we heard the news of Wangari Maathai
Oh we heard about you, Wangari Maathai,
One woman, 30 million trees, one woman's path to peace
Oh if this, if this be true, just think what we could do!
Woman by woman, tree by tree, one woman's path to peace
Oh little tree, let's grow, oh watoto love you so!"
Watoto means children in swahili.
Here are some pictures of art landscapes I asked the children to draw...
Friday, 12 April 2013
Week 26, 27, & 28 - Review
My apologies for not keeping this blog more current!
Easter weekend was a busy time for me personally and it slipped my mind.
Last week I completely forgot...so I will try and catch up this week!
We have begun to study our final continent - Africa.
The children last week learned all about the animals of this continent which they love. We've been working on classifying the animals by what they eat (carnivore, herbivore, omnivore)...which leads nicely into learning about food chains and the fact that all living creatures need to eat in order to live.
We've learned that the giraffe has 2 different types of patterns: reticulated and masai.
The children can identify the difference, can you?
We learned about the oxpecker bird that is a helping bird to the animals eating the insects off their fur.
We've learned that the African elephants ears look like the shape of the African continent.
We also learned about the Big 5 (lion, rhino, cape buffalo, elephant and leopard).
We've learned about the Serengeti National Park and going on safari. We've learned about Madagascar and can identify it on the map. We've learned that most of the chameleons on earth live on the island of Madagascar. We've also learned that the second largest fresh water lake is found in Africa. It's called Lake Victoria. We've talked about the Horn of Africa (it's named that because it is shaped like a rhino horn) and the fact that it has been in a severe drought for years. We learned that a drought is when the rains don't come which leads to no plants growing and when no plants can grow other living things dependent on the plants for food die. Water is so very important.
We learned about a man named Nelson Mandela. We learned that he was a freedom maker and a life changer. He fought for equality between the "white" and "black" South Africans, helping the country understand that all people should have access to health care, education and jobs no matter their skin colour. It was interesting to hear the children make a connection back to when we studied North America. "This sounds like what happened in North American when the Europeans moved the First Nations people off their land so they could have it."
The children have had a good few weeks learning about Africa. We remembered the time we went to Quaid's school to visit and hear the people of a Masai tribe from Tanzania sing...and their shoes, made out of motorcycle tires!
Easter weekend was a busy time for me personally and it slipped my mind.
Last week I completely forgot...so I will try and catch up this week!
We have begun to study our final continent - Africa.
The children last week learned all about the animals of this continent which they love. We've been working on classifying the animals by what they eat (carnivore, herbivore, omnivore)...which leads nicely into learning about food chains and the fact that all living creatures need to eat in order to live.
We've learned that the giraffe has 2 different types of patterns: reticulated and masai.
The children can identify the difference, can you?
We learned about the oxpecker bird that is a helping bird to the animals eating the insects off their fur.
We've learned that the African elephants ears look like the shape of the African continent.
We also learned about the Big 5 (lion, rhino, cape buffalo, elephant and leopard).
We've learned about the Serengeti National Park and going on safari. We've learned about Madagascar and can identify it on the map. We've learned that most of the chameleons on earth live on the island of Madagascar. We've also learned that the second largest fresh water lake is found in Africa. It's called Lake Victoria. We've talked about the Horn of Africa (it's named that because it is shaped like a rhino horn) and the fact that it has been in a severe drought for years. We learned that a drought is when the rains don't come which leads to no plants growing and when no plants can grow other living things dependent on the plants for food die. Water is so very important.
We learned about a man named Nelson Mandela. We learned that he was a freedom maker and a life changer. He fought for equality between the "white" and "black" South Africans, helping the country understand that all people should have access to health care, education and jobs no matter their skin colour. It was interesting to hear the children make a connection back to when we studied North America. "This sounds like what happened in North American when the Europeans moved the First Nations people off their land so they could have it."
The children have had a good few weeks learning about Africa. We remembered the time we went to Quaid's school to visit and hear the people of a Masai tribe from Tanzania sing...and their shoes, made out of motorcycle tires!
Friday, 22 March 2013
Week 25 - Review
Well, it certainly doesn't feel or look like spring yet, but that's okay because we've had lots of fun in the snow for one more week!
We continued reviewing Australia, practising matching pictures of Australia to the written word, finding the continent of Australia on various maps, and listening to our favourite Australian music and reading our favourite books about this country/continent.
This week we learned what the Australian flag looks like as well as the New Zealand flag. The flags look similar but are a little different. Both flags have the Union Jack in the top left corner and are dark blue in colour. Australia has 5 white stars forming the Southern Cross while New Zealand has 4 read stars.
Some of the children have been working on the game memory or concentration which they are really enjoying. Others have been working on more reading activities and math activities. Overall, the weeks are going by quickly and the children are progressively building on their skills.
We continued reviewing Australia, practising matching pictures of Australia to the written word, finding the continent of Australia on various maps, and listening to our favourite Australian music and reading our favourite books about this country/continent.
This week we learned what the Australian flag looks like as well as the New Zealand flag. The flags look similar but are a little different. Both flags have the Union Jack in the top left corner and are dark blue in colour. Australia has 5 white stars forming the Southern Cross while New Zealand has 4 read stars.
Some of the children have been working on the game memory or concentration which they are really enjoying. Others have been working on more reading activities and math activities. Overall, the weeks are going by quickly and the children are progressively building on their skills.
Friday, 8 March 2013
Week 24 - Review
We had such a fun week learning about the land "Down Under", Australia. The children learned that "down under" means that the continent is down under the equator (that invisible belt that continuously receives the sun's rays no matter what time of year) in the Southern hemisphere. They can each identify this continent with ease on a world map...and in books.
We've read many books. We learned that the Aborigine people lived there first and they have a special relationship with the land and sky. Each child can identify Uluru or Ayers Rock. We looked at aboriginal art. We heard the sounds of a didgeridoo, a very cool instrument that makes a deep, humming sound unlike anything they'd ever heard before.
We learned some wonderful songs...
Kookabura Sits in the Old Gum Tree
Waltzing Matilda
learning words like "swagman" - hobo, "billypot" - teapot, "billabong" - pool of water, "jumbuck" - sheep, "tuckerbag" - bag for food, "stockman" - cowboy "thoroughbred" - horse.
Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
and my favourite True Blue Wonders
"There's a song that rides the wind, as it sweeps this ancient land. It tells of a land of wonders and those that call it home.
Come walkabout my big backyard and listen for the sound. You might hear the kangaroo singing right along. Kangaroo lives in the land down under. Kangaroo is a true blue wonder.
Then Kookabura, Crocodile and Dingo...the children then asked to do the other animals we've learned about. So, we added Platypus, Wombat, Koala...and made some actions. Your children should remember each...but for those of you who don't have children attending and would like to teach this to your children...
Kangaroo hopping, Kookabura flapping wings, Crocodile arms stretched in front open/shut, Dingo hands like paws and a scrunched up mad face, Platypus hands in front of mouth like a duck-bill, Wombat digging paw hands, Koala sleeping or very lethargic and a Brolga (a bird) strutting.
They have learned to identify the Sydney Opera House & Harbour Bridge and the Great Barrier Reef.
Enjoy the MARCH BREAK week - and I'll see you back on Monday, March 18th.
We've read many books. We learned that the Aborigine people lived there first and they have a special relationship with the land and sky. Each child can identify Uluru or Ayers Rock. We looked at aboriginal art. We heard the sounds of a didgeridoo, a very cool instrument that makes a deep, humming sound unlike anything they'd ever heard before.
We learned some wonderful songs...
Kookabura Sits in the Old Gum Tree
Waltzing Matilda
learning words like "swagman" - hobo, "billypot" - teapot, "billabong" - pool of water, "jumbuck" - sheep, "tuckerbag" - bag for food, "stockman" - cowboy "thoroughbred" - horse.
Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
and my favourite True Blue Wonders
"There's a song that rides the wind, as it sweeps this ancient land. It tells of a land of wonders and those that call it home.
Come walkabout my big backyard and listen for the sound. You might hear the kangaroo singing right along. Kangaroo lives in the land down under. Kangaroo is a true blue wonder.
Then Kookabura, Crocodile and Dingo...the children then asked to do the other animals we've learned about. So, we added Platypus, Wombat, Koala...and made some actions. Your children should remember each...but for those of you who don't have children attending and would like to teach this to your children...
Kangaroo hopping, Kookabura flapping wings, Crocodile arms stretched in front open/shut, Dingo hands like paws and a scrunched up mad face, Platypus hands in front of mouth like a duck-bill, Wombat digging paw hands, Koala sleeping or very lethargic and a Brolga (a bird) strutting.
They have learned to identify the Sydney Opera House & Harbour Bridge and the Great Barrier Reef.
Enjoy the MARCH BREAK week - and I'll see you back on Monday, March 18th.
Friday, 1 March 2013
Week 23 - Review
This was our last week of studying Asia. The children enjoyed listening to a story of Pen-se and her brother Lin and the adventures they had. This is a very old book and through the story they learned about silk farms, why boys go to school but not girls, how parents would tie a piece of red yarn around a baby's wrist in order for them to become a good and obedient child. We ate some butter chicken and rice. We also learned about the Asian elephant and saw pictures of them decorated for parades. They enjoyed playing this too. One or two children would be the mahout (trainer & keeper) and the other children would be the elephants, waiting patiently to be decorated and then paraded about.
Some of the children worked on story writing this week, while others worked on sentence building. I always find this very exciting. If this is an area you'd like to work with your child on...this is what we do. To begin the activity I choose 5 objects and place them on the mat. I write out the words on a guide sheet so the child has the correct spelling. The story writer's job is to come up with a story using each object and for it to be interesting and accurate. The sentence writer's job is to come up with a sentence that begins with an article, uses the noun, includes an adjective and a verb. The children always find such delight in this creative process!
Next week we welcome back Mia & Sadie from their warm vacation destinations... and we begin our study of Australia and the children are VERY excited to learn about all of the animals of this continent.
Some of the children worked on story writing this week, while others worked on sentence building. I always find this very exciting. If this is an area you'd like to work with your child on...this is what we do. To begin the activity I choose 5 objects and place them on the mat. I write out the words on a guide sheet so the child has the correct spelling. The story writer's job is to come up with a story using each object and for it to be interesting and accurate. The sentence writer's job is to come up with a sentence that begins with an article, uses the noun, includes an adjective and a verb. The children always find such delight in this creative process!
Next week we welcome back Mia & Sadie from their warm vacation destinations... and we begin our study of Australia and the children are VERY excited to learn about all of the animals of this continent.
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