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.
Friday 22 March 2013
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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