As we continued on with developing our research skills, we discovered that it was a lot easier to learn new things if we could put our thoughts into question form. In the AM class we looked at a selection of unusual ocean-related photos, and in the PM class we checked out some jungle-related pictures. We found that we could easily make observations and judgements about the pictures, but that it took a bit more practice to be able to build our questions. As we progressed through the photos, forming questions became easier and more natural and we came up with some great wonderings from "how can the tree grow underwater?' to "why is the vampire floating in space?' to "why is the tiger wearing a jacket?" and "what is the red part of the frog's mouth?"
Weird and Wonderful Creatures
On our research journey, we dove into the world of weird and wonderful creatures from around the world. After hearing some facts about each animal, we looked at footage of each one, discussing what we thought their different body parts were for, how they moved, what they ate and which habitat they live in. Included in our inquiry were axolotls, narwhals, peacock spiders, dumbo octopus', Saiga antelope, leafy sea dragons, blog fish, red-lipped bat fish and pink fairy armadillos. Below I have provided our top 3 favourite animals from the bunch so that the dolphins can tell all their adults at home about them.
Axolotls
Narwhals
Peacock Spiders
Cloud Experiment
Another facet of research is in experimenting, making observations and exploring specific attributes of anything that exists in our environment. We began by reviewing the cloud knowledge we obtained from discussing plants earlier in the unit. We reflected that rain comes from clouds and that the rain helps plants grow.
To start the experiment, we first had to collect our tools. We had a glass jar each and a pipette or dropper, and a shared container of blue water. Clear water filled two-thirds of the jar to allow for our shaving cream cloud to float on top. The next job was to add water from the atmosphere. We had to learn to squeeze our pipette to suck the water up, release, move the pipette over our cloud, before finally squeezing the blue water back out over the cloud. The rainwater was blue so that we could see when the cloud was full. As the cloud got fuller and heavier we started seeing the blue water filtering out through the bottom. We discovered that the more we added to the cloud, the darker the water below the cloud became.
Theatre Visit
After looking at a variety of books together, we found that we could obtain new information from texts even if they are fictional in nature. We can learn from the illustrations of the environment, the physical features of the animal characters or even the food they are eating in the story. We also talked about how this can also be applied to fictional videos and theatrical plays.
On Wednesday, we had a very special treat. Bradbury School had invited us over to watch the big kids rehearse some of their scenes for their big school performance of The Jungle Book. Soon after arrival time, the whole of K1 got ready to walk across to Bradbury and take our places as the audience in the school hall. We watched open-mouthed as the older children sang and danced across the stage. Monkeys, elephants, a tiger and panther were amongst the cast, and we excitedly called out as we saw each one take their turn in the spotlight.
Class Albums
We will continue to upload to our Sharing the Planet album for the rest of Term 1
Photographers in Training Last week we delved into the artistic pursuit of photography. We started by asking a big question: What is a photographer? We looked at the very first camera, which was a long, long time ago! We learnt that the first cameras worked very slowly so people had to sit incredibly still to ensure there were no blurry effects when the photo was developed. We also found out that not many people had cameras at first, but now everyone in the class had access to one on their parents' mobile phones. We looked at how cameras started off bigger than us, and how they changed in size and shape as technology developed. We learned that photos aren't just pretty pictures; they can tell a story , show us different styles , or capture something truly beautiful or interesting. We even brainstormed some amazing things we'd love to photograph: sharks, beautiful paintings, unicorns and princesses, our holidays, and of course, our wonderful ...
Dear Parents and Caregivers, As part of our inquiry unit, we have been focusing on understanding the properties of different materials. In addition to paper, wood is a common material that the children encounter in their daily lives. They have been engaging with wood through playful activities using sticks and wooden pieces, observing how these items float and sink in water, and learning the story of Pinocchio (小木偶皮诺丘）. Through these experiences, the children have discovered that wood is hard, durable, and capable of floating. With Easter approaching, we took the opportunity to create colorful wooden Easter eggs using markers and read stories about Easter eggs （彩蛋）. This activity not only reinforced our understanding of wood but also prepared us for our upcoming unit on colors. Last Friday, we held a Chinese assembly themed around Easter. The children enjoyed reading the story "Spot’s First Easter" （复活节彩蛋在哪里？） which introduced them to the special tradition of egg hunting. Thi...
Exploring the Unit Sharing Our Experiences In this Circle Time activity, the Dolphins had a chance to try out their presentation skills in front of all their classmates and teachers. Reflecting on and sharing their personal experiences outside of school, each child who had photos in the class album felt brave and comfortable enough to take their place at the front of the class when their photo popped up onto the screen. We had a variety of presentation styles from pointing out interesting elements, to nodding and shaking our heads to questions from the teacher, to taking the lead and introducing and explaining the situation independently. This was also a great chance to practice our listening skills as we focused on being respectful of other people's turns, and showing kindness by paying attention to our peers and even ask them questions. We continue to reflect on our experiences in nature through the photo displays that are now up in the classroom. Planting As we wan...
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