We have spent a great deal of time preparing for the Spring Festival and of course studying about the Dragon. The differences between the perceived American dragon and the Chinese Dragon are quite fascinating!
While at Playhouse Square to see the Eric Carle plays, the students noticed the dragon on the wall of the foyer. They wanted me to capture the picture so we could show our Mandarin teachers. What great observers!Upon returning from our winter vacation, we spent quite a bit of time comparing two different versions of the classic book The Mitten. As authors ourselves, we are seeing how everyone's ideas are just a little bit different and the power we each have in expressing our unique ideas just as these two authors did.
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| Our writing skills are growing by leaps and bounds!!! |
Despite our lack of snow around Cleveland, we are studying it in class and having so much fun! The Wonders listed above provided a great starting point to begin our lessons. We have answered all these questions through conducting our own research at this point, except the wonder about where chickens go. We are looking for a reliable source on that one.
During our research we were introduced to Snowflake (Wilson) Bentley. What an amazing story of determination. It has definitely become a class favorite. It also provided a great connection to our Unit of Inquiry of Where We Are in Place and Time. Wilson Bentley's timeline is fascinating!
We GREW our own snowflake as a way to emphasize Change and Causation (two of the Key Concepts we have been focusing on during our Unit of Inquiry).
This project left us with a lot of wonders to test when all was said and done. It sure looked like ice, but we didn't make it cold and no matter how long we left it out it just would not melt. How did soap (Borax) and hot water create such a beautiful object?
Many of our Explorers asked if they could complete this at home. Here is the link if you are interested:
SNOWFLAKE CRYSTAL EXPERIMENT
Because an objective of our Unit of Inquiry (Where We Are in Place and Time) is for our students to understand their personal journey (Key Concepts- Change, Causation and Reflection)we are also trying to help them connect this to animals and plants.
Dr. Ausherman, from CSU, dropped off these fascinating bulbs for each classroom. Without telling the children what they were, we began studying their properties and making a list of ideas. Onion was the most popular! We have since observed it daily, noted the changes and taken pictures creating a visual timeline that we reflect on each day. Seeing the changes over time has been a lot of fun. Most of the Explorers have agreed that it must be some kind of seed/flower based on how it is changing and not an onion. Our Explorers are so much fun!
Our Ambassadors of the Day are doing an amazing job brining in their artifacts and creating a personal timeline of their histories. It is so cute to see their "lightbulb moments" as they realize how much they have truly grown and changed.
Teachers are getting on board too!
This is a fabulous story about a rabbit who takes a journey all over the world. Tracking his journey and creating his timeline using the world map was a lot of fun!
A HUGE thank you to CSU and Dr. Perry for donating 30 iPads for our school to use. We love them and sure do appreciate the generosity!!!
