Sunday 16 August 2015

Week 4, Term 3 2015


Hello Everyone!

Last week we welcomed Chelsy and her family into LC1.  That now takes our roll to 46 children... hip hip hooray!  

Projects - Bodies

This week we have learnt about blood and the heart.  We have researched in a number of ways.  We have watched You Tube clips explaining what blood is and what is does for our body.  We have also had some experts in LC1 to help us! Firstly we had a visit from Julie from the ECE and she taught us about the job of the heart.  Secondly we had Carol, a St John's first aider in to teach us how to bandage and tie a sling.











Project - Babies

This week we learnt about baby's needs.  We began to think of questions for our baby expert who is bringing in her baby next Tuesday.  We learnt that we need to work on our understanding of what a question is.  Rosie is going to lead a workshop on this on Monday for us.  

Project - NZ Birds

This week we learnt about endangered animals  We researched on You Tube and watched clips and read a book brought in by Dylan about the blue duck (an endangered bird in NZ)

Project - NZ Buildings, People and Places


This week we have learnt about a Wharenui and the parts of it.  We are collecting big boxes to build our own Wharenui in our project room.  Exciting!

Project - NZ Buildings, People and Places

This week we experimented with a feathers by putting them into oil and water and seeing what would happen. When the feather was covered in oil it became heavier.  If that was a bird it would find it difficult to float on the surface of the water.  Oil also has an effect on the bird's body temperature. 




Maths - 2D Shapes

This week we began learning about 2D shapes.  Firstly we explored them, built with them and made pictures with them.  Then we went on to name them and describe them.  Next week we are kicking off the week with a shapes in our world Inquiry.  

Art - Collage

This week we have had a skills focus on collage.  We have worked on creating collages using paper and fabric.  We learnt that to collage successfully you have to keep in the lines otherwise your picture won't look like you want it to.  Jody also did a focus on collage during specialist teaching last Thursday.  




 

We are loving the children's choice of projects this term!  Very exciting and it's great to see them working with such purpose and enthusiasm.  






Saturday 1 August 2015

Week 2, Term 3 2015


Kia Ora! Welcome back to Term 3!  We have certainly hit the ground running this term and next week (Week 3) the children are going to be moving into the project phase.  

Immersion Leading to Projects

This week we have been looking at how NZ has changed.  We have made timelines, looked at extinct birds, learnt some Te Reo and much more.  One thing the children are certain about is that NZ has most definitely changed and is continuing to change.  On Thursday and Friday we conferenced with the children and they have all expressed interests that they want to follow for their projects.  A small number of children will be working with guidance from a key teacher and will be following their own inquiry.  Other children are in Teacher Led Inquiry groups based on their interests.  

Working together to draw Moa birds

Creating a timeline with images of New Zealand


Our Project Groups are as follows:

Bodies - Blood, Bones and Guts
Babies - How to look after a baby, baby animals and life cycles
Pollution 
NZ Buildings, People and Places - How are they changing?
NZ Birds and Extinction 

Next week we will begin workshops and project meetings with our groups and those working more independently.  

Maths Concept - Number Patterns


This term we have been looking at number patterns.  Some of us have been learning about number before and after to 10 and others have been focussing on odd and even numbers and other number patterns.  A great game to support at home for odd and even is: 

http://www.doorwayonline.org.uk/oddandeven-fullscreen.html 




Dance with Emma

This term LC1 are having Dance workshops with Emma (an amazing Dance teacher!) in the gym on Friday afternoons.  So far we have been working on balance, arm positions and simple dance routines.  Photos to come next week!

Writing To Inform

Some of the children have been continuing in workshops learning how to write to give information to others.  This links with all of the immersion learning we have done so far.  In workshops the children have been learning about the features of this writing purpose e.g. a title, labels, picture and facts.  Some have gone on to add 'why' to their facts e.g. 'A Moa bird was easy to hunt because it could not fly.'  


Learning Advisory Time

This week we focussed on the disposition: 'Do I work with new or different people to enhance my learning?'  On Friday we set the children a challenge.  They had to build a ramp for a car that would make the car travel the furthest but... they had to work with people they don't normally work or play with. We put them into quite specific groups.  I was very surprised how they managed this and was anticipating many more problems!  That's not saying the children did not encounter any, but perhaps not as many as we had thought!  It was interesting to see how the groups all approached this differently.  We could see how important fair leaders were to help steer the group.  We had some powerful reflections at the end of the experience:  

'I worked better because I wasn't distracted.  Sometimes if I am working with my friends I get distracted' - Nathan

'I felt uncomfortable.  It was hard to talk but I kept on trying and then I felt better' - Ashley