New Blogs

Hello visitors.
 
This is to let everyone know that we now have new blogs. (This one has not been updated in quite some time).
 
Http://thekindergartenexperience.blogspot.com
 
http://snailsandsunflowers.blogspot.ca

We hope you will continue to enjoy following our learning on these sites.

All the best,

Stephanie Hammond and Helen Gourgiotis

Icicles Inquiry

One day a few weeks ago, we went outside the day after it had rained. The weather had turned very cold again and the students noticed the icicles that were hanging. We began to look more closely and saw icicles hanging from the roof, from the ledge and even under the cars!













As usually happens when we are outside, students started to ask "I wonder" questions. A common question that arose was, "I wonder how icicles are made?"

Students also started comparing icicles, "I wonder why this one is big and that one is small?" - F. A.

Students then began developing theories about how icicles are made:

 

"When the snowflake falls then it hang and then it freezes." - A. P.

 

 "The icicle maker, he make the icicles and hang it." - G. F.

 

 "I know how icicle is made. I can see some snow inside. When the snow gets over there then it freezes. Then it makes an icicle. With the snow we make icicle when it freezes." - F.A.

 

 "Somebody take the ice, they put water and they hang it."- A. H.

 

 "When snow and rain mixes together it makes icicle." - R. R.

 

As students develop their theories about how icicles are made, as an inquiry group we decided that we wanted to create our own icicles.

Collaborative Art

We have discovered the wonderful use of water colour crayons in our classroom, thanks to a teaching partner at our school.

We decided to explore a collaborative painting that could link with our Sunflower Inquiry.

The children each took turns, contributing to the painting at every stage.

 

Shell Inquiry

One day we had water colours at our art studio in our classroom. Many children created paintings of flowers, their families or their friends. However, one student decided to paint the rocks she'd seen at the beach. (We had rocks and shells at our Discovery Table) The children at the art studio began to talk excitedly about their own beach experiences and also began to draw about the beach and the shore.

We brought the materials (shells and rocks) that had been interesting the children to the carpet for a discussion. The children began by stating what they knew about the shells. Eventually, theories and 'I wonder' statements emerged from the children.

A Moment at the Light Table

Today two children in our classroom were working together with such focus and attention. I watched and wondered what they were creating. They came running over when they were ready to share (before they had told me it was a surprise!) and told me they had made a zoo for all the animals.

The green mat is a large piece of felt. (Felt does wonders for our light table exploration...)

Building Materials

For a long time we had large blocks at our construction centre. Great collaboration was happening as the children built together. After two months we noticed that the small log blocks were not being used and we wondered if the big blocks were taking away from other materials we had placed out. 

We decided to let another teacher take on our big blocks and watch what happened. The children continued to build as they had done before, but they were using more detail in their construction and problem solving ways of constructing using smaller blocks.

We found that children would bring smaller materials from different centres to add to their constructions. We have not had the big blocks for over two months and not one child has asked that we bring back the larger blocks!

Amaryllis Bulbs

Our classroom was given 8 amaryllis bulbs recently. The students were very intrigued with these "strange" looking objects that appeared on our round table after lunch.

Here are just some of the students' thoughts:

"I think the thing is a radish."
"I think it is an onion."
"It's a turnip."
"It's like cinnamon. So brown."
"You cook with it."
"It's growing."
"It's a seed."
"Inside are the seeds. We need to plant it."

Those are just a few of the ideas that the students had.

We've planted most of the bulbs now and are patiently waiting to watch and see what will happen.

Since some students were very convinced that there were seeds inside and so we cut one open to look for the seeds. We also compared a cut onion to the cut bulb and let the children smell both to see if they had the same smell.

We are all excited to see what will happen in the coming weeks!