New Unit: Water Wonders!

How We Share The Planet

Central Idea:

The decisions people make about water affects everyone.

Line of Inquiry:

The water cycle (function)

The impact of humans on water sources (responsibility)

Coast Salish use and connections to the local waterways (connection)

We all met today to talk about the new unit and the summative activity the children will do at the end of the unit; they will create a 3D mural of a landscape featuring bodies of water. The children will work together on the mural to plan and build a community and share a contribution to fishing, housing, drinkable water, ponds, animal life, plants, transportation, and ways to cross the water.

To assess what the children know about water each child offered a fact which was recorded on a rain drop. The rain drops were grouped into common themes: function, what we do with water, and where we find water. This is one way the teachers will launch their planning for the upcoming weeks of inquiry.

what's your idea?

sorting ideas

Is this ALL we know?

Row Row Row Your Boat

Another way to row

Preparing for the Potlatch

Yesterday there were four children in the Fire Group who started stringing bracelets for our gift to give away at the potlatch tomorrow. We needed to make 25 and it seemed like a daunting amount.

Today there were seven children who continued the work. We needed to make 17 more bracelets. After a few minutes the bracelets were finished and Sophia and Simone noticed how quick that was compared to yesterday. Together we concluded that the more people there are to share the work the less work each of us needs to do - a very important discovery amongst people who work and live together!

"I'll help you."

A lovely discussion took place while the children worked, the topic - what work do you want to do when you grow up?

Simone - "A vet"

Alfie - "A fireman"

Sofia - "I like to fix cars"

Esme - "I don't know yet"

Bela - "Don't know"

Grace - "A fireman" (but after icing the cake she decided to be a cake decorator)

Julia - "A gymnastics teacher and a ballet teacher"

The children helped to ice the cake and decided on how it should be decorated.

We're all ready for the potlatch!!

Who Are We Anyways?

The transdisciplinary theme for this unit is Who We Are and while we've been focusing on one aspect (we are generous beings) today's assessment provided an opportunity for the children to connect their understanding of who they are in the world.

The children came up with all these possibilities of who we are.

The children created individual posters expressing who they are and worked carefully and at length both in thinking of who they are and in decorating their poster.

Some of the children felt they couldn't draw a picture to represent the words. Simone came up with the idea to colour in the circle choosing a colour that represents that idea. For example, pink was the colour she chose to represent "I am a ballerina" This idea shows her connection to the previous colour unit and how people use colour. Many of the other children liked this idea and used it too

The children's work is displayed in the room, we invite you to come and see who we are