How The World Works - Wrapping Things Up
Dear Monkey Class Families,
As we approach the final week of Term 2, it's incredible to reflect on the whirlwind of learning and discovery we've experienced. The children's natural curiosity has been our guiding star, leading us on exciting explorations into the realms of magnets, marbles, and the ever-fascinating world of water. This week has been filled with hands-on experiments, collaborative problem-solving, and a whole lot of joyful learning.
How the World Works
Magnets and Marbles: Exploring Movement
We've had a wonderfully engaging week, delving into the children's fascination with magnets and marbles. We observed their love for magnets and aimed to expand their exploration, using magnetic bells to discover how magnets facilitate movement. Combining this with their enthusiasm for marbles, we created magnetic marble runs on the whiteboard. It was truly inspiring to see the children collaborate, problem-solve, and share resources. While some faced moments of frustration, their resilience shone through as they sought help from teachers and peers. The diverse magnetic compositions created on the whiteboard were a testament to their creativity.
Water Play: Sink, Float and Rainbows
Building upon the children's love for water, we embarked on an exploration of sink and float. Initially, their focus was on making objects submerge and creating large splashes. However, they soon progressed to asking 'why,' sharing their observations about size, weight, and material. During circle time, we discussed splash sizes, confirming that heavier objects produced larger splashes. Inspired by their paper airplane crafting, we made paper boats, posing the question of whether they would sink or float. Many children were eager to test their boats at home.
We also combined their fascination with water and rainbows by attempting the 'Walking Water' experiment. Using markers, paper towel, and two jars of water, we aimed to see the colours travel across the paper towel. Though the markers weren't strong enough for the full 'walking' effect, the children were captivated by how the colours drifted into the water below. Some expressed that the colours were 'melting' and creating 'rainbow water,' showcasing their imaginative interpretations of the process. Additionally, some children carefully chose the colours they drew on the paper towel to create a specific colour of water, demonstrating their developing understanding of colour mixing.
This unit has provided a rich environment for the children to explore familiar activities in new ways. They've evolved into thoughtful thinkers and problem solvers, sharing ideas and theories. Each child has demonstrated their inner scientist, engineer, and problem solver, whether in small group interactions, during play, or in circle time discussions.
Looking Ahead: Reflection and Social-Emotional Growth
In the coming weeks, we will reflect on our "How the World Works" unit by creating reflection posters, highlighting favourite activities and learning experiences. We will then transition to our "Who We Are" unit, focusing on social skills and emotional regulation. As the children's confidence grows, we've observed some behavioural challenges, making it an opportune time to revisit our essential agreements and self-management skills.
Google Albums & Spotify Playlists
As always we've captured moments from this week's explorations, and we encourage you to take some time to browse through them with your child. It's a fantastic way to connect with their school experiences each week, sparking conversations about their favourite activities and allowing them to share their learning journey with you.
Wishing you a lovely week ahead. Until our next update, take care.
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