It has been a fantastic week! The students quickly settled into the classroom routines, and they were very happy to see each other again. Within the first hour back at school one group really impressed me with the way they worked collaboratively together, making a spaceship in the pod. It started with just a few children, but as their creation grew, more and more students joined in, until the whole group (the half of the class working in the pod) was participating in this shared vision. It's quite a feat for a large group of children to be able negotiate around differences of opinions; here they demonstrate many examples of cooperation and agreeableness. Some make suggestions (and declarations) and the other children respond to these ideas. It was lovely to see the way they were all included, the way they worked with each other, and how independent they were.
Building their spaceship; pull up a chair, there's room for more!
Seeing how popular the idea of Space was with the children, I made that the starting point for our metaproject discussions this week. I showed the whole class this video I took of those students in the pod on Monday before we started Tuesday's Discovery Time session.
The students were very keen to follow up with space-related activities all week: designing rocketships, making aliens, listening to non-fiction books about space, writing their own space books, drawing space pictures (on paper and on the iPads), and building space stations, moon bases, and spaceships at the light table.
Planning, designing and assembling spaceships
Showing the class their finished projects
Alien Alert!
Recording her favourite activity in her Investigation Journal
Thinking about space
"I am wondering why space is so dark." -Yaana
Imaginations in action
The Space Station and rocket
If you hear any interesting questions or wonderings about space please let me know!
Happy Halloween
A very big thank you to the parent volunteers who planned and prepared today's special Halloween activities. The students had so much fun!
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