Semester 3- Week 3
- Voula and Janira
- Apr 12, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 14, 2024
Tuesday
Morning Gathering
Today we reviewed our cardinal directions again! We also began our map segment! Reading maps is an important skill in navigation and orienteering! We cannot always have access to an electronic device or GPS. It is always wise to use our biggest, most complex smart device ever created, which is the computer in our head! Students created their own map of choice! Some created a map of their home, some chose a map of their local park or neighborhood, and some even created a treasure map! Next week, students will learn how to apply their map to a scale!
Writing
Group 1-
Students worked on spelling, vocabulary and writing simple sentences. Four worksheets provided challenges to teach and reinforce in each area.A second assignment had the students respond to the writing prompt “If you were given $200 to spread kindness, how would you spend it?”
Skills-vocabulary development, spelling, sentence structure and decoding, short answer response.
Group 2-3-
Students began initial preparation on a research paper on the topic, “How Pets Affect Mental Health.” A brainstorming session allowed students to share their personal experiences. Key components of the first source were pointed out: title of article, year written, author, subtitles, introduction. After, students were instructed to code key points/phrases from the article (class activity).
Skills-class discussion, brainstorming, terminology, organization, coding.
Ancient Civilizations
This week, our classroom transformed into a portal straight to ancient China! We dove headfirst into the history of powerful dynasties – the Shang, the Zhou, and maybe even the Qin and Han dynasties – each leaving their legacy etched in time.
But our exploration wasn't confined to battles and emperors. We unraveled the rich tapestry of ancient Chinese religion. We learned about Confucianism, with its emphasis on social order and respect for family. Taoism, with its focus on living in harmony with nature, might have been on the agenda too. And who knows, maybe Buddhism, a journeyed religion from India, joined the conversation as well!
Learning wasn't just passive in this adventure. We got to unleash our inner artisans by designing our own stamps! These weren't your ordinary postage stamps, oh no! They were symbols of the unique lettering system – Chinese characters – that sets China's written language apart. Imagine the challenge (and the fun!) of capturing the complexity of a character on a small stamp!
And to top it all off, we even participated in a traditional green tea ceremony! Sipping the fragrant tea, we deepened our immersion into Chinese culture, experiencing a custom steeped in history and tranquility.
Forensic Science
This week's focus was on reconstructing past events! The class was divided into 2 teams! The girls team was to find a novel with many of the pages missing, damaged, or out of order. Can you make sense of novel with most of the pages missing? This is what a crime scene may look like upon arrival. The pieces of the novel represent a series of events that occurred in the past! The team was to gain as much information from the existing "evidence" (or book) as possible first, and then attempt to reassemble as much of the book as they could, adding more information and clues to their evidence.
We discussed how all the evidence isn't always found, but how important each little piece is in gaining more information. With time, evidence can be damaged or washed away as well, making it even more difficult in solving crimes.
The boys group was to examine a purse that was found on a crime scene. They investigated the purse, with all the contents inside, including flight receipts, credit cards, bank statements, letters, keys, any other store receipts. They were able to gather information such as who the purse belonged, the last date the owner had the purse, and recent events that occurred in the life of its owner. The boys came up with great scenarios as to not only what happened to the owner of the purse, but reconstructing possible chronological events leading up to the disappearance!
Wednesday
Morning Gathering
Today, knitting needles took center stage in class! We learned the first steps in crafting a cozy scarf. It was all about getting started – mastering the cast-on method to create the foundation for our scarves. Now we're eager to keep practicing and watch our projects grow stitch by stitch!
Marine Biology
Can you name the 5 different classifications for marine life without peeking over to the next sentence? They are: bacteria, fungi, protists (algae), plants, and animals. Within each of these classifications lies a vast opportunity for exploration, however this semester, we will only focus on the animal kingdom. I highly suggest documentaries such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet. David Attenborough has done some extraordinary work in nature conservation!
This week we began our marine invertebrate study in the animal kingdom. Specifically Cnidarians and Echinoderms! Students each chose one specific animal within these 2 categories and paired up with a teammate! They were given some time in class to do their own research on their chosen animal, along with a short presentation at the end of class. Choices included: jellyfish (cnidarian), sea anemone (cnidarian), starfish (echinoderm), sand dollar (echinoderm), sea cucumber (echinoderm), and sea urchin (echinoderm). Many echinoderm specimens were also brought in for the students to hold and observe!
The objective was to research which category the animal belong to: radial symmetry or bilateral symmetry, name some other physical characteristics, research if it has regenerative capabilities and defense mechanisms, any other interesting facts, and bonus points if they could find whether these animals reside within our local seashores!
Below is some general information on both cnidarians & echinoderms.
Cnidarians:
-Radially symmetrical.
-have nerves & muscles, but no brains & hearts.
-Carnivores-eating anything from small plankton to animals much bigger than themselves
-Contain stinging cells (cnidarian literally means “stinging creature”)
-SOME CNIDARIAN LIFESPANS AVERAGE 4000 YEARS AND ARE AMONG THE OLDEST LIVING CREATURES ON THIS PLANET!!!!!
-Fun fact: If a jellyfish is cut in two, it can regenerate each half, becoming two separate functioning jellyfish.
Echinoderms:
-Have spiny skin (echinoderm literally means “spiny skin”)
-Have tube feet that breathe, suction to surfaces, and pry open shells.
- Adults are radially symmetrical (however juvenile echinoderms are bilaterally symmetrical).
-They do have regenerative capabilities.
Here are some short video clips on both Cnidarians & Echinoderms!
Cnidarians & Echinoderms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgQyAAeR39Y
Cnidarians: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VAp7DHut_E
Another: The Fascinating World of Cnidarians:
Echinoderms: A spiny world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcaP520ygt0
Echinoderms for Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAZGzMWsM9s
Energy 101
We relaxed today through exploring how we are energy. We are made up of water (cells/lymphatic system are a couple examples), air/breath, fire (our digestion is important how food is important component of feeling well, it too vibrates with energy.
We discussed how our words also have a vibration! Our words can do harm or they can spread truth and compassion. We discussed how saying the word "mean" or "ugly" felt and then how receiving a compliment felt.
We learned about our feet and how they have 7,000-10,000 nerve endings on each foot. Feet are powerful neuromuscular structures that have profound impact over our well-being. These receptors in our feet provide critical feedback to our brain about our environment and how we move within it. This two way communication between the feet and the brain is vital for proprioception and will improve coordination and functioning in the body. There is a theory of grounding/earthing (walking barefoot on earth) where contact with the earth neutralizes free radicals in the body, can reduce stress, reduce inflammation, improve sleep and impact mood. As a result, we completed feet exercises with ball exercises and calf stretches to relax and completed a short stretching practice. We ended with a guided relaxation wrapped in a blanket and cozy.
A joy to spend time with your kids. Let me know if you have questions.
Kindly and respectfully,
Annawyn
Sculpting & Art
In art class this week, groups continued to explore their creativity! Group 3 delved deeper into the human form, building upon last week's work as they sculpted intricate anatomical eyes. Group 2 got hands-on with clay, using cups as unique tools to shape one-of-a-kind pots. And center stage belonged to Group 1, who proudly presented their very own superhero characters – the culmination of their artistic vision!
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