Building Together: A Walk to Dunbar

What is a community? The children gathered together and shared their understanding of what a community is and what is in one. To see what is in our Dunbar community, we walked along 39th  to  Dunbar Street. Along the way, the children noted a postal carrier, landscapers and construction workers. When we reached Dunbar, the children shouted with glee, "I see the community! I see the community!" We saw gas stations, a coffee shop, restaurants, a school, a bookstore, flower shops, bus loop, dentistry, dry cleaners, a community garden and IGA. Many children said they shop at IGA so we went in to take a look and see who works there: baker, butcher, cashier, stocker.

Then and Now #1: Early Human

The Water Group started to explore the life of early humans. We wanted to learn the similarities and differences between past and present. The children know that we can mail each other letters as a way of communication but did early humans send each other letters? "No!" the children giggled as they shouted out the answers. "They don't even have paper!" Charlie exclaimed. I told the children that it is possible for us to read messages from early humans even though they did not have paper. The children were very confused! I showed them pictures of cave paintings made by cavemen and we guessed what the paintings meant.


The children painted a cardboard box and made it into a cave. We are going to learn the daily life of an early human and we record it on our "cave" wall.

We Decorate Our World #3: Connect Through Decorations (2)

By looking at the gardens, the children learned many things about each other.

- Eric loves blue and he doesn't like to make his house too colourful. He likes it simple.
- Charlie loves red and swimming.
- Eva is good at making a beautiful garden and the children think her "house" looks very magical.
- Miquel likes green and he likes having big windows.
- Hyra wants her house to look pretty and colourful.
- Jacob likes having windows around the house. He also loves blue.
- Elliot loves red and he wants to make his garden pretty so everyone likes it.

We Decorate Our World #2: Connect Through Decorations (1)

Decorations tell human stories and help us know one another

Adding pools and flower beds

The children loved the different garden decors in our neighbours' yards. They commented on how cute a cat statue looked in one and in another how the trees looked silly. Our neighbours' creative gardens decorations inspired the children to create their own unique garden to their dioramas. Can the children's garden help us more about them?

"There's lots of flowers in my garden."

Blueprint for the garden

We Decorate Our World #1: Creativity and Individuality

Similarities and differences in ideas about what a decoration is

What is a decoration to each of us?

Painting the "houses"

On our decoration walk, the children pointed out the different shapes, colours and pattern on each house. We read the book The Big Orange Splot by D. Manus Pinkwater. The children loved how Mr. Plumbean turned his "neat street" into a "dream street".

Adding windows

What if we were able to build and design our own houses, what would it look like? 

The children were excited by the idea of designing their own houses.  

For the next few weeks Water group will be working on building a house diorama. The children will utilize their creativity and show their individuality through their designs.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

                                               - John McCrae, May 1915

As remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace, the children painted their own Flanders fields. 

Sound Travels #5: Music Projects

To end the unit Sound Travels, all the children created their own music sequences that describe a thought or a feeling. They used found objects, musical instruments or their own voices to create these music sequences. Here are their projects:

Elliot

Hyra

                                          
                                                                           Charlie

                                          
                                                                            Eva

Jacob

                                          
                                                                             Eric

Sophie