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

Sound Travels #4: Three Billy Goats Gruff

How sounds are experienced.

How do we experience sound?

The Water Group really enjoyed dramatizing the Norwegian fairy tale, Three Billy Goats Gruff. They experimented with the voices for the different characters in the story. They felt their voice should be small and soft when saying Little Goats Gruff's lines and rough and loud for the troll (because he is scary). I showed the children parts of Peter and the Wolf and explained how the characters are represented by different instruments. Inspired by the play the children added drum sounds to the their dramatization of Three Billy Goats Gruff and felt confident and excited to perform in front of all the other children.