Week 6 - Celebrating Fall and Math Lesson Adjustments
/We started the week by finishing our 3D sea lion creations built out of remida and natural materials. We enjoyed admiring each other’s creations and comparing which materials each person used. Here are the finished products.
For Writer’s Workshop this week, we began having mini lessons to guide us through the process of writing fiction stories. The Sea Lions practiced brainstorming ideas for stories based around small moments/observations in their own lives, or based on stories or characters they wished existed. Then they chose a story idea to work on and we spent time imagining what sort of traits and features their main character would have.
We have been learning the songs that the whole ELC will be singing for the Lantern Walk next week. The Sea Lions have been practicing lots and have memorized a few of the songs completely already. They are all fantastic singers!
We also took a nature walk around campus to observe the signs of Fall. We looked at the leaves of different trees to see how they are changing, and noticed that some trees have only partially changed colors. We found lots of acorns and enjoyed breaking them open to see what the insides look like. We also found an interesting nut or seed that is housed inside the spiky green pods that fall from some of the trees.
Ms. Susan rearranged the daily schedule so that we can do our math lessons in the morning time when our brains are more alert. We are also trying a new structure of small math groups who alternate each day between stations: playing math review games or working with the teacher on the new lesson. The Sea Lions are still getting used to this new routine, but so far they seem to be enjoying the extra time for games. Ms. Susan likes the extra practice students get by playing the review games and the more focused, specialized support she can provide to the smaller groups.
The Sea Lions and Otters have been having lots of fun building, creating, and playing together during outside choice time. Some of them built an obstacle course with the stumps and wood planks, and they found some slug eggs underneath a log. Others built a fort around the big boulders using the tarp and bamboo poles. Many students have been playing rounds of chess, and some are creating dance/gymnastics routines together. At the end of the week, many of the students began playing “Capture the Flag” together, which led to lots of opportunities for problem solving, communication, and whole body movement.
