Toddlers
They This winter was so mild and snowless that the Toddlers had to make their own snow! We mixed water, baking soda, and cornstarch to make a white clay that the students used to make snow sculptures. The toddlers husked and shelled some of the popcorn from the PJS garden and were excited to watch it pop in the popcorn popper. They enjoyed eating it while they watched movies on the Smartboard. The students mixed birdseed and vegetable shortening and packed the mixture into cups to be hung outside as bird-feeders. On February 2, Groundhog Day, the class watched a video of the events that occurred at sunrise that morning. Then the students made a pop-up ground hog and held him up in the sunlight so he could see his shadow. They watched Frozen Seas and identified the Arctic animals as they glued them on paper. They also watched a video of the Antarctic and loved watching the penguins leap out of the water. A flock of migrating geese prompted a class about Canada Geese. The Toddlers watched videos and then were given the wings, body, etc. to assemble a goose on paper. They enjoyed making and eating freshly baked bagels one morning. Finally, the Toddler class provided lots of "kid power" to clean up the Pollinator garden.
Preschool
To connect with the classroom IB unit," We express ourselves through 'A Hundred Languages' ", the students experienced different ways of making sound. First they used an interactive site on the Smartboard. Then they explored the sounds of the copper chimes and the different pitches created by the varying levels of water in bottles. They used "palm pipes"to further explore pitch. After engaging in the Smartboard activity "What's Behind the Curtain?" the students conducted their own guessing game. The Preschool students were able to experience how sound is created by vibration when they made kazoos with wax paper and cardboard tubes. For Groundhog Day, the class watched videos of the event and assembled a groundhog with a shadow attached. They had fun, holding up the groundhog so he could see his shadow.The students were given samples of real snow and fake snow and were quickly able to identify each, then they created snow sculptures using the white clay "fake snow". After watching a video, Frozen Seas, the students assembled penguins on paper using pre-cut parts. The Preschool class was a great help in cleaning up the area around the playground fence in preparation for the playground expansion.
Kindergarten/ Grade 1
Members of Group A and Group B took close up photos of items on the school grounds, then the photos were distributed to their classmates, who were challenged with identifying the objects in the picture. The students quickly realized that they needed to make careful observations to be able to identify the objects correctly. As winter weather set in, the class reviewed how animals migrate, hibernate, or adapt to survive the change in seasons. The students learned about different methods of seed dispersal. They wore socks over their shoes and trekked through the meadow to simulate how animals transport seeds.Then the mud and seeds were scraped from the socks and planted. We collected seeds from both the upper and lower meadows to see if different varieties of plants grow. The students used a sewing machine to stitch together the fabric squares they made for the "Personal Histories" IB unit. Then LTL connected with the classroom unit "Patterns and cycles in nature help us understand the natural world". First we experienced the water cycle by melting snow in a pan set on a cooktop. The resulting water boiled, evaporated, condensed on the lid, and "precipitated" back into the pan. The students made a water cycle wheel and illustrated the cycle, labeling it with the correct terms. The class manipulated a model of the earth, moon, and sun to show the day/night cycle. Then they were challenged with the question, " What would happen if the earth stopped rotating?" The same model was used to demonstrate the cycle of the seasons. The students assembled a 24 -page lunar cycle flip book and learned the different between waxing and waning, crescent and gibbous. They also looked at the life cycles of both plants and animals.
Grades 2/3
Grades 2/3 learned about the perils of bird migration with "An Eventful Journey", a migration game. LTL connected with the classroom IB unit " Exploration leads to discovery and new understandings". The students watched several videos of Lewis and Clark and became intrigued by the story of Sacajawea. They each created a colorful parfleche, an item that Sacajawea would have used to carry her personal belongings on the expedition.This pouch was made of deerskin and decorated in the geometric design style of the Plains Indians. To further the exploration theme, each student took a photo of something in nature that he or she would like to learn about. Each student researched his/her nature item and wrote up a brief report on "What Did We Discover?". Then they presented their reports to the class. We also conducted an activity that involved each student making careful drawings and observations of a pebble, which they then had to identify when it was mixed with those of their classmates'.
Students relished the opportunity to explore the woods after the only snowfall of the season. Then we briefly touched on the IB theme " Stories are told in different ways and for different purposes". We listened to " Hush and Listen to the Earth" as told by storyteller Brian Fox. Next, as the students listened to his tale, "The Web", they illustrated a part of the story that spoke to them. The class ended the term with a unit on Bats. We watched a video about the plight of bats in NJ and how they are tagged and tracked. Students learned about the tremendous insect-eating benefits of bats and how we can help them by protecting their habitats and by providing bat houses. Each group constructed a bat house that will be situated on the school grounds. They wrote up a shopping list, stained and scored the inside pieces so the bats could grip the surface, screwed the pieces together, caulked the edges, and finally painted the boxes with dark brown paint. To sum up the unit, the students drew an illustration of a bat and listed ten facts that they learned about bats.
Students relished the opportunity to explore the woods after the only snowfall of the season. Then we briefly touched on the IB theme " Stories are told in different ways and for different purposes". We listened to " Hush and Listen to the Earth" as told by storyteller Brian Fox. Next, as the students listened to his tale, "The Web", they illustrated a part of the story that spoke to them. The class ended the term with a unit on Bats. We watched a video about the plight of bats in NJ and how they are tagged and tracked. Students learned about the tremendous insect-eating benefits of bats and how we can help them by protecting their habitats and by providing bat houses. Each group constructed a bat house that will be situated on the school grounds. They wrote up a shopping list, stained and scored the inside pieces so the bats could grip the surface, screwed the pieces together, caulked the edges, and finally painted the boxes with dark brown paint. To sum up the unit, the students drew an illustration of a bat and listed ten facts that they learned about bats.
Grade 4
To connect with the classroom, IB unit, ”The enduring legacies of ancient civilizations are present in modern societies”, students first looked at 10 innovations that built ancient Rome. Since two of the innovations, books and newspapers were made of paper, we decided to look at how paper was made. First we made a trip around the school grounds to collect plant fibers. Next the students cut the fibers into tiny pieces and mixed them with water and sodium carbonate. The fibers were cooked for three hours. Then the students rinsed the fibers several times, until the pH paper indicated that all of the washing soda was removed. The fibers were blended into a pulp. Students were finally able to “pull” sheets of paper, using a mold and deckle.
The class chose to make clothing for Wilson’s World, the civilization they were creating in class. Students researched the climate of Iceland as the basis for their clothing style and function. They also used the paper they had made as part of their presentation.
Next, Grade 4 began the unit “Through experimentation new understandings are developed”. We conducted a demonstration of “Elephant Toothpaste”, and discussed how this demonstration could be turned into an experiment, using the Scientific Method. The students learned about atoms, elements, and physical properties of matter. They used a triple beam balance to measure the mass of objects and they learned how to calculate volume and density. Each student was assigned an element to research. The summative assignment for this unit was the completion of an Element Person.
Grade 5
In LTL, Grade 5 explored the IB unit “Comparing different accounts of the past can shape perspective” by experiencing everyday activities from the past. First, the students made Seminole patchwork, using colorful cardstock to make a band that would have decorated a Native American’s shirt or dress. They husked, shelled, and popped popcorn that was grown in the PJS garden. They made a colonial food staple, “Hasty Pudding” (otherwise known as “cornmeal mush”). The class made Hardtack, the soldier's’ main source of food because it was cheap to make, easy to transport, and lasted for years. Next, the students collected nuts and berries for dye. They also collected oak galls, which they used to make ink. The ink was used, with a quill pen, to write a portion from George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation. They made the paper that they wrote on, last year, using cattail leaf and seed fibers.
Next the class investigated electric circuits in connection with the IB unit “Electromagnetic energy depends on the interrelationship between electricity and magnetic fields.” First the students dismantled a speaker to recover the magnets and wire coils. Then they learned about protons, neutrons, and electron flow. They assembled simple and complex electric circuits. We looked at electric circuits in nature, such as lightning, electric eels, and our own bodies. To sum up the unit and demonstrate what they learned, the students constructed a vertical axis wind turbine that used electromagnetic induction to generate enough electricity to light an LED bulb.
Next the class investigated electric circuits in connection with the IB unit “Electromagnetic energy depends on the interrelationship between electricity and magnetic fields.” First the students dismantled a speaker to recover the magnets and wire coils. Then they learned about protons, neutrons, and electron flow. They assembled simple and complex electric circuits. We looked at electric circuits in nature, such as lightning, electric eels, and our own bodies. To sum up the unit and demonstrate what they learned, the students constructed a vertical axis wind turbine that used electromagnetic induction to generate enough electricity to light an LED bulb.