Toddlers
The Toddler class began the year with a Nature Walk to check out the frog pond. The students enjoyed a taste test of a variety of apples and they made applesauce. They also made delicious mashed potatoes, using the potatoes grown in the PJS garden. The students excitedly pulled open milkweed pods to release the silky parachutes that carried thousands of seeds across the field. They collected gourds from the garden. The toddlers smashed together three colors of clay (red, orange, and yellow) and then rolled out the mixed clay and used leaf shaped cookie cutters to create their own autumn leaves. For the Thanksgiving celebration, the class made Pumpkin Corn Bread. The favorite activity of this term was undoubtedly “ Free the Leaves”. The toddlers were given the opportunity to dump out 14 bags of autumn leaves and then to revel in the pure fun of jumping into a huge pile of autumn joy!
Preschool
On the first day of school, the preschool class discovered that the frog pond had dried up. The students decided to help the frogs by dragging hoses to the pond to refill it. They made Summer Tree artwork, using green ink for the foliage, and then made predictions of how their tree would look in one month. The class helped in the garden by harvesting the Anasazi beans and pulling weeds. They made delicious applesauce and “flew” milkweed seeds, observing how the wind direction periodically changed. The preschool students looked at white light and discovered how a prism breaks up that light to reveal the colors of the rainbow. They also observed the rainbow colors on hundreds of bubbles that were lifted into the sky. They were excited to see the glowing volcanoes that erupted under an ultraviolet light. The students observed the colors of the changing leaves to complete their Autumn Tree artwork. Finally, they made Italian rolls and Pumpkin Sunflower bread for the Thanksgiving Celebration.
Kindergarten
The Kindergarten students were excited to watch the metamorphosis of monarch caterpillars as they grew and changed into butterflies that are programmed to migrate thousands of miles to Mexico. LTL connected with the classroom IB unit,” Where we live influences how we live”, by looking at how animals live. The students learned about ecosystems and habitats and searched for animal homes on the school grounds. They completed an activity that revealed the many life forms that make a tree their home. The students were introduced to tree identification with a game of “Capture the Leaf”. The class worked in the garden, preparing the beds for fall planting, sowing wheat seeds, and carefully watering them in. Next LTL connected with the classroom IB unit “Energy causes movement”. The students experienced energy and motion using toy cars and ramps of varying heights. They constructed a marble roll and folded a variety of paper airplanes .The culmination of this unit was the construction of “Coffee Can Racers. Each student constructed a simple machine that demonstrated potential and kinetic energy and they tested their racers in the Commons. For the Thanksgiving Celebration, the class made Cornbread and Carrot Honey Bread, using wheat that was grown in the PJS garden and threshed and winnowed by the students.
Grade 1
Grade 1 began the year with a review of the Monarch lifecycle and they were thrilled to release the butterflies for their flight to Mexico. The students harvested the potatoes that they planted last spring. The bountiful crop was enjoyed in a variety of recipes prepared by the students, including Himmel unde Erd and Homemade Mashed potatoes with fresh churned butter. LTL connected with the classroom IB unit,” Where we live influences how we live”, by looking at how animals live. The students learned about ecosystems and habitats and searched for animal homes on the school grounds. They completed an activity that revealed the many life forms that make a tree their home. The students learned tree identification with a game of “Capture the Leaf”. The class worked in the garden, preparing the beds for fall planting, sowing rye seeds, and carefully watering them in. Next LTL connected with the classroom IB unit “Energy causes movement”. The students experienced energy and motion using toy cars and ramps of varying heights and surfaces. They folded a variety of paper airplanes and tested them to determine the best design. The culmination of this unit was the construction of “Coffee Can Racers. Each student constructed a simple machine that demonstrated potential and kinetic energy and they tested their racers in the Commons. For the Thanksgiving Celebration, Grade 1 made Cornbread and Apple Cranberry Bread, using wheat grown in the PJS garden that was threshed, winnowed, and ground into flour by the students.
Grade 2
First the Grade 2 class harvested the potatoes that they planted last spring. The bountiful crop was enjoyed in a variety of recipes prepared by the students, including Homemade Mashed potatoes with fresh churned butter and spicy East Indian potatoes. They drew bioglyphs of themselves. Next the class worked with Yardmap, an online citizen science platform, to map the outdoor space of PJS, and to learn more about supporting wildlife. First the students looked at an aerial view of the school grounds. Then they took a walk around the school grounds noting the different areas. Finally they plotted these areas on the school map. To connect with the classroom IB unit “Learning about different cultures leads to understanding ourselves and others “, the students watched ‘A Day in the Life” of students in countries around the world, noting differences and commonalities between their lives and ours. They also celebrated the Korean culture by making Kimchi.
Grade 2 students learned leaf identification while playing “Capture the Leaf”. They worked on a fall nature booklet, which included a scavenger hunt. Next, to connect with the IB unit “ Humans migrate for many reasons and with various outcomes”, the class focused on animal migration. They each researched a migratory animal and completed a report that included the reason the animal migrates and its threats to survival. Finally Grade 2 threshed and winnowed the wheat from the garden and ground the grains into flour. They used the flour to make Maple Oatmeal bread that was enjoyed at the Thanksgiving Celebration.
Grade 2 students learned leaf identification while playing “Capture the Leaf”. They worked on a fall nature booklet, which included a scavenger hunt. Next, to connect with the IB unit “ Humans migrate for many reasons and with various outcomes”, the class focused on animal migration. They each researched a migratory animal and completed a report that included the reason the animal migrates and its threats to survival. Finally Grade 2 threshed and winnowed the wheat from the garden and ground the grains into flour. They used the flour to make Maple Oatmeal bread that was enjoyed at the Thanksgiving Celebration.
Grade 3
Grade 3 began the year by creating personal bioglyphs. To do this, the students used a code to provide details to a drawing that reflect their physical appearance, likes and dislikes, number of siblings, birthdate, etc. The students completed a detailed photo life cycle of the Monarch butterfly and enjoyed watching our caterpillars metamorphose. They conducted an experiment with three species of caterpillars and a variety of leaves to determine the food preferences of each caterpillar.
Next the class worked with Yardmap, an online citizen science platform, to map the outdoor space of PJS, and to learn more about supporting our local wildlife. First the students looked at an aerial view of the school grounds. Then they took a walk around the school grounds noting the different areas. Finally they plotted these areas on the school map. To connect with the classroom IB unit “Learning about different cultures leads to understanding ourselves and others “, the students watched ‘A Day in the Life” of students in countries around the world, noting differences and commonalities between their lives and ours. They also celebrated German culture by making Bratkartoffeln.
Grade 3 students learned leaf identification while playing “Capture the Leaf”. They enjoyed free play in the PJS woods, building bridges to span the streambed. Next, to connect with the IB unit “ Humans migrate for many reasons and with various outcomes”, the class focused on animal migration. They each researched a migratory animal and completed a report that included the reason the animal migrates and its threats to survival. Finally Grade 3 threshed and winnowed the wheat and rye from the garden and ground the grains into flour. They used the flour to make Pumpernickel Raisin bread that was enjoyed at the Thanksgiving Celebration.
Grade 4
Grade 4 began the year with a trip to the garden to search for monarch caterpillars. The students also harvested the popcorn. The popcorn was later used in a demonstration of “Sustainability” which was an eye-opening concept for most of the class.
The overarching theme for fourth grade this year will be “Sustainability”. The students will be working on the GLOBE and Eco -Schools program as they participate in data collection and the scientific process. In order to do this, the class first learned about the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. Then when hurricanes formed, the students directed their inquiry into this extreme weather event. The class has been learning a lot about green house gasses and Climate Change through recently released videos. Next the students will be researching Solutions, such as; hydro, solar, and wind power; green vehicles; energy efficient buildings, etc.
Finally, Grade 4 baked bread for the Thanksgiving celebration. First the students threshed and winnowed the wheat and ground it into flour. Then they were required to read the recipe and visit the “store” to gather the other ingredients before making delicious Pumpkin Apple Bread, a perennial favorite.
The overarching theme for fourth grade this year will be “Sustainability”. The students will be working on the GLOBE and Eco -Schools program as they participate in data collection and the scientific process. In order to do this, the class first learned about the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. Then when hurricanes formed, the students directed their inquiry into this extreme weather event. The class has been learning a lot about green house gasses and Climate Change through recently released videos. Next the students will be researching Solutions, such as; hydro, solar, and wind power; green vehicles; energy efficient buildings, etc.
Finally, Grade 4 baked bread for the Thanksgiving celebration. First the students threshed and winnowed the wheat and ground it into flour. Then they were required to read the recipe and visit the “store” to gather the other ingredients before making delicious Pumpkin Apple Bread, a perennial favorite.
Grade 5
Students in grade 5 were introduced to Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences following the quiz “How are you smart?” The quiz served as a provocation for the IB unit,” Understanding the ways that we learn leads to deeper learning”. The class studied basic brain anatomy, looking at the different parts of the human brain. Next the students learned how each of these parts is responsible for certain functions that keep our bodies “running”. They learned about lateralization of brain function and how cognitive functions tend to be more dominant in one hemisphere than the other, a theory known as right brain/ left brain dominance. The students played the game “Ectomy” to reinforce their knowledge of the brain. To complete the unit, the class sewed “brain hats”.
The students learned why leaves change color in autumn and they used colorful autumn leaves in a chromatography activity that revealed the different pigments present in the leaves. Finally, for the Thanksgiving celebration, Grade 5 made Russian Black Bread, which included ingredients such as chocolate and espresso, as well as wheat and rye that was grown in the school garden and threshed and winnowed by the students.
The students learned why leaves change color in autumn and they used colorful autumn leaves in a chromatography activity that revealed the different pigments present in the leaves. Finally, for the Thanksgiving celebration, Grade 5 made Russian Black Bread, which included ingredients such as chocolate and espresso, as well as wheat and rye that was grown in the school garden and threshed and winnowed by the students.