Happy Lunar New Year

It is time to celebrate the Lunar New Year; we wave goodbye to the snake year and welcome the horse year! Today, we listened to the Chinese folk tell to find out why people use firecrackers and the colour red during lunar new year. According to the story, People find out that Monster Nian is afraid of loud noises and the colour red. Therefore, people would use firecrackers and the colour red to scare away Monster Nian, which represents the bad things in general. 

We painted paper rolls into red to make firecracker decoration. 

As well, the children traced the Chinese character "spring" with gold paint on a piece of red paper to decorate their firecrackers. In Chinese culture, the lunar new year is also known as "Spring Festival."  

The children learned the Chinese Zodiac story, which is the way Chinese people measured years according to a 12-year cycle in the olden days. The children were eager to learn what their zodiac is; as well, some children asked the teachers about their siblings' zodiac animal.  

Here are our firecracker decorations! Wish everyone a wonderful lunar new year!

Scare away the bad things; welcome the good luck!

Art - Blow Painting

Math - Using a Scale

Earth Group - Toys in the Past

Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we are in place and time

Central Idea: There are similarities and differences between the way people lived long ago and the way people live today.

The children in Earth group were interested in how toys are different back then and now. 

First of all, we played with the marble run and the marble game, which children played in the olden days. Here were the children's ideas about marble games now and then:

• Paxton - "Marble run is made of plastic. People in the olden days might have wooden ones!"
• Mila - "It's not easy to knock out the marble!"
• Matthew - "We can also juggle with marbles."

Then, we compared building toys, Lego and Lincoln Log. The same group task was to build a house with these two materials. The children expressed their interests on the different materials the two building toys are made of. 

Matthew - "There is no wooden Lego."
Paxton - "We can not make plastic Lincoln Log."

It was interesting to see how the children think the toy materials are not interchangeable. This exploration about toys now and then could be a good start leading to more discussion about new materials being discovered and new inventions being made. 

Math - Dice Number Game

This afternoon, the children and I played the dice game to learn the numbers. First, we reviewed numeral 1 to 6 together. Then, we took turns to roll the dice and took the numeral cards that match to the number we rolled out.

This game helps the children know their numbers and practice taking turns. It was amazing to see the children being principled to follow the rules and to take turns during the game. What a great chance to enhance their self-management and communication skills! 

Earth Group - Ox-Cart

Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we are in place and time

Central Idea: There are similarities and differences between the way people lived long ago and the way people live today.

The children in the Earth Group started our group time with the story "Ox-Cart Man" by Donald Hall. In the story, a 19th century farmer loads up his cart with the produce from his farm, and home-made items from his family, and takes them to the city where he can sale everything. Then, he returns back to his farm to start growing and making everything again.

"What are some similarities and differences between you and the people in the story?" I asked the children.
Mila - "We have cars. We don't have to walk far away." (In the story, the man walked ten days!)
Paxton - "We buy those things(candles, mittens or brooms) in the stores! I don't make them at home."

Then, we used play dough and toys in our school to make their own ox-cart.

"This is my ox-cart!"

During group time, the children were showing their interests in transportation and how people travel now and in the olden days. Here is a link that we watched together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G_K12Lu0lQ