Week 2 Term 2

Hi Families,

It has been another busy week in LC2 as we continue our focus on The Anzacs and really get stuck into our projects.  We have also had a busy week of sport, continuing our sessions with the AFL team and beginning our time being coached by a member of the Breakers squad.

Practising our punts with the AFL team.

Playing ball tag with the Breakers.

Project Based Learning

We are continuing to work on our projects, documenting our journey as we go in our own project books.

As we walk through this process we are making sure we continue to make links with the life skills under the umbrella of Inventive Thinking-

• Adaptability, managing complexity and self-direction.
• Curiosity, creativity and risk-taking.
• Higher order thinking and sound reasoning.

The Food Group

This week the foodies enjoyed getting into the kitchen and making pancakes and chocolate chip biscuits.  They will now design their own biscuit recipe and consider what else they would like to invent.

The Fashion Group

The group have been working on their 'Mood Boards' this week.  These represent preferred colours, patterns and designs.  After discussion, the group realised that making garments from scratch was not going to be feasible. Instead they are going to use garments that they already have and add a different dimension to them by using a variety of methods - tie dye, motifs, jewels.

The Chemical Reactions Group

This week we worked with LC1 on a 'Disappearing Colour' experiment involving bleach and food dye in water.  We wrote instructions for the experiment, recording the equipment we needed and clear steps in the right order.  We also reflected back on all the experiments we have carried out so far, recording our thoughts and wonderings.

The Town Planners

This week we met with Mike from Universal Homes.  Some of the questions we asked him were -

• How much does it cost to build a home?
• Where do you get your materials from?
• What is the most expensive material when building a house?
• How long does it take to build a house?
• How much does it cost Universal Homes to build a house?
• Where do you get the money to buy the materials for the house?
• How many people are involved in building a house?
• Why are the houses in Hobsonville Point so expensive?
• What community facilities does Hobsonville Point need?

It was great to get some more information which will help us on our journey to design and build our own town.

Hosting Mike from Universal Homes in the boardroom.

Maths

Measurement is required in all our projects.  The Measurement pre test carried out last week has highlighted 'next steps' for the children and they attended target workshops this week.  Some children have begun by identifying non standard units of measurement and using these to accurately measure classroom objects after a prediction has been made.  Others have looked at units of time, putting a day's events in the correct order and considering how long an activity takes.  For example, will it take longer to write your name or do 10 star jumps?  The children enjoyed thinking of different activities and finding out which took the longest.

Which takes longest, 10 press ups or drawing 20 circles?

We also carried out a Number pre test and as a result spent the week investigating doubles to 20 and 40.

Literacy

This week our reading and writing has been linked to our projects as children are presented with opportunities for authentic learning. 

Follow up reading activity around a science experiment.

A letter to David of Isthmus architects to say thank you for having us.

We have also written our first ever cinquain poems based around our work on The Anzacs.  

Team Building

We are continuing our focus on working as a team, taking opportunities to lead when appropriate and making sure we manage our behavioural decisions when interacting with others.  

We have also been doing some thinking about what it means to have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.  We looked at the life stories of Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Walt Disney to help us.

           

Working as a team to blow up a balloon, tie it, run a relay whilst holding the balloon and then pop it.

Participating in the BP challenge to build a tower using marshmallows and spaghetti.

Student Led Workshops

We continued on with the success of last week with the children planning more student led workshops.

This week included-

• Gymnastics-Kate, Issy, Phoenix and Kaylana
• Origami Butterflies-Keira
• Puppet making and script writing-Freya and Priya
• Making houses-Zoe
• Soccer-Antos and Justin
• Making shields-Luke and Will

The children have made some very perceptive reflections and are looking for strategies to address them.  For example, how do you manage children that do not listen?  What do you do when your workshop does not go to plan?  How do you manage some children being able to do what you are teaching and others not?

Soccer

Soccer

Making shields.

Making houses.

Have a good weekend.