by MS CROSS’ 1/2 CLASS
Term one has brought a variety of positive learning experiences, from new social interactions to taking on challenging math tasks. We have begun the year with a positive feeling and students who are ready to direct their learning.
This year started with thinking about who we are, the special people in our lives and what makes us special.
In our classroom we created a family tree which symbolises the joy of friends and family, and celebrates all of these special people in our lives. This space now carries the purpose of a safe area in our room, where students can use calming strategies, quietly read and enjoy looking at our hanging family photos. Here is what some of the students had to comment about our family tree.
‘I really like the photos that are hanging from the tree’
—Tyler
‘If you feel sad you can go sit under the tree and read a book’
—Sophia
‘It looks cool because the leaves look real. We made the leaves as a class.’
—Noah
Our learning in science this term has focussed on animals and their habitats, external features and life cycles. We learnt that just like us, all animals have a life cycle, but our stages can be very different. Ants have a queen, who never leaves her nest underground. Her worker ants leave to find food to bring back to the chambers in their nest. Ants use their antennae to see, touch, taste and smell. They follow the scent of another ant who has found food and all walk in a line to get to the food they can sense.
Here are some more facts about ants…
‘They are so small we had to use magnifying cups to see their bodies!’
—Fletcher
‘When ants feel scared they might bite you.’
—Acacia
‘Bulls are bigger than other ants. There are lots of different types of ants.’
—Ethan
I was really impressed with how eager they were to learn more, with some even venturing out at recess and lunch time on the hunt for an ant trail!
In weeks five and six we have looked at both the life cycle and metamorphosis of a butterfly and of a frog. We have been very lucky to have Vivonne come into our classroom to support our learning through visual art. Here are a few snapshots of our fantastic work that is displayed in our classroom.
