Anna's Class Notes
We’ve had some gorgeous sunny days, which we savored with lots of time outside, and some rainy, rainy, wet days. One upside to the rain was the super wet and muddy claypit, an area we spend time in during recess on some days. Some of the children went for the full spa treatment on their feet-- the deep mud bath. After realizing how squishy it was, they lined up to jump off the concrete tunnel into the mud.
We began to look more closely at what makes a structure strong and stable. We tested the stability of our bodies in different positions and found that positions with a stronger base (sitting or feet and hands on the ground) were more stable. We talked about the force of gravity and how that force acts on three dimensional structures. We tested triangles vs. squares to determine which shape (made with toothpicks and marshmallows and also straws and paperclips) could withstand pushing on a corner and still maintain its shape. Triangle was the winner. The students connected these experiments with our earlier discussion of tripods.
Our social/emotional learning and anti-bias work continued with discussions and an art project. The students completed an art project about their own identities-- mixed media self-portraits with statements about themselves. We read Julian is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love. This is a story about a young boy who wants to dress as a mermaid. We talked about gender and how sometimes people are told they should or should not act a certain way or like certain things based on what others think about their gender identity. We talked about ideas or activities not “belonging” to any one gender. We began to explore the word and concept of stereotypes. We also read a book called The Bad Mood and the Stick, by Lemony Snickett. This book is a silly story about how a bad mood is passed along from one person to the next. We talked about moods and how they come and go, and different choices we have about what to do when we are having a bad mood or when someone else is having a bad mood.
