Homes

Our second Unit of Inquiry is  Where We Are In Place and Time and our central idea is People build homes to suit their location.

The Three Little Pigs

We introduced this unit using a children's favourite - The Three Little Pigs. We discussed WHY each pig chose a different material to build their home. So the first pig was in a rush and wanted to build his home quickly, the second little pig sourced his materials from the nearby forest, whilst we all know the third little pig took his time as he wanted to build a strong, sturdy, wolf-proof house. The children were very good at coming up with ideas for the reasons why each pig chose a certain material.

We then made a book dedicated to the little pigs. Each page was dedicated to one of the houses. We wrote a sentence using a simple sentence starter: This is a house of _________. It is ____________.


Charlie and Lola

After reading Charlie and Lola and thinking about the setting of the story e.g. rooms in the house, we talked about labels and "how they tell us what something is". We looked at vocabulary related to homes and labelled a simple house.

Then came the fun part. I split the class into groups and assigned each group a room in the house. The idea was to have each person turn into an interior designer for the day. I gave out home-ware brochures and each designed his own room to add to the class house. We are working very hard on good First Grade colouring at the moment!

Different Homes from Around the World 

This week we will look at different homes from around the world. The idea of the inquiry appraoch is to have the children think up and investigate their own ideas about why people build houses in a certain way. In grade 1 we need a little bit of guidance, so this week I will introduce a home of the day and we will see where it leads us. My ideas for homes include:

tepee
igloos
houseboat
Skyscrapers
home in England
a mountain home

There are many many more options obviously, so like I said, we will have to see where it all leads! There are also many books based around this topic which I will have to get for next time!

 

The Six Transdisciplinary Themes

Who We Are

An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Where we are in place and time

An exploration of our orientation in place and time; of our personal histories and geographies; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

How we express ourselves

An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs, and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity, our appreciation of the aesthetic.

How the world works

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

How we organize ourselves

An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Sharing the planet

An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

No David!

The beginning of a new school year means discussing and learning about both the classroom rules and the school rules. We will read a comical grade 1 favourite called No David! by David Shannon.

After reading this story, we will think about the rules we should follow in order to have a safe and pleasent classroom environment. I will also be asking the kids what they do that makes mum or dad shout "No _____, no". And of course, we will talk about the things we can do to make our mums, dads and teachers happy with us.

First Grade Jitters

Everyone knows that starting anything new can be a bit jittery. Luckily I have found a lovely story for us to enjoy in our new Grade 1 class -  First Grade Jitters by Julie Danneberg.

We will be reading and enjoying the story together in the first few days of school and hopefully I will be able to publish some photos of our hard work to share with you!

We will think about our feelings on the first day of school. Are we excited, scared, happy, nervous, sad or sleepy? We will also be creative and make our own bit of craft work based on the story. And children will learn that even adults feel worried or anxious at times.