Earthquakes and Snowflakes:

Examples of Integrated and Emergent Curriculum

Our school wide penny drive to raise money for the people of Haiti has brought us opportunities to learn more about how "the earth moves under my feet." Earlier this year, we studied rocks, understood that the earth is made of rock and has a crust, learned about continents drifting apart, and now we are studying tectonic plates. We discussed that the Indian subcontinent is bumping into Asia, pushing the Himalayan Mountains a little higher every year. We also experimented with our own styrofoam tectonic plates... If they move just a little, do the blocks stay standing? What happens if they move vigorously?

Note the block on the right tipping, almost as if in slow motion...

Once again, we talked about what to do in an earthquake and practiced getting under tables and covering our heads with our hands. It was easier for the children to understand why there was a need to be covered after directly experiencing the blocks falling, even sometimes off the table!


To provide reinforcement of our Penny Drive, we worked with coins, especially pennies (typical for young children, we do seem to like them best...)
We counted pennies on a grid system and learned that 100 pennies equal one dollar!




As part of our seasonal study of Winter, we explored the language of animal tracks. We can learn so much about animals... how they move, where they live, what they like to eat... by watching for their tracks and following them. We made track imprints using playdough, black for earth and white for snow.

This is hard work, but it's really engrossing!

And what would winter in the north country be without a few snowflakes?

We learned to fold and snip circles to create unique snowflakes. We found that you need strong hands and fingers to cut folded paper. There was a huge WOW factor in discovering the geometry of making a few cuts along the edges, followed by all of us unfolding our papers. Happy sounds of "Wow!" echoed around the table as each child sighed with delight and amazement at his/her creation! In the photo above, we also used glitter-watercolors to paint snowflakes made of pre-cut heavier grade paper. All of our snowflakes decorate the windows of our classroom * * * Please stop in and admire them! The children are hoping that if the clouds "see" our snowflakes, they just might send more our way! Shall we get out our sleds?

Snowy smiles,

Judith