No Bones About It...

We have had a great time being

"a skeleton crew!"

As our study of the human body continues, we have focused on bones this week---and learned so much about how we are put together! Mr. Bones was very helpful as we talked about why certain bones are the particular forms that they are and that every bone has a purpose (curved rib cage to protect vital organs, many small phalanges in hands and feet for bendable dexterity, etc.) We also learned that although bones are hard on the outside, they are spongy on the inside because that is where blood cells are made. As you take a jog through the blog, you'll see more related activities we did this week!

Indeed, we gathered a skeleton crew for a photo op with Mr. Bones!

We also presented our "Earth Week" wild animal research projects that we ran out of time to finish last week.

Our youngest class member taught us about her favorite animal, otters.

We learned about vampire bats, too!

Many members of our class community brought their notes, which were as fun to see as their presentations! Some were handwritten with invented spelling, others dictated in crayon, or highlighter, and traced. One was printed into a book with downloaded photos... Everyone did a FABULOUS job, and each child was so proud to be the "expert" on his/her chosen animal!

"It's a strong flyer but it can run on four arms and legs. It uses echolocation to know its obstacles. It's the only mammal that flies. People make laws to protect them."

Polar Bears




We were good listeners...

and after each presentation, we asked questions, which each expert answered.

Elephants,

Pandas and

Tigers!

With Mr. Bones as our guide, we made "skeleton pictures" of ourselves using our unique skin tone body cut out, with dried pasta representing bones. Before we placed each "bone," we walked over to Mr. Bones to inspect size, shape, number and placement to be as aware as we could in the creative process.

Each child's "skeleton self portrait" was different, yet they all understood the idea behind it. We discussed the various bones, and shapes of pasta to represent them, as each was carefully chosen and placed.

Just as we have a shape defined by our skeleton,

we can build our ideas using a "skeleton" that defines the shape of our construction.

This was a thought provoking exploration and extension for the children,

and lots of fun when they discovered that their bodies provided the "mass" of their massive creation!

In P.E., we practiced independence, motor planning, problem solving, jumping, hopping, balancing and other types of body movement as we followed a pattern across the floor of the multi-purpose room...

When a star was in a space, the child had to jump past it!

At the end, there was a choice... How will you move to get down this padded incline?

There were as many creative ideas as there were imaginative children!

Coming up next week--- the spinal cord and central nervous system.

Happy May Day!

Judith

Planting Seeds of Peace

Happy Earth, Every Day!

We began Earth Week by reading a beautiful story about Wangari Maathai. In 1977, she began her work in Kenya by planting 9 tree seedlings in the barren earth, where once trees had grown abundantly. The old forests had been cut for firewood and razed for development. Other village women became interested and began to raise the seedlings, planting them in villages and countryside, nurturing their growth. Wangari called this effort "The Green Belt Movement." It spread far and wide throughout Kenya.

In an ancient forest that developers wanted to cut, Wangari stood her ground and refused to move. At circle time, we talked again about ideals, the courage of civil disobedience, of standing up to power for a greater good. (We had discussed this before, especially with Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, and the many people who walked and marched proudly to change unjust laws in our country.) Wangari was arrested and jailed. Inspired by her courage and vision, many more people joined in the tree planting--- and, over the years, 30 million trees were planted! The renewed forests impacted the climate, so that once again rains fell, crops grew, people thrived. Wangari, who had started with just 9 seedlings in 1977, "was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contribution to world peace through the Green Belt Movement." (from Wangari's Trees of Peace.)

Discussions of Wangari, and others who have worked hard to help the earth, have been at the center of our focus this week. One of our children has decided that she wishes to make the earth a better place and "win" the Nobel Peace Prize! Yes, we are planting seeds of peace as the awareness and compassion of our children broadens and deepens...



We prepared the raised garden beds in our play yard, weeding and turning over the soil.

We explore a different kind of digging using a more sophisticated lever system...

It takes concentration!

This will be even more fun when our clean sand arrives!

Recycling is an everyday experience in our class, but this week we are recyling something that doesn't go into our bins... old crayons! These are crayons that have seen better days, are broken or getting too small. We had to peel the paper off of many crayons, which gave us lots of fine motor reinforcement!

We placed our crayon pieces in one indentation in the pan, trying to fill the cup with a variety of different colors.

We made a "map" together to keep track of each child's work. Then we placed the tin in a barely warm oven. Slowly the crayons in each cup melted together to make a giant "rainbow" crayon...We were so excited to use our "new" crayons!

We also recycled thicker crayons by making melted crayon pictures. We placed very thin cardboard on a small surface warmer--- When we slowly drew, the crayon would melt and ooze along, creating intense trails of color. We like creatively recycling crayons!

We saw two meaningful performances this week, related to people helping the earth. "The Man Who Planted Trees" was at the Seattle Children's Theater. Though it was a quieter performance than others we have attended this year, it spoke volumes about one humble person making a difference.

The story was about a shepherd who lived in the mountains of France with his faithful companion, a playful dog.

The mountainsides and valleys were bare and windswept, because the forests had been cut. People had to leave because the weather was too dry to grow their food.
The shepherd began planting acorns--- every morning 100 acorns, every afternoon 100 acorns, every single day.

Over the decades, an Englishman visited him three times, stayed over in the shepherd's hut, and saw the trees growing. The fun-loving, mischievous dog kept the visitor awake at night (below.)

The last time they saw one another, the shepherd was old and had slowed his pace, but still planted trees. The mountainsides were now heavily forested, birds had returned, rains fell, streams ran down to the valleys below. Again, trees had healed the ecosystem.

People returned to the now fertile valleys, and villages were restored. To celebrate the trees and streams, they built a fountain in the town's center.

The humble shepherd lives on in the beauty and lifegiving green of the many thousands of trees he planted, one acorn at a time.

Afterward, we went outside and explored some of the sights at Seattle Center...

one of us, with visiting grandparents!

We spotted the skateboarders in their special park, and were mesmerized!
Now and then, we have been talking about centrifugal force, and as the young people swerved up and down curved walls, we saw the force in life-sized action!

We had to take a closer look...

Over lunch, we talked a little about the play, everyone sharing an impression or two.

After lunch, we made it a "Double Feature Day," and went to the 3-D imax movie, "Born to Be Wild." This time we were treated to a view into the lives of two women, working across the world from one another, who chose to make a difference by saving endangered species. Primatologist Dr. Birute Galdikas rescues orphaned orangutan babies in the rainforest of Borneo. They are loved and cared for by a team of people who respect their need to return to the wild when old enough to "make it" on their own. Meanwhile in Kenya, Dame Daphne Sheldrick rescues elephant calves whose mothers have been killed by poachers. They, too, are raised by a loving and dedicated team, and later released into a herd of elephants that were once once raised at the compound. Throughout the 3-D movie, the eager hands of the children were reaching out to pet the fuzzy fur of the infant orangutans or the floppy ears of the tiniest elephant calves... so sweet! In the days since, we've had some great group discussions about how "movie" 3-D is so different from "real-life" 3-D. We have learned that movie 3-D is kind of a trick played on our eyes and brains, and we've decided that we like real-life 3-D much better!

We have had some big and beautiful experiences this week...


as we reflect upon all these amazing people to whom we have been introduced through books, stories, performances and movies.

How powerful to see our Bear Cubs growing and changing the world, one beautiful child at a time!

Judith