Hello, Summer
5/20/2020
What a year the Beginners have had! We have learned so many new things, and have seen growth in each and every one of our students. As I reflect on the year, I am so very proud to be a teacher at PNA. I believe that the environment inspires creativity, exploration, and encouragement. The beginners have gotten to experience units on everything from trees to dinosaurs, have been on field trips to explore the world around them, and have even thrived with technology through this time of distance learning. We will dearly miss our group of Otters, but know that they will succeed and do great things in their EK classes. A Trip Down Memory LanePassion Project
5/9/2020
The past couple of months have been difficult on many fronts. Our decision to implement a "Passion Project" was based largely on the fact that we wanted our students to continue to use project-based learning in their homes. The preschool students will be creating a video to show the appearance, habitat, and diet of one Alaskan animal of their choosing. The students will learn new vocabulary, learn about how animals live and eat, and use language skills to tell their peers about their animal. The great thing about this project (which reflect the qualities of PBL) is that students are using multiple skills and subjects to learn about one thing that is interesting to them. Example: An animal that I would like to learn more about is a penguin. After researching the appearance of a penguin, I found out that it is black, white, and has an orange beak. I use my knowledge to create a model of my animal. By this point, I have learned what the word "appearance" means, identified the colors of my animal, used art to create a model based on previous knowledge (for this particular model that requires cotton balls, I may have counted out how many I was using before gluing). As a preschooler, cutting, gluing, drawing, and coloring are vital skills to practice. Next, I will research the animal's habitat. Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere and most of their lives are spent in the ocean! It's time to create a model of this habitat! It's time to learn about the diet! After researching, I found out that penguins eat krill, fish, and squid. They are carnivores! Now that I have researched the appearance, habitat, and diet of the penguin I have learned several new words (diet, habitat, southern hemisphere, carnivore), I have learned about some geography and about where my animal lives (social studies), and I know that my animal is a carnivore (science). Finally, it is time for the video that includes the information I have learned plus two fun facts! The video serves as a way to share with peers and the teacher. The ability to explain and recall what has been learned is an important part of the process. There are many ways to expand on the projects and it also teaches the students the power of research!
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Annalee JohnsonEK Teacher Archives
January 2021
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