PreK/ Kindergarten team
PreK Learns About Hibernation
Five Senses Yoga in the Park
October 8, 2019: Ms. Carey's kindergarten class explores their 5 senses doing yoga in the park.
October 8, 2019: The kindergarten class shared writing reflection.
|
Prep's PreK and K students enjoy outdoor learning, including stories and yoga, as much as possible! For example, our kindergarten class participated in a lesson plan entitled "Five Senses Yoga in the Park" in October, 2019. Students explored how our five senses could help us sense what was happening in nature around us during a guided yoga practice. Approximately 30 students participated in the activity. They then reflected together on their experience.
Spring 2019: Mrs. Johnson’s combined PreK/K class enjoying outdoor learning
|
Pre-K Visits the Aquarium to Study Habitats
In preparation for learning about animal habitats during the 2019-2020 school year, Pre-K students took a walking field trip to the National Aquarium. The students took this knowledge back to school and used that information to create dioramas, books, and posters.
First Grade
Using Reusable Materials
Celebration of Learning: First Grade Shares Learning About Animals
For Prep's May 2019 Celebration of Learning, all 1st grade students (more than 40 in all) created posters displaying interesting facts about animals and shared ideas of how we can help preserve animal environments. The students were learning about animal adaptations and how animals adapt to their environment - for the good and bad.
This group focused on wings; many animals have wings; their waxy coating keeps them from sticking together when they are wet. We learned about keeping bodies of water clean; if an animal with feathers came into contact with nets/plastic casing or oil, they may not be able to fly. During this celebration of learning, students also presented on the following topics: webbed feet, beaks, eyes, and tails. |
Pedal-Powered Smoothies!
Outdoor Planting
During the 2017-2018 school year, Prep first graders stepped outside for some hands-on study of seedlings.
Second Grade
Imagination Unit Final Project Incorporates Natural Habitats
2nd Grade Celebrates Learning About Habitats
In 2018, 2nd graders learned about habitats and created dioramas of habitats of their choice as the final project, which they shared at the school-wide Celebration of Learning.
2nd graders (about 50 students in all) share their habitats at the school-wide Celebration of Learning, May 18, 2018
Third Grade
Virtual Maritime Field Trip with Living Classrooms
Third Grade Studies the Sea
October 10, 2019: Aquarium field trip!
|
October 2019: 3rd grade creates sea creature art
October 2019: A few of the finished creations!
Fourth Grade
Spring 2021 - 4th Grade Studies Biodiversity
In the spring, all Prep 4th graders (40-50 students) begin a Biodiversity unit exploring the central idea that biodiversity relies on maintaining the interdependent balance of organisms within systems. Students learn that ecosystems, biomes, and living things are interdependent; that human activity has an impact on the balance of systems; and the consequences of imbalance within the systems. So far in 2021, they have studied food webs and food chains and learned about “dirty chocolate” grown in the Ivory Coast, and each student has presented to the class a brief video sharing their research findings on the causes and consequences of deforestation in a country of their choice.
example of student work from March 12, 2021 - students were asked to categorize elements of a food web of their choice
The Biodiversity Unit includes a lesson plan with Masonville Cove where students look at biodiversity in the bay. In October 2019, the full 4th grade class took a field trip to Masonville Cove. They looked at the microscopic plankton found in water samples to identify what was living in the bay and gauge its overall health based on the number of species found.
|
Fifth Grade
5th Grade Studies Natural Resources
Each year, Prep 5th grade students complete an IB unit on Harnessing Natural Resources. In 2019 - 2020, all students in the grade (approximately 40-50 students) completed a persuasive writing assignment and developed their own Public Service Announcements about the importance of renewable energy.