Integrated Learning Experiences

Working with sand is an enjoyable form of independent learning experience, but it's also a great way for us to interact with others. When we share sand resource, we are not only practicing social skills like turn-taking and collaboration, but also using problem-solving and language skills as well.

Hudson attempts to make bubbles with water on the paper. He says, "Bubbles coming". Manpreet notices he is looking inside the water. It seems he is trying to find the reaction of his process that he is doing with his mouth. 

Friends experience different colored bubbles.
Luna says, "Mine is a purple flower with bubbles".
Manpreet asks, "Whom do you want to offer this flower to, Luna?"
She says, "To my mom and dad".
Vivaan mentions that he's making it for himself. 
Elie mentions, "Mine looks like a sunflower".
Friends connect our work to the things of real world. ​

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We learn forward roll as a basic gymnastic movement that demonstrates we have developed a reasonable degree of flexibility and coordination, as well as proprioception (knowing where the body is as it moves through space).

Going through a variety of yoga poses helps us learn about our bodies and the movements we are capable of doing. Yoga helps strengthen our growing bodies and helps us improve our flexibility.

During our group time we practise our knowledge of sound-letter correspondence to read familiar and unfamiliar words.

Drawing is a means of closely observing the world around us, recording what we observe and using that to plan for further inquiry. It can be an important tool in our dialogue as we learn through conceptual challenges. 

One could say a footprint is simply the impression left by a foot. However, for us we choose to pause and look at our footprints. We engage our senses of wonder to mark an intention when choosing a path forward.

Footprints can show us where we have been, and how we have chosen to get there.
We ask ourselves a few questions to start with as follows:

• Where do we see footprints?
• Are our footprints different or same? And why?

When we are following our footprints, Manpreet asks, "Do we all have the same footprints?" 
Yoyo says, "We all have different footprints".
Again Manpreet asks, "Why do you think we have different footprints?"
Yoyo replies, "Because we have different sizes of our feet".

Elie adds, "Because my foot is bigger than Hudson's foot". 

"I saw a footprint", Vivaan shares his observation.

Fides thinks he notices a small footprint. 

We learn this song too to integrate our interests with music and movement. 

In addition to being interested in footprints, we understand the significance of paying more attention to nurturing our environmental awareness to create a better and brighter future. 

It begins with a shift in perspectives. We can respect that each thing has a place. Each natural thing has a purpose; each bug has a job. 

Each dried leave will eventually degrade into nutrient-rich soil. Nature wastes nothing. In our class, we say, "Things from nature goes back to nature".

Doing this will help us form a new perspective. There are many things to increase opportunities for observations in our contexts and outdoors. One of the many ways to raise our awareness is to ask questions that require opinions and ideas. 

The more things we find to notice, the more we will begin to understand. 

We take time to watch the plants, animals, and weather around us to exhibit respect for them. We love to celebrate the first buds of spring and welcome the presence of insects and bugs around us.

Making a connection to a ladybug and a spider is a wonderful way to practice learning to observe respectfully. 

In considering how to move social and ecological system toward sustainability, Ives et al. (2018) propose that emotional connections with nature have the potential to leverage deep societal challenge toward respect and care for nature; and they recognize childhood as a time to begin building connection.

Kindest,
Children & Friends.