To kick off our new unit, students engaged in an exciting book-sorting inquiry! By examining each book carefully to find the “odd books out,” the remaining stories revealed our new focus on global celebrations. Through discussion, the children discovered connections between birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Easter. Each holiday brings people together through dressing up, sharing special food, and spending time together. This hands-on activity provided a perfect springboard into our Central Idea: Celebrations show culture and help connect people.
To start the deep dive into celebrations and cultural festivals from around the globe, students explored some of the books on various holidays and deepened their understanding of diverse cultural practices. The class enthusiastically discussed holidays they already knew about and watched engaging videos to discover new and interesting festivals celebrated by different cultures. Using their prior knowledge along with fresh information, each team voted on their favorite holiday to create colorful table posters. Each poster features images they are planning to add more details as they learn. In a wonderful show of student agency and collaborative learning, the entire class voted to begin their inquiry into a Japanese holiday, as well. They wrapped up the lessons with a lively guessing game matching celebrations with their countries of origin, and they found a few of the countries on the map.
With Halloween fast approaching, the festive energy is higher than ever! The students used teamwork creatively by rolling marbles through paint to design fun spiderweb decorations for our upcoming party. They also tapped into the holiday spirit during math time, using spooky-themed activities to strengthen their counting skills and teamwork.
Embracing Outdoor Play and Well-being
Alongside their academic journey, Shooting Star students enjoyed beautiful sunny weather every day this week. Whether playing soccer, tag, or having a barbecue, the class embraced the well-being benefits of outdoor physical activity and social interaction. The joy and energy of being outside in the sun added to the vibrant, positive atmosphere in the classroom. To wrap up the week, students enjoyed an exciting outdoor play session at Obuse Park! The kids were thrilled by the giant slides, ziplines, bouldering walls, and a relaxing picnic, which added an extra layer of fun and strong bonding to their week.
