UOIレッスン
UOI Lesson
This week, we explored the different animal habitats we have created in our classroom. When the teachers asked, “What do you see over there?” the Canyon students looked carefully and answered, “Ocean!” “Aquarium!” and “Water!”.
As we moved to the next area and asked, “What do you see next?” they quickly replied, “Jungle!”—well done, Canyon friends! At the following zone, everyone confidently called out, “Farm!” Finally, when we reached the last area, the children shared ideas such as “Kitchen!”, “House!”, and one student even said, “Hospital!”
That’s right! Our classroom has now been transformed into five exciting animal-themed areas: Water Zone, Wild Zone, Farm Zone, House Pet Zone, and an Animal Clinic.
The children were then introduced to a variety of animal masks. They eagerly named animals they recognized, including butterfly, pig, fox, shark, elephant, snake, starfish, and chicken. One child even excitedly shouted, “Dragon!” while another helped a friend by saying, “Crocodile!” It was wonderful to see them sharing their knowledge with one another.
Each child chose a favourite animal, thought carefully about where it lives, and moved to the habitat they believed was the best match. This simple activity gave us a wonderful opportunity to see the children beginning to inquire, think critically, and apply their prior knowledge as they explored the different habitats. It was a fantastic start to our new Unit of Inquiry!
Music Lesson
This week marked the final music lesson featuring some of the songs the children have enjoyed throughout the past few weeks, including “Tanabata-sama,” “Ichiban Boshi Mitsuketa (I Found the First Star),” the castanet rhythm activity “Children Around the World,” and one of the class favourites, “Te no Hira wo Taiyō ni (Let’s Hold Up Our Hands to the Sun).” From next week, the children will begin learning new songs and exploring new rhythm activities.
As July is the season of Tanabata, the children sang “Tanabata-sama” and “Ichiban Boshi Mitsuketa” with great enthusiasm, using hand movements to make the songs even more enjoyable. While singing “Tanabata-sama,” they looked at real photographs of bamboo branches and the colourful wish strips (tanzaku) mentioned in the lyrics, helping them understand the meaning of the song and connect it to the Japanese tradition.
During “Ichiban Boshi Mitsuketa,” the children impressed us by remembering all of the nature words that appear in the verses, including cedar trees on the mountain, willow trees by the riverbank, and pine trees in the forest. Their music teacher, Mr. Nishimura, praised them for remembering every verse so well. We are proud of how confidently the children are singing and how much they have grown in both their musical skills and their understanding of the songs.
Water Play
With the hot weather continuing this week, we were able to enjoy plenty of water play! The children had lots of fun floating on their backs in the water, pretending to be crocodiles as they crawled on their tummies, and splashing one another with watering cans. It was wonderful to see their smiles, laughter, and growing confidence as they explored and enjoyed the water together.
Gym Lesson
This week, the children began practising for their very first Sports Festival! They learned the English commands used to start a race: “On your marks, get set, go!”
They were taught to stand tall and ready when they heard “On your marks,” place one foot behind them and prepare to start at “Get set,” and then run as fast as they could when they heard “Go!” The children also learned an important racing rule—to run around the outside of the cones as they made their way to the finish line.
Everyone listened carefully to the instructions and was excited to take part. We look forward to watching the children continue to build their confidence and enjoy preparing for the Sports Festival.
We hope you have a wonderful three-day weekend with your family. Enjoy your time together, and we look forward to seeing everyone back at school next week!
