Pine Class News Update
June 12
We went to Brooklyn Bridge Park. We got wet in the sprinklers. In the park, we saw benches that look like slides. They were part of an exhibit called, "Please Touch The Art." Haha. Adele and Sky thought that was funny, because it says the opposite of what children normally hear about art.
Observation
Zohar looked really carefully at the sculptures. Observation is one of the most important skills that we teach during our project time. We model looking really carefully by drawing something super, super slowly. The less interesting the better! Take a bookshelf for example. And as you're drawing, tell exactly what each line you're drawing is. And point to each line you're drawing in real life and in your drawing. "Oh, this line is on top of the shelf and this line is on the bottom of the shelf." And then children start to do really careful drawings like this one. Grace is really excellent at doing observational drawings of buildings. One window at a time. We think this kind of looking and representing makes children more present to reflect on the magic of place. Awareness of place and appreciation of place is the foundation of all the other analytical skills we value in our sustainability curriculum.
We chose to visit our outdoor classroom for writing time Tuesday afternoon.
At this point in the year, we are revisiting the three genres of writing that we've taught: true stories, how-to writing, and fiction stories.
We are also reteaching the writing process. Process is so much harder than content. It feels like we're teaching it for the first time. So maybe you could be helpful reinforcing this at home.
When you're child is writing at home, ask her:
"What are you doing as a writer today?"
"Are you planning or drafting?"
"Are you revising or editing?"
Sky is writing fiction and Beatrix is writing a how-to. Both are in the drafting stage. You can see Sky's plan under her draft. The children have learned from Beatrix that you can write just one word in each section of a plan and that helps you remember your story later on.
Good Reads
This week, students started reading the books that their friends and classmates have recently published.
Sky says, "Grace did a really good job with her story because there's a funny part, she wrote, "After the mouse was done packing, he was too tired to drive, but he drove anyway. Also, she writes the letters with texture. So people could really see the letters that she's writing."
Having children enjoying reading their peers' writing is a great way to build appreciation for the writing process.
Studio in a School
We are wrapping up our first year of Studio in A School. Recently the children looked back at some of their beautiful artwork. Can they paint this summer? Can they make sculptures this summer?
Do you hear their amazing vocabulary about sculpture?! Ask them what slip and scoring are.