Kindergarten teachers have a fabulously planned unit of inquiry that you can view here. They decided to provoke the students thinking with their own personal artifacts. Today in KH I was able to see and hear how kids responded to this provocation.
On the whiteboard Christine hung her homemade (by Grandma) advent calendar which she has had since she was a wee lass back in the ole Lone Star state. It is incredible that she has toted it around with her and that she has kept it in such good shape. She also brought and showed a photograph of her on Christmas day in her house with her grandmother.
She started by telling what the calendar is and how it is used. She then opened the floor to questions and statements of understanding. It was evident that Kinder students have a great deal of prior knowledge of traditions and celebrations. They asked questions about the calendar and offered their own ideas about traditions. Christine accepted all statements and questions allowing for a flow of ideas to come to the surface.
Thinking that surfaced included the understanding that birthdays were a tradition, cake is served at a birthday, and there is a pattern associated with the advent calendar.
To keep the thinking and new understanding alive and current in the unit, the Kinder teachers have posted a larger than life chart on a display board. The chart will be used to record all the traditions they learn about through the inquiry. Teachers will record the tradition, the location, season, associated decorations, costumes, greetings, songs, dances and foods. Using the chart, students will be able to compare and contrast this information.
If you have a family or personal tradition you would like to share with Kinder, they would love to hear from you.
On the whiteboard Christine hung her homemade (by Grandma) advent calendar which she has had since she was a wee lass back in the ole Lone Star state. It is incredible that she has toted it around with her and that she has kept it in such good shape. She also brought and showed a photograph of her on Christmas day in her house with her grandmother.
She started by telling what the calendar is and how it is used. She then opened the floor to questions and statements of understanding. It was evident that Kinder students have a great deal of prior knowledge of traditions and celebrations. They asked questions about the calendar and offered their own ideas about traditions. Christine accepted all statements and questions allowing for a flow of ideas to come to the surface.
Thinking that surfaced included the understanding that birthdays were a tradition, cake is served at a birthday, and there is a pattern associated with the advent calendar.
To keep the thinking and new understanding alive and current in the unit, the Kinder teachers have posted a larger than life chart on a display board. The chart will be used to record all the traditions they learn about through the inquiry. Teachers will record the tradition, the location, season, associated decorations, costumes, greetings, songs, dances and foods. Using the chart, students will be able to compare and contrast this information.
If you have a family or personal tradition you would like to share with Kinder, they would love to hear from you.
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