Lions, and Tigers, and Bears…Oh My! This week our “Animal Adventures” group during Dive in and Discover week will have the chance to create a habitat, sculpt animals, discover new types of animals, learn about the facts and myths surrounding different species, step into the life of an animal, and understand more about what different animals need in their habitats to survive. Students are exploring different species of animals, and are beginning to understand the importance of the natural world and their relationship to it. Teachers hope to tap into students’ fondness toward animals and encourage them to explore their relationship with animals through art, science, social science, and in-person interactions. While students will be following their natural curiosities about animals, they will also learn how to respect and appreciate animals and their natural habitats.
This week students created an animal diorama, building a model habitat and sculpted animal. Using their research skills, students discover the connections between an animal and its distinct habitat. Students exercise their critical thinking to draw connections between an animal’s behavior, its physical appearance, and the resources that exist in a particular ecosystem. In creating an animal diorama, students are expressing their learning in a variety of ways, the visual product and the information they verbalize through the process. Students are exercising their artistic expression as well as developing their fine motor coordination by working small scale for this exercise.
Towards the end of the week students will use what they have learned about animals in a couple of games. In one game, fact or fiction, students will discover facts and myths about different animals. This game challenges their assumptions and encourages students to be flexible in their opinion. Teachers hope students are learning to convey their own opinions with respect for others whose opinion may differ. They will also play a Rattlesnake/Echolocation game, where they will rely solely on their sense of hearing to get around. Beyond learning about rattlesnakes and echolocation, students will have to depend on each other and just their hearing. This game involves trust and collaboration. Deep listening helps ground students and tap into new ways they can use their senses to notice more than what initially meets the eye.
