A Year of "FIRSTS"

First Day of School! First Grade! 

Welcome to a new year and a new experience. 

Get ready, here we go...there is so much to learn! 

Organization: the first lesson. 

History lesson:  The first people and how they collected from nature to make dyes and artifacts. 

It's great to have books - even better to have experiences.

Quiet work at a desk can be exciting, too. 

Especially after seeing first hand how weather effects us.

A tornado in a bottle shows students the force of nature,

...and daydreaming about summer clouds is at their fingertips.

Yes, of course you may read to me :) 

End of the School Year

Traditional schools can grab a bus and do huge field trips. Because we are small, we have different advantages - we can spend a day "jumping" for joy at Sky Zone on our last day of school! Joy in each other's accomplishments, joy of being together, joy that we've successfully completed another year of measurable growth. We can even wear matching orange socks without snickering at each other!

As this group of amazing students move on to middle school, there is no doubt they will be leaders.  No need to wish them "luck" because they already know how to be their best. Instead...wishing them happiness!

The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race:  a race to the end of the year.  

Final exams, in a traditional setting, can be grueling. At Global Treehouse we tested our memories (and learning) by participating in The Amazing Race.  After mapping the location and having their passport stamped, each team had challenges from each country studied, and the correct completion was rewarded with the next clue.  What they didn't have a clue about, was the fact that they had retained what was presented throughout the year, they could write fluently, could work as a team, and pass the exam while having a great time! Look out world - here they come! 

China: Writing Confucius sayings in calligraphy. 

Marking location on map

Japan: Chopstick Rice Relay  

India: Rice Rangoli 

Middle East: Dead Sea - 

make an egg float using salt

United Arab of Emirites: 

Make a rubberband car

Russia: Dance a Russian Dance

They were less than enthused that writing was added 

as a part of the race. 

South Pacific Islands: Create a volcano

New Zealand: Stay in rhythm with the Maori Stick Game

Africa: Wrap up a Mummy

Africa: Balancing water on your head. 

This method worked...until he tried to walk!

Antarctica: Snowball fight.  

They were aiming (with REAL snowballs collected during the last snowfall ) 

at their math teacher!?

May

I'm sure my favorite subject to teach is obvious this year: history. Which is quite humorous considering it was my least favorite subject in school. However, when it comes to different cultures and their history - I simply can't help but get excited. Most pictures that I have posted of our learning look "fun", which it was, but these students worked hard and were challenged in their studies this year. 

We used Sonlight’s History and Geography Core F. Students worked on their research skills, learned how to read slowly for details and how to scan and skim, learned about the major religions of the world, learned to form their own opinions, learned to respect cultures different than their own, and worked on presentation skills when presenting large projects. It was a challenging year, but a year I hope they look back on and remember learning about a world outside of their own, where cultures bustle about and lands filled with people and traditions are ready to be explored. 

Playing "Mancala", an African stone game. 

African warrior shields

Practical Life Skills: Balancing a Checkbook

Students get antsy at the end of the school year, so why not mix it up and set up a tent and create an outdoor classroom?

After being cooped up inside during a long, hard winter, students were excited to go on a bike ride to the park and spend the day studying outside. 

Shop Class: Building a Giant Jenga game. 

Skills Required: Math measurements

New Skills: Sanding

Finished Product: A game to be played

Water bottle Rocket Science Experiment

Interested? 

Visit: http://www.science-sparks.com/2012/03/12/making-a-bottle-rocket/ 

"Miss Alex, may I lead a cooking class?" 

"You bet!"

Studying Edgar Allan Poe through Read-Aloud Plays.

On our third long day of Stanford Achievement Testing, we decided going to the zoo for an afternoon would be quite enjoyable! After all, The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo has special exhibits on Africa, Indonesia, and Australia - so this too ties into our history lessons of the year.  

Unanimously our favorite animal of the day.