A Rainy Day Visit to Wailele and Chinese New Year!

Wailele
The children donned raincoats and ponchos and off we went to Wailele just after a heavy downpour last Friday. I was reminded of how much children love puddles and mud! Some of their observations: there were lots more ponds on the football field, the water level in Wailele was much higher than the last time we visited, and there was no stream running into the pond. HMMMMM! And, of course, there were more hypotheses about where that water comes from.  We are currently searching for an "expert" who can explain how this "pond" is fed.  Any ideas?

The children have drawn their version of the "Water Cycle," and we are mind-mapping what we think we know and want to know about that subject. Many of the students had a good idea about parts of it, and some knew all about it.  We will be learning more about the Water Cycle in the weeks to come. At the end of our inquiry, we will draw the Water Cycle again and be amazed by how much we have learned.

The children are putting finishing touches on their "Legends of Wailele," and we will soon be exploring haiku poetry using our sensory impressions at Wailele as inspiration.

China
Our study of China was enriched today by the celebration of Chinese New Year. The children learned to say "Happy New Year" in Mandarin and Cantonese. Mr. Trowbridge came in and wrote the Chinese characters on the board for us, and we had a great discussion about dialects from different areas of China.

The lion dancers brought great joy and excitement to the campus this morning, and Mrs. Yoshikawa, Mr. and Mrs. Eng, and Mrs. Saruwatari organized a wonderful afternoon of learning about and making a Chinese zodiac, doing  calligraphy, listening to stories from China, and eating gau and Chinese fortune cookies.  A big mahalo to Mrs. Yoshikawa for planning this wonderful event, to all the parents who helped, and to everyone who sent the money or the little red envelopes for the lion dancers and the children. 

Next week I will be showing my slides of China in 1978.  I will let you know when, so you can attend if you would like.

Be sure to check the photo gallery tomorrow for great pictures of your children enjoying their learning.

Posted on February 7, 2008 3:01 PM | Permalink