Working in a group
Our unit of inquiry which focused on cooperation and team work culminated in group projects.  The children decided to work in their Sports Day teams and chose their projects.

The process…
Once the teams had decided on their projects, they engaged in 2 -3 cycles of PLAN-DO-REVIEW refining their ideas and presentations in the process.  It was interesting to observe and record how simple ideas turned into mega projects in a matter of days. 

What was initially a simple collaborative sandwich making activity turned out to be a complex operation. The team decided they should  a shop called Yummy Sandwiches. They worked on  a menu, a shop sign and some pretend money to buy the sandwiches. When potential customers arrived at the shop, they were greeted with a smile, offered a selection of peanut butter,  Nutella, cheese and lettuce sandwiches and were reminded to pay the cashier before they left the shop.

The Construction Group took their work of building a Hotel inspired by Marina Bay Sands very seriously. The used recycled cartons and boxes. It was complete with a roof top swimming pool, restaurants, a very special car park, emergency lights, escalators, et al.  A fabulous structure, it was a labour of love over many hours of collaboration.  Inspired by the impressive construction, the K1 children embarked on their own project to build robots with used cartons and boxes.

The dramatization of The Enormous Tomato evolved into a polished production after much discussion on the plot, characters the children would play, their costumes and the sequence of events.  They put on a wonderful show. We had to of course, buy tickets for the show.

The puppet show about Dolphins and Mermaids was a sensitive and tender story about friendship and caring. It showcased the beautiful puppets made by the group, their creativity and team work. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to capitalize on a great production, the tickets went on sale just before the show! 

Taking learning outside the classroom and exploring natural materials around us to consolidate maths concepts... We gathered some leaves, twigs, stones and seeds to make number stories. Then the same materials were used to make a beautiful Nature Collage. Working with natural materials is a sensorial experience and children need these encounters with nature to appreciate textures, colours shapes and the beauty around them. 

A fun-filled day! The events started with a running race and the young athletes enjoyed their first experience of running on a real track. We then moved on to the rotational activities on the field which saw great team work, cooperation and commaraderie amongst the children. Bean Bag Balance Relays, Parachute, Bean Bag throw, Spoon and Egg Relays, Baton Relays, Fruit Salad , Duck-duck Goose and Tug-of-War. Whew! While the children hardly seemed  to notice the heat, the adults were all but melting in the morning sun and humidity. We cheered and shouted ourselves hoarse. The parents participated in the bean bag throw and tug-of-war which got really competitive :)
All photos courtesy Malin, Fung Yee, Duncan, Lotten, Jayeeta and Amita. Thank you parents!

We had a lot of fun playing team games. Cooperation, team work and coordination in action.

…when two or more words begin with the same letter or sound. We had a go at giving ourselves some funny names using this idea. A great activity that sets a good foundation for enjoying rhythm and rhyme in text.