16: The Start of Something New

 “And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

-Meister Eckhart

What does it mean to share the planet?

In 2015, the United Nations authored the Sustainable Development Goals with a vision to create a better future for all. This is in response to the growing need for a change in our values and principles as a people to address the different issues that afflict the world. It is a big feat to undertake as the goals call for a global effort, and it's easy to forget that every triumph begins with a single step. One choice, one action, and one individual -- regardless of what age they are -- can ignite the spark to a big change.

In our last unit, the kindergarteners learned that their choices have an impact on themselves. This week, they take the first step in discovering their capacity to make a difference in a larger scale: the world. The next chapter of the kindergarteners' learning journey focuses on the transdisciplinary theme Sharing the Planet, with an inquiry on how to use different materials sustainably.

We kicked off the unit by visiting the display of Grades 1 and 2 who are currently learning about the solar system to have a glimpse of our beautiful blue planet. The children agreed that the Earth is special, especially since it's the only planet in our solar system that has life. One of them even said, "We can't live on this planet (while pointing to Uranus) because it's so cold there!" 

To give a tribute to the place we call home, we started our first project as a class: a diorama of the planet earth. We transferred our loose parts table to give way to a new centerpiece, which the children will slowly build together as we dive deeper into our inquiry. It's definitely a work in progress and we're all excited to see what it will look like as we learn more about how to share the planet!

We also updated our classroom library, which now features a selection of books that highlight the concepts that we will learn in our inquiry. If you have any books related to the unit and would like to lend them to our classroom, we would be very happy to adopt them for a while! 😀

This week, the children also learned that even monsters who enjoy making red choices can change and make a difference. In class, we read a book called "I Can Save the Earth!" which talks about how Max, a green monster, discovered the consequences of his actions and how it impacts the world. It's a beautiful story that highlights character development and redemption, and reminds us that it's never too late to make the better choice.

This week, we also zoomed into one of our lines of inquiry and unlocked the concept of materials. The children explored different objects found in the classroom and focused on answering one essential question: 

What are they made of?

The children are familiar with most of the materials that objects are made of, particularly plastic, paper, metal and glass. Others, like wood, are new to them. They called it 'tree', which is a wonderful connection to the sources of materials. Knowing where materials come from, even as early as now, allows the children to appreciate and hopefully use resources better.

We even played a modified game of 'touch the color'. Instead of colors, the children looked for materials around the room to touch before I could tag them and as expected, any excuse to run around the classroom was a hit!

After unlocking different types of materials, the children started sharing their wonderings and curiosities about them. Here are some of the questions they asked so far:

Aren't the questions of the children exciting? They would definitely pave the way for rich and meaningful discussions in class.

Aside from the new unit, the children have also been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Christmas. You can feel the festive spirit in the classroom, especially since we've been counting down the days through our daily Advent calendar treats and activities.

 And we finally put up our class Christmas tree!

The children even made their own ornaments from clay and natural materials. We're just waiting for them to fully harden before we hang them in the room.

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Christmas is definitely in the air. I have only one wish for this season of giving: that the magic of this new beginning -- this new unit -- will inspire the children to give back to the planet that we call home by taking those little (but big) steps one action at a time. Crossing my fingers that Santa Claus is reading this blog, too. 🎅

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Your Kindergarten teacher, 

Pam