8: Ships Ahoy!

"Now...bring me that horizon!"

-Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean 

Throughout the course of history, numerous ships have sailed the vast oceans in search for new discoveries. Some voyagers have discovered new lands; some found exotic spices and intricate textiles; and some found invaluable treasures hidden in the depths of the ocean. 

This week, the kindergarteners were introduced to a curious character -- a swashbuckling pirate -- who is off to an adventure to find a mysterious lost treasure under the sea.

"I need your help," the pirate said in his letter. 

"I heard from a silly pigeon that you are learning about transportation. I need to use the safest transportation to take me to the treasure. Can you help me figure out what transportation I should use and what I need to make it?"

Of course, the kindergarteners are always up for a challenge.

First, they thought about what they already know:

The treasure is in the ocean.

"What transportation can we use on water?"

"A boat," they said.

"If we were to make a boat for the pirate, what materials should we use?"

The children gathered materials around the classroom to test which ones would be the best for their boat:

pencils (wood)

glue bottles and bento plates (plastic)

paperclips (metal)

scratch paper

bottles (glass)

(Looks like a lot of them still remember their materials unit last school year! 😀)

Some materials floated, some materials sunk under water.

"We can't use the ones that sink!"

The children agreed that the best materials to use are wood, plastic, and paper.

Second, they came up with a safe design that could withstand the wind, rain, and strong waves. For this, we invited another character: the big, bad wolf from the story of the Three Little Pigs. You see, the wolf has experience in testing how sturdy some materials and structures are. 

The children designed 4 different boats that could fit the pirate (or in this case, the pig 😆) They made them big, but they also tried to make them sturdy and safe. 

Do you think their boats could withstand the test of the Big Bad Wolf?

I challenged the children:

Can you create a boat that would be big enough to fit the whole class?

And create they did!

To deepen the children's understanding about how boats work, we read a book called Ships & Boats, which shows the history of boats -- from the raft to the big ships that we know today. 

What better way to learn about how boats work than to ride one ourselves? For our field trip, the children took a cruise around Kobe Bay and visited the Kawasaki Museum to explore other forms of transportation. 

What happened to the hidden treasure, you ask?

We received a mysterious box from the pirate with a simple note:

"Thank you for your help, Kinder 2. I found the treasure and I'd like to share it with you. 

Stay kind."

It was perfect, too, because it arrived exactly on the day of our sticker party. The children finally filled up their kindness jar through their caring words, choices, and actions.

I wonder what kind of celebration we will have the next time we fill up our kindness jar.

A bubble party, perhaps? 

The fun didn't stop as we ended the week with our much awaited Oktoberfest. It was a day for the whole community to gather and celebrate. Have a look at some photos I took during the event:

History tells us that man is always in search of something new, something better, or something bigger to conquer. The development of technology has made these "treasures" easier to reach. Sometimes though, we don't need to go far to discover treasures that are far more valuable than gold. If we look hard enough, we will see the we are already rich beyond measure because of the people and experiences we have.

Have a wonderful week ahead, everyone!

Your Kindergarten teacher, 

Pam