27: Sharing the Planet

A Tiny Poem for the World 

The world’s so big

and we’re all so small.

Sometimes it feels like we can’t do anything at all.

But the world can be better

In spite of its flaws.

The world can be better

And you’ll be the cause.

-Kid President

How do you teach what it means to share the planet to a kindergartener? 

What exactly can a 4- or 5-year old do for the Earth?

These are some of the most pressing questions that I ask myself every time I start a new unit under the transdisciplinary theme, Sharing the Planet. Since this theme touches on our responsibilities to the Earth's resources and other living things, I always reflect first on our capacity as human beings to make a difference to something as vast as the world. Is it too big of an undertaking or do we really have it in us to instigate change? And if we can, where do we even begin?

Lao Tzu said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Nothing big can be achieved without taking the first step -- so that's exactly what we did. We began the journey of finding out how we can share the planet by thinking about what it is that truly interest us (in this case, about plants and animals), and by making our questions about them tangible. 

The kindergarteners first painted their questions to help them visualize what they are curious about.

Then they put them into words.

On a side note, don't you think the children's questioning skills have grown in leaps and bounds since the beginning of the school year? They have all become such confident inquirers! You can also distinctly see what they're interested in. ♥ 

The children also tried answering some of their classmates' questions. 

What do you think of their ideas?

In the IB, we value agency and giving the children a voice, a choice, and ownership. Agency in the PYP classroom provide the students with the tools to take meaningful action and to grow as lifelong learners as it honors their personal interests and individual learning styles.

To give the children agency, we began by using books connected with our current unit to let the children explore the concepts individually. From a notable selection, the kindergarteners chose the book that interests them, read it, and shared what they 'read' with their friends. 

They also decorated the classroom based on their own ideas and creativity so that they can say the space is truly theirs.

This is one of my favorites in the classroom as it really showcases their ideas creatively 

(thank you, art unit! 😀) 

Apart from this, we used the IB learner profiles as an anchor to let the children share what it is that they know about sharing the planet with plants and animals.

There are 10 attributes of the learner profile, and we began by focusing on two of them: 

being knowledgeable and caring 

I asked the children,

"What do you know about plants and animals?"

"How have you been caring to plants and animals?"

Small steps, but definitely meaningful ones to help guide us in our inquiry. 

Hopefully, these small steps will grow into bigger ones to help the children better grasp what it truly means to share the planet.

This week, we also celebrated Easter with the other children in the Early Years.

Since it was a rainy day, we decided to play our Easter games in the MPR. The children had fun hopping like a bunny, transporting eggs, and dancing to songs.

We also talked about the history of Easter using the information board that the primary school students prepared in the German classes. 

Of course, Easter will not be complete without their much awaited egg hunt. The children received a note from our beloved Easter bunny that gave them clues to where the eggs can be found. The children searched for the eggs around the Early Years area and they decorated everything they collected.

They also got a special treat from the Easter bunny apart from the eggs. They were so happy and grateful for the surprise!

In connection with our unit, the children also "planted" some cress seeds on some moist tissue paper. 

We tend to them by putting some water and setting them near the window for some sunlight. We are excited to see them grow!

Thank you to our dear PTA for preparing all these wonderful gifts for the children. 

For PE this week, the children began preparing for the upcoming Sports Day on April 28th. 

They were all so enthusiastic to participate in the relays and showed sportsmanship throughout the games. I can't wait to see them play on the day itself!

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The week was truly about taking small steps. One day, their small hands, feet, and heart would find themselves doing bigger things and achieving greater heights. And in the journey, they will realize their capacity to make a difference in something as big as the world.

Have a wonderful week, everyone.

Your Kindergarten teacher,

Pam