Rainforest - Week 4

Project learning and Child-led learning manifested itself to the fullest today.  I had many activities planned for these children and I did not get to half of them.  

You ask why?

Because the children led and I just watched in amazement.    I could have gotten frustrated that they were not going to have enough time to make a rain stick or learn about Rainforest plants that I had stayed up half the night learning about and preparing to teach them. 

I could have attempted to hurry them up so that they could do everything "I" had planned.  

Luckily, I did not. They would have missed out and I would have never seen them as engaged as they were. 

So, here are the highlights! 

Our day began with each child sharing information about a new rainforest animal that they read about. 

The Different Biomes of the earth

 

 

 

We are planning on a visit to the Arizona Biosphere. 

http://www.b2science.org/

And I thought how important it is that they have some understanding about Biomes or they may get bored. 

So, I created a biome game for them to play. It had a few minor kinks in it but overall they had fun and it worked. Yay! I plan to make those few modifications in the game and we can play it again.

The Amazon River and Rainfall in the Amazon Rainforest 

measuring and comparing lengths and amounts

 

Comparing and measuring the different length of rivers (Amazon river included of course) and average rainfall in some of the highest rainfall areas.

 

So, this is where project approach learning can become challenging to me.  The children fall in love with these cubes.  They are ready to do more than just compare the rivers and rainfall. They want to know exactly how many cubes there are. 

They come alive! I hear them counting and trying to figure out the best way to figure out this math problem.  

 

 

 

 

 Inside I keep thinking about all the other rainforest activities I had planned. But I resisted and let them go to town.  Instead I give them a challenge and ask them how many feet there are if one cube represents 100 feet.  

 They love the challenge! 

 

 It is so easy to see how engaged they were.  And they were doing math. 

  

 They do come up with the correct answer and spend who knows how much time working with these math manipulatives.   

I am so grateful to project learning.  I am certain that connections were made today in their brain.  And isn't that really what its all about? 

I am certain we will get to the rainforest plants and the rain stick another day. 

Acai- a fruit of the Amazon

Acai bowls and more

  After watching a few video clips on which layer of the rainforest the acai grows and how they harvest  it, its time to eat an acai bowl. 

 

 

 

 Some of the children love it and some of them do not. I was still proud of them for all trying it.

Bon Appetit!