Doing the Play

Trying to navigate history with kids is not easy. Our fourth graders did their best to honor both the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims in the play they wrote about the meeting of these two cultures. They wanted to make a play that was appropriate for our four year olds, that didn't ignore the very sad parts of this story, and that was entertaining. I think they did pretty well, and one indicator that they were on the right track was watching the kids during recess and adventure walks these past few weeks. They were using this play time gathering edible plants, making bows and arrows, experimenting to make snares, grinding corn, making shelters, and playing that they year was 1621. They were playing "Wampanoag" and "Pilgrim," and through their play they were internalizing some of what we learned from our read-alouds and our acting. They also got a little insight into some of the skills needed to do these things well.

Morgan and Rose's PK and K Class

Morgan wrote that the kids:

• Read Ten Apples Up on Top and tried to balance apples on their heads.

• Played with slime, play dough, sand, oatmeal, and the bean bin.

• Made a graph with fingerprints showing the numbers 1 through 10.

• Helped create sets, signs, and props for the play.

• Practiced lines for the play and using a loud, clear, expressive voice.

Rose wrote:

I had everyone work together to put the letters in alphabetical order. There was a lot more debate and discussion than I expected, and we had to sing the alphabet song at least 20 times. We played the game of Slapzi, which involves listening carefully to hear if your picture card has the attributes I call out. 

In mini courses we worked with air dry clay and explored how a little bit of water can be used to your advantage (or disadvantage). In the cooking class, kids chopped broccoli and peppers, grated cheese, and assembled bagel pizzas. In birding, kids looked for different birds around our property and worked on using binoculars.

Tracy's 1st - 4th Class

We worked on staging the play, practicing lines, creating sets, and trying to be positive role models for the younger class. Everyone is a bit more practiced in saying tongue twisters too!

In math, the fourth graders are tackling division with multiple digits. If you have never used partial quotient division, see if your child can show you how it works (or maybe look up a video to watch together). Our third grade class was also doing division - looking at it as the opposite operation from multiplication. The second grade class continues to practice double digit addition and subtraction.

In writing, our latest research books and papers are wrapping up. We'll be sending them home next week and tackling a family tree project, so expect some questions about your ancestors.