Class learning environment

Students will be creating captions and making labels for each exhibit in order to transform their class into a veritable museum. Some of the old coins you see below actually belong to a student. They found it when the workers were digging up the foundation for their house in Gujerat. They look really old. According to this website, they can range from 150 to 700 years old. Another website with similar coins says they might belong to 80 AD -105 AD!

With intention, I have selected artifacts from the ancient Chinese civilization. Students will analyze the artifacts and slowly start building their own interpretation of ancient China. They will subsequently start referring to secondary resources in order to verify their findings. I hope that they come to the conclusion that history is but someone's interpretation of the past.

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Unravelling the inquiry cycle in a PYP class room

“ People can make choices to support the sustainability of the Earth’s energy resources .” Me to students : Does that make sense? Students to me : (after a while)...not really... Their understanding of "energy" during the pre-assessment task also reflected a superficial knowledge of the term. And thus our unit of inquiry started. As I was browsing the net, I came across this picture prompt- a map, which I thought would serve as a great provocation. The annual energy consumption per person . Kids love guessing where countries are, so it was a great way to address some geography at this point. I had also been reading Craig Dwyer's post which inspired me to change my inquiry cycle and use a simpler one. Wonder (while exploring)- Explore (while wondering)- Create (while reflecting)- Reflect (with subsequent wonderings). I was feeling more at ease now. The map allowed the students to make a lot of inferences based on patterns which slowly

Summative assessment- simple machines

The student task : to design a machine that would : a) pop a balloon b) lift a bucket of water c) ring a bell d) push a ball into a hole Criteria: They must must design a machine using atleast 2 simple machines. They have to use IT skills and upload their video on Youtube, generate the embed code and transfer same to blog. Their video must be clear and creative. Though some of these students may be struggling with the language, using correct scientific vocabulary ensures that their presentations are clearly understood.

A teacher's antidote to stress

Life can become hectic for us teachers. What does a Friday feel like to you sometimes? By the end of the day, I feel like having a hot bath, switching off my mobile phone, and ignoring everyone around me. For my Masters program, the first thing we were made aware of was the intense stress teachers go through and how important it is to make time for yourself. I always felt selfish when I took out a little 'me' time. My kids would be banging on the door while I was getting a massage done at home. When I would come out after one hour, feeling happy, I would get sarcastic looks from everyone in the house! But I always knew that if I did not take out some time for myself, I would get mad! I love Hatha Yoga. Every morning I feel and enjoy the stretches; I am conscious of how I breath. I silently communicate with my body and get to know it. With a little practice, this becomes a really good habit. I love smooth pebbles! I collect them whenever I see one that intrigues me

Learning Never Stops

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