Dazzling Discoveries Weeks 1 & 2

Dear Families,

We've had a total blast during our first few weeks of Dazzling Discoveries! Here's what we've been up to.

Week 1: Designing our Own Sea Creature!

Our first week of Dazzling Discoveries, we took time to get to know one another through a fun and interactive game. The students moved around the room to answer questions about themselves (for example: "Jump up and down if you have an older sibling!)

Afterward, we had a lively discussion about the ocean and the types of creatures that live there. Then, students used art supplies and their imaginations to design their own unique sea creatures. This activity encouraged creativity and self-expression, while also helping the students bond with each other!

Week 2: Exploring the Water Cycle!

This week in Dazzling Discoveries, we focused on the water cycle. We started class with a discussion about the weather that day and what it feels like outside when it's a rainy day. I walked the students through the three main stages: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation and we repeated these three phases throughout the class to help commit them to memory.

I showed the students a visual on the water cycle and we utilized a character named "Drippy" to help understand how raindrops are formed. I brought in materials for the students to create a picture of the water cycle: paper, pre-cut raindrops of varying colors, and colored pencils. Each student created their own version of a rainy day, some created entire storms, while others focused on light showers. At the bottom of their pages, they added land and water, sometimes including plants that would benefit from the rainfall. At the top of their pages, they drew a number of clouds. They then glued the raindrops beneath the clouds and above the plants while we discussed how those raindrops became raindrops. 

At the end of the class, we did a physical rain game. The students were "clouds" and they would use their hands to bunch up the evaporated water into their cloud area to symbolize condensation and when I'd call out "rain" they would release their hands and bodies down to the floor. Sometimes, I would yell "splash" which meant a kick and big release and other times I would yell "drip" and they would slowly bounce their way down to the floor.

Allowing students to create a visual that helped explain our lesson that day was really useful and kept them strongly engaged!

Best,

Lena, Curated Care Teacher