Lepidoptera

Yesterday we searched for butterflies (in books and online, not in real life!), chose 1 each, and drew them. It was a nice little lesson in symmetry, not Mantle of the Expert, and would have been more scientific if the internet had worked today! How do we know what size these butterflies are? How can we find out their scientific names? What is the difference between male and female? Can this one even be found in New Zealand? We ended up painting them in watercolour after guessing sizes, and hoped for the best. The internet worked between about 12 and 12.30 so we managed to find out names, but they'd already painted their butterflies. And we had to go on Howjsay to find out how to pronounce lepidoptera. It is pronounced just like how it is spelled. Butterflies were cut out and arranged on a big piece of card. I quickly painted on a frame and we stuck the butterflies down with some spongy double sided tape I had in my box of stuff (one of the few useful things I actually have with me that was not packed in the container!) and hey presto, a butterfly collection!

Liam and Ellie with our finished collection

Quite a range of different sizes! But it looks pretty nice. Shame we have no wall space to display it!

And before I go... I haven't done a hook! I can't believe that in my eagerness to begin something new,  I forgot. I intended to continue last terms plan, but when I decided to change it completely, I got all motivated and excited and didn't think it through. So, no hook. I'm going to have to backtrack! Perhaps I can use our butterfly collection as a hook. Now I'm not thinking about reports, I'm thinking about how to make this work! No, I'm going to do reports. Now.

Little Critters

Just a quick update, as I really should get on to end of year reports. I haven't started yet, which is so unlike me it's not funny. But tonight I intend to make a start. So...
After my decision to make the best of things, the class had a meeting, as Room 7. I explained how the original plan was not able to be followed, and suggested that the idea could be adapted. After much discussion, the children decided that they wanted to research little critters like snails, spiders, insects etc. and this would be like "scientific fun." And I thought, super, scientific fun with little critters will meet my authentic task criteria, so that is what we are doing.
I asked them to illustrate what a bug scientist looks like, and then gave them the word entomologist to add to the illustration. (Then I had to discreetly check to make sure that was the right word because it has been a while since I've done minibeasts!)

They are a bit cute! And they all spelled entomologist correctly!

Today we did a quick bus stop activity where they recorded their ideas relating to the questions I wrote, and this created more questions.

Fire? Gas mask? What are they thinking?!!!

 The main things were - where would we work? and what would we wear? because, would we be outdoors collecting specimens, observing and researching critters in their natural habitat, or indoors doing goodness knows what? (No way will I allow any dissecting or evil experimenting to take place)
And if we are outdoors, do we need to wear camouflage gear? (This was one of the ideas recorded on the sheet) I reminded them that we aren't deer hunting, but then came the question about insects seeing colours, and I was acting like ok here we go, I'm going to hide in the bushes and sneak up on this snail... But it is a valid question, and definitely one we can try to find an answer to, because I am pretty sure we can devise a fair test experiment that will tell us the answer without hurting any living creatures. The children can create the test, they just haven't realised that they will need to do this, yet.

Remaining Positive

It has been far too long, and I feel guilty for not updating, this is supposed to be part of our appraisal and I started to get "the negative attitude" after still being in Room 10 while day after day our old classroom remains unfinished and the builders are often times not there. I admit that I was getting a little bit "over it" and while I try to remain positive for the sake of my class, they seem to be as fed up as I am. It's just silly things like trying to work in a small space, not having all my usual resources right there, being in a room that is badly decorated (this really bothers me so terribly, like you wouldn't believe!), having to lock our small amount of belongings away each night in our little cupboard, sharing a space with others, not having the internet, or having intermittent internet, they all add up to feeling a bit like I don't want to be there!
Yesterday, one of my students (a boy who has been absent for much of the last 2 terms suffering from an eating disorder) asked, "when are we going to do that business stuff?" and pointed to the little display area we have in the room with our building plan on it.
And then I felt really guilty!
So while I write this I am trying hard to think of ways to alter my original plan so that we might stop makinactually get back into Mantle  We still use the drama games, and we still talk about the Mantle we have already been a part of, but as far as my Term 3 plan goes, it just never happened. It has been too easy to slip back into just teaching each subject as a stand alone area, and we really have been doing heaps of P.E (well, heaps more than I ever have done before in my life!) and heaps of wonderful art (even though there is nowhere to display it) and just put Mantle in the too hard basket while we live in Room 10.
If I make some alterations, and get the children to help make decisions about where to next, I may be able to salvage the plan. I will try to remember that we can pretend we are anywhere, that the actual room we are in should not matter, and our lack of ICT and resources will just mean a bit of problem solving to find alternatives.
So tomorrow we will have a business meeting, and hopefully we will all find our enthusiasm, our imaginations, and our super positive attitudes again. I didn't really lose mine, it was just hiding a little bit.