Our 2nd Co-op Class on Astronomy
Today we continued our astronomy class with a recap on the Cosmic Nesting boxes as inspired by thehelpfulgarden. Mine is however not so elegant. Not being able to bear the thought of painting over the beautiful pictures of my 4th's nesting boxes, I wrapped them up in black paper and pasted pictures of the universe, galaxy and so on four sides. Thereafter, we watched The Known Universe by the American Museum of National History which gave real-life recordings of what was presented on the nesting boxes.
Our focus today was on rotation and revolution. I brought three geometric solid shapes- sphere, square pyramid and a cube and presented a 3-stage lesson with them. We explored which shape could spin like a top. Only 1 child was able to confidently point out that it was the sphere, so we experimented and concluded that that was the best shape to have for something to rotate or spin.
After letting the children play with the nesting boxes and shapes for a while (frankly, I had to feed the baby), we went outside the centre for our movement segment. I attached a piece of chalk to a stick (courtesy of Sarah) and drew a circle around me. The children got excited and took turns to trace the line I drew. We moved round the line in different paces and changed directions. Later, on the spot, we spun slowly, then faster, and then slowly again. Combining both movements, we spun round the circle.
I got dizzy pretty fast. The children were however more resilient. Ah, youth...
Just when I wanted to go back to the centre, Sarah started to draw on the floor with the chalk. I allowed the children to have a free drawing session for a while. We then "twisted and slided" away what they drew clean before going back.
After the break, the children sat before the table where I have placed a balloon filled with sparkles, test tubes representing solid, liquid and gas and baking powder, a bottle filled with sparkles, glitter and water, the solar system mat and the globe.
As I told the creation story, the balloon was burst to represent how the heavens and the earth that were once together being taken apart, the vinegar and the baking powder reacting representing the instability and heat that followed, the shaker- how things cooled and settled, the solar system mat- the solar system that was formed and the globe- one of the planets making up the solar system where Allah has placed plants and animals and sent Prophet Adam and his wife.
I think the kids loved the balloon bursting best, despite my initial fears of the girls having a phobia about it. The next most popular item was the shaker...
I also showed the kids, using the globe and a torchlight, how night and day happened and related it to their daily schedule like waking up and the five solat times.
For craft we made the sun-moon-earth model. Oh, that was a mistake. I should have listened to my gut feeling when I had difficulties making it myself. How was a group of 4-year olds supposed to make them? I ended up making them. Lol! Alhamdulillah for just 3 students. It'll however be a useful tool for self- exploration when the kids revisit what they have learned.
Our focus today was on rotation and revolution. I brought three geometric solid shapes- sphere, square pyramid and a cube and presented a 3-stage lesson with them. We explored which shape could spin like a top. Only 1 child was able to confidently point out that it was the sphere, so we experimented and concluded that that was the best shape to have for something to rotate or spin.
After letting the children play with the nesting boxes and shapes for a while (frankly, I had to feed the baby), we went outside the centre for our movement segment. I attached a piece of chalk to a stick (courtesy of Sarah) and drew a circle around me. The children got excited and took turns to trace the line I drew. We moved round the line in different paces and changed directions. Later, on the spot, we spun slowly, then faster, and then slowly again. Combining both movements, we spun round the circle.
I got dizzy pretty fast. The children were however more resilient. Ah, youth...
Just when I wanted to go back to the centre, Sarah started to draw on the floor with the chalk. I allowed the children to have a free drawing session for a while. We then "twisted and slided" away what they drew clean before going back.
After the break, the children sat before the table where I have placed a balloon filled with sparkles, test tubes representing solid, liquid and gas and baking powder, a bottle filled with sparkles, glitter and water, the solar system mat and the globe.
As I told the creation story, the balloon was burst to represent how the heavens and the earth that were once together being taken apart, the vinegar and the baking powder reacting representing the instability and heat that followed, the shaker- how things cooled and settled, the solar system mat- the solar system that was formed and the globe- one of the planets making up the solar system where Allah has placed plants and animals and sent Prophet Adam and his wife.
I think the kids loved the balloon bursting best, despite my initial fears of the girls having a phobia about it. The next most popular item was the shaker...
I also showed the kids, using the globe and a torchlight, how night and day happened and related it to their daily schedule like waking up and the five solat times.
For craft we made the sun-moon-earth model. Oh, that was a mistake. I should have listened to my gut feeling when I had difficulties making it myself. How was a group of 4-year olds supposed to make them? I ended up making them. Lol! Alhamdulillah for just 3 students. It'll however be a useful tool for self- exploration when the kids revisit what they have learned.
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