Inquiry: First Grade Designed a New and Improved Co-op!

The First Grade Chipmunks were so interested in the actual school building during their School Study that they began asking questions about how the building was made, what materials were used and who made it. This led them to a construction study spanning 4 months... check out "The Co-op Elementary School" they created and part of the process that led to it:

Construction books

 Webs

 Wonderings

Inventory list for blueprints

 Blueprints

"The Co-op Elementary School!"

Redesigned playground with trampoline, vegetable garden and seesaw.

School bathroom complete with garbage bins!

Get to Know a Co-op Teacher!

The 10 Question Teacher Interview for 1st Grade Teacher, Kevin Wood

1. How long have you been working at The Co-op School?

"This is my second year."

2. What’s your favorite part of being part of The Co-op School?

"The students are cool."

3. What do you like to do for fun?

"Watch documentary films, read books, bike, travel, lay on the beach."

4. What’s your favorite restaurant?

"Arturo's."

5. What’s your favorite sandwich?

"Meatball sub."

6. What’s your favorite song?

"I need new music. I'm pretty bored with all the music on my iPod right now."

7. Where do you want your next vacation to be?

"The Mediterranean."

8. What are you reading right now?

"A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn."

9. If you could buy yourself anything what would it be?

"A larger apartment."

10. What TV sitcom family would you most like to be a member of?

"The Dunphy's - Modern Family."

Inquiry: Kindergarten Culminating Project

The Jets Kindergarten class had a fun Culminating project for their Coffee Shop Study ... their very own coffee shop held in the Block Room! They had a blast and... they made $277 in tips!!! The kids voted to spend the money on a new ball station for the playground and something for the science room (to be decided...). Stay tuned...

 Documentation of the process...

Knowledge Web and Wonderings chart... 

 Reading material... handmade magazines!

 Coffee tasting (decaf!)

 Parent's pitching in!

 Personalized coffee cups.

 Snazzy menu.

Inquiry: The Jet's Coffee Shop Celebration

Workshop Time: The Jets

Math, Reading and Writing Workshops in The Jet's Kindergarten classroom...

 Math Workshop: putting numerical cards in order.

Writing pattern books.

Back to back partner reading in Reader's Workshop. 

Choice Time: The Dragonflies New Centers

 Dinosaur Center! 

 In the Name Center using tracing cards and name cards with dry erase markers to learn how to write our friend's names. 

 In Math Center playing Roll and Record, a new popular dragonfly math game

Science: Bumblebees Start Their New Science Unit on Animals!

The Pre-k Bees started their new science unit on animals!  They watched “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” on their class iPad.

Then, they mentioned the animals they saw on the video- a bear! a dog! Then they predicted what animals we would see if we were to take a walk around their neighborhood here in Brooklyn.. The Bees predicted they would see pigeons, ants, squirrels and dogs in Brooklyn. They predicted they wouldn’t see lions, bears, foxes, snakes and ducks in Brooklyn.

Since it started raining, they couldn't go on their walk but they came up with the idea of taking a look at our neighborhood on the rooftop playground.

 The only animal they saw was a pigeon so they circled it on their chart.

Then in the afternoon, they received a special visit from an author and illustrator named Thyra Heder who read her book “Fraidyzoo” to us. This book tied in perfectly with their new science unit on animals. This book was about a little girl who was afraid of going to the zoo. Her family tried to make her feel better by creating zoo animals at home using blankets and cardboard. Little T, the main character, wasn't afraid of the animals! She was afraid of the ticket lady because she had long, red nails!! After this funny read aloud, we were each able to make our own animal mask using paper, markers and string. 

We can't wait to learn more about animals!