Jack and Jill and friends

This week, our Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students were investigating the nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill. The following digital slideshow dates back to 2011, and was created during the previous three-year cycle:


Jack and Jill

HooplaKidz TV present two Youtube videos about Jack and Jill. Note that, in the first one, Jack breaks a crown fit for a king, rather than his actual head.


Nursery rhymes for kids – Jack and Jill – nursery rhyme


Jack and Jill – Olive & the Rhyme Rescue Crew

We read two books on the theme of friends, Eight by Lyn Lee & Kim Gamble, about a lost toy octopus, and Brave Squish Rabbit by Katherine Battersby. Coincidentally, both picture books feature a thunderstorm. The students of Classes 2RB, 1IW and 2S then brainstormed the following digital story about friends:


We are friends!

UPDATE: I found a different slideshow about friends on Facebook, also by Year 1 students, at another school:


We are friends! by Mrs. Burnett’s First Grade class

New PhotoPeach celebrations

Here is a new PhotoPeach digital slideshow which archives some of the photos and craftwork of this year’s K-2 Chinese New Year celebrations:


Year of the Horse at Penrith PS

The inclement weather on Friday gave Class 1HB an additional lesson in the school library, so we brought out the collection of puppets and brainstormed a new digital story:


A lemur’s tale

Welcome back, it’s Year of the Horse!


Dragon parade!

The Stage 1 students are already deep into their plans for celebrating Chinese New Year. Above is a PhotoPeach slideshow of our school’s first annual dragon parade, way back in 2005. It’s always a startling start to the concept of K-2 assemblies for the newly-arrived Kindergarten students!

Chinese New Year signage for Year of the Horse
Year of the Horse

UPDATE!

Comparing reindeer to boomers

Stage 2 students are still investigating People and their beliefs in HSIE. Today we compared Santa in Australia, a picture book by Maryann Pfeifer & David Van Asten with the song popularised by Rolf Harris, Six white boomers:


Six white boomers – a Rolf Harris tribute

We have read several Australian parody versions of “The twelve days of Christmas”, but here is a Youtube ciip of the original carol:


12 Days of Christmas – Christmas carol

Early Stage 1 students asked me to add this Youtube clip, one of their classroom favourites:


Aussie Jingle Bells – Bucko & Champs – the original

Facts about fish

Stage 1 and Early Stage 1 students are studying fables this term and every second week, we are concentrating on gathering factual information on one of the animals/concepts featured in the fable.

These Youtube videos will be useful for “Fish”:


How do fish live under water?


Setting up a goldfish aquarium


How the seahorse got its shape — by Nature Video

Mirragan and Guranggatch – and The first sunrise

This week, Class KB retold the Aboriginal Dreaming story of Mirragan and Guranggatch to create a new Photo Peach slideshow using the art from a school-created “big book” from 1995. The beautiful artwork is by Mrs Bagnell, with one mural panel by Mrs Martin.


Mirragan and Guranggatch

Then Class 1/2St retold the Aboriginal Dreaming story of The first sunrise, with art from another school-created “big book” made by Mrs Bagnell, this time from 1994.


The first sunrise

Kookaburras!

This week’s Aboriginal Dreaming story for Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 is “The kookaburra who stole the moon”.

The picture book I have usually used for this week’s theme, on the three-year literacy cycle, has not shown up since our move to the new library, so I went looking online. As I said three years ago, there are slim pickings on the story itself, although there are many references to travelling theatre shows and audio productions. This Youtube kookaburra laugh is still useful, though:


Kookaburra calls.

Kooka1
Coming soon to a Photo Peach slideshow!

Related Dreaming stories include:

* Laughing jackass and the sun fire at JoyZine

* Goo-Goor-Gaga the kookaburra at Dreamtime Kullilla Art.

How the birds got their colours

Stage 1 and Early Stage 1 students are learning about Aboriginal Dreaming stories.


How the birds got their colours by Pamela Lofts and Mary Albert

A student, from somewhere in the world, adapted this story as an animation, setting it in the Philippines:

How birds got their color by Naufal Shukri

How smart are crows?


Crow intelligence – multi-step tool action test


Joe the talking crow


Smart crow uses cars to crack nuts in Akita, Japan, near Senshu Park

Last time we visited this part of the cycle, students enjoyed this Youtube clip.