Our spider inquiry continued to grow! We learned so much about spiders and even got to speak with experts. While we were learning about spiders, the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) had a spider exhibit. As we were unable to organize a last minute affordable trip down, we contacted the ROM to see what our options were. We ended up having a video call with their 'spider wrangler' and a scientist and it was AMAZING!
Our learning about how spiders catch their prey- we added to this chart as we learned
A spider web created by J.C.
A trapdoor spider created by P.X.
A spider using a sticky globule to catch a bug by B.R.
Students showed their learning in play all over the classroom!
We created these Peacock Spider holiday gifts for the families.
After reading many non-fiction books about spiders, our authors wrote and illustrated their own:
By: D.K.
By: P.X.
By: D.S.
By: J.C.
By: P.W.
Before our call with the ROM, our learners wanted the experts to know all the information we knew. So they decided to use mind maps to share all their knowledge. They then wrote the questions they wanted to the spider experts to answer and we sent them ahead of time to the ROM.
And then we had our call!
This is a moulted exoskeleton of a Goliath Birdeater Spider
Doing the Peacock Spider dance
A big thanks to the ROM! We are now all spider experts! What a great way to end our inquiry.
Our botanists have loved learning about flowers and sharing their knowledge in many different ways during 'Thinking and Learning Time'. We have been so impressed with their ability to communicate their understanding of flowers in such different ways. Inquiries are such a beautiful way to allow all learners access to content and when you expose them, they retain it! Our botanists shared many wonders through writing and conversations.
B.J- I wonder why the flower turn to fruit?
Year 2 scientist- I wonder how the pistil makes the seeds?
I.O- I wonder why when you plant flowers they turn into a fruit?
E.W- I wonder why they have to be so beautiful?
Year 1 scientist- I wonder why flowers need leaves?
A.B- I wonder why some flowers have petals and some don’t?
We watched a few information videos to learn about flowers.
After these and other non-fiction books, our learners began to share their learning. They shared their learning through conversations, work samples and all the wonderful art and writing you'll see below!
A.G- rain makes flowers grow
P.W- seeds help flowers grow to make plants
Year 2 scientist- some flowers have stamens and pistils
A.B- the bee drinks the nectar and the pollen gets on his body and sticks and the pollen gets stuck to the pistil
Year 1 scientist- the bee gets the pollen flies to another flower and sticks to the pistil
T.P- all flowers don’t have the same colour all of them are different colours
E.W- we learned that the sepal holds the bud for the flower with the petals
Z.D- bees buzz and get honey from flowers
D.S- pollen and nectar
A.D- flowers have to grow for rain to come down
S.A- the bees takes the pollen to another flower and it makes new flowers
B.K- all of the pollen sticks on all over the bee
I.O- I know about bees that bees go and drink nectar and get pollen to make honey
I.S- seed, stamen
E.L- the petals
D.K- nectar, flowers have stem
M.V- flowers have seeds and flowers have everything attached
M.R- petals are on the circle so flowers in the middle and then the petals fall off it turns to a fruit
Using shapes and labels to represent various flowers and their parts.
Construction paper flowers.
These girls wanted to make a lotus flower, so they worked together to cut out all the parts.
Various writing about pollination and flowers.
Examining real flowers.
Using clay.
We used 'how to' videos from 'Kids Art Hub' on YouTube (check them out, they're fabulous!) to help us learn how to draw various flowers. We made them into collaborative art pieces for our classroom on pieces of wood.
