The Kindergarten Science Fair
The kindergarten students recently hosted a FANTASTIC Science Fair! Throughout the month of May the students were asked to research and conduct an experiment that they could present and share with others. On June 1st the Kindergarten students proudly displayed and shared their findings with other students, parents, and teachers. The fair was a huge success and a wonderful learning experience for us all.
The children have also met with first grade students one last time to use the laptops and explore various internet sites that address much of what they have learned throughout the year with letters, words, and numbers. Finally, the Kindergarten students visited American College to enjoy the terrific “Project Change” culminating activities and release the classroom “Painted Lady” butterflies that they have observed and cared for during the past month. We have had a fantastic spring!
First and Fifth Grade Book Buddies
The annual First-Fifth Grade Book Buddy Scavenger Hunt took place in May at Penn Wynne School. Library-Media Specialist Karen Nemeth devised question cards that challenged all participants to find the answers using the library’s resources. A number of books were piled on tables in readiness for the classes. Some of the cards asked the buddies to find books on the tables and on shelves by using the printed clues; some had to use an atlas and an encyclopedia to find the requested information. The children used a wide variety of materials while exploring all the different sections of the library, as the fifth graders became the teachers and the first graders their enthusiastic students. The scavenger hunt is a yearly book buddy activity.
Audio Poetry Project Joins Second Grade Literature and Music
In conjunction with the elementary music teacher technology project, every laptop in Penn Wynne’s computer lab is now equipped with software called GarageBand. In April, during music time, Ms. Rayer showed Ms. Goldberg’s second grade class how to mix rhythms and instrumental lines to make songs. The students produced and recorded musical tracks. Meanwhile, in the classroom, the young writers were creating original poetry. The students then combined their compositions – poetry and music – into single productions. They read their poetry aloud while their songs played in the background. The audio pieces were collected and burned onto a CD for each student to take home.
Express Yourself: PW Art Students Explore the Art of Self-Portrait
Every spring at Penn Wynne, a different art unit is explored by first through fifth graders in art class with Ms. Caum. This year’s art unit was centered on the self-portrait. No matter what subject artists choose, the one subject that all share is that of themselves, the self-portrait. Self-portraits are not just a reflection of what they look like but also about how artists interpret themselves and the world around them. It is perhaps the most personal story that the artist can tell and makes the self-portrait one of art's most important subjects. In the art room, we took a look at this very personal and expressive art form. Every student made a self-portrait, with each grade level learning about a different artist and style that would serve as the motivation for developing their portrait. Students were taken through art history, where classic, traditional modern, expressive, and abstract methods of making a self-portrait were explored. The work from this art unit showed the many forms of expression that artists use, how art styles and ways of seeing have evolved through art history, and how a self-portrait allows the artist to reflect his/her uniqueness, personality, and imagination. All the self-portraits were on display at the Spring Art Show.
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