Today we finished learning and writing about Jane Goodall as planned. She rounds out our focus on people who have made significant contributions to society (our theme and big idea circulating through all areas of the curriculum this year).
Recap:
Past - Rosa Parks, Babe Ruth, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Edison, Walt Disney
Present - Neil Armstrong, Steve Jobs, Jane Goodall (and a few more the children are interested in)
Future - . . .
This week connects our study of Jane Goodall to the people who will make a positive impact in the world in the future - your children! If you ask your child why Jane Goodall spends so much time speaking around the world, he/she will likely tell you that she wants to save the chimpanzees. Further probing should elicit the idea that she has given up on the adults who have destroyed the environment. She now focuses all of her hope on the children - the future.
So, Jane Goodall links us to a short study of chimpanzees this week and conservation. That will launch us into two big ideas of how your children can make a positive impact on society now. :) First, they can take care of their environment. Second, they can volunteer their time, interests, or talents to help others in an area they are passionate about. Don't worry! Both will be completely covered in class. You do not need to carve out any extra "volunteer time". The goal is to help your children value positive choices and helping others as second nature.
Why you might ask? Every club, committee, job, and college now requires volunteer work. The concept of volunteering can become a natural love if enjoyed and taught at a very young age. They've seen Kimberly and Danielle volunteering for years. We will discuss the concept, ways to do it, then begin a class based community service project that will allow the children to use their talents and passions to make a difference in the lives of others - now.
Your child finished the Jane Goodall biography today, enjoyed music, and went to the media center for Jiji Lab time. In class, our new focus for reading and writing workshop was introduced - adventure. Jane Goodall left London to go on an adventure in Africa to study the chimpanzees in the wild. It turned out to be more of an adventure than she ever expected. Our "Jack and the Beanstalk" Junior Great Books story from last week was about bravery. They were purposely chosen to set us up for adventures. Jack had to be brave. Going on an adventure like Jane Goodall requires bravery. Along with our heavy focus on being driven by curiosity, we will begin to discover how curiosity leads to adventure. Your child will be reading adventure stories in which they get to choose alternate endings each time. Sound familiar? Yes, I purchased all of the revised and updated Choose Your Own Adventure books at their level for daily reading. Today we explored the format and they loved it! Your child will read one every day. They will provide the format, examples, and inspiration for your child to then write an adventure story of his/her own. We will tie in mapping for social studies for the children to incorporate specific settings into their adventures. It should be fun! :)
