A GRADE 1 CLASS at Falgarwood Public School is emphasizing the sense of wonder through interactive instruction and peer-to-peer collaboration.
Every morning students in Clare O’Brien’s Oakville class are provided time to ‘wander and wonder’ within the classroom. The purpose of the wandering, wondering and observing time, she explained, is to provide students with a rich context and diverse perspectives to develop interests and questions.
Spaces within the classroom are open for students to explore including art, science and technology areas, mathematics, literacy, classroom library and arts.
At the Science area, a skeleton, a plant, a collection of leaves and rocks are laid out for the student to explore. Students keep a class journal to record their notes and observations, and write like a scientist. This semester students have been learning about living things and the characteristics of humans, plants and animals. Students gather a collection of books from the library and explore the body’s skeleton. They are learning about the five senses of touch, smell, taste, sound and sight. Students use them to engage in conversation and discussions.
A group of students have observed, talked and written about the Venus Fly Trap. An actual plant was brought into class by a school teacher to examine.
“These areas are where students typically have access to writing materials and an object to spark conversation and exploration,” said O’Brien.
Also, students are investigating the use and impact of trees in the local community and broader world.
“We build various habitats and structures and show how these structures support the needs of the living things,’ O’Brien said.
Recording student observations through these wandering sessions is important, she said. Students record in their personal journals – referred to as ‘I wonder’ books – the questions they posed and what they learned.
“Students are invited to sketch, draw and record their wonderings and questions in their wondering books,” O’Brien said. “The sketches and drawing promotes conversation and discussion among peers. This is an informal and carefree activity in which they have choices to sketch, draw and/or write and inquire about things that are of interest to them. It often reflects their thoughts, interests and feelings.”
This kind of ‘wandering’ interaction engages students in their learning, said O’Brien.
“Students model learning behaviors in independence, self-regulation, self-assessment and self-monitoring. These learning opportunities may also take us beyond our classroom doors to explore and investigate broader spaces and places,” she said.