Second Week at Botany Public.

our collaborative class portrait!

Another big week at Botany Public School!
It was extremely busy, due to the controversial NAPLAN tests, but very fun as well!

Tuesday: PDHPE lesson focusing on the heart/pulse, with skipping in the afternoon.
(This lesson was CRAZY, due to being held straight after NAPLAN tests, but essentially it worked out okay.)

Wednesday: Read 'The Magic School Bus - Inside the Human Body', Drama games, and introduction lesson for 'Picasso Portraits'.
(Again, being held after NAPLAN triggers problems such as restlesness. Kids loved the drama games such as 'working machine' and 'hula-hoop circle'. They also loved the Magic School Bus book, and they actually learnt quite alot from it! The introductory lesson for the 'Picasso Portraits' was half failure, half success - if that makes sense! We only had 30 minutes, and the slideshow I prepared for the smartboard proved too exciting for them, sending them into a talking frenzy.)

Thursday: 'The Singing Hat' book review, and 'Mr Picasso Head' collaborative class portrait and planning individual portraits.
(The students liked the book, and payed attention throughout. The concept of a book review as a structured text was maybe out of their reach for that afternoon though! I uploaded the book review proforma sheet onto the smartboard and wrote ideas directly on it, which was awesome! But even though I said for students NOT to copy what was on the board but to use it to jog their memory (as I had written in bullet points) they still did copy. SO ANNOYING! I wish they had the initiative to think for themselves! haha, maybe I need to teach them that first! But, the 'Mr Picasso Head' collaborative portraits lesson went so well! Maybe my best lesson to date! I had the site opened on the smartboard, and used it as an aide to further reflect and explain abstract art. I chose well behaved students to 'add' to our group portrait, and they LOVED it! Then, as we had time, we 'planned' our own portraits, using abstract elements. What was annoying however, was that my co-operating teacher decided to leave the room during the lesson for some reason, and she didn't get to see what the children did.)

Friday: Social maths games (3D objects, Chance/Data, Addition/Subtraction), and 'Cup Rocket' science lesson.
(Social maths games were fun. First was a game of 'BUZZ OFF'. I love tricking the children, they think they are playing but they are actually learning! We had different stations, focusing on what they had learnt throughout last week, in order to revise and remember, and apply. They worked individually, or in pairs/threes, and I gave them different 'challenges'. The science lesson went REALLY well! I was so surprised! We looked at 'force' and 'energy transference' through the experiment of a paper cup rocket. I got the experiment from a book titled 'Science toys and crafts - Years 3-6' by Barbara J. Fagenbaum. It is an excellent source of fun and interactive experiments.)

The week was stressful and busy, yet exciting and rewarding. I am really happy I was able to witness the structure of the NAPLAN tests aswell. Overall, I think it was a successful week.
Just two more prac days to go!