Woodwork

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We have been getting the woodwork tools out on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We have a lovely woodwork bench – but this group were board with this very quickly.  They took their tools up to the “waterhole” to “work”.

“We are working really hard.”

“We are working all day.”

We have had to make some rules about what we can saw. ie Not the cubbyhouse support legs!

The creek site makes the learning more authentic for the children – and with children the more authentic the longer they stay at the task.

So now our challenge is to come up with an authentic ‘building’ project for us all to be involved in.  Watch this space!

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Last Wednesday we made Pizza as a part of our Dough Curriculum.  The week before we watched the bread dough rise – but couldn’t see the yeast in action.  This week we added yeast, warm water and sugar into a bowl and watched as it activated into bubbles and froth.  Then we added the flour.

Luke: “It’s growing.  The yeast is growing Lilly!”

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Pizza dough is very elastic.  This makes it harder to work as it keeps springing back.

“I’m ready to rock and roll it up!” Luke

“I’m gunna make mine easier and easier this way.”

“Mrs Grant, I can’t do it.”

“Lilly I’m pressing harder than you.”

“Mine is bigger than yours.”

“Look how big is mine.”

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The children also had lots of practice with knives as we chopped up all the ingredients.  “The Hungry Caterpillar ate salami.” Luke

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThen we got to eat the yummy pizza for lunch.  Luke said, “Lets have another picnic in the cubby.”  The weather has been so beautiful so we enjoyed our pizza outside.

Bread Sticks

For our dough expereince on Wednesday we made bread sticks.  We were amazed to see the dough grow in the warmth of the oven door.  We learnt how to knead. We folded the dough in half and then pushed it with the heal of our hand.  Then we turned the dough and did it again.  To make the bread sticks we had to roll the dough to make a ‘snake.’

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See the persistence through Lilly’s dialogue:

I can’t do it

Woo, I’m making a big one

This cracked bit always breaks.

I’m not finished ‘ cos it keeps on breaking.

This is it!  This is it!

Mrs Gayle, this is right!

I still got more.

Love the personal celebration when she got it right!

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Then of course there was the enjoyment of eating it in the end.

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Yo-Yo’s

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Our authentic experience with dough this week was making Yo-Yo’s.  After we kneaded the dough, we learnt how to roll nice round balls with our hands flat, moving one clockwise and one anti-clockwise.  Then we got a fork and put a pattern on each ball – using just the right amount of pressure.  We also learnt to get just the right amount of dough for each ball.

Emergency Services Day

Today we were invited up to the school to participate in an Emergency Services Day.  We got up close and personal with a Police Car, and Ambulance and a Fire Truck. Getting out into the community is an important part of expanding our ‘world knowledge’ and learning about what we ofeten just read  in books.  Thank you to our local policeman Chris who organised this experience.

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Mother’s Day

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We have been working hard on our Mother’s Day presents for two weeks.  First we had to sand our wood smooth……

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThen we painted a coat of blue and then a coat of cream.  We learnt to paint up and down.  Then we distressed with some more sandpaper – again going up and down.  Then we added a handprint.  Mrs Grant added a poem and finally we waxed the plaque.

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We also made a card….

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHappy Mother’s Day to all the Mum’s out there on Sunday.