Keep on Truckin 2011

Well, after studying transportation, we here at ALG can confirm, exclusively!, that the wheels on the bus do indeed go round and round.  

 We rode our wheel, both real and pretend, all around this great city of ours as we used this study as a vehicle for exploring how real people and objects actually move through our town. We walked to Carter Baron with the three o'clockers on a beautifull, sunny afternoon. Pickett was our leader and we all pretended to be in different vehicles, moving in different ways and paces until we reached the small playground at Carter Baron--about a 30 minute walk! Then we hopped on the S2 bus back to ALG.  Thanks to several generous families: Zoe's, Avery's, Henry Mills, Noah's and Maeve's, we had the incredible experience of exploring many unique vehicles up close. We honed our powers of observation as we explored and discussed each vehicle. We used Math as we sorted and classified the vehicles along different attributes.

We enriched our vocabulary as we learned and used new words like: spare tire, windshield, motor, convertible, and more!

We delighted in that timeless pretend play as we sat behind the wheel and let our imaginations run.

 We engaged deeply in Social Studies as we learned about all the different ways you can get from A to B. We learned about community jobs related to transit as we met Mr. Mac and got to get in his taxi.

We learned about a vehicle used in home construction and we got to be brave and practice our balance as we warmed up to the large, dump truck and clamber up its ramps.

The older children were thrilled to be dumped and wanted to do it again and again, testing themselves. They moved confidently around the truck checking it out and playing grown!

The younger crowd was happier to keep their feet on the ground. Though after a spell they too increased thier coordination and confidence as they carefully walked up and down the ramps.

 In Art we again worked with the bright contrast of black and white. We used small, plastic trucks as brushes and we noted the patterns from the tired treads on the paper. We teachers were able to watch the children and see how each child worked differently: some as a sensory experience; fast and furious, hardly noting what they are putting on the paper as much as the feelings from thier own arm. Some children were more precise and organized, making lines in specific, repeated ways, i.e. from side to side and then top to bottom. Some children talk while they work, others are quiet. Experiences like these allow us to observe unique traits in children and help us to render a more complete picture of a child.

Our interests in machines and science shot up as we checked out the inside of a car engine courtesy of a visiting professional mechanic and learned another way people earn a living and help keep a community running.

We got to use real tools and in practicing this bit of car maintence, we strengthened our hands and fingers, we practiced that essential and elusive art of waiting to take turns and we fit another small puzzle piece into our growing and expansive idea of what it takes to get around... 

Each group took a special field trip this unit. The blue group went to Gravelly Point and romped in the fresh air watching air planes take off and then flew small,craft planes of thier own. The reds, a serious group of train builders, went to the Museum of American History to see the train exhibit and the yellow and purple groups went to National Airport.

One afternoon a few days after the trip, Natasha engaged the group in a culminating project, the writing of a class book, to synthesize and extend their learnings. After looking at pictures to kick start a conversation, children collaborated, exchanging ideas by expressing themselves clearly and listening to others. We also engaged in pre-literacy as we translated our ideas into drawings.

This was a wonderful study largely thanks to the support of so many families. Thank you and we hope you and yours keep on trucking.