Connections

 This term we are exploring connections in various contexts.

CONNECTIONS IN THINKING

We looked at how the brain works - exploring neurons and synapses and how we learn. We thought about ourselves and the best ways we learn, and the many ways that people can learn. We discussed what we can do if we find something hard to learn - what helps us? And we thought about things that we enjoy learning or we find easy to learn - what is it that makes it enjoyable and/or easy?

Tamariki enjoyed trying out wordles (and globle, heardle, nerdle, birdle!) to stretch their brains. Some created their own puzzles. Some made scratch games about the brain. Some tried learning something new. 

CONNECTION WITH THE LAND

What makes us feel connected to a place? We found out that connections are formed when you have good memories from a place - somewhere you have been on holiday, with family and friends, where you were born or where ancestors are from, where you feel safe. We looked at tūrangawaewae (a place to stand) - the Māori concept of places we feel connected to. 

Some tamariki chose to look at their pepeha, some looked at place names and their meanings, some connected with nature with mindfulness activities and creating things, some designed bridges to connect land. 

CONNECTIONS WITH EACH OTHER

We found things we had in common with each other and talked about similarities, differences, what makes a good friend etc. We talked about not 'judging a book by it's cover' and found out how much more we could learn about others by getting to know them and taking the time to chat to them.

CONNECTORS ON CLOTHING

We started by looking at buttons and how buttons changed fashion by allowing clothes to be made that could fit closer to the body. We brainstormed other clothing connectors (zips, velcro, buckles, laces etc). 

We looked at button collectors and discussed other things people collect. Many had stories of their own collections. We looked at different uses for connectors like buttons, zips, velcro.

Some students sorted buttons - classifying them into colours, shapes, sizes. Some created art with buttons, some learnt how to sew on a button, some researched the history of velcro, zips etc, some discovered creative ways of threading laces, some designed new ideas for clothing connectors.

CONNECTION WITH THE LIVING WORLD

How do we affect living things and how do they affect us? We looked at Whales and how humans can affect their lives, and we looked at how whales affect our lives. Did you know that a whale's role in the marine ecosystem plays a ket part in helping combat climate change? 

Here's a fascinating video about that:

BRIDGES - CONNECTING PLACES

Where are bridges used? We looked at a range of bridge types and places they are used. We then tried to create our own bridges, looking at how to make them strong.