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Nagano Shooting Star – Sunny Days & Animal Ways (July 1st-5th )

Hello everyone!

We had an exciting new start to our UOI, welcomed back an old friend, and had tons of fun playing together.

UOI

Prior knowledge assessment

We began our new unit of inquiry (UOI) this week, which is “Taking Care of Animals and Our Environment.” Our focus was on the first line of inquiry (LOI), “Animals and Their Habitats.” To start off, we assessed everyone’s prior knowledge by discussing what a habitat is and the different types of habitats. After the discussion, we completed a simple worksheet where the kids had to circle which animals live around a lake habitat.

Habitats and survival needs

Next, we watched some educational videos about different habitats and what animals need to survive. We talked about the four main things animals need to survive in their habitat.

  • Food
  • Water
  • Air
  • Shelter

New teams

A new UOI means it’s time to shake it up! We created four teams this time. The teachers selected the members for each one, and then the students sat down and discussed their team name. Of course, it had to be related to our Unit of Inquiry (UOI). After all the team members agreed on a name, they announced it to the rest of the class. I was very impressed by how well each team communicated with each other and compromised when they had different opinions. Good job, Shooting Star!

Dance lesson

The kids love the dance lessons and always want to do their dance in class, too! It’s always a fun mix of exercise and dance.

June’s monthly song performance

Enjoy this performance of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” by the wonderful kids at Shooting Star.

July’s monthly song

This month’s song is in line with our UOI and is “Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles.