Investigating eco-systems

In our unit on Sharing the Planet, Grade 3 have begun to explore eco-systems.

We took a trip to the Biotope at the Nadahama Science Square to look for connections in the cultivated eco-system.

 

Our students did good science – asking questions, making observations, collecting data, sharing and analyzing information and then coming up with even more questions.

 

We also made time to visit the Oji Koen zoo and learn about some larger animals who form part of other eco-systems.

 

Of course, real scientists aren’t able to conduct all their research in structured environments and so we headed out to an estuarine habitat in Minami Uozaki to do further field work…

 

Back at school, Mr. White helped us set a Wormery / Compost box – a mini ecosystem we will be able to cultivate and document as it thrives in our own classroom.

 

 

So far its been a very exciting unit!

What do we value?

Our current Unit under the theme of #WhoWeAre is an inquiry into how our beliefs and values impact the choices we make.

During the #TuningIn stage of our inquiry, students spent time reflecting on what is important to them. They created ‘heart maps’ to visually represent the things they valued.

Moving into a stage of #FindingOut, groups of students watched videos like this one or this one. Each group shared what they had learned from their own clip about beliefs and values and the impact they have on someones actions and choices.

Here are some of our observations (more to come as we keep exploring):