Let’s Colour!

30/04/2008 (Wednesday)

(i) Corner Playing
This morning, I brought in a new toy for the kids. It is a box of constructional blocks. All them just loved it! SYu, SJ were implementing them. YP and JW built an aeroplane. ZY build some buildings, JS and ZYg made guns. They were playing and interacting with one another. Of course, I had to remind them to use English frequently even when communicating with friends. About 9.15 a.m., they tidied the toys together; nick and span….I could imagine how satisfied they were with that game.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Linguistic skills)

(ii) My name is…..
Next, I flashed everyone’s name while they tried reading them. They were quite good. They giggled looking at some long names such as James Ngiam Zi Yang, Henry Low Wen Yue and Eugene Gan You Jing.
Next, we formed a circle. When they closed their eyes, I placed all the names on the floor. Then, I called a kid’s name. He or she ran around the circle while we sang songs. Once I clapped my hands, he or she had to quickly take his name card. This game was to test his recognition of names. JW needed some guidance while the other kids were quite independent.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Musical, Linguistic skills)

(iii) Present or Absent?
Next, I drew two columns on the whiteboard. The kids came to paste their names under the correct column. All were present except ZY and WY. They are required to do this every day to instill responsibility as well as better recognition of own’s name.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Linguistic skills)

(iv) Recycling Bins: Let’s colour
First, we recalled the names of different colours. Second, we learnt the different vocabulary related to colouring tools. These included brush, palate, colours, cup and newspaper. I explained that too much water in the the colour mixture will tear the paper box easily.
Third, the kids went to their own group. They could all remember their groups. The groups included “Plastic Recycling Bin”, “Paper Recycling Bin” ad “Glass recycling Bin”.
Initially, they were very noisy and excited handling the brushes and water colour…haaa. Then, I reminded on the scores to be collected. Eventually, Syu’s group scored the highest as they were more disciplined, patient and more cooperative. The other 2 groups just took my colours for granted! Then, we let the boxes to dry; to be continued on Friday. I reminded the kids to bring a small or big water bottle for the next lesson’s craft. It would be a family’s gift…:)
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Linguistic, Spatial, Logical-Mathematical skills)

Hand-made Recycling Bins

29/04/2008 (Tuesday)

(i) Trees Vocabulary
After running around, they were thirsty. So, they drank more water. This morning, we started the class with a dream. I told them of my imaginary dream……which really attracted them. I was floating in the clouds. I could see the mother and baby Polar Bears. They were crying. They didn’t answer my questions. The blowing wind made me cold. Suddenly, the sun appeared and smiled. Then, a rainbow was formed. I slided along the rainbow to find a mother bird carrying its baby in a bg. The baby couldn’t fly. Again, they were crying. Next, there was an elephant in the hot air ballon. It was also crying. I prayed and a leaf carrying a bean flew to me. The wind whispered to me so that I plant the bean. I arrived home. I planted the bean and watered it every day. It grew and years later, I invited my friends to play under the tree. Next, I drew a big tree. We talked about the different parts included trunk, root, leaves and branch. Then, they took turns to try writing on the whiteboard.
(M/I: Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Interpersonal, Naturalist skills)

(ii) Worksheet
Next, the kids took their worksheet which they coloured last week. Today,they learned to label the parts. ZY, SY, SYu, SJ, JN were determined and independent. The other kids needed more individual guidance. Next, they also coloured a picture with 4 different trees. They were a coconut tree, a sad bald tree, an apple tree and a pine tree.
(M/I: Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Interpersonal, Naturalist skills)

(iii) Hand-made Recycling Bins
First, we recapped on the 3 different colours for each Rcycling Bin. Then, I took some rough paper to reuse them. I took out 3 boxes. I then poured some glue. I put some glue on a piece of paper and pasted onto a box. I told them not to put too much glue as it would be very messy and sticky. They were divided into 3 groups. I chose ZY, SY and SYu to be the leaders for this round. The kids would choose to go to their favourite group. 6 kids in a group altogether. SY's group did the Plastic Recycling Bin, SYu's group did the Glass Recycling Bin while ZY's group did the Paper Recycling Bin. I valued the group from 3 aspects. 1) Teamwork, 2) Discipline, 3) The Product. Points will be given. Initially, SY's group was noisy as JN and SY tend to argue. Furthermore their loud voice tend to make them the dominators. However, they managed to work well as a group; after reminding them of the points to be collected. In fact, they produced the neatest box! SYu's group was rather noisy at the beginning. Then, I assisted them in the job's segregation. They then became more focused. ZY's group was noisy at the earlier stage but after a while, they were very focused! The box was quite neat. I guided them to cut the extra A4 paper which couldn't cover the whole box. SY and ZY's group scored 23 while SYu's group scored 22. Pheww.....they were excited.
(M/I: Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Interpersonal, Body-Kinesthetic, Spatial, Naturalist skills)

(iv) Placement of recycled items
The kids poured the items they brought from home. Then, we segregated them and placed into the relevant boxes. Well, they were so detailed that by the end of the class, you can't even find any bits of paper on the floor........
(M/I: Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Body Kinesthetic skills)

Which rubbish for which Recycling Bin?

28/04/2008 (Monday)

(i) Wake up time!
The kids were surprised to see me instead of Teacher Hui Ping. I explained to them that she had gone for a check-up. I called out "Wake Up, Children!" for 3 times. If they failed to wake up at the third call, they would not be able to join us for the fun activities! They were rather fast except YW who couldn't wake up. Thus, we drank some water, left her alone and marched to the Sand Pit. The kids just loved it! Unfortunately, it started to drizzled unexpectedly!! The kids gathered quickly inside the hall. We formed a circle and we practised the skipping rope again. However, this time I replaced it with a chain rubber bands because the skipping rope was slightly long for the cute kids to jump with. First, they queued up. They jumped over the snaky rubber band, hopped into 3 hula hoops and jumped as high as possible to hit my high tambourine. They just loved it especially jumping high to hit the tambourine. Then, I showed them the proper way to skip using the rubber bands. M and SYu were quite independent while the others needed more guidance. Gee.....at times, I felt that many kids today should be exposed more to the games of our generation!
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical skills)

(ii) Storybook: The Earth And I
After drinking water, I told them a story. It was a very colourful book with beautiful pictures. A few sentences that captured the kids were:"I love the earth. She listens to me and I listen to her. I sing for her and she sings for me. I dance for her and she dances with me. I grow her and she helps me to grow. When she is sad, I'm sad. When she is happy, I'm happy". The kids learnt that when we take good care of the earth, she will not be sick. She will be beautiful and the animals and flowers will also be happy and beautiful. When we plant vegetables, we help them to grow. When we eat them, we will grow! The kids just loved the simple meaningful story. Thus, it is our responsibility to recycle to protect the earth!
(M/I: Naturalist, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical skills)

(iii) Game: Can you find the correct Recycling Bin?
I recapped on the 3 Recyling Bins, flashcards and their colours. Then, I pasted the flashcards onto 3 baskets. I poured a box of clean rubbish onto the floor. The kids came forward individually to place the rubbish into the correct Recyling Bin. At the same time, they vocabulary such as newspaper, boxes, plastic cup, colour paper, manila cardboard, wooden stick, plastic bags and polystrene. They were good at this except they had challenge with the wooden stick. I hinted them that it is related to paper. Immediately, YP talked about the tree's log! Fantastic!
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical skills)

(iv) Colouring
I showed them the proper way to colour and gave them the responsibity to colour the worksheet at home. my objective was for them to share their little knowledge with their family. I'm sure they would then learn even more.(M/I: Spatial, Linguistic, Interpersonal skills)

Recycling Bins and their colours

28/04/2008 (Monday)

(i) Skipping rope
Rather than Corner Playing, I introduced skipping ropes to the kids. First, I had two kids to hold the handles and sit on the floor. The kids shaked the rope as if it was a snake. The other kids lined up to jump over it. Most of them could do it except a few kids. To make things more interesting, I placed 3 hula hoops. Thus, after crossing the skipping rope, the kids would hop into the 3 hoops. Finally, they hit my tambourine which I held high up. I asked them to guess the objectives of the class. This game would strengthen their legs and help in height growth.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical skills)

(ii) Newspaper and seals
JS brought a newspaper article on seals in Antartica. The kids could quickly relate to the polar bear video clip I showed them earlier. So, I asked them to guess the picture. SY said the seals will not have that much ice as before. JN said that the ice is breaking and will be dangerous to the seals. They would drown and die. In fact, their food may such as fish might also be affected. They talked about other animals under the Antartica ice. Among them were sharks, turtles, fish, dolphins and also water plants.
(M/I: Naturalist, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical skills)

(iii) Cue: If you love our world
I introduced a new rule in the class whereby the kids are to gather in front the moment they hear the song, If you love our world. I chose this because they loved it very much and also the morale behind the song.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal skills)

(iv) Song: Do Something About It
At tea break, we sang the song, “Do Something About It”. They like the CHORUS part. I got them to explain the song. ZY, YZ and SYu volunteered. We sang twice and it was a little bit challenging for them as the lyrics were rather long. However, they showed signs of trying out the song. Furthermore, ZJ brought some honey cornflakes for us which the kids love so much!
(M/I: Naturalist, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Musical skills)

(v) The Recycling Bins Colours
Next, I drew the 3 Recycling Bins representing plastic, paper and glass. I asked them if they could remember the colour as they spend every morning at the playground. Furthermore, they visited that section once in our earlier lessons. YZ, ZY, JN and YP were determined giving the answers. YZ, JN and YP gave the same asnwer and which were correct but ZY disagreed with them. Thus, we went down to the playground another time to reconfirm the answer. However, I reminded not to talk about the answers as they had to tell me personally later. After the short visit, I called them individually to tell the answer. SJ, YX, JN, YP, ZYg were completely right. ZY then realised his mistake and he smiled bashfully. The kids learnt to say in complete sentences:
"The Plastic Recycling Bin is orange". "The Paper Recycling Bin is blue. The Glass Recycling Bin is brown".
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Logical Mathematical skills)

(vi) Why 3 separate bins?
We talked about the different types of paper, cans, tins and glasses. The itens had to be separated as they would be produced into different products! I would touch on the various plastic types in the next few lessons. SY said the lorry driver would carry the recycled items to a Recycling Centre. However, I told them that these items need to be flattened before being melted in a high temperature of fire! I reminded them that they are not only saving the Earth but able to earn some pocket money for their family. Recycling the aluminum cans and tins would reduce the use of natural resources.
(M/I: Naturalist, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical skills)

Our Recycled Product

25/04/2008 (Friday)

(i) Corner Playing and Individual Focus
The kids played with their toys. Meanwhile, I called the kids individually to read the Phonics Book “ed” and en”. The words read included: red, wed, bed, pen, hen, den, ten, men. M and WY were able to identify the phonics sound. The others needed some prompting. ZY, SYu, JN were rather independent.
(M/I: Linguistic, Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal skills)

(ii) Games and Flashcards
Next, I got the kids to form a circle. Then, I tested their listening skills. I called 2 persons’ names and they quickly swapped places. They enjoyed this game a lot. Next, we did some flashcards recap. I got the kid to read and to talk about it. The words included animals, people, earth, water, sun, air and trees. They were rather attentive but I have to keep reminding them to try speaking in English. M, JS, ZYg, JH needed constant reminder on that.
(M/I: Linguistic, Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Naturalist skills)

(iii) Phonics class
After tea break, the kids gathered for Phonics lesson. This lesson was a continuation of “ed” and “en”. They loved the songs very much. Thus, they learnt to read from the computer. Among the sentences were: a) Ted has ten hens.b) The hen has a big pen.c) There are ten little men.d) They like reading books.In the classrroom, I assigned them phonics' homework.
(M/I: Linguistic, Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal skills)

(iv) The Recycled Paper
We analysed our product...the Recycled Paper. They were rather thick and looked like a cardboard. We discussed about the possibilities we could use them for Mother Day's card. YW was unsure of this occasion and asked me about it. However, most of them preferred flowers for their beloved mother. So, we thought of recycling some plastic bottles for this special occasion.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Spatial, Logical Mathematical skills)

(v) Bangau Oh Bangau
I drew a few pictures and the kids tried to figure out. I had pictures of hungry flamingo (bangau), rice pot, firewood, rain, frog and snake. The children were very attentive that they asked me a lot of unknown Bahasa words. See if you can sing this with your children:

Bangau oh bangau,kenapa engkau sakit perut?
Kenapa tak sakit perut,termakan nasi mentah?

Oh nasi oh nasi,kenapa engkau mentah?
Kenapa aku tak mentah,kayu api basah;

Oh kayu oh kayu,kenapa engkau basah?
Kenapa aku tak basah,hujan timpa saya;

Oh hujan oh hujan,kenapa timpa kayu?
Kenapa aku tak timpa,katak panggil aku;

Oh katak oh katak,kenapa panggil hujan?
Kenapa aku tak panggil,ular nak makan saya;

Oh ular oh ular,kenapa nak makan katak?
Kenapa aku tak makan,Perut saya lapar! Perut saya lapar!

After singing for 3 times, they managed to grasp some lines. They enjoyed being a snake slithering looking for frogs to eat...haaaa.
(M/I: Linguistic, Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Musical skills)

Tzu Chi’s guests

24/04/2008 (Thursday)

(i) My sunshine
We started the day with numbers. We said 1 until 50. However, my objective was for them to write or identify 1 until 20. The kids wrote the numbers on the board individually. Then, I pasted a worksheet of a “Sun” picture. I connected the numbers. The kids were excited. We sang “You Are My Sunshine”. Then, I asked them about their little trees. Most of them actually planted in a big pot.
Then the kids connected the numbers individually. XR and LX required individual guidance. LX had shown improvement in connecting numbers as well as her colouring. Meanwhile, EG and WY needed persistent encouragement to try. Sometimes, they needed some strict instructions to perform better. Previously, WY coloured his tree very nicely……surprisingly. However, he resisted to colour the sun. I wasn’t sure why; probably a lack of confidence.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical, Spatial, Body Kinesthetic skills)

(ii) Before tea break
I told them that we are having guests from Tzu Chi to talk about Earth and Recycle. They were anxious about it. I reminded them to behave well and not to disturb the talk. They need to raise their hands for any questions pose.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal skills)


(iii) Tzu Chi and recycle.
There were about 7 trainers or sisters. They started with an action song about earth and recycle. The kids learnt very fast as it was interesting.
Then, the trainer talked about rubbish thrown every day and everywhere. They were quite impressed when one of the kids sad, “Rubbish turn into Gold”……as that quote was from their website.
Next, they introduced the different type of rubbish which can be recycled. Thy taught the kids a formula which involved their ten little fingers. This formula is for the recyclable things. Translated to English, it sounded as this:
“Aluminium cans, Plastic bottles, tins, container, paper, some electrical products, plastic type number 1,3, 5, 7”. The kids repeated after them.
Then, the kids segregated the items into Recyclable or Non-Recyclable things. They learnt that “polystyrene” is the worst enemy of the earth and the earth will fall sick . A polystyrene can last for 10, 000 years and even more. Glass dishes cannot be recycled too.
Next, there was a role-play by the Tzu Chi trainers. The story was about the Great Turtle and a polystyrene. It turned out that a Giant Turtle can only live until 200 years old.
Next, there was a quiz to test the kids’ understanding skill. The correct answers were awarded with a bookmark.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical, Spatial, Body Kinesthetic, Naturalist skills)

(iv) Recap
In the classroom, I asked the kids to say in English what they learnt earlier. They talked about things which could be recycled and not able to. I divided the whiteboard into two columns and they took turn to draw the picture individually. Among the recyclable products included newspaper, plastic bottles, aluminium cans, tins, paper boxes. They learnt to reduce the usage of plastic bags and also polystrenes. They said the earth will be sick!
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical, Naturalist skills)

(v) Don’t Pollute Anymore!
EG brought a storybook and insisted me to share with the class. So, I read it for everyone. It was about how a scientist and two kids work together to stop pollution. The City the kids lived in looked beautiful but pollution is actually everywhere. This included water, air and land pollution. Finally, they worked together to make the earth a better place. The kids just loved the story!
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical, Intrapersonal, Naturalist skills)

World Book Day

23/04/2008 (Wednesday)

(i) I have books!
Today, everyone was showing off their books. As I entered the kindergarten, “Teacher Jen, look…my book, my book!” Anyhow, I got them to the playground to play first. Then, we marched to the classroom with most of them holding 2 books each. Haa……just like bookworms!
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal skills)

(ii) Does a tree have a mouth?
We kicked off the day with trees’ vocabulary. I drew a big tree. I got them to talk about the different parts. Most importantly, they realized that plants drink through their roots as they do not have any mouth. They learnt that dead leaves are yellow in colour. The trees need water, good air and sunlight to grow, The vocabulary learnt included trunk, root, branch and leaves. Then, we talked about their little tree that they brought home. Some planted in a big pot while the others planted in the soil. Then, I gave each of them a worksheet about a tree. They coloured the tree and learnt to recognize the vocabulary.
(M/I: Linguistic, Naturalist, Interpersonal skills)

(iii) Continued: Recycled Newspaper.
Meanwhile, I called the kids individually to continue with the making of recycled newspaper. WY was the only kid who resisted to make it as he said it was disgusting. I had to persuade him a lot. Finally, he did it! The other kids called included ZY, JS, JN, SYu, SJ, XR, SC, M and YP. Then, they used some glue to decorate their paper. I reminded them to make it as thin as possible so that it looks more like a paper.
(M/I: Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Body Kinesthetic, Naturalist skills)

(iv) World Book Day
After tea break, the kids gathered in a circle and listened to a story in conjunction with World’s Books Day. They were very attentive especially with a knight's face on the whiteboard, wearing an armour and carrying a shield and a sword. He fought the dragon which haunted the City of Calisto in Spain. People were fearful until the knight killed the dragon successfully. The Princess then rewarded the knight hero a book which symbolized POWER and KNOWLEDGE. From this story, the children learnt that people who read are knowledgeable and clever.
(M/I: Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Logical Mathematical skills)

(v) Exchanging Books
Then, they formed a circle. Each kid introduced their books. They could say the title or why they loved that book. Otherwise they could say about their favourite page. Most kids were shy to even speak up and needed lots of encouragement. I would post them questions so they try to speak up. The more independent kids were JS, YZ, ZY, M, J, SYu, JW, JN and YP. During this process, the kids used these sentences: Kid A: Can we exchange book?Kid B: No, thank you.Kid A: It's okay.Kid A: Can we exchange book?Kid C: Okay.Kid A: Here you are.Kid C: Here you are.Kid A and Kid C: Thank you. During the exchange, J decided not to participate as he was so obsessed with his favourite book. I respected his choice. It was about how a shark saved the dying small fishes from pollution. The others were attracted to his book too. JN and YW were very picky and couldn't decide which book to choose. I had to convince them persistently. Eventually, they made their choices.
(M/I: Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Body Kinesthetic, Naturalist skills)

Earth Day and Green, green, green!

22/04/2008 (Tuesday)

(i) To the Classroom
As it was drizzling, we headed to the classroom earlier than usual. Of course, everyone was hiding. After drinking water, I allowed them for Corner Playing or continue with their colouring of “park”. Everyone played for a while; then; the girls started asking for their paper to colour. SYu, SJ, SY, JN, YP asked for their paper. ZY, M and J asked for colouring.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Spatial, Logical Mathematical skills)

(ii) Earth Day
Next, I asked them if they knew what day today is. YZ, YP and ZY said its Planting Day. I praised them because they paid attention in the previous lessons. I told them that today id “Earth Day” and people around the world are planting trees to save the earth, making it a better place for everyone. I asked why we needed more trees. Generally, they said to protect the Earth and because we are using too much paper. I added on the Greenhouse gas whereby trees would our Carbon Dioxide and release Oxygen (the clean air) for us. Trees would also make our earth a cooler place to live in. People and animals would be healthier too!
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical, Naturalist skills)

(iii) The Earth Song
Next, we sang a song similar to the tune of “If You Are happy……” They enjoyed the song as it was easy to follow. Please take a look:

If you love our world, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you love our world, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you love our world, love our big big world;
If you love our world, clap your hands! (clap, clap)

If you love our world, plant new trees (new trees!)
If you love our world, plant new trees (new trees!)
If you love our world, love our big big world;
If you love our world, plant new trees! (new trees!)

If you love our world, recycle (recycle!)
If you love our world, recycle (recycle!)
If you love our world, love our big big world;
If you love our world, recycle! (recycle!)

Firstly, I got them to explain the song. Then, I sang it in Mandarin. Of course, they giggled as my Mandarin was not that fluent. Heee……. Next, we formed a circle and sang with actions. We learnt new vocabulary including world, great, plant and recycle. They loved that song very much!
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Spatial, Interpersonal skills)

(iv) How do I plant trees?
After tea break, I explained to them that each of them will be given a tree later. Firstly, they have to tell me the type of house they live in. Is it an Apartment or a landed house? Thus, I explained that only certain trees are suitable for apartment residents as there is no garden. Those living in the land houses can choose bigger trees including “Pine Tree” or “Christmas Tree”.Secondly, they have to bring the tree home and either plant it in the soil or in a pot. Thirdly, they should water the plants at least twice a day. I would prepare a chart to assist them on their planting. At the same time, we hope to instill responsibility within each child.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist skills)

(v) Trees and Recycling Newspaper
Next, I drew trees on the whiteboard. We learnt the parts including leaves, root, trunk and branch. Then, I asked them to draw the trees. Meanwhile, I got the kids four at a time to do their recycled newspaper. Their first reaction was….”Yerr……its smelly.” I had to explain to them that that was the smell of the newspaper ink or carbon. However, I reminded them that recycle will save the earth in many ways! I gave each a spatula to spread the mixture on the filter net. JN, YZ, M were rather independent especially when squeezing the water out from the mixture. J, ZYg and LX needed more guidance. We would continue with the process tomorrow as we had to choose our plants.
(M/I: Linguistic, Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Logical Mathematical, Naturalist skills)

(vi) Hooray! Let's plant a tree.
We marched downstairs and chose our plants. The kids were very excited but most of them chose pine trees. YZ called out to M, “Why did you choose this tree and not the Pine Tree?” M answered, “My mum will like this better”. Wow…….what a sweet answer. I do hope that, this little step that we take will be instilled within the children and us, adults forever!
(M/I: Linguistic, Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist skills)

Experiment: We can make paper!

21/04/2008 (Monday)

(i) At the classroom
After running, we came into the classroom. I was really glad that JS’s mother brought a box of leaves for today’s “Newspaper Recycling” project. She said that we could share among his friends. Thank you, JS’s mother! ZY brought a few flowers too……very beautiful indeed! As for myself, I picked some flowers from the ABC's Kindergarten for kids who do not have flowers at home.They gathered in front and we talked about "park". ZY and SY were able to define the meaning. I asked, "Why do we need to have a beautiful and clean park?" JS, ZYg, ZY, JN, SYu, YP answered; "To save the earth!" I asked them about things they could see in a park. JN said trees. So I drew big, medium-sized and a small tree. They giggled and asked why three different sizes. Well, trees have family too, don't they?...haaaa! I related to Botanic Park as some kids stayed nearby there. They can also find a pond with many fish. ZYg with his humorous sense saying crocodiles. Some kids laughed saying it would scare people away! LX said she saw a snake once in a park. Wow....so the kids knew that they had to be careful with snakes! Of course, kids and parents cycling or jogging or playing kites. Ooooppps...not forgetting the bright sun! However, the kids could a rainy day with rainbow if they chose not to have a sunny day!Next, I gave the kids paper to draw. For once in the class, they did not complain why I gave them half-sized of A4 paper. A number of them already started saying, "We must save the earth". I grinned.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Body-Kinesthetic, Spatial, Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist skills)

b) Drawing analysis
I went round to look at their work. Currently, XR needed some encouragement on how to start. Questions would guide her slowly to draw confidently. WY needed persistent encouragement to guide him so as not to be out of the topic. Then, I got the a few kids to talk about their pictures. The others would talk about them tomorrow as we needed more time for our experiment. SYu drew a pretty picture with different types of fruit trees. She even drew her whole family there. There was a pond with ducks and fish. JH drew a more confident picture. Hmmm....he insisted to have a crocodile. (Well, why not....after all crocodiles did escape to other places!) The cute crocodile was playing with two balls. Later, he drew himself playing with it. My praise also went to Le Xin. In fact; EG, ZY and JN also praised that she had improved. Fantastic! She used to only draw circles everywhere to represent different pictures. Today, she was able to draw a few trees with leaves and trunks.....wow! Also a sun in the sky. J drew a cute picture. The park had many trees, he was with his little brother and parents. There were fishes in the river with wind everywhere!
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist skills)

c) Experiment: Recycling Newspaper
Today, the kids felt like if they were Albert Einstein! They ate as fast as possible, helped me to arrange the tables, chairs and swept the floor quickly! I brought in the pail containing the paper mixture they tore last Friday. I asked them, "Why do I need to soak the paper overnight?" ZY recalling my previous lesson; so that they are soft and easily be made into recycled paper. I also introduced some other items. So they learnt some new vocabularies:i) net, ii) filter, iii) wood plank, iv) pail, v) blender, vi) chopsticks, vii) cloth. They gathered in a semi-circle. I was at a higher table and blender. I required them to observe as I stressed that electrical items should only be operated by adults for safety reasons. Of course, the paper mixture was smelly and black due to the ink and carbon. I scoop some and placed into the blender. The mixture couldn't mixed well and they were puzzled! I got SYu bringing some water. I poured into the blender and they seemed to understand. JN, "Teacher Jen, put more water." It took quite a while to blend it well. Next I poured them into the filter. I used the wood plank to press it hard. All the little hands volunteered to help me. So, each got a chance. We pressed until it was dry. Then, I overturned it and placed onto a cloth. The kids remarked,...."Wohhh, so nice!" Then, we took some glue and pasted some JS's leaves as well as ZY's beautiful flower petals. We thought of how to use the recycled paper. Then, we left the paper to dry. Hmm.....how would it turn out tomorrow?(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Body-Kinesthetic, Spatial, Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist skills)d) Analysing and modifying We realised that the recycled paper tend to fall apart. So we added some glue into our mixture in our 2nd blending process. Somehow, the paper looked better. I reminded the kids to try coming early tomorrow so that we can each make a sheet of recycled paper! I also reminded them that tomorrow is "The Earth's Day". Each of us would plant a tree tomorrow. So, I told them to bring a container or a plastic bottle to place the seeds tomorrow. If they can't find one, it would be okay. We can recycle some of the school's containers.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist skills)

Let's recycle newspaper

18/04/2008 (Friday)

(i) Dot-to-dot Elephant colouring
We strated the class by recapping number 1 until 50. Then, I joined the dots to form an elephant. Each kid was given a copy. ZJ, J, LX, WY, SJ, XR required more guidance. JS, JN and ZYg were more independent than before although rather careless. After that, the kids did corner playing for a while. Today, most of them took the cloth and asked me to tie as Superman’s cloak. Haa……In fact, I asked YP to assist me while I guided the kids in their colouring worksheet.
(M/I: Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Interpersonal, Body-Kinesthetic, Spatial skills)

(ii) Song: Do Something About It
First, we read through the lyrics as they were rather long. Then, I explained the key words and got the kids to try to translate into Chinese. This would enable them to understand the song better. We only did the lyrics of first part and chorus; so it would be easier for them to catch up! They were quite anxious about it especially when we sang in an angry tone. Please take a look at the lyrics.

Birds in the sky and clouds are hanging over them
Pollution in the air and in the sea
Fish down below are looking up and seeing oil spills
Is this the way we want our world to be (NO, NO, NO)
CHORUS:
It’s not just somebody else, it’s you
It’s not just some other people it’s me
If we don’t do something about it ourselves
Imagine what kind of world it will be What kind of world will it be?
(M/I: Linguistic, Musical, Interpersonal, Body-Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Logical-Mathematical skills)

(iii) Tea break and apples
WY brought some apples two days ago. Thus, today; we shared them together as we had more time to spare. They just loved apples especially JN, EG, WY, JW, LX and JS. The kids loved arranging their chairs in a line pretending to be a train while reading storybboks at the corner. Ah…pretty imaginative. There would be a driver driving while a conductor collecting money for the tickets. I thought this was good and fun as they are loving the books even more! In fact YZ and YP asked me the title of an English storybook.
(M/I: Interpersonal, Body-Kinesthetic, Logical-Mathematical skills)

(iv) The Earth, People and Plants
I asked the kids to look around the classroom and find things which are made from wood or tees. JN said tables, JS said chairs, ZY said newspapers while J and ZJ said our A4 paper. I told them that some of their toys are also made from wood. Next, I asked if they knew how much paper a tree can produce? YZ said it takes 17 trees to make paper. Ahh….I was impressed, I guessed it must be from the parents’ effort and sharing of knowledge. To be precise, I showed the kids a ream of paper which consists about 500 pieces of paper. Generally, a tree produces 20 reams of A4 paper. The kids said, “Wow……..a lot!” I disagreed with them saying that it was very little. So, how much paper have we been using since January?? So, how can we use less trees? YZ, EG, ZY, YP, SYu and JN said “Recycle”. I asked them what Recycle was. They kept saying that Recycle means rubbish changed into gold….haaaa…I agreed. I added that Recycle means changing current things into new things. Example: old newspaper into new A4 paper, wrapping paper or even colour pencils. ZY said we should use less things. Right…."Reduce" the usage so that factories will produce less smoke. People will be healthier and the earth will not be that hot!(c) I asked them if trees are related to people. They said yes but couldn’t explain. I did an experiment whereby the kids breathe out their CO2 into a plastic bag. I explained that trees breathe in CO2 and give us O2 so we can breathe in. Less trees will cause too much CO2 that make the earth hotter. Again, I was impressed that YZ said that trees give us clean air to breathe in. The kids were rather attentive to this topic.(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Naturalist, Logical-Mathematical skills)

(v)Recycling Newspaper
So, I took out their newspaper. Rather disappointing because only YZ, YW, EG and JS brought newspaper. Some kids came to explain to me that they had no newspaper at home. Well, I respected their explanation. Each kid took some newspaper and tore them into smaller pieces. Then, we poured them into a pail. Next, we soak in the water and the kids felt that they were wet. They loved it! ZY asked why his hands were black after tearing the newspaper. I explained about carbon which is a type of chemical. Thus, they had to wash their hands very clean before attending the next class. We had to leave the newspaper mixture overnight. The kids are required to bring a flower or a leaf on Monday so as to add to their recycled paper. I was glad to see that they were rather co-operative in this task.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Body-Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Logical-Mathematical skills)

Help the Polar Bear!

17/04/08 (Thursday)

(i) Ikan Mas and Letter "M"
We started the day with a storybook entitled "Ikan Mas". It was actually in Bahass Malaysia. However, some kids insisted me to speak in English. Thus, I used English medium as to recap what they had learnt the past few lessons. The kids were thrilled to see the dead fish in the sea and how they affected a fisherman's life. They said that they wouldn't want to swim in that polluted water. This story taught us not to litter into the water as the consequences were terrifying. Then, we did some writing focusing on letter "m". The kids wrote in the air following my strokes. Then, they came forwardindividually to write on the whiteboard. They learnt about "moon, monkey, mouse, mountain". JH, LX, ZJ, WY and XR required more prompting to write properly.
(M/I: Linguistic, Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Naturalist, Logical-Mathematical skills)

(ii) The Hot Smoke (Greenhouse gases)
After tea break, we gathered to continue our discussion about 'Recycle". I asked, "Why do we need to recycle?" JW and JN said the world is sick. YZ said the world is getting hotter. Furthermore, we don't have enough trees anymore. Then, I drew the factories. ZY added that they give out smoke which is harmful for us! Then, I asked them; "Where does the smoke go to? Up into the sky or down?" Most kids said "up" as the black smoke goes up. We also discussed about things that produce smoke. YP said the lorry, LX said the aeroplane, J said mother's cooking...haaa. How creative and fast these kids were. I explained that this dangerous smoke will gather in the sky to form a thick blanket. That's the reason, the earth is getting hotter. Thus, we need to plant trees and reduce production to save the earth. We did an experiment. We switched off the fan, closed the window. I took out a candle and a spiral paper. I asked them, "Can you play with fire? I'm doing this to prove how the hot smoke affect us." They saw that the spiral paper spun above the hot heat. They now agreed that the smoke goes up into the sky.
(M/I: Linguistic,Interpersonal, Naturalist, Logical-Mathematical skills)

(iii) Video Clip: Polar Bear
Then, we did some recap. "How would the hot air affect us?" EG : We feel hot! JS : Fish will die. Teacher: What about polar bears' home on the ice? They looked at me feeling puzzled. The kids said that ice-cream will melt under hot sun but was unsure of the ice. Thus, we went to watch a video clip about Polar Bear and Global Warming.They loved the clip. They saw the happy mother and baby bear playing and skating. Suddenly, the ice broke and separated them.

JH : Why did the ice break?
YZ, YP: It's too hot.

They couldn't believe it. WE also watched a clip on "Don't litter". Hopefully, the next few lessons will influence them more. Only YZ brought newspaper while the others had forgotten. Thus, they promised to bring newspaper tomorrow so we could recycle.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist, Logical-Mathematical skills)

Rubbish and Recycle

16/04/2008 (Wednesday)

(i) Sharing
Today, JS was excited about his Animal Book. So, I asked him if he wanted me to share with his friends. He was happy about it. So, after drinking water, they gathered to look at the pictures. We read the animal names from A to L only. We would continue the rest tomorrow. They saw the Anteater which we couldn’t find it at the National Zoo. Then, they distinguished between iguana and chameleon. They also saw the differences between a leopard and a jaguar. A jaguar has brown round spots on its body but a leopard has different type of brown spots. ZY asked whether they are faster runners than cheetahs. Of course, cheetahs are the fastest runners even defeating lions.
(M/I: Interpersonal, Naturalist, Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical skills)

(ii) Colouring and Individual Focus
Then, the kids continue their colouring for their “Garden” picture. Hmmm…I could feel that the kids are more friendly and willing to share colour pencils with their friends. Less quarreling. Meanwhile, I called a few kids to do reading of the “Alphabet” chart. I realized that kids go home and share with their parents what they learnt in school. WY could actually sing the “ABC” song very well compared to Monday. SJ was actually independent in recognizing the letters. ZYg still mixed them up at times. M, JN and SYu were asked to recognize the words rather than the letters. They read through “Axe, Ball, Clown and Door”.
(M/I: Interpersonal, Spatial, Linguistic skills)

(iii) Flashcards and Blindfold
Next, we recapped on the flashcards: Earth, Sun, Water, Air, Animals, People and Trees. Then, I pasted them on the whiteboard. We played the blindfold game. YW insisted that this blindfold game is different. I grinned at her and explained that it’s a modified game. I blindfolded the kids individually. They had a stick pole in their hand. After spinning them for 3 rounds, they had to hit or point randomly at the words. The kids were laughing because some of the blindfolded kids almost hit their friends instead….haaa. YP, YZ, YW, ZY, M, EG could read the words independently and also explained the meaning. WY, JN, SYu, JW, JH, ZYg, JS, SJ and J required more guidance. The objective of this game was to recapped the importance of the Natural Elements. (M/I: Interpersonal, Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical skills)

(iv) Rubbish and Recycle
After tea break, we had imaginary trips to the kids’ homes. We rode on a motorbike.
Teacher : I would like to look at your dustbin.
YW : Why do you need to look at our dustbin?
Teacher : I need to know what do all of you normally throw into the dustbins.
ZYg : We throw the leftover food.
JN : We throw bones.YZ : We throw Coca-Cola cans.
ZY : We throw 7-Up cans.
ZJ : We throw tissues.Teacher : Do you throw away unwanted clothes?
YP : I threw a skirt because the zipper had spoilt.
JN, YZ : We don’t. My mother will mend it.
EG : I throw vitagen bottles.
JW : I throw the ice-cream wrappers.
ZYg : I throw the sweet wrapper.
Teacher : Some people throw newspaper and pampers too.Children : Yuksss….!

Then, we talked about the carriage of rubbish to the landfill.
YZ : Why not send the rubbish to the Recycle Centre first?
Teacher : Only the rubbish thrown into Recycle Bins would be carried to there. What do we do with the
landfill’s rubbish?
They learnt that the rubbish would be buried there. They didn’t realize that the landfill would be completely used up one fine day! YW said that the rubbish could be thrown into another land. I told them that we are having shortages of landfills. Then, they showed their worried faces. So, what should we do? “Recycle”.
Then, the kids came forward individually to the white board and circle the recyclable items. They realized that plastic, cans and paper could be recycled. I added on that glasses too could be recycled. As for the leftover food or bones, they were not sure. I told them to ask their parents. (In the next few lessons, they would learn about “Compost”).
(M/I: Interpersonal, Naturalist, Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Intrapersonal skills)

(v) Recycle Bins
Next, we gathered downstairs to explore at the 3 Recycle Bins placed in the garden. They had to identify the different colour bins. They learnt that “blue is for paper”, “brown is for glasses” and “orange is for aluminum cans”. In fact, they asked to look inside the Recycle Bins. I showed them because the bins were not fully occuoied yet.....Haaa....I gave them a task to bring some newspaper for tomorrow’s lesson.
(M/I: Interpersonal, Naturalist, Linguistic skills)

Is The Earth Sick?

15/04/08 (Monday)

(i) Colouring and Corner Playing
After running, they hid in the classroom. Then, they drank their water. They chose some toys for their Corner Playing. ZY, JH and JS chose to play with the toy animals. Meanwhile, the girls preferred colouring. I gave them a picture on garden. They liked the picture which showed a girl and a boy planting and watering the plants. Meanwhile, ZJ, EG and WY helped me with The Star Books. They inserted the thread into the hole while I hung them on the wall.
(M/I: Spatial, Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal skills)

(ii) Discussion: Why Earth is hotter?
I asked, “Is the Earth getting colder or hotter?” Almost all said “hotter”. Then I asked them what are the signs? They were quiet. When I switched off the fan, they said it was hot! Then, I compared the situation with twenty years ago whereby the weather is not so hot! I drew a sad fisherman and they guessed the reason for his sadness. Zyg said the crocodile bit him. YZ said the sun was too hot for him. Then, I drew the number of fish. They guessed that he caught little fish and I asked why? They said the fish were hungry. Then, I related to the hot weather that made the fish uncomfortable and also sick. JH asked why one dead fish would cause many more fish to die. I explained about the contagious bacteria. They know that “hot sun” will melt the ice. Then, I asked them what will happen to the ice at the North Pole; the Polar Bear’s home? They said that it will melt. However, I added that this was one of the reasons of flooded place.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist skills)

(iii) Experiment
After tea break, we did a recap on “A Good Word”. My objective was to encourage to speak good words truthfully rather than the bad words. We recapped on the song, “You Are My Sunshine”. Back to our earlier discussion, “Why The Earth is hotter?” YZ said because they are less trees. I added on about products. I asked them how trees are processed into paper? How is a tree changed into paper and furniture? How do we produce products. They have no idea. When I mentioned “factories”, they showed some signs of recognition. The process gives out a lot of smoke. Thus, to prove my statement, we did an experiment. Prepared 2 cups. Cup A as “The Healthy Earth” while Cup B as “The Sick Earth”. Filled the cups with half portion of water. Cup A with drinking water while Cup B with hot water. We added some ice into the two cups. The ice represented the North Pole. They discovered that the ice melted very fast in Cup B. The water level arose horribly! Then, we added someore ice. Cup A’s ice melted very slowly while Cup B’s ice melted very fast! From the experiment, we related to flood. M said that it would be nice to swim in the flood while the others giggled at him. Then, we proceeded with another question, “What can we do?”
YP said that we could recycle because we should reduce the factories activities. JN said that we could give to the poor ones. Wow……they didn’t know that these ideas are actually 3Rs. What we have discussed today was just a small portion. The discussion will be continued tomorrow.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist skills)

The Natural Elements

14/04/2008 (Monday)

(i) Corner Playing and Individual Focus
ZY invited me to run with him. The other kids joined immediately and they just loved it. Today in the classroom, everyone hid except our new friend, Justin. After drinking water, they played with their desired games. The boys went for animals. They spread the different colour cloth before placing the toys. Meanwhile, LX is back and she did writing on her own “Alphabet” book. ZYun coloured her colouring book while SJ also asked for drawing. Meanwhile, I called the kids individually for “Alphabets” reading. I discovered that some kids are quite independent as they could recognize the letter randomly. These included YP, SYun, JN, ZY, EG and J. WY, LX, ZJ and ZYg required more encouragement to try.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Linguistic, Interpersonal skills)

(ii) The Natural Elements
We started with “ABC” singing. Then, we did some flashcards on the following words: earth, water, sun, trees, air, animals and people. We defined them as a class. I asked them questions; “What is an earth?”, “Who are people?”.
Earth - ZY said it is where we can find our country. They learnt that Malaysia is our country and is only a small portion of the earth. We are currently living in Klang and not “Pa Sen”. They also learnt the day and night and the rotation of earth,
Water - JN said water is important for people. LX said it enables us to wash the floor. Without water, people and plants will die.
Sun - They learnt that it is hot and gives sunlight. It enables us to see things around.
Trees - Trees decorate our earth beautifully. Trees can be made into paper and also furniture. We can also get fruits from trees.
Air - We need air to breathe or we will die. Even, astronauts need air in the space to breathe, thus; they carry Oxygen tank.
Animals - Animals include mammals, reptiles and also birds and insects.PeopleThese include everyone of us.
(M/I: Musical, Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist, Linguistic, Interpersonal skills)

(iii) Why are they important?
I did the flashcards again to recap the 7 words learnt earlier. This time, I listed them on the whiteboard and asked them the same question for each word. Example: “Why is earth important?”, “Why is air important?” and so on. These were some of their answers.
Earth:(YZ)-We live on earth. (ZYg)-Where’s my house, then? (Teacher)- All our houses are in this dot, Klang. (J)- Earth is important because it has trees and flowers.
Water:(YP)- When we don’t drink water, we fall sick. (Teacher) – We may also die. (J)- Yes, because our body is dried. (ZY)-Trees also drink water. (Teacher)- However, what will happen when there is too much water? (Children) – Flood. (M) – Then, water is not important.
Sun(JW)- Sun gives us sunlight to see. (XR)- It dries our clothes. (JS)- We wash our father’s cars. (Teacher)- However, too much sunlight can cause skin problems. So, which is more important than Sun?
Trees(EG) We need trees to make into paper. (YZ) Also to make furniture. (ZY) Trees drink water. (Teacher) So, less trees means more flood. (JN) I prefer to stand under the big tree for shade. (XR and SJ) My house has trees.
Air(WY) We need air to breathe. If not we will die. (Teacher) What about the haze? What about the open burning?
Animals(EG) Animals are not important. (Teacher) What about milk and yoghurt? We get it from cows. (JH) We also get it from goats. (ZY) Earthworms are also important. They make your plants healthy.
People(Children) People are important. (Teacher) How are they important. (Children)……..quiet. (Teacher) Who is cleverer; animals or people? People because they invented fans, telephones and many more things.
(M/I: Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist, Linguistic, Interpersonal skills)

(iv) Pair Work: Which is the most important?
Then I asked the kids, "Which is the most important Natural Element?" They had to choose a partner to decide their answers. These were their interesting choices and reasons....haaaa
Earth: YW and YP said that Earth is important because our houses are there.
Sun: M and WY chose the sun as they give sunlight. Without sunlight, we cannot dry clothes. JW and ZJ said that plants cannot grow too.
Trees: YZ and J said trees are important because we can make paper and furniture.
Animal: EG and ZYG opted for animals because cows can produce yoghurt and milk.
People: ZY, JN and SJ said people are the most important because they can make things. They are also cleverer than animals.
Air: JH and JS said air is important because we need to breathe it to live.
Water: JN and SYu said water will make us healthy. We can also bathe with water. Animals like dolphins live in the water. Eventually, I told the kids my opinion. I said that all are equally important as they depend on one another. Example: Beautiful earth is due to plants planted by people. Trees would absorp water and chopping down of trees will cause ugly earth and flood. Animals that eat our crops are also unhealthy for the earth. The kids would have to decide on my statement through the activities we are going through. From this understanding, I hope that they can see why 3Rs (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse) is needed for the unhealthy earth.
(M/I: Logical-Mathematical, Naturalist, Linguistic, Interpersonal skills)

I am a well-behaved child!

11/04/2008 (Friday)

(i) Playground
Today’s garden was wet. So, we walked briskly along the pathway. Surprisingly, a lot of my kids were early including ZYg, M, SYu and SJ. Thus, they joined their friends for the brisked walk. Kim Lun and some other kids also joined us. It was fun!
(M/I: Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal skills)

(ii) Blindfold again!
Well, today they hid behind the door while some under the table. Obviously, I was the hunter hunting for the hidden animals…haaa. ZJ would prefer to hide outside the class. Then, we played the “blindfold” game. Before playing, we highlighted the rules again. A) Be very quiet. B) The kids cannot hide under the table. C) Everyone gets to play. The first person chose randomly was YP and she managed to grab SYu. Of course, the kids tend to get excited and were not able to follow rule (A). At least, they were better today then yesterday.
(M/I: Logical-Mathematical, Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal skills)

(iii) Manners: Story book “Say, Please”
I introduced them 4 new vocabulary: Please, Thank you, Excuse me and Sorry. We talked about when to use the words. I drew a child on the board. I asked, “What does he want to eat?” YZ said, “He wants roti canai”. ZYg said biscuits and JN said strawberries. Then, we practiced saying, “Please give me some bread. Please give me some strawberries.” The saying would followed by “Thank you” and “You are welcome”. We took turn to do the role-play. The mother or father wore scarves around them. Of course, giggling was everywhere.Child : Please give me some bread.Mother : here you are.Child : Thank you, mother.Mother : You are welcome.
Then they also practised saying “Excuse Me” especially when they sneeze, cough, hiccup or passing by a crowd of people. Whereas “Sorry” was used when they made mistakes.I read a story entitled “Say, Please”. They were very attentive and were puzzled that animals too are well-mannered. They loved the part when the fat pig said, “Please scratch my back. It’s itchy”. Of course, the boy helped the pig which then said, “Thank You”.
(M/I: Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Logical-Mathematical, Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal skills)

(iv) Rubbish and dustbin.
I showed them a big picture of two scenes. The first scene showed how a girl throws rubbish everywhere although the dustbin is just beside her. The kids said that it was not right!Scene two showed how a boy comes and tells the girl to throw into the dustbin. I asked the kids to think of a proper sentence to tell the girl to throw the rubbish into the dustbin. Most of them said, “Throw……” I hinted them “Please”. YP then said, “Please throw into the dustbin”. Then, we had a short role-play. They took turn. The dialogue was as follows:

Boy : Please throw the rubbish into the dustbin.
Girl : Oh, I am sorry.
Boy : Thank you.
Girl : You are welcome.

We also did a role-play where the boy scolded the girl rudely without using “Please”. So, they realized that two rude and angry people will cause problem! So, manners is important.
(M/I: Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Logical-Mathematical, Body-Kinesthetic skills)

(v) Keychain craft.
I gave each a yellow paper with their names behind. They had to write 2 rows of their names. Then they had to collect the Magic Words from me to paste nicely on the front page. I told them that the paper would be laminated and made into keychain to hang on their bags. Hopefully, they can read the words independently and bear in mind practising them!
(M/I: Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Spatial, Logical-Mathematical, Body-Kinesthetic skills)

Manners and Riddles

10/04/08 (Thursday)

(i) Playground
These days, the kids would ask for 3 rounds of running whenever they see me. However, I told them to go for fewer rounds if they were tired. Then, they fed the fish and played with the other playground equipment. I was very happy to see M came early. In fact, he joined us for the run and was enjoying himself.
(M/I: Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal and Logical-Mathematical skills)

(ii) The Blindfolded Game
They drank their water after hiding under the table. Then, they asked to play with toys I checked their homework. After 15 minutes, I introduced the “blindfold” game. I first chose JN and blindfolded her. She turned 5 rounds The other kids scattered around quietly. Once JN grabbed a friend, she had to guess what his or her name is. JN would ask, “Who are you?” and she will listen carefully.. If she guesses correctly, she will pass the blindfolded cloth to that particular friend. Otherwise, she has to play another round until she guesses correctly. They enjoyed the game.
(M/I: Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal and Logical-Mathematical skills)

(iii) Poem: “A Good Word”
We recited a poem on “A Good Word”. Let’s take a look:

When we say a good word,
The flower will bloom,
When we say a bad word,
The snake’s tongue will hiss out,
How horrible is that!

A few of my kids like saying some unpleasant words including: “Mine is nicer” and “stupid”. Luckily, those words are rarely spoken. But if ignored, I fear that it will worsen! In fact, I had a role-play; whereby I asked JH to perform. I pretended to scold him “stupid” and he was very angry. He scolded me back and the quarrel never ended. In fact, in most cases, they would end up hitting or crying.
The objective was to let them know that it’s hurtful to be scolded. So, when we say good words; people will not scold us. In fact, they love us more.
M/I: Linguistic, Body-Kinesthetic, , Intrpaersonal. Interpersonal and Logical-Mathematical skills)

(iv) Riddles
We had the last part of riddles. They listened to me and then read together with me. I underlined the key words so that they could understand the riddles even better.
The two riddles were:
“I am small and cute,
I have brownish fur,
I eat grains and worms, I will bite when I am scared,
What am I?”

“I can run fast,
I roar and have sharp claws,
I am a good hunter,
I have orange and black stripes,
What am I?”

In the first riddle, they thought of cute animals. JN said “rabbit”, EG said “hamster”and XR said “cat”. I said it looks like a mouse but doesn’t like cheese. Most of them got the answer, “hamster”.
In the second riddle, they learnt words including roar, hunter and stripes. ZYg said a cheetah cannot roar but ZY and M said they can roar. I explained that cheetahs can roar and in fact are faster runner than tigers. The phrase “orange and black stripes” was a good clue. Immediately, they said “tiger”.
Then, I gave them their worksheets and they cut and pasted the pictures.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Naturalist and Logical-Mathematical skills)

Revision and File Organization

09/04/08 (Thursday)

(i) Playground, Hide And Seek.
This morning, the grass was wet. So, the kids played the slides and fed the fish. If they couldn’t ask properly, I would not give them any fish food. So, they learnt to ask, “Please can I have some?”
As usual they hid under the table, while I followed them from behind. Thus, I suggested that they could hide behind the door, chairs or even cover themselves with cloth.
(M/I: Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal skills)

(ii) Corner Playing, Drawing and Individual Reading.
They did corner playing. ZY, JS, YP, JW, JH, ZJ and JW played with the toys. JS was reluctant to share the trains with YP. Thus, I asked him if the toys were his or the school. As it was the school, he had to share. I advised YP to ask politely and JS agreed to share.
The other girls included SY, SYu, SJ, JN, XR preferred to do writing and colouring. SY learnt from SYu on how to draw a Kitty Cat. Then, I asked SYu to write the letters A until Z which she could refer to the Alphabet Chart.
Meanwhile, I did individual reading. I recapped on one of their exercises focusing on English and Bahasa Malaysia’s animals’ vocabulary. The words were as follows:
tiger --- harimau,
lion --- singa,
zebra --- kuda belang,
elephant --- gajah,
snake --- ular.
They were attentive. JW, SYu and ZYg were more independent.
(M/I: Interpersonal, Linguistic, Logical Mathematical, Spatial skills)

(iii) Group Revision
Then, I wrote the words into their “sukakata” form and “phonics” form. They used these sentences. “Harimau itu tiger”. “Tiger itu harimau”. Then, I chose sukukata “ha” to form these words: haba, hati, hari, habis. Then we made a few sentences:
1. Air saya sudah habis.
2. Hati saya sakit melihat budak nakal itu.
3. Hari ini har Rabu.
4. Matahari memberi haba.
(M/I: Interpersonal, Linguistic, Logical Mathematical skills)

(iv) Phonics “ed”, “en”
After tea break, we gathered into the Phonics Classroom. First, they sang their favourite song, “I have a bed”. Then, they read the phonics sounds. Next, they read the story about Ted. The sentences included as follows:
1. I am Ted
2. This is my bed.
3. Ted has a red bed.
4. My bed is red.
5. This is Ken.
6. Ken has ten hens.
7. The hen has a big pen.
Then, they brought home the book for homework.
(M/I: Interpersonal, Linguistic, Musical skills)

(v) Organizing files.
I gave the kids their plastic file. Then, I distributed their worksheets to them so that they file them properly. They were quite excited to see their work and actually showed their concern to keep properly. Some kids couldn’t find some worksheets which showed that they had kept them at home. So, I told them to bring to school.
(M/I: Interpersonal, Linguistic, Intrapersonal skills)

Riddles and Story

08/04/08 (Tuesday)

(i) All work and no play makes Jack a “dull” boy.
We ran around the kindergarten for a few rounds. ZY, JS and even XR loved it. Then, they got into the classroom. As usual, they would play hide and seek with me. They could only think of “under the table”. No other places….haaa…perhaps, I should really play a game of “Hide and Seek” with them.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Logical-mathematical skill)

(ii) Writing: Letter “r”
After drinking water, we did some circle time. The kids raise their “magic finger” to follow my stroke of “r”. As I write on the board, they wrote in the air. Then, I got most of the kids to write individually on the whiteboard. The words learnt included “rat, rope, road, rose, rain and runner”. We talked about the differences of a rat and a mouse. Then, we talked about roses for people especially mother. I asked them, “What can we do with a rope?” YP said, “We can catch a horse”. So, I pretended to be a cowgirl and catch the horse. Of course, they laughed. Besides that, thieves use them to tie their victims. As for road, I asked them what would happen after rain? YZ said it would be slippery. So, we learnt to say the sentence,” Father, please drive carefully., The road is wet.” Rain…….”Can you play in the rain?” No, ZYg said we would fall sick. Then we sang a song:“Rain, rain, go away,Come again another day,Little Johnny wants to play.”They enjoyed the song when we substituted “Johnny” with their names. Runner……, “Children, what do you play at the playground in the morning?” ZY and JN replied, “We ran 3 rounds”. I replied, “So, you are a runner”.
Then, they did individual writing. They were all independent today with little prompting from me. After writing the “r”, they coloured the pictures.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical-mathematical, Musical skill)

(iii) Riddles
After tea break, I gave the kids some two riddles. First, they listen; then they looked at the words on the whiteboard. Then, they read together with me. I underlined the key words. Let's take a look:
"I eat a lot and I am fat, I am a mammal, I give birth to many babies,
Think of ham, think of me, What am I?"
At this moment, only YZ would ask me for interpretation of words. “Teacher Jen, what is a lot? What is fat?” ZY then asked me what is “give birth”. They guessed many animals. However, I strictly encouraged proper questions. “Excuse me, teacher. Is it a hippopotamus?” WY guessed it was a porcupine, YP guessed it was a horse, SYu guessed it was a bear. JS guessed it was a giraffe. Nobody asked me about “ham”. When I explained about ham, immediately they got the answer. Yes, it is a pig. The second riddle:
"I have hair all over my body, I have paws to hunt, I love honey, fish and meat,
I like sleeping in the cave, What am I?"
JW guessed it was a lion, XR guessed it was a lion, ZJ guessed it was a cat. Then, I asked, “Which animal likes honey and has hair?” Immediately, SYu said “bear”. Indeed it is the bear. If the kids had asked me what honey is, they would have got the answer fast. Then, the kids took a worksheet each. They looked for the relevant pictures and pasted into the columns.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical-mathematical, Musical skill)

(iv) Story telling: “Godilocks and the Three Bears”.
I chose this story because I knew they were familiar with it. Thus, I wanted them to speak their ideas in English. I told the beginning of the story, then at times; I paused so that they could continue. Among their short phrases included, “three bears, girl, chairs, beds, walk, sad, angry, run”. I reinforced these sentences with them. "She could see three bowls. One big bowl of porridge, one medium bowl of porridge and one small bowl of porridge.” “The big hard chair was not comfortable. The medium soft chair not comfortable. The small chair was very comfortable.” “They were shocked to see a girl sleeping.” They learnt fast. So, my next step is to ensure that they use these words regularly.
(M/I: Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical-mathematical skill)

Memory: A Zoo Trip

07/04/08 (Monday)

(i) Dot-to-dot Octopus and Corner Playing
Before entering the classroom, I got my kids to run around the kindergarten. They ran for three r
rounds averagely. Tired but excited! They drank water and marched to the classroom. I gave them the
choice of corner playing. JN, TP and EG started with the animal toys. WY and JS played the train and its
railway. The late comers including M, JH and ZYg also chose to play with the train.

However, SYu asked for drawing. That influenced SY, SJ, JN, XR, ZY and EG to come to me. I gave them copies of dot-to-dot octopus. This time, EG, ZY, SY, JN were independent and didn’t ask for my help. XR and SJ needed more guidance but had shown improvement.

(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Spatial skills)

(ii) Bahasa Malaysia: Cerita “Pinocchio”

They were all very excited because most of them already heard or watched the story in Mandarin or English. When I started conversed in Bahasa, they listened attentively. They would asked me any unfamiliar words. YZ, ZY and JN were those who asked often. During their feedback, I encouraged them to use Bahasa. They tried but at this moment it was a mixture of various languages. However, they enjoyed Bahasa very much!

(M/I: Interpersonal, Linguistic, Intrapersonal skills)

(iii) Tea break
Today, the kids had donuts. While waiting for JN to pour, we sang “The Elephant song again”.
This time round, the kids were able to sing while reading the chart. Wonderful……I was just there for little
prompting. I taught SYu the proper way to sweep the floor. Meanwhile, the others read through the Big
Pinocchio book which we heard just now.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Musical skills)

(iv) A Zoo Trip

We recalled back the unforgettable zoo trip last Thursday. During this process, they learnt some vocabulary including “National Zoo, mini train, lunch, rain and home”. YP and ZYg couldn't forget the rhinocerous. Most of the kids couldn’t forget when they saw the hippopotamus passed urine. They just sprayed out their urine like a water tap…..haaaaa. WY remembered the sea lion while EG remembered the beautiful porcupines. JS recalled back the snakes. SYu talked about the “Sun” Bear which could walk around like people. We also talked about other animals including the monkeys, iguanas, parrots and frogs. Then, they had to draw pictures into the relevant column. The six columns included “ABC Kindergarten, bus, National Zoo, McDonalds’ lunch, rain / bus and home”. They took their pencils and started drawing. XR required encouragement to start. These kids needed some prompting: JS, ZYg and WY. JS and WY couldn’t understand the instructions. JH had shown improvement. He would ask to clarify any doubts. “Teacher, what is this? What can I draw here?” Then, he went and draw independently. The other kids were more independent. They were SY, SYu, JN, JW, EG, ZY and M. During the drawing process, a parent and a teacher can see a child’s progress and their thoughts. It’s not what we see but what the kids interpret about the pictures.
(M/I: Body Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Spatial skills)

Mask and Puppet

Cast: The crocodiles and eagle.


"Hooray! We have killed the Giant Anaconda!"


ZJ: "This is my porcupine puppet".


Cast: The chameleons


Cast: The porcupine


YP: "This is my chameleon puppet".


ZY: "These are my porcupine and crocodile puppets".

04/04/08 (Friday)

(i) Mask and drawing
We started by doing a mask. As the puppet performers would be behind the table, the mask would disguise them as the trees or flowers of jungles. So, we talked of the possible patterns on the mask. ZY talked about animals' sharp teeth and ZYg talked about the zebra's black and white stripes. I drew some spots as leopard or cheetahs. YP preferred to make it as colourful as the rainbow. Then, they cut them. Then, I punched a hole each on the left and right. they inserted the long rubber bands through the holes. Most of them needed help to tie a knot especially using the elastic rubber band. ZY, YP and EG were more independent and started wearing their mask. After that, I gave them their drawing book to draw their unforgettable experience at the zoo. Meanwhile, I called the others to guide them individually at making the mask.
(M/I : Spatial, Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Linguistic skills)

(ii) Tea break
Eugene brought extra three packets of "Nasi Lemak" for his good friends. They were YZ, M and Justin from another class. So, they ate happily and shared some with the other friends.
(M/I : Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Linguistic skills)

(iii) Puppet Rehearsal
I gave everyone their puppets. We did with the seven casts rather than involving all. We started the rehearsal. Upon my instruction and tambourine, everyone said a line to introduce themselves and their one puppet. After that, they sat at the side of the table. Only 7 people performed. The casts included the Narrator, the Giant Anaconda, the lion, the crocodile, the eagle, the porcupine and the chameleon. So, the 7 casts went to their positions. YP and ZY were more independent. The others were very dependent. Generally, they forgot their lines. The others were rather playful. Then, I asked them; how would spectators behave at the cinema? They said "quiet". So, we tried another rehearsal. However, the situation was still unfavourable. Finally, I told them that we required more time and commitment to perform well. I believe that they would perform a better puppet show in the future when most of them could conversed better and independently. Thus, I got YZ to bring the camera. They performed in the class while I photographed their acts.
(M/I : Body-Kinesthetic, Logical Mathematical, Interpersonal, Linguistic skills)