We love kicking off the summer with some wet and wild water inquiry! Our Preschool Readiness Students, LaunchPad, blasted off into H20 Extreme while our Kindergarten Readiness Students, JumpStart, bounced through All About Water! Let’s just say it was a fun-soaked start to the summer as we explored weather, water systems, the physical properties of water, painted with water, and more!
Here are some ways our schools inspired students to ask some great questions and follow their inquiry to explore the world around them!
We always introduce an Inquiry with Field Studies. It’s important for young learners to see real-world examples and be inspired to observe the phenomena of our inquiry topic so they can be prompted to ask thoughtful questions that will drive our explorations for the month. At CWS Estero, they had a visit from a local Meterologist to discuss weather patterns! This inspired them to explore the weather and the water systems all around them in SW FL throughout the month… and they learned some amazing things!
After Field Studies, we use webs, charts, and take notes about what kinds of questions the children have so we can set a trajectory for our exploration! What do we want to know about water? What are the children curious about? At CWS Noland Road in MO, our little scientists were interested in measuring rainfall and using tools. They used giant droppers to experience filling and emptying rainfall measurement containers. These containers were set outside and they used their number recognition, measuring, and comparison skills to quantify the rainfall results!
To extend their inquiry on droplets of water (what’s in a drop of water? What do water drops look like? What patterns do water drops make?), CWS Rivercrest enjoyed a multi-sensory art experience with whipped cream and liquid watercolors! What does a stream of blue water look like on top of the puffy cream? They used their fine motor skills and pipettes as the tools to create this artistic experience!
Real world experiences throughout the course of the inquiry are vital for young children! We want their questions to be answered and help affirm the properties of nature and physical science, as well as reinforcing their logic and critical thinking skills. Many classes explored the kinds of animals that live in water as an extension of their All About Water inquiry! What kinds of animals grow and thrive in water? What kinds of animals live in or around water? Do all animals need water to survive… and how do they use it? From the life cycle of frogs to humans, creatures of every shape and size use and helped us understand how vital water is!
And of course we never forget our youngest learners… infant inquirers at CWS Aurora in IL experienced how a sponge can hold and dispense water in their classroom sensory play experience!
We had a blast nurturing young minds this month and learning all about the world around us! Find a Creative World School near you at www.creativeworldschool.com to get in on our inquiry next month: we’re BUZZing into Bugtopia and Buggin’ Out in our Insect Inquiries for all ages!