Sea Lions - Term 2 - 2024
This term the Sea Lions class are learning all about Forces and Energy!
We began by exploring push and pull forces of motion and the children were challenged to build their own catapult. They measured the distance their catapult could throw a pom pom and adapted their design for distance and accuracy. We are looking forward to doing lots more experiments this term.
Sea Lions – Term 4 – 2023
This term the Sea Lions class investigated heat as an energy source. They were challenged to design and construct their own solar oven. They worked together as a team to build their oven and make some delicious food to cook. Here are some of their reflections:
“I learnt that solar ovens only work on a really hot sunny day. It was a really fun experience trying to make an oven.” -Maisie
“It was really really, fun. I really loved spending time outside trying to bake our cookies.” – Bonnie
“I liked making my oven with my friends. The cookie dough went really soft.” – Emma
“It was a very yummy activity. It was also really funny when it started raining during the experiment.” – Hamish
“Our cookies were a bit slimy because it was hard for the oven to get hot enough.” – Shernita
The Sea-Lions Class enjoying the magnificent Sunflowers around the CMS grounds.
Sea Lions – Term 1 – 2023
Welcome to Term 1, 2023. The Sea Lions have been working really hard and this past fortnight we have been growing and dissecting plants and flowers as well as making new recipes.
All of the children are enjoying lots of group and independent reading to improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills. We have continued writing stories, recounts and recipes.
We have been busy drawing and painting through various forms of art such as still life drawing, collage and water colour painting. We were inspired by Brisbane artist, Claire Ritchie and created our own flower cards. We also used watercolour and collage to make a fruit bowl painting using techniques similar to artist, Eric Carle.
In Maths, we are focussing on addition and multiplication operations using different Montessori materials to help the children learn and practise.
Einstein
Thank you to all the families that have looked after Einstein this term. If you are available and would like to have a turn please let me know. He is looking for a home to visit on the following dates:
11-12/3 18-19/3 25-26/3 and over the school holidays
You can see some more photos in the School Gallery on our home page.
Sea Lions – Term 4 – 2022
The Glass House Mountains
Approximately 26 million years ago the landmass that is now the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains passed over the East Australian Hotspot. The superheated magma filled the thinner parts of the crust, and formed intrusive magma plugs. These plugs cooled very slowly and solidified into the hard igneous rocks trachyte and rhyolite that form our Glasshouse Mountains.
The Sea Horses have been learning about the formation of Earth this term and were so excited to study such interesting and dramatic landforms that are literally on our doorstep.
Our whole class worked together to create this collage landscape featuring Mt. Tibrogargan and Mt. Beerwah.
Sea Lions – Term 3 – 2022
The Gift of the Sun
In term 3, our Sealions students have been travelling to the beginning of the Universe, as we share Dr. Montessori’s First Great Lesson. We have looked back to the creation of Nebulas, the birth of the first stars, and the incredible life cycle of a star. We have considered our own Milky Way galaxy and are now exploring our own Solar system. The students were in awe of our own star, the Sun. From learning about the creation and structure of the Sun, to using the UV light from sunshine to create works of art, we are all developing a deep gratitude for the Sun’s gifts to each of us here on Earth.
The Sea Lion students have also been exploring the Laws of the Universe as part of our First Great Story journey. After creating a to-scale Solar System our students were amazed by the size of the Sun and the distance to the outer planets. After thinking about the many ways man has represented the Sun and Moon, our students create their own mixed media artworks.
Below you can see our students looking at the life cycle of a star, or Stellar Nucleosynthesis. They were amazed to learn that many of the elements created within stars are also the elements that make up the human body.
You can also see the Sea Lion’s made watercolour impressions of Nebulae. They are inspired by the NASA images of Nebula taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
The blue and white images were were made by our students using the process of Cyanotype Printing. This was the very first form of photography developed in 1842 by Sir John Hershel.
The cyanotype reaction uses treated paper and the UV light in sunlight to produce an image.
Sea Lions – Term 2 – 2022
During Term 2, the Sealions class and families have shown such beautiful care and love towards our 24th class member Einstein, the Guinea Pig. The children have grown three lovely pots of parsley to harvest and feed Einstein each day. Parsley is his favourite food. Our Sea Lion students also collect shredded paper from the office to make a nice comfy bed for Einstein. It has been important for the children to experience how care of the earth and nature is linked to the health and happiness of our beloved pet.
In addition, our Sealion junior students have been applying grammar concepts to the Montessori Grammar Farm. There has been much delight and deep concentration as the children engage with this learning experience.
In our culture studies of Europe this term, the Sealion’s began with a focus on Greece. As the first city state in Europe and the birthplace of democracy, the children have immersed themselves in the culture of ancient and modern Greece. We celebrated the work of ancient Greek artisans and craftsmen. We designed and decorating a Greek vase using traditional Greek meander designs and studied magnificent vases from two thousand years ago.
Great work Sea Lion students!
Sea Lions – Term 1 – 2022
We have had a great start to the year in the Sea Lion class.
The children have been involved in a range of learning experiences including a focus on 2D and 3D geometric shapes in Maths. The Sea Lion students also spent time identifying and discussing what makes each child unique. This culminated in a fantastic self-portrait drawing session.
Our study of the continent of North America took us to the island of Gwaii Haanas and led to a study of the Haida Nation. The children have participated in a group art project recreating the Legacy Pole of the Haida Nation.
Great work Sea Lion students!
Sea Lions – Term 3 – 2021
During term three the Sea Lions studied Germany. The children enjoyed studying all aspects of Germany, especially the German language and culture. We were lucky enough to have one of our families share their experiences of travelling throughout Europe, with the class. They shared photos and memories and the children enjoyed asking lots of questions. We were also visited by a Germany speaking student from Cycle 2D and his friend, who taught us how to count from 1 -10 in German.
The children enjoyed working through materials on the culture shelves that allowed them to immerse themselves in the German culture. The children liked dressing up in traditional Germany attire and having language lessons on how to translate animal names and foods from English to German.
When it came to choosing a topic for a culture project to present on Multi – Cultural Day, the children had no problem and they came up with some brilliant ideas on how to showcase their new found knowledge of the German culture. Their culture projects varied from VW car shows and Formula One race car tracks to traditional German clothing and food to animals that inhabit Germany. We certainly had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed this years’ Multi – Cultural Day celebrations.
The Fourth Great Story.
The Fourth Great Story introduces the history of how writing began. The children gathered around our make believe camp fire and learned about Cuneiform writing and hieroglyphs which were used to communicate in ancient times.
They listened intently, learning how early humans first used cave drawings and picture stories to communicate messages. The children tried to interpret pebble message and picture stories that were created. The Sea Lions were fascinated to learn about the Ox and the House. The first Phoenician letter was really a drawing. It represented an Ox. Then, when the Egyptians made these drawings the ox changed over time (as illustrated below). The Aleph symbol represents an ox. Each time we write the letter A, we are remembering and honouring the Phoenicians of the past.
The letter B is symbolises a house. Below you can also see an Egyptian drawing of a house with a flat roof. The bottom part is like the courtyard of a house. Then it changes, and sometimes the courtyard is almost closed. The Phoenicians word for a house is ‘Beth’. Every time we write the letter B we draw a house. This is a gift that comes from a long time ago.
The students loved writing their names in cuneiform writing on clay tablets and have embraced the challenge to write their names as well as the names of family members and friends in cuneiform writing. Some students have even attempted to write different sports, games and the titles of their favourite books in cuneiform writing!
What a wonderful experience it was for our Sea Lions to think about human history.
In a different era of history studies, during Term 2, the Sea Lion children enthusiastically explored the Precambrian, Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and the Cenozoic Eras. They enjoyed discovering more about each era as they created their own Timeline of Life this semester. The Precambrian Era dates back 4.6 billion years ago and marks the beginning of the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, continents and early life forms. The children were fascinated to learn that during the Palaeozoic Era the only plants were algae and most life forms lived in the shallow seas during this period.
The Mesozoic Era is known as the Age of Reptiles, and as you can imagine the Mesozoic Era was very popular with the children as during this era reptiles began to multiply and develop into giant dinosaurs that were both herbivores and carnivores. Many mammals including humans developed during the Cenozoic Era and for this reason it’s revived its name from meaning new life.
What an epic adventure we have had discovering more about life on planet earth!
The Sea Lions commemorated National Reconciliation which occurred from the 27 May to the 3rd June, 2021. This year’s theme was ‘More than a word – Take Action’. Reconciliation is about taking action, and urging the reconciliation movement towards a braver and more impactful action.
The children were invited to join in some activities that acknowledged reconciliation and inspired them to take action. They completed some colouring resources that were created by an Indigenous artist. The children became familiar with some elements of indigenous artworks such as boomerangs, stars, moon, planets, undulating landscapes, rivers and waterway used within this art work. The Sea Lions class was given the opportunity to share their story of how they would ‘take action’ through art. They were given sticks, gum nuts and leaves to use as tools to create their own special art piece that incorporated these elements. The children did a great job and thoroughly enjoyed this activity.
Find out more about National Reconciliation week via the link below:
Sea Lions want to read!
The Cycle 2 Sea Lions class wasted no time in getting back to work in Term 2. To commemorate ANZAC day this year, we completed a number of activities including some beautiful oil pastel art works.
The Sea Lions’ Excursion
Also the Sea Lions had an amazing time at White Ridge Farm recently! They got to meet, cuddle and feed various two and four legged animals. The tour guides shared many interesting facts about the animals at the farm. The children and adults alike loved the tractor ride through the sloshy mud, where we were challenged to find some mysterious items. The children loved the treasure-hunt which kept us all on our toes, the mini golf, the playground and of course the basketball trampoline!
Sea Lions apply what they learn
We are now loaded with facts about animals that we can use to complete our persuasive text and help us with our Zoology studies.
Did you know there is an easy way to tell the difference between an Alpaca and a Llama? Did you know that Camels are cousins of Alpacas and Llamas? I wonder if anyone knows how many eggs a rooster can lay in a week? If you are keen to know these answers, please come and see a child in the Sea Lions class, they would love to share their knowledge with you. See you soon!
Term 1 2021 – Sea Lions
This week the students in the Sea Lions class made seedling cup people and planted chive and alfalfa seeds that will hopefully grow to be part of the seedling cup’s hair. Once the seedlings sprout, the students will be encouraged to use a ruler to measure and track growth of their herbs.
The Sea Lions commemorated National Reconciliation which occurred from the 27 May to the 3rd June, 2021. This year’s theme was ‘More than a word – Take Action’. Reconciliation is about taking action, and urging the reconciliation movement towards a braver and more impactful action.
The children were invited to join in some activities that acknowledged reconciliation and inspired them to take action. They completed some colouring resources that were created by an Indigenous artist. The children became familiar with some elements of indigenous artworks such as boomerangs, stars, moon, planets, undulating landscapes, rivers and waterway used within this art work. The Sea Lions class was given the opportunity to share their story of how they would ‘take action’ through art. They were given sticks, gum nuts and leaves to use as tools to create their own special art piece that incorporated these elements. The children did a great job and thoroughly enjoyed this activity.
Find out more about National Reconciliation week via the link below:
Sea Lions want to read!
Term 1 2021 – Sea Lions
This week the students in the Sea Lions class made seedling cup people and planted chive and alfalfa seeds that will hopefully grow to be part of the seedling cup’s hair. Once the seedlings sprout, the students will be encouraged to use a ruler to measure and track growth of their herbs.
Term 4 2020
Science Fair November 2020
I am honoured to announce the Sea Lions’ Science Fair was a great success!! Each child worked incredibly hard to make our first Science Fair amazing! The children selected the experiments they wished to conduct for the Science Fair and prepared for their presentation to either a small group or the whole class.
Children were investigating chemical reactions as they made fizzy rockets, model volcanoes, lava lamps and salt crystals. Children were showcasing how to blow bubbles inside of bubbles, how to bounce eggs and how to make seashell fossils and matchbox guitars. Children were conducting eye tricks and presenting magnetic properties with a twist. Children were investigating chromatography as they separated colours in felt pens and they were sharing their knowledge of liquids and solids as they made corny goo and towed ice glaciers.
The children in the Sea Lions class all looked and acted the part as they shared their scientific knowledge and understanding with each other. I would like to commend every little Scientist in the Sea Lions class for their contribution to our Science Fair. Their engagement and enthusiasm was contagious! I look forward to making this an annual event! Hopefully next year we will be able to have families into the classroom to witness this spectacular event!
Congratulations to all of the Sea Lion Scientists! You all did a truly amazing job! I would also like to thank all the parents who donated materials to the class for this wonderful event. A huge shout out to Cindy the class representative, for gathering the majority of items needed to make our Science Fair a huge success.
Term 3 2020
Last Science Experiment for Term 3 2020
During the last few weeks of the term, the Sea Lion children enjoyed hanging water upside down. 🙂
Term 3 2020
'Heads & Shoulders' song in Japanese
ありがとうございました
Arigatōgozaimashita
Sending a massive THANK YOU to Hisae Bishop for teaching the children in the Sea Lions class how to sing the song ‘Heads and Shoulders’ in Japanese.
We had such a great time learning this song, we created posters to teach others.
Term 3 2020
Week 7 Science
Term 3 2020
Week 4 Science
This week the children investigated the magnetic properties of several materials. They then categorised a range of objects as magnetic or non – magnetic. Children engaged in discussions about the fact that the atoms that make up all materials have tiny magnetic fields and how these fields need to all line up and work together to make the material magnetic.
Term 3 2020
Week 3 Science
This week the Sea Lion are investigating how and why vinegar dissolves the calcium of an eggshell. The children enjoy watching the carbon dioxide buddles form around the eggs. Comments were made about how ‘eggcellent’ the ‘eggperiment’ was especially as the shell of the egg disappeared gradually over time. The children were fascinated to see the membrane of the egg stayed intact and the yolk of the egg could be seen through the membrane.
Term 3 2020
Week 2 Science
This week the children are experimenting with chemical reactions by making a model volcano. They had to hypothesis whether there would be a chemical reaction between vinegar and bi- carbonate soda and whether this reaction would build enough pressure to force the liquid out of a can and cause an eruption. The Sea Lion children enjoyed forming a mountain of dirt and sand around a can, to form the volcano. They especially liked placing dinosaurs around the mountain. The children’s reactions themselves were eruptive!!
Term 3 2020
Term 3 Drawing Lessons
The Sea Lions have been enjoying weekly drawing lessons again this term. In keeping with the ‘Japan’ theme, they have been drawing characters from the popular Pokémon cartoon series. The students love to share their drawings with the class and give each other positive feedback.
Term 3 2020
This week we were introduced to Palindrome or Mirror numbers (numbers that read the same backwards as forwards e.g. 464 and 1221). Many children took on the challenge and solved a range of operations in order to produce a palindrome.
We also looked at Palindrome words and the children came up with a number of words that read the same backwards as forwards. For example; madam, mum, dad and multiple word Palindromes; race car, top spot, no lemon no melon and nurses run. The children have been challenged to come up with a list of palindromes and are using palindromes in grammar sentences.
Term 3 Science
Throughout term 3, the Sea Lion children will be conducting weekly science experiments. We began the term by investigating how jars filled with different quantities of water produce different sounds when the jars are tapped with a spoon.
The BFG
The Sea Lions are currently reading Roald Dahl’s ‘The BFG’. We have enjoyed listening to some of our older students read aloud to the class, especially as they read some of the more difficult ‘nonsense’ words!
The Sea Lions have also enjoyed illustrating Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant and sharing their creations with the class.
George's Marvellous Medicine
During our class story time Frances, Jemayne, Ronnie, Cammy, Ruby, Riley, Elysia and Celeste engaged us with their reading talents as they read the novel ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ by Roald Dahl.
The children were delighted to hear about the mischief George got up to in order to teach his nasty old grandma a lesson. They enjoyed predicting what the best ingredients were for George’s special home-made medicine. Children in the Sea Lions class were thrilled when George’s Grandma got more than she bargained for!
The children in the Sea Lion class practically enjoyed inventing their own marvellous medicines!
Term 1 2020
Drawing Skills
This term the Sea Lions have been practicing our drawing skills and learning how to draw different animals. We’ve enjoyed seeing how different each of our drawings look even when we follow the same steps. Every picture has a unique twist and the students have loved sharing the pictures they’ve drawn at home or in the classroom.
Term 1 2020
Early this term the Sea Lions children were presented with Montessori’s Third Great Story: Humans Come to Earth. After hearing the First and Second Great Story, the Sea Lions have a sense of how the universe and earth formed and how plants and animals developed on earth. From the Third Great Story, the children will gain a general impression of early humans who lived in the Stone Age (or Paleolithic Period) and their common needs; food, shelter, medicine, clothing, defense and art. The story has highlighted the special place human beings have on Earth and is beginning to give the children a sense of their own dignity and worth as well as a sense of gratitude for the gifts that we have inherited from previous generations of human beings. Montessori’s Third Great Story: Humans Come to Earth will be the fountain for the semesters work projects.
11/2/20
The Sea Lions room is a buzz of excitement today as the children received their personalised math projects. The children actively engaged in the first lessons associated with their projects.
It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm from each child as they opened their special math project envelopes and read their mission statements.
Over the term, the children will be taught the concepts they need to achieve their missions and complete their specific math projects.
In the classroom, some of the Data Detectives are busy conducting surveys and tallying their responses in order to create picture graphs detailing information about the classes’ favourites (animals, colours, foods, sports etc.). The Robotic Engineers are working hard to identify the properties of 3D shapes in order to create a 3D Robot and the Architects are busily learning a types of angles to assist with their design specifications for a mini golf course.
2020
In 2020 we welcome Mel and Chloe as teacher and assistant to 2C Sea Lions Class
Baby Guess Who
Last week the Sea Lions were invited to bring in a baby photograph of themselves. We studied each photograph carefully and tried to guess who it was, based on the identifiers in the photo. We all had a great time participating in Baby Guess Who and correctly matched a few children to their baby photo.
Mel & Chloe