Sparking Curiosity to Provoke Learning - Dinosaurs
17 Jun 2019
Discovery abounds in Reception class as they transport back to prehistoric times as their classroom is transformed into a ‘land of dinosaurs’. There is just something magical that happens when children and dinosaurs collide. At Wellington, we believe that curiosity and engagement is a critical motivator for learning among young children and this week, our Lead Reception Teacher, Ms Kristy Dingli, discusses how exploring dinosaurs can spark curiosity to provoke learning.
Children learn best when they are fully engaged in their own learning journey; but how do we make that happen? How do we get children involved, and keep them interested enough to commit to the learning process, without realizing that that is what they’re doing?
They say, ‘curiosity killed the cat’, the idea that we should follow along a path, looking neither left nor right. However, in education, nothing could be further from the truth! Curiosity, to a teacher and their pupils, is as gold-dust to the prospector.Recently in Reception, we have been exploring the topic of dinosaurs in our learning. The children are fascinated by everything to do with dinosaurs; what were their names, what did dinosaurs eat, when did they live, what did dinosaurs look like, how big were they? Their questions are endless.
There are so many aspects of learning, which can be authentically linked to the children’s own curiosities; What were their names? – Let’s use the computer or look in a book to find them and read them. That’s reading and technology, instantly integrated into the teaching and learning.
What did dinosaurs eat? Well, what was around at the time of the dinosaurs? – plants and other dinosaurs – understanding the world is coming to life as they learn the difference between a Herbivore and a Carnivore.
How big was the biggest dinosaur? Let’s take a metre wheel outside and find out!
What did dinosaurs look like? Let’s have a look at some small-world dinosaurs and some dinosaur information books to find out – talk about what you can see with your friends; we can draw our own pictures and label them too – there’s communication & language, reading, writing, the world and exploring media & materials and being imaginative!
Monday 17 June 2019
All Day
Nest: Transition week (DZ) (The Nest)All Day
World Sports' Week begins (to 21st) (RG)All Day
Art: Summer Exhibition (MFC) (Black Box Foyer)
All Day
Week A
8:30AM - 9:30AM
FOW EAL (Beginners) (PF) (MB 235)
3:05PM - 3:45PM
Senior School Assembly (JMS) (Theatre)
Tuesday 18 June 2019
All Day
Waterloo Day
8:45AM - 10:00AM
FOW Pilates (ES) (Black Box)
10:15AM - 11:15AM
FOW Mandarin Class (ES) (MB 125)
Wednesday 19 June 2019
All Day
A Level Induction Year (2019 entry): Open Week (to 21st)
All Day
Shakespeare Workshops - Globe Theatre (to 20th) (JA) (Theatre)
8:45AM - 10:00AM
FOW Yoga (ES) (Black Box)
10:00AM - 11:00AM
Nest Parents' Briefing: CPR Training (DZ) (Nest Library)
2:00PM - 3:45PM
Year 6 Leavers' Assembly (RA) (Theatre)
Thursday 20 June 2019
9:00AM - 10:30AM
FOW: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (ES) (WCA Room)
9:00AM - 12:00PM
FOW Reading Group (ES) (MB 125)
10:45AM - 12:00PM
FOW: Yoga (ES) (Black Box)
Friday 21 June 2019
All Day
Year 12 Higher Education Day (JMS) (Main Building)
8:30AM - 9:00AM
Nest Assembly: Eaglets (DZ) (Theatre)
8:30AM - 9:30AM
FOW EAL (Advanced) (PF) (MB 231)
8:30AM - 11:00AM
FOW Art Class (KM) (MB 125)
8:45AM - 10:00AM
FOW Pilates (ES) (Black Box)
6:00PM
Summer Concert (FG) (Theatre)
Sparking Curiosity to Provoke Learning
Dinosaurs
CURIOSITY
Dinosaur Environment
In Class
Small World
Metre Wheel
Dinosaur Writing
The possibilities for learning, when children are curious about something, are truly endless!
The best lesson to learn as an influencer of children, be that as a parent, or as a teacher is that, if you tell a child something and they may remember it, but, allow them to learn it for themselves, because they want to, and they will remember it, forever. “I hear and I forget, I see, and I remember, I do, and I understand.” (Xun Zi)UPCOMING EVENTS
Related Articles
Sports Day in the Nest丨Exercise, good for mind and body30 May 2019
What an exciting, fun morning at Wellington Bilingual Nursery Tianjin, our traditional Sports Day is great fun and keeps the kids fit too!We wanted to introduce the little ones to the spirit of sport
Read More
The Importance of Healthy Eating in Schools06 Dec 2019
From the Head of Early Years Dionne Zantua Do you know someone who has Hypertension? Diabetes? Arthritis? The majority of these illnesses are preventable simply by altering the food that we eat over
Read More
The Week Ahead05 Jun 2020
Dear Parents, Visiting other schools, and meeting their pupils and staff, has been one of the great pleasures of my job in the past few years. Dedicated teachers and engaged, enthusiastic pupils alwa
Read More