Margaret - Cook Island Week Activities

Cooking groups - students were in charge of organising their groups - collecting ingredients, following instructions, cooking waffles, cleaning up (not so great)

Paper Tivaevae - this could link in with our sewing.

Cook Island week was a chance to do some fun activities with the students while integrating the topic into all curriculum areas - writing, reading, maths, research skills, group work, art, Te Reo.

The class worked very well together in the run up to making Coconut Waffles.  They had to type up the recipe from me reading it out which was a good way to ensure they all knew the recipe before they started cooking.  They managed to organise themselves in their cooking groups also without too much directions - giving themselves different roles and making sure everyone had a turn. Would like to continue with this topic as the students were very engaged and lots of information to follow up on through their mini research.  Would try cooking again but with a more successful recipe.  The Cook Island donuts I made with room 1 were much tastier.

Link to Standards:

Treaty of Waitangi Partnership

• Understanding and using existing models of effective practice (e.g., Te Kotahitanga and Ka Hikitia).

Learning Focused Culture

• Providing opportunities for ākonga engagement in co-operative learning, and reciprocal teaching. 
• Fostering tuakana/tēina relationships.

• Understanding and using a range of innovative, co-operative and inquiry learning approaches.

Margaret - Writing songs using cooperation

(Video still to come)

During our devotions unit, the students were learning about cooperation.  Part of this was learning that cooperation makes music - meaning we create great things through cooperation.  The students task was to work in groups - randomly selected - to turn their own chosen nursery rhyme into one new song.  The class focused on 1 cooperative skill ( listening, pulling our weight, working well together) each session and rated themselves and their group at the end.  The unit ended with the students performing their song in front of the class and having the class judge how they thought their group worked together.  The class came up with some neat songs ( a little bit silly) but most managed to put differences aside and get the task done.

Next steps: 
- video the students performing their songs to post on seesaw for parents
- Self Assessment on their group linked to the skills learnt.
- in future cooperative tasks link to skills learnt in this unit.

Standard
Learning Focused Culture
Strategies:

• Understanding and using a range of innovative, co-operative and inquiry learning approaches.
• Monitoring ākonga closely to ensure they are treated respectfully and are included in all aspects of school life.