My Own Food Pyramid

Date: 25th & 26th February 2016
Day: Thursday & Friday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: I Love Food
Teacher: Ms Yeong

My Own Food Pyramid

I combined the blog for these 2 days as the children were working on the same project - making their own food pyramid chart.

I brought in all the shopping malls' leaflets or brochures for the children to work on it. There were 16 of them, therefore, they pair themselves with a friend and work together to look for the items for each category.

We concentrated on 2 categories for each day. For Thursday, the children looked for food that contains carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes, noodles, rice etc. After that, they looked for pictures of vegetables and fruits.

On Friday, the children concentrated on looking for food on protein & calcium. A small group of them were searching for food that contains fat, sugar and oil.

Due to insufficient time, we shall combine all the information that the children had done on the manila card on Monday and we shall paste it up.

Here were some pictures taken during the activity:

On 25.2.2016:

 On 26.2.2016:

Fruit and Vegetables

Date: 24th February 2016
Day: Wednesday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: I Love Food
Teacher: Ms Yeong

Fruit and Vegetables

We revised the food that would appeared at the most bottom of the food pyramid. Then, we moved on to the next level in the food pyramid - fruits and vegetables.

I brought in a poster which labels those commons fruits and vegetables that the children know. We read through it and I pasted it on the noticeboard for the children to refer. We also briefly read through some details and facts about vitamins that fruits and vegetables could give us.

Book Sharing - How to feed a Hungry Giant

This interesting munch-and-sip pop-up book is by Caitlin Friedman and illustrated by Shaw Nielsen. The children were attracted to the food that appeared in the story as they could name some of the food such as pizza, cookies, grapes etc.

After the story, we had some short discussion about activities that we could carry out for each part of the food pyramid. We started off by having brainstorming for food that contains carbohydrates. The children suggested popcorn, doughnut, bread and spaghetti. We won't be able to carry out all of it, therefore, I get the children to decide which 2 activities that we could do here. I divided the 4 food into 2 group - easy (popcorn & spaghetti) and difficult (bread & doughnut). The children could only choose one from each group. Finally, they decided to do popcorn and doughnut.

We shall try to arrange these 2 activities for next week.

Game - Charade

Date: 23rd February 2016
Day: Tuesday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
(Wushu Class: 4:00-5:00 pm)
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: I Love Food
Teacher: Ms Yeong

Game - Charade

Since we only have 30 minutes today, I suddenly thought of carrying out a charade game instead of just reading or drawing.

Before we start, I get the children to make some sentences that we could use during the game which is related to food.

The sentences that the children gave were as followed:
1) I love to eat. / I love eating.
2) I love to eat doughnut.
3) I love to cut. / I love cutting.

We also practice some universal actions so that everyone could make out the answers at the end.

This is how the games goes:
1) Each group would have about 4 players. All the players will stand in a line looking at one direction.
2) The teacher will act out the sentence that she picked to the last person of that line.
3) The player who is supposed to act out the sentence given will tap on the shoulder of the next person and repeat the action that he/she remembered. The rest of the players are not allowed to turn around until their shoulders are tapped.
4) The first person of the line will need to guess out the answer by looking at his/her mate's action.

Some of the group members could remember most of the actions yet some of them would start to change actions along the way. The children find it amusing and interesting when they could act out the action given.

Worksheet - Carbohydrates

Date: 22nd February 2016
Day: Monday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: I Love Food
Teacher: Ms Yeong

Worksheet - Carbohydrates

We had some revision on the food that contains carbohydrates and it landed at the most bottom portion of the food pyramid. The children could name quite a number of food. Then we moved on to the next level of the food pyramid - vegetables and fruits. The children also gave some examples of vegetables and fruits that they know.

After that, I distributed a self design worksheet for the children to work on it. It's about carbohydrates.

The worksheet is as followed:

"I Love Food" poster making

Date: 19th February 2016
Day: Friday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: I Love Food
Teacher: Ms Yeong

"I Love Food" poster making

The children continued with their drawings and colouring of the food that they started yesterday. However, for those who had done their drawings started to cut out their pictures and pasted it onto the little poster that I have prepared for them.

Here were some pictures taken during the activity:

Finally on that day, the poster looked like this. We shall paste it up on the notice board so that everyone will remember the title for our food theme.

Things we eat!

Date: 18th February 2016
Day: Thursday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: I Love Food
Teacher: Ms Yeong

Things we eat!

Today, I brought in a big poster on food. After the children had read all the items on the poster, they started to make sentences by using "I like to eat.......". However, many of them like to use "and" in their sentences incorrectly such as "I like to eat hamburger and pizza and hotdog and cake." Therefore, I quickly grab this chance and get them to practice by using it correctly.

Example, I like to eat hamburger, pizza, hotdog and cake.

After a few rounds of reminder and correction, the children started to pick up the sentence structure more properly. I left the poster in the class for the children to read.

Then, I thought of putting up a small poster of having "I Love Food" on it. Since we have the food poster, I requested the children to draw their favourite food on it and then, I shall cut it out and pasted it around the small poster.

Here's how the small poster looked like:

What's your favourite food?

Date: 17th February 2016
Day: Wednesday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: I Love Food
Teacher: Ms Yeong

What's your favourite food?

Today, we started off with something simple such as introducing the food pyramid. I only touched the most bottom of the food pyramid - carbohydrates.

Then, the children shared their thoughts about their favourite food:

Teacher: What's your favourite food?
Rachel: spaghetti
Sueanne: ice-cream
Leow Xun: egg
Zi Yue: biscuit
Jia Mao: french fries
Zun Yu: french fries
Lucas: bread
Mei Jia: french fries
Cheng Kai: french fries
Lik Shin: banana
Suzanne: cake
Yong Jun: french fries
Ethan: bread
Si Ying: french fries
Yee Ern: french fries

Parents could suggest some activity or movies related to food to us. The children had some movies in mind. (example, The Chef, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs I & II) However, if parents have better suggestions, we would consider about it.

On the other hand, kindly help your child to collect some shopping malls' leaflets or items' brochures as we are planning to make a food pyramid chart on our own. This activity will enhance the understanding of food among the children. Parents could leave any message or comments in the blog here if you have doubts about any activities that was being carried out in the class.

Back to School from CNY holiday

Date: 15th February 2016
Day: Monday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: Happy Chinese New Year
Teacher: Ms Yeong

Back to School from CNY holiday

On 5th February,  (Friday), I was the relief teacher for Pomegranate class from 3:00-5:30 pm as their class teacher took leave. Therefore, I used the whole afternoon to sort out the children's lion dance art work with them while giving them some other things to do. Therefore, no blog updates for that day.

The children had a great time spending a week at home for Chinese New Year holiday. Today it's the eighth day of Chinese New Year and school also reopens today. The children were quite excited to share their Chinese New Year activities at home.

Teacher: Please share anything that you did or you see during Chinese New Year holiday?
Leow Xun: I go and see the lights. I saw the monkey. (She refers to Fo Guang Shan, Dong Zen Temple)
                  You pull the string, and the monkey will shake.
Cheng Kai: I went to Aeon, I saw a book. Monkey book. New one. (He expressed in Mandarin, hope he will try in English when he learned more the in future!)
Ethan: I saw Sun Wu Kong.
Mei Jia: I go home, saw the lion dance. In the shop.
Zi Yue: My father's shop in here and then another is there. I saw a lion dance. My mother's friend bring me to the lion dance. To see the lion dance. Got firecracker. Other shops and houses are playing firecrackers.
Zun Yu: I eat biscuits. (He expressed in mix Mandarin and English.)
Sueanne: My mother and father brought me to see the lion dance. (Where?) In a shop. The girl is playing with the  lion dance.
Rachel: My neighbour invites the lion dance to their house.
Deshayne: I got eat chocolate. My grandma and grandpa come to my house.
Leow Xun: Mommy sais that Sun Wu Kong come out from a hole.

After that, we used about 15 minutes to discuss the name of our new theme. I needed to explain to them and I suggested a few names for them to choose. Finally, they cast their votes and the new theme name for food is "I Love Food".

Art Work - Lion Dance (part III)

Date: 4th February 2016
Day: Thursday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: Happy Chinese New Year
Teacher: Ms Yeong

Art Work - Lion Dance (part III)

Today, a few more of them had completed their task of colouring their lion, therefore, I can work with them on assembling the legs of the lion.

I worked with Yee Ern (half done the day before), Lik Shin, Cheng Kai, Yong Jun & Suzanne today.

Mei Jia is going off early for the Chinese New Year holiday, therefore, I quickly paste the chopsticks at the back of her lion for her to bring home today.

Art Work - Lion Dance (Part II)

Date: 3rd February 2016
Day: Wednesday
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Class: Pomegranate
Theme: Happy Chinese New Year
Teacher: Ms Yeong

Art Work - Lion Dance (Part II)

Most of the children had brought back the parts of the lion that they cut at home. Well done!!

Now, we can move on to the next step of assembling the  parts together. At first I thought of using some pins, yet, I found that pipe cleaner is a better option. However, the children needed to learn how to twist the pipe cleaner so that it can stable the joints. As a result, I have to demonstrate and teach only 2-3 children at a time.

Here are some pictures taken during the activity: