Welcome to Morado

We enjoyed seeing so many of you at the Back to School Barbecue. This week in Morado, we introduced literature circles. Each child picked a book to read or be read to. Their groups met to discuss what they knew about the book just from the title, cover, and flipping through. We talked about all stories having a beginning, middle, and end. 

We told the story called The Coming of Life, which is the second Montessori Great Lesson. Children asked what made the earth just right for life when no other planets in the solar system support it. Others noticed that eggs, giants, and lots of dirt and death form a large part of many creation stories. The Big Bang creation story shares some characteristics with cultural creation stories. Some children wove a Big Bang weaving, which we planned to share at the BBQ. Some explored the Timeline of Life. Some children discussed the 3 main characteristics of life: it grows from eating, it reproduces, and it adapts. Others discussed the differences between atoms, molecules, and cells. These children researched an element and shared what they learned with the class.  

blog post for October 14: This week, we talked about the big changes to the region that occurred when the Ballard Locks (the busiest locks in the world) were built. We visited the locks and heard about the salmon that already went up the fish ladder. We spotted several seals and a sea lion hoping to catch any late-comers. Mr. Ben introduced  ‘parts of the fish’ as a follow-up to our field trip. 

The children embarked upon research about space, earth, early writing, prehistoric people, or life before humans. Children who don’t read yet are working with a combination of other children and teachers. 

A group of children had a lesson on inference and observation. Some harvested the green tomatoes, pulled up the plants, and discussed parts of the plant. Others cut up and fried the green tomatoes. A group went to visit elderly friends living at Aegis in Kirkland. Everyone continued practicing math, from counting and concrete addition of large numbers, to long multiplication, division, and fractions.

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