24.06.2019

Campus and Villa host Extended Day exhibitions

A child who lives in an urban context rarely gazes at the sky or watches a slug move slowly through the garden. S(he) does not understand how long a fruit takes to ripen or for a flower bud to bloom.

Reconnecting children to nature is not only necessary: more than that, it is inherent to childhood. When children are exposed to natural elements, they spontaneously explore and give new meaning to experiences of touch, smell, and sight, and learn through their body. This was one of the themes that the children from the Extended Day (G2 to G4, 2 to 4 years old) worked on during the first semester. 

The classes explored several possibilities from nature. Activities were planned to provide an experience of exchange with the environment. The children observed their surroundings  and found true treasures. The exhibition was full of productions made throughout this journey. 

The children from G5 and G6 (5 and 6 years old) had the opportunity to learn about the origin of written language. Led by curiosity, they were invited to investigate about the communication in the stone age and the creative drawings of animals and their routines in that period. Then, the children studied the writing of the Egyptians, the papyrus and hieroglyphs. Finally, they went on to discover a bit about Chinese ideograms and our alphabet.

Cave paintings, Egyptian sculptures, storytelling, paintings, experiments and a great deal off fun while using their feet to paint were some of the activities developed throughout the semester. Some of these productions were at the Exhibition, which enchanted the visitors.

Elementary and Middle School students explored nature possibilities for another purpose: to find relaxation through its elements. They selected experiments and experiences they would like to have and some materials that they wanted to explore. Clay and “natural brushes”, made with leaves and sticks, had major roles here.

The students also had the idea of making games from those they already knew. Thus, they had more possibilities to interact with each other and expand their repertoire. They were responsible for choosing the games, planning, and listing the materials that would be necessary, collecting the materials to be reused, and carrying out their ideas. The exhibition allowed visitors to play with the Giant Domino, among other projects.