In Room 21, we explored the wonders of Papatuanuku, focusing on volcanoes. The students were full of curiosity as we dug into how volcanoes are formed and their connection to the Earth Mother. It was amazing to see their enthusiasm grow as we built our understanding through different activities.
One of our key literacy links was working on a digraph chart in our topic book. We looked at volcano-related words and identified digraphs like “ch” in “chamber”, “sh” in “ash”, and “th” in “earth”. This helped reinforce our phonics learning while expanding our vocabulary. The students enjoyed finding these patterns and applying them in their own writing.
The real highlight was our baking soda and vinegar experiment. The excitement in the room was contagious as we watched our ‘volcano’ erupt! The students made predictions, observed closely, and described what they saw happening. It was a fantastic way to bring science to life and get hands-on with learning about chemical reactions.
Throughout this topic, the students showed great engagement, asking thoughtful questions and making connections to what they already knew. It was great to see them so involved in their learning, and their sense of wonder about volcanoes made this a truly memorable experience.
