First grade returned from the Spring Festival break full of enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge. We began a new unit for science – all about natural resources. In our first class, we learned that natural resources are things from nature that people can use.The students had excellent prior knowledge and knew natural resources such as air, water, and rocks.

The students consolidated their knowledge with a writing task. They were given objects and writing prompts connecting to our English classes. The teachers gave the students complete autonomy over the thing they wanted to write about, allowing students to express themselves beautifully through their writing!

In Social Studies, we began the culture of the topic. First, we looked at cultures, customs and traditions. The students were able to differentiate between the three. We identified customs and traditions from around the world, including different festivals from different countries.

Next, we looked at different clothing from around the world, including the “sari” from India, the “kimono” from Japan, and the “charro suit” from Mexico. Students then cut out and decorated their outfits to show they understood the differences. We loved looking at the different colorful clothing from all over the world!

(Written by Adam Coombes, Chelsea Chen Pictures by G1 Foreign Teachers Edited by Huang Shiyuan, Brie Polette)