Gr. 5 Students are learning about the California Gold Rush using Google Expeditions

Students are virtually visiting the sites of the first California gold rush in Coloma, California including American River, Sutter's Mill, a miner's cabin, etc.

Gr. 3 Students visited the Statue of Liberty in Virtual Reality

Third grade students in Ms. Gurnani's class are learning about the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty using Google Expedition Full Screen View on their iPads.

Forest Road Makers - We are all makers!

Gr. 5 students hope to crochet warm scarves for the upcoming cold winter weather 

during Recess Crochet Club.

Gr. 4 students created a character to capture and play in Bloxels Builder game 

during Recess Makers Club.

Gr. 5 Students use VR to virtually experience the California Gold Rush

Gr. 5 students in Ms. Blankshine's class use Virtual Reality (VR) to virtually experience the 1848 California Gold Rush. As they are reading Esperanza Rising in the classroom, this activity provides historical background to help them understand the Gold Rush. VR allows students to observe, ask, and answer questions about this important event in American history. 

Virtual Field Trip in Action!

2nd grade students are taking a virtual tour of the White House during Christmas holidays in 2D full screen mode.

The Science of Construction Play

First grade students are building with wooden blocks after they checked out their books in the library.

But whatever form they take, blocks can function as powerful learning tools. Studies suggest that toy blocks can help children develop

• motor skills and hand-eye coordination,
• spatial reasoning,
• cognitive flexibility,
• language skills,
• a capacity for creative, divergent thinking,
• social competence, and
• engineering skills.

There is also evidence that complex block-play is linked with higher mathematical achievement.

Research suggests that kids benefit when construction play incorporates additional elements, including:

• building from templates,
• engaging in cooperative projects, and
• talking with others about spatial relationships. 

*Source: The benefits of toy blocks: The science of construction play

Learning a new language is fun!

4th grade students are learning how to read and write in Korean at the after school Korean Language and Culture Club 

Studies suggest that at a cognitive and academic level, children learning an additional language are more creative, better at solving complex problems and usually score higher on standardised tests. Once children know a second language, it is easier for them to understand further languages structures, which is why experts say that every new language learnt is easier than the one before.

At a personal level, the more languages a person speaks, the better access he or she will have to different people and resources from other countries and cultures. Additionally, it helps children to better understand other cultures, expressions and styles of communication. This can encourage children to appreciate how big the world is and will open their mind greatly - which is always a good thing.

Source: Is learning a foreign language good for kids at a young age?