Noticing Changes in the Natural World:A Study of the Sky with 1-2 Classes
During morning arrival in the classroom, you would hear first and second-grade students wondering with one another...
Did you see the sunset last night?
Could you believe how bright it was at Twilight last night?
What would you call this sky color?
Did you notice the full moon and all the stars last night?
Students created both poetry and crayon relief paintings of their observations of sunrise, dawn, twilight, and night. Aila Tholl, 1-2 Class Assistant Teacher, shared, "the picture writing process opened writers' eyes to the beauty of the natural world, often having us pause and notice the sky even when we were not together."
Below is a selection of students' poetry:
Sunrise by first grade student
The sun is like a flame,
The sky is like a swish of water,
The buildings are lighting early for work.
Sunrise by second grade student
The sun is like a fire
The sky like melting paints
The field is like shining slime.
Dawn by second grade student
The sun is waking up
The sky is changing its outfit
The water is looking at its reflection.
Dawn by first grade student
The sun is waking up.
The sky is moving.
The water is getting up for school.
Twilight by first grade student
The sky is blue.
The sky is flammable!
Kids do not touch.
Twilight by first grade student
The sky is fiery
and gorgeous.
It has a warm side
and a cold side.
Night by first grade student
Sky shines like the water
The moon is gold like a coin
The mountains are like frozen ice
The trees grow their shadows like they grow their roots.
Night by first grade student
The moon is glowing like a flashlight
shining on butter.
The moon is really bright against
the tree.
If you look closely, you can see
Orion’s Belt glowing against the sky.
