IPC - Footprints from the past

Dear Parents,

Over the next 8 weeks second grade will be learning about dinosaurs and the way the world looked in prehistoric times.

This unit of work is part of the International Primary Curriculum. This new curriculum sets out very clearly what children will learn — the learning goals — in three different areas:

1. The subjects of the curriculum — the learning goals for each of these subjects are very interesting and challenging for young children.

2. Personal development — the characteristics which will help the children become responsible, independent learners.

3. International understanding — which will help children develop a sense of the independence of their own country and culture and the interdependence between countries and cultures.

Each unit of work is based around specific targets derived from the learning goals for one or more of the subjects. During this unit we will be focussing on History, Science, Art and International.

We’ll also be learning about the world of the dinosaurs, what the earth looked like, what lived at that time and how to identify the different kinds of dinosaurs. We will be acting as detectives and palaeontologists, looking for clues and making deductions from them.

In History, we’ll be:

• About the different time periods when dinosaurs lived
• How to make a timeline
• About the lives and discoveries of palaeontologists from around the world
• About different ideas to explain why the dinosaurs died out

In Geography, we’ll be

• What the Earth looked like millions of years ago
• Where to look for dinosaur bones

In Science, we’ll be:

• About evidence and how to make deductions from it
• How dinosaurs lived and moved and about what they ate
• How to make plaster cast of a dinosaur footprint for evidence, as scientists do
• About how the continents emerged and about the animals and plants which lived at the same time as the dinosaurs.

In Art, we’ll be:

• About how artist draw bones
• How to make a sculpture of a dinosaur
• How to make a reptile-skin pattern

In International, we’ll be:

• Where dinosaurs have been found

• About the rules of exploration

All of the work we are going to do has been specially written to help your child reach the learning goals. Children will be reading, researching, writing, illustrating, performing, working on their own and working in groups. We will be checking to see how well your child has learned through particular activities and by asking children to explain their work, perhaps to you.

We already know the interest you take in your child’s work. If you can, please discuss with your child the work they have done as the unit progresses and let them teach you if they can.

Encourage your child’s interest and curiosity in dinosaurs by looking at books and websites together and talking about them.

If your child has some work to research, please help them, but without actually doing the work.  If you have the chance to further their interest in the ideas of this theme please take it, as your enthusiasm and interest is most important.

By the end of the unit, we hope your child has achieved all of the learning targets.  We hope they have had an enjoyable time in the classroom and we hope you have enjoyed seeing your child work with enthusiasm.   If you have any comments about the work your child has done, please get in touch.

Regards

Ana Gloria de Mena

Second Grade Coordinator