Dear Parents, 22nd September, 2008.

Our second Primary Years Programme Unit of Inquiry is called Silent Sounds. This unit involves an inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, belief and values: the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity: our appreciation of aesthetic. Please review the details of the unit below so that connections can be made between home and our learning at school.

Central Idea:
Messages can be communicated without words.
An Inquiry Into:
·  the different ways we communicate without
words
·  the different reasons we communicate
without words
Teacher Questions:
Ø  How do people communicate without words?
Ø  Why do people communicate without words?
Ø  How can signs communicate messages?
Ø  How can pictures communicate a story without words? /

In order to make this a truly rich unit, we encourage all parents to make connections related to the unit outside of school. Some things to try:

v  Ask specific questions about activities done in class and about Act 3 International’s Workshop

v  Encourage your family to play charades

v  Encourage your child to write in a journal detailing how they feel in different situations.

v  Make links between various events and emotions

v  Communicate using just facial expressions, body language and actions.

v  Visit the library to find some books that have only pictures and no words. Tell the story from these pictures.

v  Discuss sign language. Check the internet. Learn some signs.

v  Identify signs in the community and discuss their meaning. Photograph these and bring them to school to share.

v  Identify sounds in the environment and discuss what they mean eg ambulance, whistle, horn. Share these with the students at school.

Vocabulary List – Grade 1

SILENT SOUNDS

This is a list of some of the vocabulary that will be used in class during this unit. You might want to review this list in your child’s mother tongue. Even if your child is fluent in English, understanding the vocabulary in more than one language furthers his/her learning and encourages him/her to make broader connections.

Throughout this unit encourage your child to discuss what we have seen on class trips or during lesson activities. Also, if you discover some exciting things whether it be a story book, poster or news article, please send them along to school as the children love sharing what they have learned with the rest of the class.

silent
sounds
noises
mime
drama
actions
emotions
facial expressions
movement
face
body
feelings
sad
angry
mad
excited
happy
anxious / anxious
surprised
afraid
scared
frightened
nervous
tired
freeze frame
interpret
performance
show
play
signs
messages
warning
caution
meaning
environment / community
communicate
pictures
with
without
story
stories
clues
body language
sign language
skit
charade
role play
books without text
visual clues

If you have any questions about this unit or anything we are working on in class, please contact your classroom teacher.

Kind Regards,

Grade One Teachers

Susan Blanche and Mikko Perkowsky