We experienced real volcanoes and earthquakes this week! Well, almost. The children had the opportunity to use our Virtual Reality headsets to witness simulated earthquake and volcano scenes in order to bring their topic to life. First, they found themselves in a house watching a TV counting down until an earthquake was to occur. They saw objects falling and the building started to shake as the earthquake hit, while the words ‘Drop, Cover, Hold on’ rang in their ears. It was so realistic some of the children even got under their desks to take cover!
Then, they found themselves flying over an active volcano. They saw the lava spurting out of the crater and rolling down the mountain, while ash clouds filled the sky. The children described their sights to their partners, who took notes on their whiteboards. Then, they recounted their experiences together.
This week the children had an Institute of Imagination workshop on ‘Coding our Emotions’. Their challenge was to make a game to help them relax and regulate their emotions with something they enjoyed. They were coached through the process of making a code for a game on Scratch. This game incorporated ‘video sensing’, where the children were able to move across the screen and use their bodies to make their characters move. The children made some interesting games, including a penalty shoot-out and balloon-popping! The results were great.
