Disney Decoded
June 30th
Today was the last day of Project Seek. We started the day by visiting the photo booth in the class "Beyond the Selfie" (see above). Next we went to the "Shakespeare's Kids" play (see right). Everyone really enjoyed the play and trying to figure out who was the criminal. After snack we went outside for a bit to play. When we got back inside we each read our books to the class, viewed a class slideshow, and then cleaned up the classroom. Thank you all for a super fun couple of weeks. I really enjoyed seeing everyone everyday and learning with you and from you. I hope everyone has a great summer and an amazing school year. -Ms. Hensch |
June 29th
Today was Kid's Choice day at Disney Decoded. On the first day of Project Seek we presented movie ideas, voted on our favorites, and Descendants (the Disney Chanel movie) won. To start the day we learned a little about the movie and made predictions for Descendants 2, which is coming out in July. Afterwards we went to the Sing It, Act It, Shake It musical about animals and biomes. The kids really enjoyed the show and seeing some of their friends perform. After snack we got a lot of things done for Open House starting with completing an activity about hypothetical Disney parents just like in the movie Descendants. Next they each finished their books, finished any crafts they had not yet completed, organized their binders, and cleaned up for Open House. |
Reminder: Open House is TONIGHT from 5-7PM. Please come and check out all the projects your child has completed. There will also be food for sale (by the Strike It Rich Class). Open House is also a great way to check out other classes your child may want to take in the future.
June 28th
Today we focused on the Cars movies. We started the day by watching the trailer of the brand new cars movie that came out a couple weeks ago and talking about our reactions. Only two people in the class had seen the new movie so far and they shared that it was a great movie. Next we did a map activity mapping the destinations in Cars 1 and Cars 2. Next, we imagined ourselves in the Cars universe and decided what car we would be. Some of the students' choices included a Ferrari, a mini-van, a Jeep, and several different race cars. We also spent some time working on our books before we went to snack. After snack we formed three teams and created our own versions of Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen. One of the groups decided to make a female tow truck that they named Bow Mater. Reminder: Tomorrow is Open House from 5-7 PM |
Above: Some of the students were able to fit inside the cars to add details in the interior. Many also enjoyed taking a look inside the hood to to finish their creations.
Below: Each team took a photo of their cars. |
June 27th
Brave was the Disney movie we focused on today. We started the day by learning about Scotland, where the movie takes place. Next we were joined by Josh Reistad who taught us how to shoot bows. Everyone improved greatly each round and by the end of the shooting session we had one student who had pierced the inside yellow target multiple times. After archery we went to snack and then analyzed the way Disney draws its characters. Students found patterns in the way males were drawn with big muscles, and females were drawn with tiny waists, perfect hair and a lot of make-up. We also talked about the affect this has on viewers and decided that Merida was different. After this lesson, we played a game called Merida Vs. Clansmen Vs. Bear. We ended the day by working on our own storybooks. |
Reminder: Open House is this Thursday, the 29th, from 5-7pm. Please come and see what your child has created and learned. The Open House is also a great way to check out other classes for future years. Strike It Rich will also be offering food for purchase including hot dogs, walking tacos, and nachos.
June 26th
Be our guest! Today we learned all about The Beauty and the Beast, both the animated and live action versions. We started the day by learning about some lessons taught in the films. After this we did some comparison work between the animated and live action film. We also watched a scene from the animated film and then prepared and performed the same scene to create our own live action version. After our performances we went to snack, learned to waltz, and spent some time working on our books. We ended the day by making Chip, the tea cup from the film.
Reminder: Tomorrow we will be doing archery so please wear a shirt that allows for movement.
Be our guest! Today we learned all about The Beauty and the Beast, both the animated and live action versions. We started the day by learning about some lessons taught in the films. After this we did some comparison work between the animated and live action film. We also watched a scene from the animated film and then prepared and performed the same scene to create our own live action version. After our performances we went to snack, learned to waltz, and spent some time working on our books. We ended the day by making Chip, the tea cup from the film.
Reminder: Tomorrow we will be doing archery so please wear a shirt that allows for movement.
June 23rd
The Movie of the Day today was Moana. We started the day by learning about voyaging and wayfinding and then participating in an island hopping activity. After that we completed a STEM challenge where we designed and built boats. Students were given a variety of material choices and then could use the items to create a boat that could complete several challenges. After snack we went to the computer lab to take some online quizzes. When we got back to the classroom we finished up our boats and tested them is a variety of ways. We ended the day by playing Disney charades.
Many of the students asked for the links for the online quizzes we took so here they are:
What Disney characters you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/quiz/2017/03/08/quiz-whats-your-disney-character-dna/
What Disney Princesses you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/movies/2017/02/14/quiz-whats-your-disney-princess-dna/
What Disney Princes you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/quiz/2017/06/18/quiz-whats-your-disney-prince-dna/
What Disney villains you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/quiz/2017/03/14/quiz-whats-your-disney-villain-dna/
What Disney pixar characters you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/quiz/2017/03/26/quiz-whats-your-disney-pixar-dna/
The Movie of the Day today was Moana. We started the day by learning about voyaging and wayfinding and then participating in an island hopping activity. After that we completed a STEM challenge where we designed and built boats. Students were given a variety of material choices and then could use the items to create a boat that could complete several challenges. After snack we went to the computer lab to take some online quizzes. When we got back to the classroom we finished up our boats and tested them is a variety of ways. We ended the day by playing Disney charades.
Many of the students asked for the links for the online quizzes we took so here they are:
What Disney characters you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/quiz/2017/03/08/quiz-whats-your-disney-character-dna/
What Disney Princesses you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/movies/2017/02/14/quiz-whats-your-disney-princess-dna/
What Disney Princes you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/quiz/2017/06/18/quiz-whats-your-disney-prince-dna/
What Disney villains you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/quiz/2017/03/14/quiz-whats-your-disney-villain-dna/
What Disney pixar characters you are like:
https://ohmy.disney.com/quiz/2017/03/26/quiz-whats-your-disney-pixar-dna/
Above: Acting out the Disney characters of Sebastian, Belle, and Mike Wazowski.
Left: Students had to travel from island to island using boats (paper) in a voyaging/wayfinding activity. Below: We also played a game today where every time I said "The floor is Te Ka" (the lava monster from Moana) everyone had to get off the floor. |
Below: The scoreboard for our STEM/boat making activity. Congrats to our co-champions for earning perfect scores! Boats were scored on their ability to hold Moana, the boat's style, its finish in a race, surviving Te Ka and surviving a simulated storm.
Below: Pictures from our boat making activity:
June 22nd
Despite the rainy weather we had a lot of fun at Como Zoo today and we found many of the animals from Zootopia and Finding Dory (see document below). Some of the highlights from the field trip include seeing the Sea Lion Show, watching the primates swing around, getting close to a zebra and a baby giraffe, and dancing in the rain (see videos below).
Despite the rainy weather we had a lot of fun at Como Zoo today and we found many of the animals from Zootopia and Finding Dory (see document below). Some of the highlights from the field trip include seeing the Sea Lion Show, watching the primates swing around, getting close to a zebra and a baby giraffe, and dancing in the rain (see videos below).
Check out all the photos from the zoo:
June 21st
Today we learned all about Zootopia. We started the day by reviewing the lessons the movie taught us including "dream big" and "don't judge someone by how they look." During this lesson we also shared our dreams and something fun we want to try in our lives. Next we were visited by Sgt. Wood of the Chisago County Sheriff's Office. He taught us about what he does and then answered many questions. After many questions about donuts, we came to the conclusion that Sgt. Wood did not like donuts and nobody knew why the correlation between police and donuts existed. At the end of his visit he showed us a real police car. After this we had snack, did show and tell, played an animal guessing game, visited the dissections class to see them dissect a crawfish, and then worked on the plot of our own books. We ended the day by finishing up some crafts we did not have time to finish previous days. |
Reminder: Tomorrow is the extended day. Be ready to have fun at the Como Zoo! Please bring $10 (if you haven't already) and a bagged lunch and wear your green Project Seek shirt if you have one.
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June 20th
The movie today was Finding Dory. We started the day by working in small groups to piece together the plot of the movie (see left). Next, we went to the computer lab and learned about many of the animals in the film including whale sharks, otters, blue tang, and clown fish. After this we played an echolocation game and did our best to locate each other just like Bailey the beluga whale did in the movie (see video to the left and pictures below). After this had snack, joined three other classes for a large game of habitat (a tag-like game) and found hidden easter eggs in Disney movies. Some of the easter eggs were easy to find, but some were hidden well and difficult to spot. We ended the day by learning about ocean pollution and pollution everywhere in our world. We brainstormed a list of what we can do to help which included: recycling, telling others not to litter, and not littering ourselves. We also reused recyclable items to create new and fun things. Some of the things we made from the recyclable items include maracas, robots, and a pencil holder. |
June 19th
The Disney movie theme of the day today was Frozen. We started the day by reading The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson, which Frozen is based off of. After we read that text, we compared and contrasted the two stories. Next we did some experiments with ice cubes and learned about a fan theory that Anna and Elsa are related to Tarzan and Rapunzel from Tangled. After discussing our thoughts about this theory we had snack, took some group photos with our crowns, and then started developing our main characters for our books. We ended the day by making trolls, just like the ones featured in Frozen.
The Disney movie theme of the day today was Frozen. We started the day by reading The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson, which Frozen is based off of. After we read that text, we compared and contrasted the two stories. Next we did some experiments with ice cubes and learned about a fan theory that Anna and Elsa are related to Tarzan and Rapunzel from Tangled. After discussing our thoughts about this theory we had snack, took some group photos with our crowns, and then started developing our main characters for our books. We ended the day by making trolls, just like the ones featured in Frozen.
REMINDER: The extended day is this Thursday. Please wear your green Project Seek shirt if you got one. Also please bring $10 for the field trip on Thursday or anytime before then. Also bring a bag lunch for the field trip.
June 16th
Today we focused on the Disney movie Mulan. We started the day by doing a science experiment that made mock fireworks. Next we learned about the Chinese New Year and what animals we were. In our class we had people born in the year of the rat, oxen and pig. We also learned to write our names in Chinese, ate fortune cookies, and practiced using chopsticks. After snack we were joined by Chuck Phillips from Kyoshin Ryu Karate Academy in Forest Lake (See slideshow below). He lead the class in some basic self-defense and karate skills. We ended the day by making Chinese fans to keep ourselves cool during hot summer days. |
June 15th
Overall, the first day of Project Seek was a huge success. First we spent some time getting to know one another. After that we decorated crowns, went to snack, thought about what Disney character we would be if we were one, and then we decorated the classroom. With so many options of lands to live in, we decided to break up into small groups and decorate each corner of the room differently. We ended up Dragonland, Elsa's Castle, and Tropical Land. I also handed out a letter today explaining some things coming up and attached it below for your convenience. Reminder: Tomorrow we will be doing Karate so please wear comfy/moveable clothes. |
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June 14th
I am so excited to meet everyone tomorrow when class starts. We have a lot of fun things coming up in the next couple of weeks and I am looking forward to getting started. I will be updating this webpage daily so check it our often to see what is happening inside the classroom. I will send out a letter tomorrow (and post it on this page) with more details about the class and some fun things that will be happening. I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow morning! :)
I am so excited to meet everyone tomorrow when class starts. We have a lot of fun things coming up in the next couple of weeks and I am looking forward to getting started. I will be updating this webpage daily so check it our often to see what is happening inside the classroom. I will send out a letter tomorrow (and post it on this page) with more details about the class and some fun things that will be happening. I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow morning! :)