https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod Please complete the padlet by including a photo of your special "spot" and a few sentences about how this hyper-local observation could spark curriculum! Include your name and see mine for an example. en-us 2020-11-09 18:18:21 UTC 2025-11-08 07:36:34 UTC hello@padlet.com rsl304 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/905462072 This is a small plant growing out of the crack between the sidewalk and my building. I think I could invite children to find something similar and we could focus on observing how things change over time. I could invite them to draw or take pictures of the spot and describe what they notice over time.]]> 2020-11-09 18:23:37 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/905462072 ryb222 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/905866869 These are some flowers that are growing outside of my building. From the picture you can see that some are fully bloomed, while others are still just buds. Similar to Rebecca's, I think the children could look for similar plants, ideally flowers, around their community and take pictures/observe them. We could talk about the growth cycle of flowers and observe how they are growing. I think this could be especially interesting as the seasons change.]]> 2020-11-09 19:45:08 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/905866869 jsj389 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/905918403 This is a teddy bear I can see from my window, right in the apartment in front of mine in the same building. I think this can help children wonder why somebody left it there, and if there is any day, the owner will pick it up from that place. Maybe they have something at home they have left behind for a long time. I thought it was a weird but great way to emphasize cleaning habits and empathy: if you are not using this teddy bear for months now, not even moving it from that same place, maybe you consider donating it to children that may use it more than you do.

]]> 2020-11-09 19:56:51 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/905918403 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/906911909 Here is the playground next to my apartment building. In this, I would also include the tree area as so a place full of exploration. The area is full of different plant life as well as animal life. An activity could look like finding the different types of plant and animal life, count how many we spot and keep track (applying science and math). It is also fall time, we can identify the different fall colors and talk about how these trees stay green and how other tree's leaves change color and fall. We could even take leaves with us in the classroom and do leaf stamp art! ]]> 2020-11-10 03:20:23 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/906911909 sal674 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/908749506 On a walk, I found an acorn that was just beginning to sprout! This could be a great conversation starter on plants and how plants grow. We could also talk about having classroom plants and the responsibility that would come from that. ]]> 2020-11-10 14:52:04 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/908749506 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/908859601 This is the staircase in my apartment building. When I was looking for places of potential exploration, this is one of the first places that caught my attention because I know how creative and resourceful kids can be. In this city, many children have to use wha's immediately around them to entertain themselves and I think that from a child's point of view, this would be a great place to physically explore and play games like hide-and-seek.]]> 2020-11-10 15:12:18 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/908859601 jan4421 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/909645304 Here are the trees outside my grandma's building. I think it could be fun to invite to children observe their neighborhood environment and take note of things they regularly pass by. For example, the line of trees which have been growing for as long as I can remember have grown to be tall and strong. I've never taken notice of it until the other day while I was waiting for my mother. Exploring our home environment can be just as exciting as discovering some place new!]]> 2020-11-10 17:35:52 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/909645304 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/910130572 Here is the same view from the balcony of my friend's apartment, with photos taken in the Summer and now in the Fall. Within just a short period of time, the leaves changed so much and turned from mostly green to a mix of beautiful shades of yellow and red. I think it would be fun to encourage children to be observant of their surrounding environment as the seasons change and to make note of the differences that they notice. This can be an informative, hands on way to learn about the seasons as they will see firsthand all the changes that they bring about -- and I think that if children are able to connect what they learn in school to real life, it will be all the more memorable for them.]]> 2020-11-10 19:07:47 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/910130572 ac7412 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/910713552 This is the view of my backyard. In my backyard there are 3 different types of tress growing, and we often see a lot of different animals. This area could be used to set up a classroom watch/camera, and each day we could talk about the different animals we see throughout the day, and draw them and learn about where they live, what they like to eat, etc. Or it could be used to explore the properties of trees and leaves. ]]> 2020-11-10 21:42:07 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/910713552 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/913492548 This is the traffic light I found on my way to NYU Shanghai. I think traffic light is a very good starting point for kids to make connection between what they learn in class and the real world. They can practice naming numbers and colors with traffic light. And I also think that traffic light can be an useful tool to use for discussing rules. Children can discuss what they would do when they see a red, yellow, or green light. This can be an activity for them to practice using language and explore what does rule mean. ]]> 2020-11-11 16:50:31 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/913492548 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/914581448 Describe this photo. What do you notice about this picture? Does anything stand out to you?
Why do you think this area has trees, grass, and flowers (nature) instead of buildings like most of the rest of the city? What is the value of having natural spaces? Do you think this is a location that is supposed to attract people and make them happy? Is this an space you would enjoy being in? What would you name this area?
Now let's draw some conclusions? Do you think this area looks like this all year or are there times when it might look different, why? What do you think might be photographed to the right side of this picture that I didn't include in my shot?

I would hope that this picture could get students thinking about the intentionality of designed spaces around them. I would hope that it helps them to recognize the various was the world around them changes (ie: seasonally). I also want to encourage them to pay close attention to detail, their surroundings, and what composes entities, situations, and subjects. This activity can develop and encourage their observation and description skills as well as their critical thinking abilities and imaginations. ]]> 2020-11-11 23:32:45 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/914581448 ppp315 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/917666115 These are the trees down the my block and the ones on the floor are in front of my house. I think an activity with this would be to talk about what happens to the leaves on the trees in fall. Something else to go along with this would be collecting 3-4 leaves, bringing them to the classroom, and observing what we see. We could also talk about the colors of the leaves. Another thing would be to mention how the stems in leaves go in different directions, not all them are the same. After that students could place a blank sheet of paper on top of the leaves they collected them and color them. I would also ask them if something similar is happening where they live and if they see leaves on the floor or empty trees. ]]> 2020-11-12 17:55:42 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/917666115 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/918809633 Here is the view outside of my friend’s window. I noticed there is grass growing on the roofdeck of the building next to her. I was surprised to see so much grass just growing on the roof. It made me wonder why and how it got there. I thought it could be interesting to pose this question to children and use it as a starting point to explore where, how, and why things grow. Kids can be encouraged to find other examples of things growing in unexpected places.]]> 2020-11-12 23:23:56 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/918809633 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/918864048 Below is a picture of a plant that my mom is taking care of at home. I can see that she is using a tool to support and guide the way that the plant should grow into. Also, I can see that she recycled the soda bottle to make a vase for the plant. I think this can spark curriculum by talking about how we use different tools to help plants grow and how we can recycle/use objects for different purposes. ]]> 2020-11-12 23:58:16 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/918864048 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/918934586 This photo was taken when I was sitting on my bed and directly looked outside my apartment window at dusk. I think the changes in the sky from dawn to night is a very interesting topic. Kids can learn about the nature and weather. We can also talk about colors because the daylight changes are always with different layers of colors. And those flowers in front of the window can also be related with how to take care of plants and we can explore various kinds of plants together with kids. ]]> 2020-11-13 00:39:10 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/918934586 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/919929420 2020-11-13 13:06:46 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/919929420 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/919935502 This is a view that I see on my way to work. I love driving this way to see the bridge over the water. I think this would be an interesting way to talk about the weather. This particular day was extremely foggy and made it seem as though the bridge disappeared. I think it would be a fun and mysterious picture to show children. I could have them make observations on why the bridge looks like that. Then after I’d be able to teach them about the weather or the water cycle. Additionally, I think the bridge itself is pretty cool as well and that could be another lesson on different types of structures there are and what purposes they serve to help us in transportation. ]]> 2020-11-13 13:09:08 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/919935502 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920013200 This photo is the view from my apartment. We could count the number of windows we can see from my window or we could even try to count how many colors we see in the picture. I think the most interesting thing to point out and discuss is the presence of the plastic bubbles on the sidewalk. We can all make guesses about what they are for/what is in each bubble and then we discuss what they are actually for and why/how they are useful.]]> 2020-11-13 13:35:29 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920013200 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920038863 This is a picture of the place where I visited during my last trip. When I saw the beautiful scenery, I felt relief and relaxed. This picture inspires me to design lessons about how we can protect the natural beauty. Especially in this era, human activities are causing environmental degradation. It is important to introduce the concept of building a healthier planet in kids mind. ]]> 2020-11-13 13:43:03 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920038863 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920071423 This is a picture from right outside of my dorm. A fun activity/lesson I could think to do with this is surrounding street art. A discussion about how this is a different medium of art that we see alot in NYC. We could maybe even do a walking tour to look at different types of street art and talk about what we think each one means]]> 2020-11-13 13:52:21 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920071423 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920434535 This is a picture of the golf course I recently visited in Shanghai. It centered in the middle of this busy metropolitan, and reminded me how scarce the green is in both Shanghai and New York City. I think it is important to let urban kids to have more outdoor experiences like going to parks or zoos. ]]> 2020-11-13 15:16:49 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920434535 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920461367 This is a picture of a corner of my room. I used to stay there when I am feeling bad. It’s very cozy and relaxed. I miss it a lot but I am not at home right now. I think kids can do some role playing here and just get some fun together. Playing is an important process for learning. They can even bring their favorite toys, and we can share with each other.]]> 2020-11-13 15:22:38 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920461367 alr639 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920467956 This photo is from my apartment's balcony, where we have an assortment of different plants and flowers. This is one of my favorite places in my home, and also coincidentally a very good place to explore plant life (and the occasional lizard or slug). It's exciting and varied enough that kids would be entertained and involved, but also secluded and personal enough that it isn't overwhelming. Lots of activities could be designed through this, from counting to object identification, to basic science skills! ]]> 2020-11-13 15:24:04 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920467956 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920485245 This image is of the park across the street from my house. It has always been my place to go to get some fresh air. I think any park-like setting is an opportunity to spark curriculum. It can be from asking about the kinds of things that can be done in a park to some noticing's and differences of other parks to even indulging in the colors ]]> 2020-11-13 15:27:50 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920485245 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920902351 I took this photo at prospect park, which is right by my apartment. I love to come here to unwind and to relax, especially since school has gone online and I spend most of my day on a screen. A park can be used for so many things in curriculum. We could use it as a way to talk about mindfulness and centering, as well as about friendship and play. In my student teaching placement, we did a theme called "fall through five senses" in which the students were encouraged to explore the nature around them and observe how it was changing with the season. ]]> 2020-11-13 16:58:13 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920902351 omr238 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920914440 This is a photo from my fire escape in my apartment. I noticed the red tree below and the tree right in front has some very interesting berries/nuts/I don't know growing off of it. But I thought that this could inspire questions and exploration of nature in a curriculum. I feel like a lot of young classrooms do units on trees or nature or the outdoors, and we could focus on fall and changing leaves colors or how trees grow etc. It could also then incorporate art projects like drawings, leaf pressings or playdough. ]]> 2020-11-13 17:00:53 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920914440 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920916488 This bridge that you see is the bridge to get to my local beach. This spot I took a picture of is a small spot that you can come to and have picnics or to just get away. I find it super peaceful and will take the short 15 min drive to just relax and watch the sunset from my car or walk down to this spot. A few ideas that came to mind on how this could spark curriculum could be:
1. asking what kinds of activities you can do at the beach
2. here is a place where I find it to be peaceful and relaxing, what are some places that you find are peaceful/relaxing when you need a break?
3. having the students paint/draw/color their own sunset. This can be good for when students are learning about colors of the rainbow.]]> 2020-11-13 17:01:19 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920916488 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920921827 This is when I had a chance to go to wall street last semester with my friends before COVID-19 spread. I like to travel not only the local area but also different states and countries. Looking at the pictures I took while traveling before the pandemics, I hope the pandemics disappear as soon as possible and give me a lot of strengths. Like me, I think it is important for children to have such experience and photo of themselves that keep them more positive and inspirational.]]> 2020-11-13 17:02:31 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/920921827 xl2618 https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/921237450 I took this photo at NYU shanghai campus an study room in level 28, I love the view here, is helped me when my train of thought was cut off when I wrote an paper, especially look out the windows I can see the people opposite are still working when you are work( I usually study till the study room close) so is also an motivating things on a daily basis.]]> 2020-11-13 18:13:20 UTC https://padlet.com/rsl304/mvhxtymu0kmwoqod/wish/921237450