P2 School Project - Social Studies

Date:  March 15, 2014

This term, Jay Jay has a school project from the Social Studies class.

The learning outcome for the project is “Pupils will be required to do a write-up on one of the festivals celebrated in Singapore.  They may present their work in the form of scrapbook or 3D or using IT tools.

So, exactly how much you (as a parent) need to be involve in this?

In my opinion, this is his first project from school that I could recall, so, why don’t you put in 100% of the efforts in teaching your kid how to do it, and show him multiple ways of doing it.  And then, always consulted his ideas, and ask him questions.

So, for nearly 2-3 weeks of efforts.  Jay Jay completed this with my help (10%-15%) 

So, this blog is to walk thru the process of creating this project book.

The first 1-2 weeks is for him to learn how to search on Google.

He was amazed that the web browser could do so much things.

For now, he learned how to key in a “keyword” and then click on the "Images” tab and he gets to see all sort of photos.

For him to complete his CNY book.  He needs a lot of photos.

Since the topic is Chinese New Year, it is easier for the Jay to talk about Chinese New Year.

He then can compare what he knows and relates it to the photos he sees.  And then, he can add more knowledge when he asked me about photos he does not understand.

So, in his presentation, he is going to talk about things we usually do before CNY, Ang Pao, Drangon Dance, Food, etc etc.

As the thought process expands his presentations also expands.

So, the next thing that he learned is to learn how to save those photos he wants to appear in his presentation slides.

Simply drag the photos he wants onto the desktop of the PC.

He was so excited next when he learned how to operate the Keynote (Mac’s version of Power Point).

This is what I teach him, drag the photos (import) into the Keynote pages, and type the bullet points on what he wants to say.

YES!  That simple.  One Page, One Photo, One line text.  

So, the whole idea is to create the skeleton presentation slides, print it out and stick the slides onto an art book.  And then expand the idea from there.

He was very happy that it involves a whole lot of things.

So, immediately the flow of information came in and we finalised the agenda of the presentations.

Let’s start!

1.  Designing the front page.  Simply buy the letters stickers for him.

2.  Done!  Looks very boring.  Plain and boring.

3.  So I asked him, do you want to draw anything?  Or paper cutting?  Or Calligraphy?

He then “Oh ya, I always write the 毛笔字!”  So, he picked the Chinese Brushes and start to write.

4.  He has learned well.  The way how he hold the Chinese calligraphy brush.

So, he wrote 新年快乐 and 春 on the first page.

5.  Although it is not so perfect yet, but for an 8 years old kid who does not have any proper training in writing Chinese Calligraphy, he has done a very good job.  Good Job Jay!

6.  Next, I told him that the front page is still a bit plain.  So, I suggested to him to draw some small little CNY symbols.

The fire crackers is one of the simpler thing to draw.  And he drew it in school before.  

7.  Of course, mandarin oranges is also easy to draw.  

8.  This is how he finished his first title (front) page.  I think it is excellent job.

So, I explain to Jay, in this first page, the most amazing thing is his own calligraphy art works.

That is how teacher will "give marks” to such a hard work.

The “By Jay” is something cool for the kid too.  This is your work, so, label your name.

Kids always feel very proud of heir own work. 

9.  Well done Jay!

10.  Next job is very hard work.  HaHaHa.

So, he used up almost 25 minutes just to GLUE the presentation slides onto the art books.

There are about twenty plus pages.

He learned to use the glue pen to do it.  Wahahaha.  Lazy mommy bought him all these lazy stationary.

Wahahaha.

11.  You really need to prepare all the scissors, glues, tapes, art pens, etc.

12.  This page is important.  As it is the first page where Jay learned how to drag photos onto his Keynote slide, and RESIZE it.

This process involved the selection of photos that he likes, and paste it here.

13.  The main topic is Chinese New Year.  So, you got to explain what is Chinese New Year.

14.  When is the Chinese New Year?

So, this is where daddy and son learned the knowledge together.

This is where Jay first make known of the other Calendar.

The lunar calendar or Chinese Calendar.

15.  I suggested to him that we need to present some REAL SAMPLES so that people would know what is Chinese Calendar.

So, I suggested to him to make a “pocket” to keep his sample.

16.  I need to circle the Chinese New Year day.  

17.  This is a sample of Chinese Calendar.  

18.  This is where Jay Jay first learned how to write bullet points.

19.  Spring Cleaning is important.  We actually involved Jay in the spring cleaning.  

So, he can remember.

20.  Jay always enjoys the CNY decorations.

21.  He remembers that likes to used old ang pao paper to make decorations. 

22.  If you came to my home before, you will notice this Calligraphy word written by Kay Kay.  And it is hanging on our door.

Now, it has been transferred to Jay's presentation book.

23.  Oh ya!  Daddy, you remember the fan and the lanterns that you teach us how to do in school (during volunteering work).  

Can we put some here?

24.  The Ang Pao arts are in 3D, but also can be folded and keep inside the sample pocket.

He loves the sample pocket.

25.  Mommy passed by and asked, how come you never say anything about the paper cutting decorations?

Jay says: “OK.  But I don’t know how to cut?"

Mommy says:  “OK, kiss me here, I will cut for you."

This is the mommy’s only contributions.  Wahahaha.

26.  Well, daddy still need to do the work, as he needs to find how to cut it sample for mommy to cut it.

27.  This is probably his favourite section of the book.

28.  He even go to take the very last packet of bak gua and put inside the presentation.

I told him, you have to be careful because there may be some Muslim in the class.

He says, “OK.”  he will tell them is non-halal.

29.  While searching for the Chinese Food photos.  He found this picture.

So, I explain to him that since you are in Care Program because you are overweight, why don’t you warn fat people to be careful of what they eat during Chinese New Year.

He agrees.  And this is going to be a make fun and funny page.

30.  He go and choose the best photos for this Reunion Dinner.

He says, he wants to show the class his and Kay’s art work hanging on the wall. 

Well thought Jay!

31.  Hahahaha… Cook a lot of food!

32.  His favourite.  To use the chop stick to lou yu sheng.

33.  He always asked what and why we say those good things when we add pepper, add lemon, add oil, add crackers in there.

34.  So I showed him a info graphics that has all the good things to say.

Then, he say, can he do a flash cards?

I say of course.  You start cutting it.  hahaha

35.  But I don’t regconize all these Chinese words.  So, I told him, there is nothing stoping you from writing Han Yu Pin Yin, right?

36.  HaHaHa… So, he created these flash cards.

37.  Thank you for giving me credits on the Pen Cai ya!

38.  The reunion photos.  He purposely choose this funny face photo.

39.  He likes to be in Malaysia during Chinese New Year as he can play a lot of dangerous fire crackers.  hahaha

40.  He stays up late to see the fireworks.

41. This is where you can ask him to draw.  Using color magic pens, etc.

42.  This is his simple art work.  Due to time constraints, he cannot spent too much time to draw it. 

43.  He also fly the sky lantern too.  So, I told him would be nice to draw a sky lantern.  

44.  He did a nice simple diagram.

45.  Chinese Greetings.

46.  Ang Pao.

47.  The Ang Pao Samples.

48.  Save money.  We brought the boys to save money in the bank.

49.  He says I want the photos that I go fishing.

50.  These are the yearly lion dance at our condo there.

51.  He loves it because there are a lot of sweets you can take when the lion spill them out.

52.  That’s it.  That is the end of the Chinese New Year Presentation that he has made.

53.  This is probably the most important part.  So, I put all his hard work into one page and paste it on the last page.  So that the teacher can see how hard work he is.

54.  Don’t forget to tie it up.  hahaha I love this art book.

So, the efforts from daddy mommy although is not much, but the time to stand beside them while they are doing it is indeed a lot.

In my opinion, let the kid knows that his daddy mommy is always besides him to support and to teach.  

And I can see that he is so happy about his project.

And he learned a lot indeed for an 8 year old kid.

Good job Jay!