May at Tiger Cub Immersion School was a month of creativity, exploration, and celebration, as students delved into the fascinating theme of “Buildings.” From constructing imaginative structures to exploring the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival, May was filled with engaging activities that nurtured curiosity, academic development, and cultural appreciation.
Our journey into the theme of “Buildings” took students on an adventure exploring the architecture and purpose of many kinds of structures. Students learned about a variety of buildings and their functions, including homes, schools, libraries, castles, and even many world-famous skyscrapers, through stories such as “Mighty Mighty Construction Site,” “Good Morning City,” and “If I Built a School.” Inspired by these tales, students experimented with various materials like magnets, foam blocks, sticks, and clay to build their own creations, ranging from colorful cities to 3-dimensional castles. Our younger students honed their fine motor skills by piecing together shapes to form tall towers and houses, while our older students worked collaboratively to recreate models of famous structures, including the Eiffel Tower and the Bird’s Nest. Students also participated in guided walks around the neighborhood to observe the diverse architecture in our surroundings.
May was a month of growth in academic pursuits, as students continued to develop their language, math, and problem-solving skills through engaging activities. Students practiced writing Chinese characters while learning new vocabulary through storytelling and shadow puppet retellings of classic stories such as “The Three Little Pigs.” English-language books such as “At the Supermarket” and “The Doctor’s Office” helped students explore the functions of buildings while expanding their vocabulary. Our younger students also worked on pattern recognition and learned to sort objects into categories, while our older students experimented with building stable structures using blocks and paper by following principles of balance and design.
The latter half of May brought excitement as students immersed themselves in the customs and traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival. Through stories like “Little Zongzi,” “Grandma’s Silk Thread, Grandpa’s Boat,” and “Dragon Boat Festival,” students learned about the significance of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), dragon boats, and family celebrations. Students explored the meaning behind this vibrant holiday while engaging in festive crafts, such as making collages of zongzi and building a variety of crafts of dragon boats using paper, paint, and other materials. Movement games brought the festival to life as students pretended to row boats, braid threads, and wrap dumplings.
In celebration of Mother’s Day this month, students participated in special activities that expressed love and gratitude for their mothers. They crafted paper bouquets, stamped personalized poems, and created vibrant paintings of flowers. During our Mother’s Day Breakfast event, families enjoyed a memorable morning of bonding and creativity as students presented their handmade gifts and arranged beautiful floral bouquets together with their mothers (and fathers, too!).
As May draws to a close, we are excited to welcome the month of June and embark on a new theme: Transportation! Stay tuned for another month of fun, learning, and discovery at Tiger Cub Immersion School!
Students colored, folded, and pasted paper together to create three dimensional structures.
Students built structures using a variety of materials.
Students matched workers in uniforms to the corresponding buildings in which they work, such as teachers to schools, police officers to police stations, and doctors to hospitals.
Students crafted their own renditions of famous structures, such as the Beijing National Stadium (a.k.a. the “Bird’s Nest”).
This month, we took students on a walking trip around the neighborhood to look at the different buildings near our school. We also took some of the older students to our neighborhood playground!
Students reenacted the story of “The Three Little Pigs” using shadow puppets, a traditional form of storytelling in China.
Students created a collage using tissue paper and rice in the shape of a zongzi, a traditional sticky rice dumpling eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Students made their own dragon boats by weaving strips of paper into a boat and gluing on a dragon head and tail.
Students colored and cut out paper bouquets for their mothers and included a handwritten message.
On the Friday before Mother's Day, students arranged beautiful bouquets with their mothers during our Mother’s Day Breakfast event.
