by Vannessa Gonzalez
Recently, the Lions class traveled to Africa for a safari adventure! We had a blast learning about and taking on the roles of safari animals and explorers! The Lions also enjoyed dancing to African music and playing authentic musical instruments that originated in Africa, like the djembe drum.
Some of the fun facts we learned about lions were the following:
- Lions live in Africa in the grassy plains and open savannas.
- We can easily tell the difference between adult male and female lions because male lions have a mane, whereas female lions do not.
- Lions are good swimmers and excellent climbers.
- Lions love to sleep! They rest and sleep for about 20 hours a day!! Must be nice, right?
- Lions live in large groups called a pride, with each pride having its own territory or a place that they call home.
We explained to the Lions that our class is like a pride, with our “home” being our classroom. Similar to a lion pride that live as a family, the Lions see and interact with each other every day and will do so for the entire school year. One of my goals is for friendships to develop and flourish as a result of these day to day interactions, ultimately helping the children stay connected to one another. Another goal of mine is that the children feel safe, loved, and nurtured by their teachers, as we care about them so much.
A safari is a journey, just like preschool. These early years mark the beginning of the children being exposed to a school setting and builds the foundation for their future. As the Lions grow older and move on to experience new adventures with a new class or “pride” each school year, I hope that they will always remember their journey in the Lions’ class with Ms. Martha and Me!
