A Magical Performance and Day It is so hard to believe that in just 9 days we put together one of the most amazing CAC Units ever! The art projects, songs, dances, acting and learning truly took on a life of their own. One of the teachers in the audience said that the performance was "EPIC." I agree. So many memories were made during these two weeks - not just for the students. The teachers all came away with a better understanding of a part of the world that we often forget and never imagine actually visiting. All of this could NEVER have happened without the amazing Grosvenor Teaching Fellowship through National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions. It is because of them that we brought Antarctica to Chicago. Enjoy!
 Mr. Szymanski and his troop of colony of Gentoo penguins, 2 explorers, a Port Lockroy postman! I love them all so much! Special thanks to Mrs. Philbin for taking the photo! This video is from our dress rehearsal. There are still some bumps but it gives a good idea of just ONE part of the show. The cast of 200 kids went performed about the Drake Passage, Gerlache Straits, and Brown Bluff. Not to mention that there was an amazing finale that brought audience members to tears!
 The entrance to the CAC through the Golden Frame of National Geographic. Click the link to see the covers on the Walt Disney Magnet School website.
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We worked very hard today ironing out the bumps of a performance. I know that the kids will shine so brightly. There are 8 student explorers in the show who have been selected to go to Antarctica with National Geographic. They visit The Drake Passage, Brown Bluff, Gerlache Strait and Port Lockroy on the Antarctica Peninsula. So much we have learned through this whole process - the students AND teachers! Ironically, a video was made of Mr. Sanders and I visiting Port Lockroy and I wanted to share. I am having some uploading difficulties with images I have taken today. Hopefully, I will be able to post more students tomorrow. Break a leg to all of the first graders! It will be magical!  The students are in full costume and singing the finale. Can you see the explorers in the front?  Jellyfish don't have eyes but this was too cute to not put some on! The big projects now are connecting like fine works of art for a puzzle. The pieces of each individual lesson are a part of a big picture where the kids have a very deep meaning for the unit. Tomorrow is our dress rehearsal and then we have the big day!  Some student art works showing their impressions of penguins and Antarctica!  Two students showing off their Macaroni Penguins.  Drake Passage waves are enjoying their rehearsal!  A colony of penguins!  A student getting ready to be an expedition boat!  More student artwork! 
The most adorable Orca scientist imaginable!
Mrs. Litman-Woods directs her class and Mrs. Bannigan's during a dance rehearsal.
Hall of National Geographic Explorers featuring students on National Geographic Covers from 7 different classrooms!
Port Lockroy... showing off some student art work. Student adaptation of the shared claims of the White Continent and Gentoo Penguins.
As with all CAC units, the teachers have so many balls in the air. We have started rehearsals and full scale practices. The kids are learning now how to convey what they have been learning into a performance. Little things like how to stand on a stage, slowly delivery a line and have emotion are entering the conversations. The lyrics of the songs are coming to life and projects are still being created! Today has less "action shots" because I was working hard with kids during rehearsal. I have to tell the truth. It makes me want to go back to Antarctica again! Here is a group of students practicing "Antarctica, The land Undiscovered" during their music class and the incredible teacher, Ms. Dimas. Then, there are more student projects of different animals of Antarctica. So creative and fun! 
Amazing poster of a Gentoo Penguin by Sophia.
Shannon's Leopard Seal poster! She made the Leopard Seal and told me that her project weighs 11 pounds!
Those are come cute jellies!
Everybody "loves" a killer whale! Until they meet one face to face ! :)
We just finished our first week studying Antarctica. Kids are learning their lines, lyrics to songs, painting and dancing. I feel so lucky to bring the real world to the lives of all of these kids. For me, it is the most magical of all CAC units that I have ever been a part of. 
A student "poster report" on an Antarctic Skua. So creative and fun! Who knew a bird could be so vicious!
Students in Mr. Szymanski's class show off their hard work of the food chain of Antarctica. Phytoplankton, Krill, Penguins, Squid and Killer Whales are all just a part of this massive system.
A paper bag Gentoo Penguin is just adorable!
An artistic representation of the continent and waters. A little glitter makes it pop!
Hard at work making phytoplankton!
I can almost hear the penguin! Thank goodness I can't smell him!
More penguins! This one has an emoji style. :)
As always, "the CAC" is fully of energy and excitement. "CAC" stands for "Communication Arts Center." The facility is HUGE (think an airplane hanger) where there is a giant open space and kids everywhere! So much dancing, singing and practicing filling the room. 
Students in Mr. Szymanski's class create a Leopard Seal as part of their group's portion of an Antarctic food web.
Classrooms are always working on different topics inside of the unit. Mr. Szymanski's class tackled the Antarctic food web. The kids worked in collaborative groups to make their part of the web. It was so interesting to see kids get so excited to make phytoplankton and krill! 
A student in Ms. Brandt's class shows off her "penguin slide" picture.
Penguins are a hot topic in the CAC. It is always fun to look at penguins with kids and see how they move above and below the water! 
A student in Ms. Davis' class sports her "Antarctica Jellyfish" costume for our show next week.
Speaking of below the water... You have to take a moment to look at the amazing adaptations that has happened to the deep-sea life in Antarctica. I am always learning new things! 
Ms. Brandt is working hard with her actors! Everybody is having so much fun!
A student in Mr. Szymanski's class is thrilled to read a book set in Antarctica!
Mr. Szymanski's kids are LOVING reading the Magic Tree House book, "The Eve of the Emperor Penguin." The book has all sorts of Antarctica facts. Plus, a little magic never hurt any storyline!
Today we has so many different things happening in the CAC today. The students (almost 200) are loving learning about Antarctica! 
Students in Ms. Torres' room created iceberg flip-dioramas using water colors!
Then there were the Antarctic food-web projects. Students learned how different species rely on each other for food. They are all connected! 
Mrs. Brannigan's kids created food chains with some of the life of Antarctica.
Mrs. Litman-Woods made a more abstracted representation of a food chain.
Then, it became penguin time in Mr. Szymanski's class. Though, we didn't talk about how penguins become food when learning about the 3 different types of brush tail penguins! 
One of Mr. Szymanski's students works on drawing a Gentoo Penguin.
Another of Mr. Szymanski's students shows off her beginning stylization of a Chinstrap Penguin.
And, as always, the CAC units are never without masses of kids practicing for a performance. You can always hear various songs being sung with kids learning dances in the distance. 
Mrs. Davis and Ms. Brant practice the with their kids as they learn about the Gerlache Strait.
Today, we have some junior explorers posing for photos with our photojournalist! Actually, it was a few super creative parents who helped capture almost 200 students to post for magazine cover shots for our "National Geographic" cover stories for Antarctica. 
A "parent photojournalist" helps students capture the emotions of being in the pristine climate of Antarctica.
Two students on a prototype for a cover of our "Disney National Geographic." It makes the whole project so real! Photo credit to Mr. Bennet!
Students also learned about Antarctica's International Treaty where countries have promised to preserve Antarctica. Students created maps of Antarctica with artistic representations of the countries' flags and the portion that they have claimed in Antarctica. 
A student smiles brightly for the camera showing off his "international" map of Antarctica.
It is so interesting to see how the children interpret the flags and regions of the map. This student combined the flags of Chile, Argentina and United Kingdom. Great work!
First Day Jitters! Today, we started! It was the first day of our 2-week, arts integrated unit called, "Disney on Antarctic Ice." The kids were so excited. The teachers were already tired! We have been working nonstop getting together projects and a script about 7 first grade students embarking on a similar journey of Mr. Szymanski and Mr. Sanders in Antarctica. There was lots of art, singing and learning of the White Continent!  Students from Ms. Brannigan's class making relief paintings of the waves of the Drake passage. Students also got to begin to learn songs for their various performances! It isn't easy writing lyrics for music that little ones will sing! The students are singing about the Penguin Post Office at Port Lockroy. And the acting!  Student in Mr. Szymanski's class pleading that we should all get along - penguins and people! We must take care of the world! And more!  Student in Mr. Szymanski's Class learning how to be a penguin at Port Lockroy. And then some kids learned about the characteristics of penguins and seals found on the peninsula!  Students in Mrs. Litman-Woods study penguins and seals of Antarctica. |
AuthorMr. Szymanski is a first grade teacher at the Walt Disney Magnet School in Chicago, IL. His class, along with about 160 other children are working hard to put together "Disney on Antarctic Ice." ArchivesCategories |
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