CSD's 150th anniversary mural series - California School for the Deaf

Toddler Class:
Happy Birthday CSD was introduced
in the toddler class by discussing that we
all have birthdays, including a student who
had one the very week of homecoming.
We celebrated the student's birthday
on Tuesday and CSD’s birthday on
Wednesday.
A variety of school celebration
activities took place including:
•
•
CSD 150 th Celebration
in Early Childhood Education
Community watercolor art activity,
which became the birthday cake for
our class bulletin board
Teachers collected birthday photos
from each student’s family, from
their most recent birthday, and
posted them on the bulletin board
next to the birthday cake
• Students followed a recipe to make a
cake in celebration of CSD’s birthday
• Students put candles on the real
birthday cake for CSD
• Students put candles on the bulletin
board cake for CSD
• Students and staff signed, “Happy
birthday to CSD,” and enjoyed cake
together
• Teachers
made a language experience
book covering this “project”
Student Remarks:
• HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
• As an extension of the kindergarten’s
celebration of CSD, they asked the
toddlers how old they were. They
answered proudly, “TWO!”
Additional Information:
• We had separate related lessons and
activities around CSD’s Eagle
• If you would like a copy of the language
experience book, let us know!
Preschool:
The preschool class was introduced
to some old pictures of how CSD looked
many years ago; how the CSD students
were dressed; and what kind of things
they used. They compared it to the
things we use now. There were things
that they didn’t have, such as computers
and colored markers. We painted a
mural using a certain paint brush to
create a dynamic pattern. The mural
included a sign showing the “Happy
birthday, CSD!” in ASL by the preschoolers!
Pre-Kindergarten
The pre-kindergarten students
studied what an “eagle” is, and the Eagle
pride at CSD.
We talked about the lifespan of eagles,
and how they’re now endangered.
“Eagles” by the Usborne publishing company,
was signed aloud to the class and
the class then studied pictures of bald
eagles. We discussed the anatomy of the
eagle such as colors of the feathers, the
eyes, the talons, and what kind of diet
eagles eat.
Then, we took a tour of the CSD
campus to find eagles in different forms
such as the eagle on the gym and the
Eagle mascot, etc. After we identified the
eagles on campus, we came back and
discussed that the bald eagle is CSD’s
school mascot, and it is OUR PRIDE at
the school.
We had a surprise visit from the
CSD’s Eagle mascot. It came into our
classroom, and we were all able to touch
the mascot’s feathers and talons! We
were not afraid of the mascot! One
pre-kindergartener was curious if the
mascot mask was see-through. The
student tried it on and found it was
indeed see-through!
We chanted three ASL signs
pertaining to the CSD 150 th celebration:
EAGLE, PRIDE and C-S-D.
Then, we made bald eagles from
brown paper bags stuffed with crumbled
newspaper. We labeled the front of the
paper bags with ‘CSD’ and pasted the
face of an eagle on it, along with wings
and talons. The students colored the
eyes, talons, and put together the face
and the wings. Now, the pre-kindergarten
class gleans with CSD EAGLE PRIDE! The
eagles are posted on the class bulletin
board with photos of the students
signing “EAGLE- PRIDE” right next to
their eagles! GO MIGHTY EAGLETTES!!!
Kindergarten
The kindergarten class did a
series of lessons called “CSD – Then and
Now!” We looked at the history book
about CSD, written by Ken Norton, a CSD
alumnus. We learned about how the
campus moved four times before arriving
in Fremont; saw how the schools looked
different; and learned that the number
of students just kept getting bigger and
bigger!
We then went to visit the CSD
historical museum in the library. The
students noticed how the clothes and
pictures looked much different from the
San Francisco and early Berkeley campuses.
They were amazed at how many symbols
and objects had survived over 150 years!
We made sculptures of the Bell Tower,
as well as contributed to the ECE quilt
by drawing eagles, bell towers, Bear
Hunt statues, and other CSD symbols
in orange and black. Our students then
made a bulletin board, with both ASL
and English components, to show what
they had learned.
Finally, during the open house at
CSD, on November 11, the kindergarten
class made a production to share with
visitors on what they had learned about
the history of CSD.
Early Childhood Education Office
The early childhood education
secretary coordinated an ECE quilt, made
of paper squares, drawn by all of the
ECE students. The quilt is in only three
colors—orange, black, and white—and
is posted in the ECE hallway. Come and
visit the quilt and the class bulletin
boards to see what the ECE students did
for the CSD’s 150 th celebration!
—Roberta Daniels, ECE Principal
California News | November 20, 2009 27