MasterPeace Academy

Today’s lesson centered on the life of the butterfly. I shared interesting details about butterfly development, including the four stages: egg, larva, caterpillar, and mature butterfly, which can inspire wonder about nature's growth. I described the cocoon that the caterpillar builds after eating for so long to undergo metamorphosis. The mature butterflies visit flowers for nectar and participate in plant and fruit growth.

Teacher Aline stressed how caterpillars can only see in black and white. They have two large eyes and 12 smaller, or micro, eyes to help them see. While they’re in the chrysalis, they have to struggle against the cocoon to become a butterfly. We watched “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle to cement the lesson.

Teacher Aline drew several connections in with our own spiritual life. To become who God wants us to be, we must endure the process. We discussed how the caterpillar has a big brain while the butterfly has a small head. She related that to the transformation of our thinking patterns. As our minds are renewed, we experience the transformation Paul spoke of: we become more like Christ.

We ended dancing to the appropriate music, including "Reading Rainbow" and "If I Were a Butterfly." In the end, we thanked God for how he has uniquely made us. With our renewed minds, we can begin to see the world like a butterfly full of color and light, not just black and white.

We finished with the simple but effective Butterfly Patterns Worksheet, a great way for our young learners to practise their drawing skills.
Learners must complete the missing half of the butterfly, trying to ensure that both wings match.

Today’s lesson focused on trees and developing into resilient spiritual trees. Trees are essential for life, offering shade, oxygen, beauty, and many resources—from car tires to medicine like aspirin. Much of today's material was drawn from Jen Green‘s ' The Magic and Mystery of Trees,' illustrated by Claire McElfateick. Students learned about the hidden world of trees, which can send underground messages and live like families. The lesson aims to inspire curiosity about nature's unseen connections. I brought a broken branch for students to examine and touch parts of the tree.

We discussed the different tree parts, comparing them to the students’ bodies: feet like roots anchoring them, midsections like the trunk supporting, arms and fingers like branches and leaves, and the head as the canopy with leaves and flowers.

Roots anchor the tree and provide stability against wind and gravity . They absorb water and minerals from the soil and store carbohydrates to sustain the tree through winter. Most roots are in the top 12–36 inches of soil and spread far beyond the branches, reaching deep for water to keep the tree healthy.

The woody stem supports the branches, leaves, and fruit, and elevates the tree. It transports water and nutrients from roots to leaves and sugars back down. Branches extend to hold leaves, flowers, and fruit in optimal sunlight positions, also aiding in water and nutrient movement.

Leaves or needles use chlorophyll, sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce sugars. They release oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Excess water evaporates from leaves, helping draw more water from the roots.

The canopy, at the top, contains branches and leaves, performing photosynthesis and providing shade. The outer bark protects the tree, retaining moisture and shielding against cold, heat, and pests.

We discussed how trees communicate and care for each other, sharing nutrients and supporting younger trees. We also learned how tree borers host birds, foxes, and owls. Animals like monkeys help replant trees by dispersing seeds. We examined the boab and acacia trees from South Africa. When giraffes eat acacia leaves, they detect their spit and trigger production of chemicals that make the leaves bitter, warning other trees.

We finished with dancing to themed music, expressing gratitude for trees and praying for our spiritual roots to grow deeply in God’s love and peace, so we can become strong, healthy trees.

Today’s lesson focused on shopping and money, highlighting their importance in early childhood education. We began by quieting our spirits and making our declarations, then it was time to learn about the value of money.

Teacher Mella said that to go shopping, you must first know the value of money, so she showed the children the different types of cash, coins, and notes. We started with the coins: one rand, two rand, and five rand coins. We reminded them that these coins make a jingle.

The South African bills include 20-, 100-, and 200-note denominations: what they look like, which animals are on them, and the colors used to identify the value of the money. These activities aimed to help the children feel confident in recognizing different types of money. We stressed that knowing how to count money keeps us safe and helps us prevent others from defrauding/stealing from us. 

Then, the children engaged in a shopping role-play, buying food or any desired product, using the lovely Tuck shop that Teacher Francina prepared—activities that helped them feel involved and prepared for real-life situations. They were allowed to purchase everyday items, including shoes, clothes, household goods, and groceries. The children were rewarded for the right answers with something from the Tuck shop. 

After shopping activities, children engaged in movement and counting songs, reinforcing counting skills up to 20 and linking them to money handling. We thanked God for giving us the intelligence to learn and remember our currencies.