Oh, the many things we do.....

     The other day, the children and I took a nature walk outside. It is so nice to go outside and get some fresh air everyday. Not knowing what we might find, we zipped up our coats, grabbed our clipboards, and headed outside. Sure enough, one of the first things we found was fresh celery in our garden! The children noticed that many of the other plants and flowers were crumpled over and dead, but the celery looked so green and crisp. Kaiden, Sophia and a few other students used a shovel to help harvest the celery. We were going to eat the celery for a snack that day, but Aurora had a better idea! Why not put peanut butter and raisins on the celery to make "ants on a log?" What a fantastic and healthy idea! The next day, the children experienced what it means to work as a team to get a task accomplished. The class and I traveled to the kitchen and every child had a job. Jobs included cutting the celery, washing and drying, spreading the peanut butter, and putting the raisins on the celery. It was fun to see the children form an assembly line and work together as a team. They were all very proud of the job they had, and they completed it wonderfully! The ending product tasted so yummy. Nina and CJ even tried the ants on a log even though they thought they didn't like celery... but they loved it! Children are more likely to eat vegetables that they grow and harvest themselves, so this is a great time to start thinking of spring gardening in your own home!

 

Above (top:) Sophia harvests the fresh, crisp celery.

Above (left:) Luke, Avery, and Sophia work hard at spreading the peanut butter and placing the raisins on the celery.

Above (right:) Riley and Gabriel take turns cutting the edges off the celery.

 

Something else that I would like to tell you about is our collaborative melted crayon art project.  Here is how the project developed: It was one sunny afternoon and the students needed plenty of table space to complete a project. They moved their pencil and crayon containers on the windowsill to give themselves more room. Soon after, the crayons were melting due to the sun! What could also melt crayons? This lead into a discussion about other sources of heat and what makes things hot. The children believe that if you put crayons in an oven, they will melt. Charles believes that if we would place crayons in a desert, they would melt because "it is hot in the desert." We talked about another source of heat... the hair dryer! For art that week, the children planned and designed a night and day portrait out of peeled crayons. This fit perfectly into the curriculum, for the children have been investigating day and night. The beautiful night portrait includes stars, the black sky, and a moon. The day portrait is of a sun shining down on a blue, wavy ocean.  When the hair dryer was turned on, the children loved watching the crayon melt throughout the masterpiece. We talked about how the crayon started off as a solid, turned into a liquid due to the heat, and then turned back into a solid. The portraits are displayed in the hallway, so make sure to stop by and take a look at the works of art!

Above (Left:) Mackenzie, Lucia, Sam, and Kaiden design the "day" portrait.
Above (Right:) The children are amazed as they watch their art come to life!


 Here is a link teaching you how to complete a melted crayon art portrait with your child. The ending product is amazing and is something you will have forever!

PS- Here is a tip: Do you have a lot of crayons laying around your house? Do you have broken crayons that your child never uses? Reuse those crayons in this project instead of buying a new pack!

http://www.kiwicrate.com/projects/Melted-Crayon-Art/345

"Mrs. Bowen, it's snowing!!"

Hi Families!

       The students could not have been MORE excited to see snow falling on the ground this week. One by one, they would enter the classroom wanting to tell me all about the snow, their car ride, and how they would be going sled riding after school. Disregarding my original morning plans, the students bundled back up and we took a nature walk. They took their cameras out and took photographs of the beautiful snow-filled trees and bushes. The children noticed the puddles in the parking lot, which led into a discussion about the sun. The children made their observations and we compared the weather patterns that have been occurring.
       The children have been investigating the difference between day and night. What are the objects found in the sky during the day and night? Why is it light outside during the day? What are the different animals we might see during the day and night? The children have had a blast learning about nocturnal and diurnal animals. They used clay, paint, and pipe cleaners to represent a nocturnal and diurnal animal, and have been working hard at their first "play." The play will teach other classes about nocturnal and diurnal animals. Luke has been so kind to take the role as our narrator, and the other students are taking the role as the animals. Nina made a mask of a pig, Charles made a mask of a fox, Sophia made a mask of a lamb, and Aurora made a mask of a mouse. They are having fun acting their part and making their puppet creations come alive!

Above (Left:)  Drew, Charles, and Sam show off their nocturnal animal masks! 

Above (Right:) Luke, Aurora, Mackenzie, Isaac, and Lucia work together on the collaborative day/night mural

The children are learning to be brave and sound out those "scary" words. They are learning strategies to hear past the first sound. I have demonstrated how writers decide what they will write, isolate the first word, say it and stretch it out, write the first sound, reread it, and listen for more sounds until the word is satisfactorily represented on the page. The children know that an alphabet chart can help them locate letters for sounds they have not yet internalized. Each child has their own alphabet chart nestled in their writing folders for easy access.

Other Photos:












 Above (Left:) Avery was kind enough to let her chickens come to school! The children were thrilled! Luke, among many others, now wants to live on a farm.
Above (Right:) Mr. Morber did a terrific job as our mystery reader today. He read a book about bats, which fit perfectly in with our nocturnal animal investigation! Thank you, Mr. Morber!

For another activity to do with your child, check out this one! They recently created animal sculptures using clay, so this will be a great extension!

http://www.thechocolatemuffintree.com/2012/11/turkey-pinch-pots.html

Enjoy! Thank you for all your support! 

 

Hi Everyone! Happy Saturday and Happy November!

Well, the children's puppetry project is underway! It all started from when the children were showing interest with playing, making, and watching puppets. However, they would create and use the puppets without a purpose. That is where I come in! The children are learning how to create characters from puppets, as well as retell stories using their creations. The children have been engaged with making stick and bag puppets, but it is not over yet! Not having any place to perform, the children brainstormed different ways to create a puppet theater. Aurora had the idea of making the theater out of a big box, and then cutting a hole in the front. They problem solved where the theater should go. Thinking that the box could go in front of our word wall, Sam brought up the point that it would cover up the words and it is not enough space to get around and enter the box. The children have had so much fun designing the puppet theater. They have covered the box with big, black paper, and have helped cutting the window out. How will they get in you ask? The children want to cut a door in the back, as well as hang lights, add curtains, and add the backdrop, or setting, for the show. Teaching about the elements of a good story right now is important, for the children are beginning to create their own books. The elements of a story include the characters, setting, problem and solution, and the beginning, middle, and end. I am also teaching the children that characters can be more then just people, but they can also be things and animals. The children are in the middle of making their own "Grouchy Ladybug" book, though they are adding their own special twist. For instance, Gabriel is writing about "The Angry Fox," Charles is writing about "The Angry Tiger," Nina is writing about "The Lonely Fish," and Kaiden is writing about "The Enthusiastic Fish." What wonderful titles! The children love to think about themselves as an author, and all it takes is a pencil and a few pieces of paper stapled together.
Below: Sam is helping Mrs. Bowen by clearing the space where our puppet theater went! Luke is busy taping the paper to the box. Nina is working on tracing letters to make the title for our puppet show.

The children have also been interested in the idea of frost. They were so excited one morning because they saw a lot of frost on the ground and on leaves during our nature walk. But what exactly is frost? When does frost go away? The children are beginning to investigate this concept. In the morning we made predictions on whether or not the frost would still be there by the time of recess. Eight children said it would be gone, and eight children thought it would still be there. Sure enough, we went out to the same spot the children saw the frost to see if it was still there and it wasn't! They are wondering why it is gone, as well as why frost forms on some leaves but not on all leaves.

Above: The children examine the exact spot where they had seen frost earlier that morning!

In math, the children are learning how to write their numbers correctly. To help at home, here are the chants that I am teaching them:
Zero: "Curve from the top: be a hero! Close the loop and make a zero."
One: "Top to the bottom....then you're done. You just made the number one!"
Two: "Half a moon, there's more to do; slide to the right, now that's a two!"
Three: "Backwards C, backwards C, and that is how you make a three!"
Four: "Trace down the side, cross the middle for fun. Top to bottom, and you are done!
Five: "Trace down the side, curve like that; back to the dot and make a hat!"
Six: Monkey's tail needs a fix! Come on, let's make a six!"
Seven: "Across the sky and down from heaven, that is how we make a seven!"
Eight: "Make and S and do not stop, go right back up and an eight you've got!"
Nine: "A hoop and a line, that is how we make the number nine!"

Reminder about snack: Parents, please do not send candy for snack. I know it was Halloween and you have an overload of candy at your home, but our school promotes healthy and nutritious snacks. Also, please limit snack to one snack only. The children take a very long time when they have more than one snack to eat.

I am sure you have been doing many fall activities with your child, but here is a yummy recipe that gets your child in the kitchen! http://www.kiwicrate.com/projects/Easy-Crock-Pot-Applesauce/424

- Mrs. Bowen