There are so many wonderful things happening in Kindergarten... I just don't know what to write about! I will start by congratulating Sophia and her family on their new addition! Sophia is so excited to have another little brother. We were so happy for Sophia and her family, that we decided to write a class book on advice we had for what  to do with a new baby. Being experts, the children were very excited to do this! Here were some of the children's ideas:

• Luke: Rock the baby
• Sophia: Care for it
• Sarah: Hold its head up and give it a pacifier 
• Gabriel: Don't forget to change its diaper!
• Aurora: Give the baby a nap
• Sam: Give the baby a bumbo
• Mackenzie: Give the baby a rattle 
• Riley: Feed it 

Our bridge project has really kept the children engaged in their learning. A couple of weeks ago, the children discovered that the triangle was the strongest shape because the weight is balanced when you press down on the point of it. This led us to wonder how we can make a square (or a cube) become as strong as a triangle? They explored with gumdrops and toothpicks and built squares and cubes. They then added triangles within their shapes to make the shapes stronger. It worked! The children were so excited. I let them do more exploring with the materials, and they loved creating sturdy sculptures.

Today, the children made bridges from cups and paper. They predicted how many pennies it would take to make the bridge collapse. Working collaboratively with a partner, the children tested their predictions. All 18 students found out that the unstable bridge could only hold 1 or 2 pennies. Shortly after, however, the children started to make some discoveries on their own. Luke discovered that if the paper is layed on the cups a certain way, that affects the stability of the bridge. Sam discovered that if you drop the penny rather then gently place the penny, the bridge is more likely to collapse. Most of the children also discovered that if they put the pennies on the edge of the bridge (on the bottom of the cups) and not in the middle, the bridge would not collapse. We came together as a group and shared our results. We talked about how when structures collapse, fall, melt, sway, etc... engineers need to problem solve and change the sculpture in some way.  Instead of using a flat piece of paper, the children folded a piece of paper accordion style. They put the folded paper on top of the cups as done before, but they discovered that the bridge never collapsed when they put the pennies in the creases! They were independent problem-solvers and had a blast during the process!

 I would also like to remind you about the 7th Annual Family Reading Festival will be held Saturday, February 8, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Main Library.  The library is excited this year to once again be headlining Jim Gill who will be joined on stage by members of the Akron Youth Symphony. Last year about 1,500 folks visited the event and enjoyed the many activities.  Please see the link below for all of the great activities available at the event.

http://www.seisummit.org/1family-reading-festival-annual-day-of-reading

 

Happy Cold Day!

It has been very busy in Kindergarten this January. The children have been transformed into engineers and are investigating bridges, which all developed when I brought out Popsicle sticks for the children to explore with. The first thing they did was make bridges, so I knew right away this could develop into a neat project. We went outside to observe and explore our own playground bridge. We were examining the materials it was made out of, how it was attached, and what was over and under the bridge. The students then investigated the different types of bridges and the shapes found in the structures. We wonder... "what is the strongest shape?" Many of the children predicted rectangles and squares to be the strongest, but there was only one way to find out! The children made three shapes out of toothpicks and marshmallows. They counted the sides, the number of marshmallows, and recorded what they saw. After they drew what they made, the children pressed down on the square and rectangle, and they both collapsed! However, when they pressed down on the triangle, it was strong and sturdy! The children discovered that structures were built with more triangles then they thought after close examination to different photographs that were taken from around the area. If you look at a truss bridge, you can see the triangles very clearly. Thank you to Mr. Chesnic for donating the beautiful photographs! Next investigation.... "what can we do to make squares and rectangles stronger?" Stay tuned to find out our results! The children have also been investigating bridges in our block center, through water colors, fairy tales, and songs. Again, if you have any model bridges in your home, such as from a toy set, we would love to borrow it!

The children have also been working hard on learning their color words, and knowing that a color has a name and they can read and write the names of the colors. They completed many matching activities, as well as learned similies using color words. They worked so hard, I thought it was important to celebrate all the wonderful learning happening in the classroom! The children put on their safety goggles, made their predictions, and observed what happens when dish soap and food coloring come into contact with eachother in a bowl of milk. The colors dance all around the milk! This experiment is very simple to do and the children loved it. Fill a pie pan up with whole milk. Place a few drops of food coloring in the middle of the pan. Dip a q-tip in dish soap, and then dab the soaked q-tip gently in the middle of the colors. The results are beautiful!

Above: Aurora, Avery, Sophia, Riley, and Charles are fascinated with the dancing colors!

In writing, the children have been using what they learned when writing informational books to now writing narratives (stories.) The most important thing an adult can do to support a child's literacy is to immerse the child in a culture of storytelling. The Common Core State Standards emphasize the importance of narrating a sequence of events and describing a reaction or feeling in response to the events of the story.  The children learned that the first step in writing narratives is to tell their story to a friend first. The second step is to plan out their pages of their booklets by pointing to each page. The third step is to start writing, illustrating, and adding DETAIL!  Narratives include characters who speak to each other, and any feelings that the character might have. The children have loved learning how to incorporate speech bubbles into their stories, just like the books in their library have! They are currently writing narratives about a time when they got hurt. They call them their "ouch" stories. I can't wait for you to see.

I am very excited for this Friday. The children will be making snowmen out of shaving cream, glue and recycled materials! The project is inspired by the book "Snowballs" by Lois Ehlert. I am looking forward to it, and I know the children will have a snowball of a good time!

Brrrrrr... It's cold outside!

Happy New Year to the Kindergarten families at SCOPE Academy! I hope everyone had a magical holiday and spent your days with fun, laughter and joy. My favorite part of my break was spending time with my family and friends, and of course sipping hot cocoa by a warm fire :) Monday and Tuesday are NOT required online school days but are official severe weather days. If your child is missing school activities, here are a few ideas that I know will keep your child engaged!

1. Spread shaving cream on the table and have your child practice writing their sight words in the cream!
2. Pour a cup of milk into a bowl. Then squeeze 2 drops of red food coloring at the top of the bowl, yellow at the bottom, and blue at the opposite side (to form a triangle.) I squeezed a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid into the middle of the bowl, and observe the changes!
3. Subtraction bowling! Set up a bowling ally in your hall way by using plastic cups as the pins. Have your child roll a small bowl down the hallway. Remind your child of how many pins they started with, how many pins they knocked down, and how many pins they are left with.
4. Have an indoor snowball fight! Have your child write sight words on a piece of white paper. Crumple the papers up and on the count of 3...... 1....2....3   THROW! After the paper has been thrown, you and your child find a snowball and open it up. Your child reads the sight word. Use the same snowballs over again so your child can become fluent with those words!
5. If your child wants to relax by the computer, try these programs!

• Starfall.com
• abcya.com

Remember, these are just suggestions, not requirements!

Looking forward to seeing the children on Wednesday! It has been FAR to long! Stay safe and warm!

- Mrs. Bowen :)

Holiday Fun - JibJab Style!

As part of our Music/Technology class this week, we made some JibJab videos. After watching (and getting a good laugh from) the one's that I made for them, the students all used the iPads to create their own!

Avery, Rook, CJ, Drew and Luke

Aurora, Gabriel and Evan

Lucia, Isaac, Sarah, Jadon and Sam

Mackenzie, Sophia, Riley, Nina and Kaiden

I hope you enjoy them, and have a great Winter Break, a merry Christmas, happy New Year and any other holidays that you and your family may celebrate!

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