Trek Two Into the Woods

It's taken a bit of time for me to catch up on blog posts but the photos are worth the wait.  With help from Asher's mom, Jenn and Mr.Kaulius we took to the woods and worked in pairs to find each other's camouflaged clothespin critters!  Before heading out we talked about the colors we saw the first time we were in the woods. Next we talked about how we could color the clothespins to be like small animals camouflaged from their predators.  After two rounds of "hot and cold" (almost) all of the critters were found!  And we had some time to play in our favorite tree.

Making a Difference in the Courtyard

Last week our class got together with Mrs. McQuillen's first grade to do some weeding, planting, mulching and PLAYING in the courtyard.  Mrs. McQuillen led us all in singing the "go make a difference" song before we began.  Thanks to Nina, Reya and Julien's moms who worked hard in the sun and then the rain to help our courtyard be a special place to play.  Here's a look at fairyhouse construction and other kinds of first grade/kindergarten team work.

        

...Happily Ever After

I hope you've enjoyed looking over your child's collection of work from our fairytale unit that came in a handmade treasure chest. (So that's what the shoe boxes were for!) Last Friday the children took home the original fairytales they wrote and illustrated as well as their wands.  Here is a look at the making of their "show box" treasure chests.  Our 5th grade buddies helped work a little magic. 

Huffing and Puffing in Math and Science!

This past week as our focus on fairy tales and folktales continued, we spent a math session "huffing and puffing" like the Big Bad Wolf to see how different objects moved across the table by the force of our breath.  In the picture below you can see students using straws to direct their air towards items such as a cotton ball, a paper clip, a marble, a crayon, a pencil, and a tissue.  When it was not your turn to huff and puff you could be counting, cheering or making sure to record the previous trial.  After the activity we shared some surprising observations: the marble was heaviest but required the least amount of huffing and puffing!  Why? The children determined that smooth, round objects were easiest to move and objects with flat sides or more surface on the table were the most difficult.  Great work!
 

A Walk In The Woods

Last Friday our class took to the woods for an exploration adventure.  We didn't know what we'd find but we thought we'd see evidence of living things like animals, insects and fairies!  We were joined by Madison's mom, Rani, Ben's mom, Carolyn and Mr. Kaulius.  It was muddy and mucky and SO much fun!  I hope to do it again soon.  Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

Right back at it!

I am so impressed with the children and their excitement for getting right back into it after the April break.  The class knows that when they return from a week off  they can expect most things to stay the same with a few little surprises sprinkled in.  This time around I updated the word wall and the menu of Literacy Choices- that is the activities they can chose from when their two "have-to's" are finished.  Here you can see students working together on word searches, a new "boggle-type" game for making words called "Spill and Spell", and with Tangrams.  What's so fantastic about this is that these activities were self selected, self directed and cooperative!  Way to go Kindergartners- showing us you are becoming first graders.

Performing With Frog and Toad Puppets

For some time now our class has been enjoying reading chapters from Arnold Lobel's classic Frog and Toad books. After some thoughtful discussions of their opposite character traits, the children made Frog and Toad paper bag puppets and performed completely student created, scripted and directed shows!  (Full disclosure- they were more improvisational than scripted).  It was impressive to watch the children dramatize the distinct personalities and dialogue that they remembered from the stories.