Happy Birthday to Youngnim! Thank you for celebrating with us, sharing the beautiful story and the yummy cupcakes.
We welcomed our Spring Theme with SNOW? ! ? The children were so confused to talk about what we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste in the spring with the snow on the ground :)
Besides the crazy weather, we started exploring the Spring theme with books, puppets, and lots of art activities. The Spring homework bags started to go home and everyone received a Spring Detective Scavenger sheet in their mailboxes. Some of the children have all ready spotted spring things and returned their sheets for a prize... How exciting!
Sara’s dad, Mahdi Zarea, came to visit the Junior Kindergarten class to share his job as a scientist and researcher. He showed the children that a scientist conducts experiments to help people in the real world. He showed us some simple experiments that you could do at home such as making a magnet by taking a paper clip wrap it with a wire then take two ends of the wire to a battery and the objects become magnetic. Also, he made static by rubbing the end of a pen on his head then picking up small pieces of paper and bending a stream of water! Thank Mr. Zarea for coming to share your job with us and how it helps the community!
Michelle Ferguson has done a fabulous job in coordinating our auction item during the mornings this week. Thank you to all of you that have volunteered your time and expertise to create such a unique item!
Centers:
Math Center - counting, exploring, adding, subtracting and patterning with insects! The children started their math center with a handful of colorful insects. They counted them, sorted them, and put them in patterns. Then they listened to word problems such as one red insect flew to the swings and then two blue insects flew over too. How many in all? Or, three yellow insects were buzzing around. The girl shooed one away. How many are left?
Language Arts Center - Dinner The children explored the book Dinner. They searched for popcorn words in the book and were introduced to "we" and "get" They talked about the main ideas in the book and what they favorite dinner time meals are. Then they searched around the room and inside other books for popcorn words.
Fine Motor - Weaving a picnic blanket. The children made their own paper weaved picnic blanket by following a pattern and listening to direction words: over and under. Next week they will search for pictures in magazines and cut them out of objects they would take on a Springtime picnic.
Technology - Kid Pix and Reading Blaster
Small Group/Work Time-
The children worked in reading groups reading books at their "right fit" reading level, investigating word patterns, and summarizing the books.
Each child worked on their April Self Portrait. They have really come a long way in their drawings and details of themselves.
Everyone created a butterfly using lots of collage materials.
The children took turns playing in the balcony area where they have created a Spring scenery with puppets, flowers, and dress up clothes.
The children were encouraged to look at Spring time books and investigate the pictures, read the words, and learn about Spring.
Both seventh grade language arts classes came into our classroom on Thursday to interview the JK kids. The seventh graders will take this information and create a story in their language arts class. They will go through the writing process and then share the finished product with the JK kids in a few weeks!
A Peek Ahead -
Next week we will explore the Season of Spring with our senses, touching mud, seeing new signs of spring including animals and flowers, hearing spring sounds in the listening center, tasting spring treats, and smelling floral scents. We will be singing songs and playing interactive story telling games.
Centers will be math, language arts, fine motor, and listening to books on tape.
Our field trip to the farm at the zoo is scheduled next week. This will give us to chance to explore the outdoors applying what we've learned in the classroom about Spring and to kick off our Farm unit for the following weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment