Another Busy Week in the JK classroom!
We had a wonderful surprise on Monday morning! Four of our butterflies emerged from their chrysalis. This week's observations have been so fantastic. The children have enjoyed taking turns being the butterfly keeper, making sure the butterflies have fresh orange and banana slices, and fresh water sprays to keep them moist. The children have been learning about the life cycle of the butterfly and how the butterfly life span is 2-4 weeks. We are waiting for one last butterfly to emerge and then we will release the butterflies so they can lay their eggs and the butterflies life will continue.
In addition to learning about the butterfly, the children have been exploring other insects as well. The JK kids have been fascinated to learn that most insects all have 6 legs, a head, a body, 2 antennae, and wings!
Our field trip to the Nature Museum on Friday tied in our lessons this week and will give us more to explore next week. The children started their trip in the Nature Museum classroom, where they learned about ladybugs. They investigated live ladybugs, heard a story about what makes a ladybug a ladybug, explored pictures of ladybugs, discovered that ladybugs love aphids, and hunted for aphids around the room. Then they each made their own original ladybug.
After investigating in the classroom, we enjoyed our lunches then headed into the butterfly haven. The children loved exploring so many different species of butterflies from the Buckeye to Cabbage White Butterfly. It was amazing to be among the flittering creatures and to investigate their natural habitat.
From the butterfly haven, the JK kids went to the water works area and explored building dams and rivers and also had some plain fun:) The trip was jam packed with learning and adventure. It was a great trip.
This weeks centers were again testing the children's prior knowledge and building on it to further enhance their learning. In the math center, the children explored bugs! Colorful and creepy bugs! They started by counting a variety of bugs, some children grouped the bugs and skip counted with them. After each child counted the bugs, they made patterns, first by extending the patterns they saw then were given rules such as making an ABC pattern with the colors, then AB pattern with the bugs, then ABB patterns, etc. The kids made up their own patterns and then rotated to each others places to investigate the patterns and then continue them.
In the Language Arts center, the children learned two new popcorn words: run and said. They read a book and looked for old popcorn words too. The children have really gotten good at identifying and reading their popcorn words.
In the fine motor center, the JK kids made colorful butterflies with clothespins, pipe cleaners, and tissue paper. They enjoyed ripping the paper, twisting the pipe cleaners, and pinching the clothespin for the final touch, and then flying them around the classroom exploring with their imagination what it would be like to be a butterfly!
In the independent center, the children worked together to build amazing structures with waffle blocks, ladder blocks, and circular building blocks.
Our 3rd grade Reading Buddies came on Thursday to read to us. We love when our buddies visit!
A Peek Ahead:
We will continue our investigations of butterflies and insects through books, songs, and word play. We will take our investigations of bugs in the math center and explore subtraction facts. We will explore more patterns in words in the language arts center. Everyone will get a chance to make an insect of their choice in the fine motor center. In the independent center the children will listen to a DVD of sight (popcorn) words for review of the ones they've learned all ready.
Our 7th grade buddies will visit us this week.
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