tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274843128086544802024-02-19T01:13:29.398-08:00Preschool MommyThis is a blog where I share my ideas, discoveries, and utter failures in developing a preschool program, with other mothers and teachers interested in preschool education.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-70999722589796046412012-07-01T19:33:00.001-07:002012-07-01T19:36:35.921-07:00Check out my new blog: Musings of an Imperfect Mom!<span style="font-size: small;">Hi everyone,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Thank you so much for your support over the past several years! Since I have closed my school, I will not be posting on Preschool Mommy anymore, but I'm starting a new blog <a href="http://musingsofanimperfectmom.blogspot.com/">Musings of an Imperfect Mom</a>. It will contain more projects and useful information, as well as funny stories about my kids and just my general take on parenting. I hope you will enjoy my new blog, and continue to lend your support to my work.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Courtney</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-75284884836382091232011-08-17T06:47:00.000-07:002011-08-17T09:21:02.031-07:00Summer Fun - BugsWell, I'll admit, it's been a while. I have been running around like a crazy person this summer and haven't had much time to blog. Now that the summer is coming to a close, I wanted to write about some of the fun things we did this summer.
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<br />This summer, we learned all about nature beginning with one of my favorite subjects: BUGS!
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<br />We learned all about these creepy crawlies and what makes them tick. We practiced our drawing skills by drawing pictures of bugs, tried (unsuccessfully) to create an ant farm, and made our own awesome diagrams of the inner workings of an ant mound.
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<br />Prior to working on the diagram, I showed the children pictures of the inside of an ant mound and how the different chambers served various functions. I kept it pretty simple: Worker aunts are at the top of the nest bringing in food for the queen and rest of the colony. Just below the workers live the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">larvae</span>. The queen is in a chamber in the center of the nest, and food storage is at the bottom.
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<br />Here is what we did...
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<br />Materials:
<br /><ul><li>Peel and stick shelf liner paper</li><li>Construction paper</li><li>Crayons or markers</li></ul>Activity:
<br />I took various colored pieces of construction paper and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pre</span>-cut them <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHQt6554Nym-OCtqdeMSddD46HPsRcB0wvSNgGOjl90UkFe_i_8n3V2XMo_CRR67D3RRClQoIy2kXTgGn_ZFI4dLf_y4X5EY8vYZscynBiBg-J4SEWJfm59qlDQ9E3fHM2_HNqOvdVKs/s1600/antdraw.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHQt6554Nym-OCtqdeMSddD46HPsRcB0wvSNgGOjl90UkFe_i_8n3V2XMo_CRR67D3RRClQoIy2kXTgGn_ZFI4dLf_y4X5EY8vYZscynBiBg-J4SEWJfm59qlDQ9E3fHM2_HNqOvdVKs/s200/antdraw.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641835831399697746" border="0" /></a>into various sizes of ovals and tunnels. I taped the sticky paper up on the wall with the sticky side out, and organized the children into teams of two. Then, I invited them to stick the construction paper tunnels and ovals onto the paper connecting the tunnels and chambers (i.e. ovals) any way they wished. Finally, we drew in pictures of aunts, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">larvae</span>, the queen, and food stores. I think they turned out great!
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GFpkxgAxVX80emC2WVmNMOScGBMvpxyBvnG9CjAzPH0SFc7sHJPEsDJmTtBm8WKvxDHa1L4w58tTWylveRIXbNQ0ktoeehv3WYaDOQHUZRoaSalWlvGiy3l0nlRZ0V_mSdnNR6htTI8/s1600/antfood.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GFpkxgAxVX80emC2WVmNMOScGBMvpxyBvnG9CjAzPH0SFc7sHJPEsDJmTtBm8WKvxDHa1L4w58tTWylveRIXbNQ0ktoeehv3WYaDOQHUZRoaSalWlvGiy3l0nlRZ0V_mSdnNR6htTI8/s200/antfood.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641835383284898738" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSM2s12LjDt2rnkZ7pevwYEH_XBMJGlJk-ubdZDYAjndQd6PQTsgjAt2kzmW3wj7S3tjujNs9P04L_nmy_ioFc70rTSIHgNOCxpwQInryJT93538lZtHpYUV8foemmw9vkAUEP308yksY/s1600/antnest.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSM2s12LjDt2rnkZ7pevwYEH_XBMJGlJk-ubdZDYAjndQd6PQTsgjAt2kzmW3wj7S3tjujNs9P04L_nmy_ioFc70rTSIHgNOCxpwQInryJT93538lZtHpYUV8foemmw9vkAUEP308yksY/s320/antnest.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641834981840769506" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-10124646892766023792011-03-02T19:05:00.000-08:002011-03-07T20:04:07.708-08:00Space BottlesTo kick off our space and science theme, we made space bottles. It's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sooo</span> simple and so cute.<br /><br />Here's what you'll need:<br /><ul><li>Mini (12 oz) soda bottles</li><li>Faceted colored beads of various sizes</li><li>Silver glitter</li><li>Blue food coloring (optional)<br /></li><li>Corn syrup (this is what gives it the floating effect)<br /></li></ul><br />First, I removed the labels from the bottles, and used Goo Gone (the greatest invention for moms next to the magic eraser) to remove the sticky residue. Next, I filled them about halfway with water, and closed the top for the children to finish up the following day.<br /><br />I placed out a few bowls of multi-colored beads, and allowed the children to place however many they wanted into the bottle. Next, I helped them pour the glitter in the bottle. I found that if I let them do the food coloring, they made it too dark so I asked them if they wanted one drop or two of food coloring and did it for them. Finally, I placed the corn syrup over the hole and they squeezed it into the bottle until it was full. They put the tops back on and shook the bottles like crazy to mix everything. After class, I hot glued the tops on because I felt it was too dangerous to do with the children around, especially with my 1970's glue gun.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCu5qBCAQPAuZT7URkj4oPPQ6DaNxCia5LXdqVDKiX7Qh26f-eHdh43v0A5pUiePDfIv9ZGNIB2Xd5t5qoR4tRRiXOSfxu8OWp5BhqP9u2VnhqQr1Llp15wTeaLhdmZRZA13pW8Ly_5mU/s1600/space_bot.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCu5qBCAQPAuZT7URkj4oPPQ6DaNxCia5LXdqVDKiX7Qh26f-eHdh43v0A5pUiePDfIv9ZGNIB2Xd5t5qoR4tRRiXOSfxu8OWp5BhqP9u2VnhqQr1Llp15wTeaLhdmZRZA13pW8Ly_5mU/s320/space_bot.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580674109408919810" border="0" /></a><br />I did help the children more with this project than I usually do. I'm a big proponent of process over product, and although I had the children do as much as possible, I did have to help a lot or they would not have turned out right. Like I said, normally I wouldn't care about it "turning out right" but this was less about artistic process, and more about the children making their sensory bottles that, I hope, they will be able to enjoy for a very long time.<br /><br />Anyway, I think they turned out great, and it was a really fun way to kick off our space theme!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-88703550461680137832011-03-02T18:40:00.000-08:002011-03-14T20:05:17.491-07:00Grain and seed collageOkay... so remember that comment about sharing my utter failures. Well here's one you can definitely sink your teeth into.<br /><br />This project started out as your typical grain and seed collage. I put together a mixture of grans and bird seed I got at the store, and had the children spread glue on a paper plate any way they wanted. Then they sprinkled the seeds onto the plate, and dumped the excess off so the seeds stuck to the glue creating a design on the plate.<br /><br />Here's the thing... this was cute, but kind of blah.<br /><br />So I had this inspiration! I thought it would look really neat if the children painted their collages. The following class, I gave the children a mixture of glue and paint in red, blue, and yellow. Well, as is often the case, the children just didn't follow my idea of what they would do. They mixed the paints, and spread it on very thickly creating what I have dubbed... "Vomit on a plate."<br /><br />I figured it wouldn't be a very good idea to post an image of them for the sake of anyone who is unfortunate enough to be eating as they read this. ;)<br /><br />In closing... don't try this one at home kids.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-76648227174114367072011-02-25T07:50:00.001-08:002011-02-25T08:25:57.571-08:00Cheerios Bird Feeder<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1-MjTN7WOmlbI8v__aA-XWeqlYSDFzweVN656mimuSiNzOATXmkGzJHTHcvcwqZjkx4RinkUFlBQ4ZItYuMu2dzEq-2_LzPcYqR4A3rNIPlnbtZVTKo1bUt0kRBwpkO2p_KkICi8ZLw/s1600/tree2.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1-MjTN7WOmlbI8v__aA-XWeqlYSDFzweVN656mimuSiNzOATXmkGzJHTHcvcwqZjkx4RinkUFlBQ4ZItYuMu2dzEq-2_LzPcYqR4A3rNIPlnbtZVTKo1bUt0kRBwpkO2p_KkICi8ZLw/s320/tree2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577655308324379938" border="0" /></a>The idea here is that you are making simple bird feeders, while working on the children's fine motor skills by having them thread <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Cheerios</span> onto yarn. This sounds simple, but like everything involving children... it is not as simple as it seems. :)<br /><br />Here's what you'll need:<br /><ul><li>Colorful yarn</li><li>Cheerios<br /></li><li>Small bells</li><li>Glue</li></ul>The important part is the preparation. You will need to cut the thread to the length you want, and tie the bell onto one end. The bells provide a stopper for the Cheerios, and are supposed to jingle if a bird picks at the string. Here's where it gets tricky. Most yarn is just too soft and thick for little fingers to thread a Cheerio onto. Either you will need to be careful to buy stiff thread or maybe twine, or you can do what I did. I applied school glue to the ends of the strings - rubbing it in with my fingers - then hung the strings up to dry. Once the glue was dry the ends of the strings were hard enough to act as needles for the children to thread the Cheerios onto. Also, you have to make sure you are using "real" Cheerios. The cheap generic brands tend not to have regular sized holes which can create frustration for the children.<br /><br />Once you have everything prepared, the actual activity is super easy. I took the kids outside so I could leave it to the squirrels and birds to clean up any mess. I placed bowls of Cheerios in the center of the tables, and let them thread as many as they wanted onto the string. Once finished, we hung them on a tree outside our classroom window so we could see if any birds ate from our feeders.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLq0jUjaF4caXag_6L7Kmt3XG9MY_Bfy57Bg15tgANsk8-s5b4MUzLYSES99UtnZjzrbFEHEOvCVUj-Bzy6u0_5GpEslPmLnnDp6I_pVkenyRKnuFhKtNKsCsTx8q3LAI1ozfGgQPh3Q/s1600/tree1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLq0jUjaF4caXag_6L7Kmt3XG9MY_Bfy57Bg15tgANsk8-s5b4MUzLYSES99UtnZjzrbFEHEOvCVUj-Bzy6u0_5GpEslPmLnnDp6I_pVkenyRKnuFhKtNKsCsTx8q3LAI1ozfGgQPh3Q/s400/tree1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577655173862437282" border="0" /></a>I don't think the birds have figured out that these are food yet..<br />If nothing else, it looks really pretty. ;)<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-68101234618616808112011-02-13T13:31:00.001-08:002011-02-13T14:33:08.491-08:00Animal BooksThis is a project to help improve the children's motor skills (cutting , folding , gluing, and stapling), but even more so, it is meant as a literacy activity. Through this project the children created their own books with pictures, and told stories to accompany the images. This is a tall order for three year olds, but the children proved once again that they are capable of doing amazing things with just a little bit of scaffolding.<br /><br />My kids are still in the early stages of representational drawing, and I really wanted to work on their cutting skills, so I made this animal sheet. It has a number of animals for them to choose from, they just have to follow the lines with the scissors to cut them out. I made it this way because they have a tendency to snip around the edge of the page, and I wanted them to start cutting through the paper.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/Animal_cutting_sheet">Click here to download the animal cutting sheet</a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />All of the images were downloaded for free online.*</span><br /><br />Next, I helped the children fold two pices of paper and staple them on the fold to create a book. They pasted the cut-out images, one to each page, in the book. I placed wax paper between the pages to keep them from sticking together. Once the glue was dried, the children could color the images.<br /><br />Finally, I asked the children to name their books and tell me stories based on the pictures that were inside. I was very impressed with their stories, and wrote them on the inside of their books. Here is an example of one of the the books.<br /><br />The child wrote:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cow is moo. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Duck is quacking, </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">and dog is ruffing.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />And the elephant is swinging his trunk, </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">and the seal is going in the water. </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS1Mqn7fK-0cKG4fZfMKZ-t_E7Pp83mLP-0RPeoArxmDCvEr-bx97NT5ZAqm7YmeFinMpCJd8vCo81Cx5ZN_GVEaYv9uwwaj-ukrMDXMdRHpcxbUTThgHRAoa9invy1f7sJP0ZyqtyTU/s1600/animal_book.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS1Mqn7fK-0cKG4fZfMKZ-t_E7Pp83mLP-0RPeoArxmDCvEr-bx97NT5ZAqm7YmeFinMpCJd8vCo81Cx5ZN_GVEaYv9uwwaj-ukrMDXMdRHpcxbUTThgHRAoa9invy1f7sJP0ZyqtyTU/s320/animal_book.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573295858426218002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There is another story one of the children wrote:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My giraffe reaches out his neck and get leaves, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">and my seal swims.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My snake does climb to trees and he goes like this on the ground (acted out :) )</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Doggie licks and we pet him.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My turtle's my friend too.</span><br /><br />I had another one who sang all of Old Mac Donald, and another who named her snake lion and her gorilla princess, and said they liked to play games on the computer. :)<br /><br />All of them were original and soo cute. This activity is definitely a keeper.<br /><br />One caveat....<br />I gave myself 2 days for this project, but it took much longer. I still haven't gotten all of the children to dictate stories to go along with their books, but most have. I would reccomend that you give youself a couple weeks to work on this while doing smaller daily activies.<br /><br />*<span style="font-size:85%;">Web sites</span><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <ul><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://animalspiictures.blogspot.com/2010/08/animal-coloring-pages.html">http://animalspiictures.blogspot.com/2010/08/animal-coloring-pages.html</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.coloringpagestube.com/">http://www.coloringpagestube.com/</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.craftsandcoloringpages.com/free-printable-coloring/">http://www.craftsandcoloringpages.com/free-printable-coloring/</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.911coloringpagestoprint.com/">http://www.911coloringpagestoprint.com/</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.coloringpageskingdom.co/">http://www.coloringpageskingdom.co</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://animalspiictures.blogspot.com/2010/08/animal-coloring-pages.html">http://animalspiictures.blogspot.com/2010/08/animal-coloring-pages.html</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.kidsandcolors.com/coloring-page-44.html">http://www.kidsandcolors.com/coloring-page-44.html</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://thecoloringspot.com/animals/animals-set-9.html">http://thecoloringspot.com/animals/animals-set-9.html</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.eprintablecoloringpages.com/">http://www.eprintablecoloringpages.com</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.kidsandcolors.com/">http://www.kidsandcolors.com/</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.tiptopglobe.com/f">http://www.tiptopglobe.com/f</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.coloringpages1001.com/coloring-pages/giraffe/">http://www.coloringpages1001.com/coloring-pages/giraffe/</a></span></li></ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-82295355552454104092011-01-31T20:04:00.000-08:002011-02-01T09:23:24.419-08:00Hibernation Day<div style="text-align: center;">This is just a bit of a spin off of pajama day.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVHg7Ako7tcUHEMGLngT10m6KSmYN6Us0fl6cYkaTO9XY9JaiNaoLlf2mLBHGwA87UXxE94GzffFcGacq3ndk7XmXZDkax4a7YhoZVpOzelHij-kn6FAS2n5o-os6PehakiPJv3ab2Kc/s1600/HD7.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVHg7Ako7tcUHEMGLngT10m6KSmYN6Us0fl6cYkaTO9XY9JaiNaoLlf2mLBHGwA87UXxE94GzffFcGacq3ndk7XmXZDkax4a7YhoZVpOzelHij-kn6FAS2n5o-os6PehakiPJv3ab2Kc/s400/HD7.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568581591011226978" border="0" /></a><br /></div>It was really simple. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmK4gQI4-w-4vfZ_bRMDtf1C5mG0GABQCeHWim6iryBNukT_HiunIP0BkByOkHGdeL8QzTcjLQeyST2k81dP8b-VeOVBUSSh9kD9PI9wpsym9AyuJNulyNv_n7NtWvLgDuDok9TKqSZs/s1600/HD1.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmK4gQI4-w-4vfZ_bRMDtf1C5mG0GABQCeHWim6iryBNukT_HiunIP0BkByOkHGdeL8QzTcjLQeyST2k81dP8b-VeOVBUSSh9kD9PI9wpsym9AyuJNulyNv_n7NtWvLgDuDok9TKqSZs/s200/HD1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568579096254401522" border="0" /></a>I set up a couple tents, some stuffed animals, and some pillows; and the kids came to school dressed in their PJ's, with their favorite stuffed animal, and maybe a pillow or blanket.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgatOP_V3kHQv9a5XipMs9DrPStyoBW13yWo6VVzgsd0EsDT4H0CumI-bRYNbF1oRmuYSoVo6YI3o5G8W9VDFCsUguwbXl_HbA40NnY2MaeyaOPZKiy3wLa6Szi3Tj23RxZXoiQOb3ngo/s1600/HD2.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgatOP_V3kHQv9a5XipMs9DrPStyoBW13yWo6VVzgsd0EsDT4H0CumI-bRYNbF1oRmuYSoVo6YI3o5G8W9VDFCsUguwbXl_HbA40NnY2MaeyaOPZKiy3wLa6Szi3Tj23RxZXoiQOb3ngo/s200/HD2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568583965688932962" border="0" /></a>We talked a lot, and read a ton of books, about hibernation. My favorite is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Snores-Karma-Wilson/dp/0689831870/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296533298&sr=8-1">Bear Snores On</a>. I love books that rhyme, and that one is masterfully done. We also read: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Sleep-Owlet-Denise-Fleming/dp/0805067671/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296533386&sr=1-1">Time to Sleep</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Black-Bear-Jane-Yolen/dp/0060815604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296533427&sr=1-1">Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep</a>, and we looked at books like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Animals-That-Hibernate-Watts-Library/dp/0531165728/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296533474&sr=1-1">Animals that Hibernate</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Animals-That-Hibernate-Watts-Library/dp/0531165728/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296533474&sr=1-1">Animals in Winter</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWs1KWdXFInbgj01Vd5CHz7zCULV6oY0D-DRQjtrKhRyUdK-Yj_0g_sPS447_CVDbTMUB45Hoo4abOSU3P3jnR2V7Bv5pt-kAgMFsA70pKU87h7GPuWeEDrd82f0E4W_rLPMI27ihVco/s1600/HD3.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWs1KWdXFInbgj01Vd5CHz7zCULV6oY0D-DRQjtrKhRyUdK-Yj_0g_sPS447_CVDbTMUB45Hoo4abOSU3P3jnR2V7Bv5pt-kAgMFsA70pKU87h7GPuWeEDrd82f0E4W_rLPMI27ihVco/s320/HD3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568579981038967122" border="0" /></a>We also watched a live video of hibernating bears online. The video was from the <a href="http://www.bear.org/livecams/lily-hope-cam.html">North American Bear Center. </a> It wasn't exactly a thrill a minute (it's a pretty dark picture), but when you did get a glimpse of the bears it was neat, and I think it help to solidify the idea of bears hibernating.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0f9qzUHp8p9vA0HLati1JzVN71dQXA1h5G3Q0ydYDR1cctsoL2EQBjOK8J0XXdaFfdzNrJLmaFHZnR8-HXU86jBBz0QLFs85zIEhJ8k-L6HgYlmmlCVsaW10cfsjBUpfoNwd6g4iQHo/s1600/HD5.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0f9qzUHp8p9vA0HLati1JzVN71dQXA1h5G3Q0ydYDR1cctsoL2EQBjOK8J0XXdaFfdzNrJLmaFHZnR8-HXU86jBBz0QLFs85zIEhJ8k-L6HgYlmmlCVsaW10cfsjBUpfoNwd6g4iQHo/s320/HD5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568580705879856866" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately my T/TH class got the raw end of the deal on this. The bears hardly budged the entire class. All they could see was a big brown mass. The MWF class got a number of great views of the bears though so I think the other guys were just unlucky. I'll try to put it on for them again sometime.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br /><br />Anyway, It was a lot of fun. I will definitely do it again next year. :)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUkOMfnZtQO3CaHsuXsGZY4jSVrkWEfJy7hJROC3787FxNbR43b5uPt0eu6q_KvGYp1gpK3aqs1Kedgu1_upal0Vsev-XVrT-25ywCW_iit0kvAVZF0WOz5QupEbMSex_HV7pUNhThHc/s1600/HD4.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUkOMfnZtQO3CaHsuXsGZY4jSVrkWEfJy7hJROC3787FxNbR43b5uPt0eu6q_KvGYp1gpK3aqs1Kedgu1_upal0Vsev-XVrT-25ywCW_iit0kvAVZF0WOz5QupEbMSex_HV7pUNhThHc/s320/HD4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568584332589265282" border="0" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-56310912003595070672011-01-21T17:59:00.000-08:002011-01-24T21:44:58.155-08:00Polar Bears!!This is a project we did as part of a unit on winter and polar animals.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCJGVw7AWpTbK4kaplZOB3QX6EHr3pPT5CPhD5InpGZD1MLA3zSrvdnEFqtk5i10toN2Jks5KeLCU8I14363xxCu8hfm-62paPMa70XJKzYeBaGRiBF1X7hHdZyS5luwiLhiHT7lKj0k/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCJGVw7AWpTbK4kaplZOB3QX6EHr3pPT5CPhD5InpGZD1MLA3zSrvdnEFqtk5i10toN2Jks5KeLCU8I14363xxCu8hfm-62paPMa70XJKzYeBaGRiBF1X7hHdZyS5luwiLhiHT7lKj0k/s320/1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565863956450124642" border="0" /></a>To create the template, I took the picture I found of a teddy bear outline, (<a href="http://twistynoodle.com/">http://twistynoodle.com</a>) inserted it into word, and wrote "My polar <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bear's</span></span> name is.." underneath it.<br /><br />For the class... I gave the children just the glue and the template to start off, and I showed them how to cover the entire inside of the template with the glue. Next, we used medium sized cotton balls to stick to the glue. Once most of them were finished, I talked to the group about what the bear was missing. With a little encouragement they figured out that he needed eyes, a nose, and a mouth. I then set out some plates with various materials on them: cut pieces of string, buttons, pom poms, and googly eyes, and let the kids go for it.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EoP8QqqP4AF1vx-NwOZu5ptqMqc4BieYs_JPoAewADBMpUdkBqNmAXeDZT0G5P_vsWDMoruF1OT138pjHP3CdVcLR43k596MS9yHPLBjdcNoZ_2pJYVePC_BqWxZEaWpUGtGZGydkcg/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EoP8QqqP4AF1vx-NwOZu5ptqMqc4BieYs_JPoAewADBMpUdkBqNmAXeDZT0G5P_vsWDMoruF1OT138pjHP3CdVcLR43k596MS9yHPLBjdcNoZ_2pJYVePC_BqWxZEaWpUGtGZGydkcg/s320/2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565861620050743762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Now, I realize that these aren't your typical polar bears, more like polar bears from planet X, but I'm really not interested in cookie cutter artwork. I think forcing children to adhere to some adult idea of what is "right" just stifles them creatively. Not to mention having 12 polar bears that look exactly the same sounds kind of boring to me.<br /><br />I have these displayed in the room right now, and they are pretty hysterical. I have some with 20 eyes on them, and others with nothing but buttons.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHOB9PjrAD0pzuwysKVqOoz5q2MFUQAWKVYKDjXf6NpmCcb6tHusQ_LggRrJ_DgtCGJlfkQVJ1UqsHtzjaX7RQ4qNUopL8DvJ5y69KxFA6tSLE0j85y04S4oPsDWc6pB3qtULwZCOTrU/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHOB9PjrAD0pzuwysKVqOoz5q2MFUQAWKVYKDjXf6NpmCcb6tHusQ_LggRrJ_DgtCGJlfkQVJ1UqsHtzjaX7RQ4qNUopL8DvJ5y69KxFA6tSLE0j85y04S4oPsDWc6pB3qtULwZCOTrU/s320/3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565866876922572578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The children got pretty creative with the names they gave their bears as well. We had our fancy bears: Gabriella and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Eala</span></span>. Our islander bears: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Tiki</span></span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Jaga</span></span>. Our country music bear: Hank-O-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mise</span></span>. Our traditional bear: Snowflake. Our big bear: Tiny. And last but not least the undefinable (and my personal favorite): Chicken. :)<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-32292712375515379692011-01-21T17:37:00.000-08:002011-01-21T17:57:58.065-08:00Pasta SnowflakesLike many of my projects, I adapted this idea from one I got online. It is quite simple actually... You give the children pasta wheels, and have them glue them together with regular school glue, give it a day or two to dry, then paint it with white paint and silver glitter. Once they're dry, you can tie a string on one end to make them into ornaments. (I didn't do this since it was past x-mas time when we did it).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa_G-JPt3QXZ6ejEJfosdygH9Geu6EWqGGw7qSg3d_JhlNoTfy8ELkHRsjo8ar47KMNzDUPeEvT4ASss73q2Ia1Fbs1n88sti252m2tw5x9BwT2ANOwOqJrCEHWHrGB61su8YbPjLNlM/s1600/snowflake.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa_G-JPt3QXZ6ejEJfosdygH9Geu6EWqGGw7qSg3d_JhlNoTfy8ELkHRsjo8ar47KMNzDUPeEvT4ASss73q2Ia1Fbs1n88sti252m2tw5x9BwT2ANOwOqJrCEHWHrGB61su8YbPjLNlM/s320/snowflake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564822154912329522" border="0" /></a>(These really weren't this shinny... it's just my flash.)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>They turned out cute, but here are a few tips for anyone wanting to try this:<br /><ol><li>Do this on wax paper. You don't want to have to pick them up until they are dry, and once dry they will just stick to anything else.</li><li>School glue really does work, but try to make sure the children glue them in a bunch, not a line. I had some that did really neat designs pasting the wheels end to end, but they fell apart when I tried to remove them from the wax paper. An idea may be to draw little circles on the wax paper and ask the children to fill them in. I didn't do that.. it's just a thought.</li><li>I used the small pasta wheels because I thought it would be a good fine motor activity for them. It was, but I do think they would have looked much grander if we had used the larger ones. I also think they probably would have been easier to paint.</li></ol><br />All in all... it was a cute 2 day project the kids really enjoyed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-74466805486507257112011-01-20T20:31:00.000-08:002011-01-24T21:45:54.316-08:00Penguin Number GameI got the printout for this on <a href="http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/PenguinFishCrackerCount.htm"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Makinglearningfun</span>.com</a>. The idea is the same. You place the number of goldfish crackers on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">penguins</span> belly to match the number on its fin. However, I wrote the number on its belly instead, and placed dots in specific spots on the numbers. Why did I do this? Well... as a child I remember being very frustrated when I was told that I couldn't count on my fingers so I developed my own system of counting on the actual numbers. This was something that helped me immensely as a child, and something I would like to pass on to my students. You see, by counting on the numbers the children are connecting the physical amount that the number represents to the numeric symbol. My hope is that this will help them to identify numbers, count using numbers, and as one parent pointed out, in the future write numbers.<br /><br />Here is the sheet I made:<br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3M0esParVd78RnwBeb0Qi7REY4bvFzMXZBvtAX7j7z9gPvZPGXUX0rKJUbesBZSeqGk-6ihaoJKllQefpcSLS93lVHsr_vbq0hO5A_7kc-SHT5ZyQG8Mlnd8zDykLJIBNf2_XyTF7Bc/s1600/Pen2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3M0esParVd78RnwBeb0Qi7REY4bvFzMXZBvtAX7j7z9gPvZPGXUX0rKJUbesBZSeqGk-6ihaoJKllQefpcSLS93lVHsr_vbq0hO5A_7kc-SHT5ZyQG8Mlnd8zDykLJIBNf2_XyTF7Bc/s320/Pen2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564499837443585794" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1IDiaFJrXbVGTlsUk9x5pxznDfupth4y8nSXULsby4ddq8fJD85P-I_7dhHg6MsUCF-wTIDN6120Pam-Rb39U6IOhvTjueHCcXjEXwrKwd-m7Edrw25BtTX3WZrocXvEvmf2u9Hmrzw/s1600/Pen1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1IDiaFJrXbVGTlsUk9x5pxznDfupth4y8nSXULsby4ddq8fJD85P-I_7dhHg6MsUCF-wTIDN6120Pam-Rb39U6IOhvTjueHCcXjEXwrKwd-m7Edrw25BtTX3WZrocXvEvmf2u9Hmrzw/s320/Pen1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564500224073850962" border="0" /></a><br />I told them we were feeding the penguins, and the the penguins needed the number of crackers listed on their bellies. I made sure to that the children were counting the fish as they placed them on the dots. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Cs49Z0sFqQHv1cdqHF4Co0E4LHnrON0pP-k1Wh93B7rg6fxYUGoH9h6uX8Wysc8wNeu_oqcnw7rtX-vwxahnAIo0ohfVL-8AF2uFC9LyoRsVQk4cDNULvC3KG9DsJ-qVnLGu1wd-st8/s1600/Addi_penguins.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Cs49Z0sFqQHv1cdqHF4Co0E4LHnrON0pP-k1Wh93B7rg6fxYUGoH9h6uX8Wysc8wNeu_oqcnw7rtX-vwxahnAIo0ohfVL-8AF2uFC9LyoRsVQk4cDNULvC3KG9DsJ-qVnLGu1wd-st8/s320/Addi_penguins.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564501900692525330" border="0" /></a>The children really took to this activity. It might have been the fact that they got to eat the goldfish once they finished :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-87406246442205471732011-01-18T20:55:00.000-08:002011-01-18T21:42:09.179-08:00Toilet Paper Snowball Fight!!!!Okay... So this started out with the idea being that we would split up into teams, make walls with the large cardboard blocks, roll toilet paper into balls, and have a snowball fight. Instead it was more like a tearing, throwing, rolling, jumping, diving, super-crazy free for all.<br /><br />And it was sooooo much fun!!<br /><br />I had each child bring in one roll of toilet paper and we went crazy ripping and trowing it all around the room. The kids had a ball, and so did I, but there was one problem... lint. Holy &*^%) the lint!! It was so thick that I had to make the kids go outside to let it settle because it was starting to make us cough. Then, cleaning it up was ridiculous. I basically vacuumed the <span style="font-style: italic;">entire</span> room.<br /><br />I realized after the fact where I went wrong. You see, with my first class it wasn't so bad, but a lot of those parents had forgotten to bring in the TP, and I used some cheapo toilet paper I had on hand. I did, however, remember to send and email out to parents the night before my second class to remind them to bring a roll for their child so they all remembered. Well... I guess I have some families with sensitive tushies because I got some really high-class TP. And as you may know, the softer the toilet paper the more lint it creates. So my advice to anyone who would like to do this with their class is to get the cheapest, roughest, just short of sandpaper toilet paper you can find and go nuts! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-416914859369299182011-01-18T19:45:00.001-08:002011-01-18T21:20:22.200-08:00Play-doh SnowmenThis is such a simple idea, but it touches on so many important concepts: fine motor skills, ordering by size, and producing representational art.<br /><br />For this activity I made white playdoh. (To make white play-doh, just follow the <a href="http://preschool-mommy.blogspot.com/2010/02/homemade-play-doh.html">Homemade Play-doh Recipe</a> and omit the food coloring). I also used some red play-doh that was ready to be replaced.<br /><br />First, we talked about how a snowman looked. I drew a picture on the white board showing how a snow man was made up of three balls that got progesivly smaller as they were stacked on top of each other. Then, I showed (i.e. reminded :) ) the children how to roll play-doh into a ball by rolling it on the table. One at a time, we rolled the play-doh into 3 balls (small, medium, and large), and stacked them up largest to smallest. Next, we rolled the red play-doh into a snake, and placed it around the snowman's neck like a scarf. Finally, we added pipe cleaners for arms, and drew the faces on with marker. Here's one that a little girl in my class did. So cute!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY1WHa6mqk7X_CPCU_ZJH6FjBn5eCnXKVRnABF01w0f12i3VSQXr74RXsYmzZ7oj-CVwjsB8g61uRNy5sFuVGYLatUUg63m7GWQWG-IP05A7gBvvGEHHt5Ggi45qYLh8hTyyinOLhbXA/s1600/Snowman.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY1WHa6mqk7X_CPCU_ZJH6FjBn5eCnXKVRnABF01w0f12i3VSQXr74RXsYmzZ7oj-CVwjsB8g61uRNy5sFuVGYLatUUg63m7GWQWG-IP05A7gBvvGEHHt5Ggi45qYLh8hTyyinOLhbXA/s320/Snowman.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563750092131231602" border="0" /></a>Tip: Place them on wax paper and give them a couple days to dry. They harden nicely but are very fragile.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-85928984623600498962011-01-18T19:26:00.000-08:002011-01-18T21:31:14.449-08:00Shape FiretruckThis was an activity we did as part of a unit on safety and community helpers. This activity was adapted from an one I found online. The online project called for painting a fire scene with the shadow of a house in front. I had two problems with this: 1. I would have to make the house for it to look right since the kids are too young to cut out windows and such, and 2. it seemed a bit morbid to me. So I figured out a way to make it less morbid, but also create a project the would help the children learn how the things we see are made out of shapes.<br /><br />First, I had the children paint a white piece of paper with orange yellow and red paint. I told the kids to really glob the paint on. Then we placed saran wrap over the picture and rubbed it around to mix the colors, then quickly pulled it off in an upward motion to create the look of fire.<br /><br />Next, I created some shapes that the children could use to make a shadow form of a fire truck. I made circles (wheels), squares (the cab), a large rectangle (truck), and a long rectangle (ladder). Then I showed the children how they could use these shapes to make the image of a fire truck, and let them past it on their paper. I think they turned out great!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDkm3ibkmoriITMGQ3KloDO_yUq3eF31UWKBrgvGAV9BLzDvH_0XKBONTREJQzgAksbMWIL_xKkg8-qnEP_uxoO5_VoJBtkv6SR6SroVSMhZmxJ6t8oNC3dNarY-72El-2iUMyihTAS4/s1600/firetruck.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDkm3ibkmoriITMGQ3KloDO_yUq3eF31UWKBrgvGAV9BLzDvH_0XKBONTREJQzgAksbMWIL_xKkg8-qnEP_uxoO5_VoJBtkv6SR6SroVSMhZmxJ6t8oNC3dNarY-72El-2iUMyihTAS4/s400/firetruck.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563736955549552098" border="0" /></a>I know, I know.. I'm a creative genius. :P<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-34923106697393144382011-01-08T18:32:00.000-08:002011-01-18T21:30:59.523-08:00Number TrainThis is an activity that's super-fun, but is also really good for number recognition.<br /><br />First, I cut up blank index cards and numbered them 1-5. These were the "tickets." I made enough that every child in my class could have 5 tickets, but my class is small so this worked. (With a bigger class, it might be best to hand each child only a couple of tickets and rotate). Then I wrote the numbers 1-5 on full index cards.<br /><br />For the activity, I told the children that we would be riding the number train, and handed out tickets. I held up my large ticket for number 1, and said "Boarding train number one. " Then I collected the children's tickets while doing the whole train conductor thing - saying "all aboard" and stuff like that. The children made a train by holding onto the shoulders of the person in front of them. I was the engine, and the children were the cars. We went once around the room making train noises, then stopped back at the "station" (i.e. blocks center) where the passengers on train #1 got off. This process was repeated over and over until all the trains (1-5) were boarded.<br /><br />It was a ton of fun and the children wanted to do it over and over again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-11094420667437031602010-11-04T20:54:00.000-07:002011-01-18T21:22:09.380-08:00GoopThis is such a fun and easy sensory activity for little ones. Best of all, it's completely non-toxic. The neat thing about goop is that it feels solid when you pick it up, but melts in your hands. The children were so fascinated by this (at least the ones that would get their hands dirty :P) that they kept playing with it for probably 45 or more minutes.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><ul><li>Cornstarch</li><li>Water </li></ul>Yes, that's all! You will need a lot of cornstarch. If you can get a big bag of it at a wholesale club - do it. I let my membership slide so I had to get 6 boxes for each class at the supermarket, and it still wasn't quite as much as I would have liked<br /><br />Directions:<br /><ul><li>You will want to start with a little bit of cornstarch in the sensory bin (approximately 2 cups). Ask the children to describe how it feels. </li><li>Next, add and equal amount of water, and have the children mix it until the cornstarch is mostly dissolved.</li><li>Continue adding cornstarch and water until your sensory bin/ table is filled and it is the consistency you like. </li></ul><br />Depending on the ratio of water to cornstarch, the goop will behave differently. Play with it and explore how it feels. It's super fun!<br /><br />***Tip: Do this outside. It gets really messy, but is a breeze to clean up with the hose.***<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie77E9X8NKBJJ_4kMIqdZ1McTT_2JQBRLqx8WNSN4qVIncsMpfBQB-vgvmO7dJYYlJs1ygnCuSdpaYyFCPj685TGOTrNd6KuiqEViBOLnlaxAbV741m671VgCO_tRp5HFqSEtDLxzp2Cg/s1600/Goop.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie77E9X8NKBJJ_4kMIqdZ1McTT_2JQBRLqx8WNSN4qVIncsMpfBQB-vgvmO7dJYYlJs1ygnCuSdpaYyFCPj685TGOTrNd6KuiqEViBOLnlaxAbV741m671VgCO_tRp5HFqSEtDLxzp2Cg/s320/Goop.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561179220285693298" border="0" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-77530906990812666162010-11-04T20:18:00.001-07:002011-03-14T20:06:15.100-07:00Pumpkins!!!!This was a great activity that I wanted to share. I did it for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Halloween</span>, but you could also do it for Thanksgiving.<br /><br />I got a large carving pumpkin and placed it in my sensory bin (outside - this gets messy). First, I asked the children what was inside the pumpkin (teasing them that it was full of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">kitty cats</span> or bunnies, etc.). Next, I cut open the pumpkin and we all removed the insides and placed it in the sensory table for them to explore. We talked about how the pumpkin insides felt - wet, slimy, slippery etc. and worked together to separate the seeds from the stringy goop. (I reserved a few seeds for us to plant in the garden.) I explained to the children that we were going to cook the pumpkin seeds, and filled up a pot to boil water on the stove. We boiled our seeds for 10 minutes on high heat. Afterward, the children helped me stir butter into the seeds, spread them on the pan, and sprinkle salt over them. We placed the seeds into the oven (275 degrees) and cooked them until browned.<br /><br />Later we took the reserved seeds and insides, and planted them in the garden in the backyard. We'll see if they grow. :)<br /><br />The great thing about this activity is that it was like a million lessons in one:<br /><ul><li>We predicted what was inside the pumpkin</li><li>Used our vocabulary to describe how the pumpkins insides felt</li><li>Worked our fine motor skills removing the seeds from the stringy insides</li><li>Discussed how water boils (I asked them questions like: "how do we boil water? and "What does water look like when it's boiling?" I also showed them what the water looked like when it was boiling)</li><li>We talked about stove and oven safety</li><li>Learned about how butter melts when heated up</li><li>Counted the number of minutes to boil the water and cook the seeds</li><li>Saw how the seeds changed when cooked</li><li>Planted the seeds in the garden.<br /></li></ul><br />***And when we were done with the pumpkin, I got a bunch of tees and we beat them into the pumpkin using plastic hammers - a good gross motor activity. ***<br /><br />Overall, this was an awesome activity. My only complaint is that the seeds took too long to cook, and they weren't finished before the children went home. My oven is a little strange (gas) and sometimes recipes take longer than they should to cook in it. Next time, I will have to cook them at a higher heat.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-28043628970581101682010-08-25T18:13:00.000-07:002010-09-03T19:29:11.198-07:00CentersI thought I would take a moment to share my centers with other teachers (or parents) who might be looking for ideas on how to put together an attractive and economical classroom. I've had a ton of fun putting these classrooms together. My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">goal</span> has been to make something beautiful and whimsical, but also functional. I hope you like them. :)<br /><br />I have two rooms that I use for my school.<br /><br />THE BLUE ROOM - The main classroom is what I call the "noisy room" and contains the dramatic play, blocks, art, and music centers.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/dress_up.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 496px; height: 373px;" src="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/dress_up.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/dramatic_play.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 495px; height: 370px;" src="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/dramatic_play.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/writing2.JPG"><br /></a>DRAMATIC PLAY- The kitchen was a gift from Santa for my kids a year before I started the program. It is, by far, the most expensive thing in the room. The dress up clothes are hung up on command strip hooks. They're cheap and easy to move around. They can, and will, pull the drywall off your wall if pulled too hard as you can see in this picture. I will fix it...eventually. ;) I also use crates a lot to hold things. They're tough, cheap and don't look to bad when used sparingly. For the small figures, animals, cars trucks etc. I organized them into separate bins with labels I created using clip art.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK2Oub9kzpj0VroyXswu7fQnxMqxl1UYzDzmvmder-QsImqFg8LsdxJM2IYz_gbc_Cf8zsuOCJJsvoFjSUo00nvryy81QV2NKYLVpoEYOchC1orM1wov7piTZNLTI1A5j7hw2LQnTVO0/s1600/Art.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 344px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK2Oub9kzpj0VroyXswu7fQnxMqxl1UYzDzmvmder-QsImqFg8LsdxJM2IYz_gbc_Cf8zsuOCJJsvoFjSUo00nvryy81QV2NKYLVpoEYOchC1orM1wov7piTZNLTI1A5j7hw2LQnTVO0/s320/Art.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511776893644457282" border="0" /></a>ART - In my art center, I have an easel (one is all I have the room for) and a shelf full of art materials that the children have free access to: play-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">doh</span> and play-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">doh</span> tools, paper, markers, paints, recycled art materials, tape, white and colored glue, scissors, stickers, and of course, paper.If you look at the top of the image you will be able to see the little foil stars suspended from the ceiling. These cover the ceiling of the entire room. They are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">simply</span> stars cut from foil and hung using fishing wire.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/music.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 370px; height: 494px;" src="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/music.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />MUSIC - My radio is the only thing off limits in the room, for obvious reasons, but the children have free access to a range of musical instruments. The larger instruments are on the shelf and the smaller ones are in the crate. They can also use headphones to listen to music if they wish. You can see on the side of the shelf where I took a page from a torn touch and feel book and taped it there for the children to enjoy. I actually took apart the entire book (after Olivia destroyed it), cut it up and taped the pages all over both of the rooms.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/Blocks.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 495px; height: 375px;" src="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/Blocks.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>BLOCKS - I got these Melissa and Doug blocks (2 sets) with coupons at A.C. Moore. I just couldn't find a better deal anywhere else. The shelf is just a simple book shelf. I placed the blocks next to the dramatic play area so the blocks can be incorporated into the children's play with the small figures and vehicles.<br /><br /><br />THE RED ROOM - This room is called the red room for obvious reasons. It is also the quiet room. It contains the manipulative, reading, writing and science centers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/reading.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 496px; height: 372px;" src="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/reading.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>READING CORNER - This is my favorite spot in the whole school. This is where the children can go read a book or get away and snuggle with a stuffed animal. I created the space by turning my old china cabinet to the side and attaching a piece of cloth to the back. The couch is actually a toddler bed with a folded mattress pad on the bottom and pillows lining the back. The canopy is one that you would put over a child's bed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/writing2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 495px; height: 372px;" src="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/writing2.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>WRITING - My writing center is simply my old coffee table with different sized markers, pens, various kinds of paper and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">stencils</span> on it. I used a Closet-maid shoe storage <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cubby</span> for mailboxes. Since my students are still at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pre</span>-reading level, each of their mailboxes is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">labeled</span> with their names and a symbol they each got to choose before school started. Children can recognize a simple symbol more readily than they can a name so they are able to tell who's box is who's, at the same time they are learning that written symbols can have abstract meanings.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/red7.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 232px;" src="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/red7.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">MANIPULATIVES</span> - Manipulatives take up a large portion of the red room. This is probably because I don't separate them into math, language, etc. I have puzzles and games available in the china cabinet to the right of this shelf. My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">manipulatives</span> vary from Mr. Potato Head to Montessori's Pink Tower.<br /><br />The children use the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">manipulatives</span> how they wish. If they want to build the tower from largest to smallest - great. If they want to put the blocks into cups and pretend they're tea - that's cool too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJw39CjnnNOBtWbpcCVnIuyQzICCiad2e63GiGaKZyT67sFHmR2Zr7uPNGJTBJQc8K-8jR_TGI4agarSdAJzHEHnBNds3X9PTjDuCD3bpw8lq1YSP9mWeCsXHDsly-oNoLJsHK1AP1cE/s1600/manipulatives.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 373px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJw39CjnnNOBtWbpcCVnIuyQzICCiad2e63GiGaKZyT67sFHmR2Zr7uPNGJTBJQc8K-8jR_TGI4agarSdAJzHEHnBNds3X9PTjDuCD3bpw8lq1YSP9mWeCsXHDsly-oNoLJsHK1AP1cE/s320/manipulatives.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512142890904470482" border="0" /></a>I rotate the materials on low tables to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">encourage</span> the children to try new things and to keep up their interest. In this picture I have <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">magnablocks</span> on the small table and number peg cards and dressing boards on the longer table. The shelf is for displaying artwork and setting art to dry.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/science.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 386px; height: 515px;" src="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/science.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>SCIENCE - My science center is small. Really, the outside area is the best science center in my opinion. I also do a lot of science related projects with the children, but I have this center available to them all the time. In my science center, I keep plants, binoculars, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">magnifying</span> glasses and items for them to look at (shells, rocks, bark). I also have a kaleidoscope and some VERY cool magnets.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donovanvaldes.com/tmp/red6.JPG"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-76336942528031344982010-08-05T18:32:00.000-07:002011-01-18T21:33:11.058-08:00Ice paintingThis was sooo much fun! It's messy though. Remember to put paint shirts on the kids, and be prepared with paper towels and spray cleaner.<br /><br />First you have to make the ice cubes. Here's what you'll need:<br /><ul><li>Ice cube trays </li><li>Popsicle sticks (you can get small ones or break them in half)</li><li>Aluminum foil</li><li>Liquid watercolors (This is the key. Using food coloring does not turn out nearly so bright and colorful. I have only found these at <a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=16821&keyword=liquid%20watercolor&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=">Discount School Supply</a>.)</li></ul><br />Here's how to make them:<br /><ol><li> Take the ice cube tray and fill each section 3/4 of the way full with the liquid watercolors. I used red, yellow, and blue so the children could see how those colors blend to make secondary colors. One tray will go a long way. I used one for about 10 kids, and I had a good bit left over. </li><li> Next fill each section the rest of the way with water.* </li><li> Place the foil over the entire tray pressing it down so you can see the divisions between the sections. </li><li> Finally, push a popsicle stick through the foil in each section (you may want to pierce the foil with a knife first). The foil will hold the sticks up straight until the water freezes. </li><li> Let it freeze overnight. </li></ol><br />The activity:<br />Before you begin, explain to the children that these are paints and must not be eaten. They're non-toxic, but do temporarily stain the skin. Twist the tray to release the cubes, and place them in a small container in the middle of the table for the children to share. These totally bleed through paper, but are pretty easy to clean off of hard surfaces. Clothes, however, well that remains to be seen. :P<br /><br />Here are a few of the pictures. The lighting isn't the best. They are even prettier in person!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXY8p66p2mKKdR97V45KzptNyNyOC6aks0jig0aXvt9wiDVuSqoSCNOQkd5ksVvdRGECWCiJIscHIPh9SFGW7stGxcHnnRaQBFNws-uLTPG_STqqG_wpDwSsQKj1Qfmwau806wzwQ4_A/s1600/ice_painting.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXY8p66p2mKKdR97V45KzptNyNyOC6aks0jig0aXvt9wiDVuSqoSCNOQkd5ksVvdRGECWCiJIscHIPh9SFGW7stGxcHnnRaQBFNws-uLTPG_STqqG_wpDwSsQKj1Qfmwau806wzwQ4_A/s400/ice_painting.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502110356488809266" border="0" /></a><br />* Be careful to leave a little space at the top, or you'll have nothing but brown ice cubes. ;)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-22578738825320225262010-08-05T18:08:00.001-07:002011-01-18T21:35:54.473-08:00Freezing waterThis was a wonderful idea, (stolen from Sid the Science Kid) poorly executed. This is definitely one of those activities where YOU can learn from my mistakes. Here's what I did....<br /><br />The children and I put a bunch of fruit (i.e. grapes and strawberries) in a large Tupperware, filled it with water, covered it, and placed it in the freezer. We talked about what we thought would happen to the water and fruit. Some of the kids said they would turn into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">popsicles</span>. I thought that was cute. :) The following class, I took the container out of the fridge and dumped the, now, big block of ice into a large bin. Then, the children felt the ice, and gave me ideas of how we could get to the fruit inside. I got ideas like: put it in the pantry, put it in the closet, melt it with cold water, melt it with hot water, etc.<br /><br />Good so far, right? Here's where things start to fall apart.<br /><br />We decide to melt it with hot water. So I gave each child a cup of water to pour over top of the ice, and I had a large pitcher. We counted one... two.. three.. and poured. Oops! The ice melted, but not enough to release any fruit. I had to go back to the sink (all the way in the kitchen) about 5 times. Meanwhile, the children were getting bored. Finally, all the ice melted, and we got the fruit. The grapes were wonderful, but the strawberries were mushy - I probably should have anticipated that. I also probably should have anticipated that getting a huge bin full of water out of the room might be difficult. I picked it up, one side gave way and - SPLASH - it went all over the floor. I raced to the sink to dump what was left, spilling much more water in the process, and proceeded to race around the room trying to clean up all of the water before someone fell. In the end, the kids really enjoyed it. I, on the other hand, did not.<br /><br />However, I can learn from my own mistakes!!!<br /><br />I did a few things differently with my other class. First of all, I did it outside - MUCH BETTER! Second, I was prepared with a couple pitchers. The strawberries still stunk though. Next time, I will only use grapes.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-63969117711224951252010-06-29T19:33:00.001-07:002011-03-14T20:06:37.248-07:00Learning About SeedsWe are currently learning all about plants, and I wanted to help the children learn about seeds in a way that was fun and hands-on. This was definitely it.<br /><br />I purchased some fruits and vegetables at the store: tomatoes, green beans, lemons, oranges, cucumbers, and grapes. After talking about how plants grow from seeds, I sat the children down at the table and told them that we would be looking inside all of the fruits and vegetables to see what kinds, and how many, seeds they had. One at a time, I showed them a fruit or vegetable and had them take turns guessing how many seeds were inside it. Then, I cut it open, and we counted the number of seeds to see who was the closest..... then we ate them.<br /><br />The children had a ton of fun guessing the number of seeds and eating the yummy fruits and vegetables. Not only was it a fun way to learn about seeds, but we got to make predictions and practice counting as well. :)<br /><br />***A great book that we read to go along with this activity was "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Suitcase-Exceptional-Nonfiction-Titles-Primary/dp/0822559919/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277866236&sr=8-1">A fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds by Jean Richards</a>."***Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-18214920694201266362010-06-29T19:02:00.000-07:002011-01-18T21:36:12.516-08:00Living vs. Non-living ThingsThis is an activity we did to learn to distinguish between living and non-living things.<br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Italic" title="Italic" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 4);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Italic" class="gl_italic" border="0" /></span></span><br />First, at circle time we talked about the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">traits </span> of living things: They need air, water, food, and they grow (they also reproduce, but I wasn't sure I wanted to get into <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> discussion with the kids so I mainly stuck to the other 4. :) ) Next, I held up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pre</span>-cut images (with the pictures facing away from the children) and the children each took turns <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">choosing</span> an image, telling the class whether it was living or non-living and placing it on our board under the correct grouping.<br /><br />The children did surprisingly well distinguishing between the two.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-Fu_OXNCU7DKSHKj0iJ0ExR7y7Zf-pSWJuvONb2x8CAmvjuhAyrOnGaOANTZu-hUVRPtt5RpTRXZCY3gSN8aUcn7RXIWNMyptMozkTXejpja7e5gpp0Q_vQYDN1ox3wWk6uSjrgVgW0/s1600/L-NL.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-Fu_OXNCU7DKSHKj0iJ0ExR7y7Zf-pSWJuvONb2x8CAmvjuhAyrOnGaOANTZu-hUVRPtt5RpTRXZCY3gSN8aUcn7RXIWNMyptMozkTXejpja7e5gpp0Q_vQYDN1ox3wWk6uSjrgVgW0/s200/L-NL.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488383921676610434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next, we looked at 3 flowers that I planted, and three rocks I placed in small dishes. I told the children the one flower and rock would get plenty of sun and water, another rock and flower would get no water, and the last flower and rock would get no sunlight. Then, I asked the children to predict what would happen. Now this is where it gets <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">interesting</span>... Most of the children knew that with the proper light and water the flower would grow, and without it the flower would die. However, they thought the same thing would happen to the rocks. Even after I asked them if the rocks were living things and they said "no."<br />We have been watching these silly flowers and rocks for a week now, and I have to say that those are some pretty darn resilient flowers. They look way too good! I'm hoping they start to wilt a little soon or my lesson may be kaput. :P As soon as I see them start to noticeably wilt, we'll discuss our findings, and I'll have the children plant them outside.<br /><br />Here is a picture of our science table with the flowers and rocks. The big red thing is the construction paper shielding the one flower from the sun. The other piece of paper is covering the rock.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc9b2tzegOKUOcAKyG5hRkcf6dSKsYLK2U_uxqeid5zP4aDl-j_yYV01V-M7um1_NgblsFOLnk42bZFFCITaVrAlG-RHXPxfavhgjQG-ssvjhOMpysMKUUHrf_auYYDyF4yav_c9ZMAE/s1600/flowers.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc9b2tzegOKUOcAKyG5hRkcf6dSKsYLK2U_uxqeid5zP4aDl-j_yYV01V-M7um1_NgblsFOLnk42bZFFCITaVrAlG-RHXPxfavhgjQG-ssvjhOMpysMKUUHrf_auYYDyF4yav_c9ZMAE/s320/flowers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488386819785503986" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />This is such a cool activity, but I have 2 issues with it:<br />1. I tried to squeeze this all into one day and it really should have been two. It was a bit too much all at once.<br /><br />and<br /><br />2. I'm afraid that by the time these flowers actually start to wilt the children will have completely forgotten why we had them there in the first place. We'll see....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-22379065251291741042010-06-29T18:40:00.000-07:002011-01-18T21:23:46.320-08:00Circle time Activity - Counting and Sight WordsThis is a neat activity we do pretty-much every day for circle. What makes it so great is that it accomplishes so much in such and easy, fun way.<br /><br />Here is what you do:<br /><ul><li>Make some flash cards with simple action words written on them in bold print. (Large index cards should be fine). Some ideas for words are: jog, jump, hop, wave, twist, freeze, spin, kick, wiggle, tip-toe, crawl, and clap.<br /></li><li>Have your students stand up during circle, making sure they have a bit of room so they aren't hitting each other.<br /></li><li>You hold up the first word and say the word ( jump). Then, count together from 1-10 as you perform that action. </li><li>Next, you hold up another word and say the word (spin). Then, count together from 10-20 as you perform that action.<br /></li><li>You continue holding up a new card and saying that word every tenth place until you count to 50. The goal is to eventually work your way up to 100, and be able to hold up the cards with out saying the words. Right now we're counting to 50, but I hope we will eventually work our way up to 100.</li></ul><br />This activity is great for three reasons:<br /><ol><li>It helps the children learn the sequence of numbers from 1-50 and eventually 1-100. Of course, this is rote knowledge, but it is a necessary step in learning how to count.</li><li>In the morning some children are pumped and need to get their energy out, and others are still half asleep. This exercise wakes up the sleepy ones, and mellows the hyped up ones.</li><li>By using the word cards you are helping the children connect the letters with the words, the words with actions, and eventually (hopefully) teaching them some sight words.</li></ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-5710293742772172652010-06-29T18:22:00.000-07:002010-06-29T18:40:37.630-07:00Circle Time SongsIt has been <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">soooo</span> long since I posted. I'm sorry. There have been so many things that I've wanted to share, but lack of time (and complete and utter exhaustion) has made it extremely difficult. I am pressing along though and hope that I can get my act together enough to keep up with this a little better from now on.... I hope :)<br /><br />Anyway....<br />I have a new circle time song that I wanted to share. I totally stole it from another teacher (not really stole, she shared it with me, but it's more fun to say stole). It's super-cute and the kids have really responded well to it. I use it to lead into circle time. I start out slow so the children can join in with the movements. Here it is:<br /><br />(Sung to "Do your ears hang low?")<br /><br />Can you clap, clap, clap?<br />Can you snap, snap, snap?<br />Can you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle?<br />Can you slap, slap, slap? (hand on thighs)<br />Can you wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a hug?<br />Can you sit down on a rug?<br /><br /><br />I also made up my own greeting song because I couldn't find one I liked. This one is sung to "Row, row, row your boat". The kids and I sway back and forth as we sing it.<br /><br />(Chorus)<br />Hello and good morning.<br />How are you today?<br />Come along and join with us.<br />It's time for fun and play.<br /><br />(I say "Hello to" as I go around the circle signaling the children to say their name when it is their turn, then I come back to myself.)<br />Hello to Name,<br />Hello to Name,<br />Hello to Name,<br />Hello to Mrs. Courtney,<br />Hello to everyone!<br /><br />(Chorus)<br />How are you today?<br />Come along and join with us.<br />It's time for fun and play.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-52163631379243030832010-04-25T19:06:00.000-07:002010-04-25T19:38:24.531-07:00Modeling Behavior with PuppetsHere is another technique I've been using to model appropriate behavior for the children... Puppets! Kids love puppets! You would be surprized at how even the most figity child will stand at attention when you pull out a puppet. I have a bunch of puppets, but the two I've been using the most are Princess Penelope and Prince Peter (I just made those names up - nifty huh?). I use these puppets to model scenarios, and ask the children what they should do. Here are a couple little shorts I did with the children:<br /><br />Scenario 1 - Penelope tells the class that she wants to play with Peter's toy. She asks the children what she should do? Should she take the toy, or ask to play with it? The children say that she should ask. When she asks to play with the toy, Peter says that he wants to keep playing, but she can have a turn in 2 minutes.<br /><br />Scenario 2 - Peter wants Penelope to play with him so he goes and pulls the ribbon on her hat. Penelope gets upset and hits Peter. I ask the children how they could have done this differently? We decide that peter could have asked Penelope to play, and Penelope should have told Peter not to pull on her hat because she didn't like it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527484312808654480.post-33587355411395156222010-04-25T18:10:00.001-07:002010-04-26T20:46:53.764-07:00HittingOne thing I've noticed through all of my reading is that there is very little out there on classroom management for preschool teachers. So I thought I would post on here some of the interesting things I've used to help the children learn to get along with each other and function in a classroom setting. One of the most important and trying issues a preschool teacher must deal with is hitting. Though it is upsetting for us, as adults, to see our children hit or get hit, it is really normal for this age group. Young children just don't know how to express themselves verbally and hitting, pushing, and yelling at one another is often a result of this. It is our job as teachers and parents to help them learn alternatives to these behaviors. Am I an expert at this? Absolutely not, but I am learning. Here is one activity I've done with the children that I thought was really great:<br /><br />We began by reading the book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Are-Hitting-HANDS-HITTIN-BOARD/dp/B001TMG23M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272245848&sr=1-1">Hands Are Not for Hitting</a>" by Martine Agassi. In this book, the author describes what hands are for like painting, playing, sharing, caring, hugging etc. After we read the book, we threw out some ideas of what hands are for, then the children moved onto centers. As they worked, I pulled them out one by one to make hand prints on pieces of construction paper. The following <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE3V6Y_eiAIATYSGQJ8TKDIJMxd7rPuAkRF6tORwOfp14KDVn7_tyDGKqSzHmmcuYkH7lOeDI6MzCY4enxhqZLpTn1pvJeBjBH4DnWXpFV09Wp6E68j6q656O8uvbcjUiFfidV83wxNg/s1600/hitting.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE3V6Y_eiAIATYSGQJ8TKDIJMxd7rPuAkRF6tORwOfp14KDVn7_tyDGKqSzHmmcuYkH7lOeDI6MzCY4enxhqZLpTn1pvJeBjBH4DnWXpFV09Wp6E68j6q656O8uvbcjUiFfidV83wxNg/s320/hitting.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464259111496693650" border="0" /></a>class, I asked them to tell me what hands are for, and wrote their responses beneath their hand prints. Then I hung them in the room. Now when a child hits I will often say to the whole class.. "Hands are not for..?" and they will say "Hitting!". The I will say, "What are hands for?" and they will respond with things like playing or painting. Here is what the project looked like when finished.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15974152591755106562noreply@blogger.com0