The Green Project

     This project began in early March when the snowflakes and snowmen that hung in our room just didn't match what was happening outside our window.  The snow had begun to melt, the sun was shining and I was craving green! So I took it all down, sent the snow pants home (bad move because it snowed the next week!) and offered an invitation to explore shades of green in the art center.

Bunny Brunch

     Easter has a way of sneaking up on me and I often find myself scrambling to fit it all in before it's time to move on down the bunny trail!

     Despite this year's short notice (aka poor planning!), I still managed to pull a few "rabbits" out of my hat!

When the Leprechaun Comes Marching In

     While March 17th was intended to be about St. Patrick, the leprechaun has now taken center stage and even seems to have upgraded his status to one that rivals Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.  My own kids were even known to call it  "Leprechaun Day," when they were young.
     In the classroom this can be a tricky time for teachers! We want to feed children's interest and imaginations, yet we don't necessarily want to spend all month looking for leprechauns as children gather evidence in the form of lint specs found on the carpet.
    So here are some activities that I have found, that allow me to embrace the fun and magic of the season, while keeping the leprechaun "fever" in check.

     At the beginning of the month, I introduce a seasonally-themed attention getter and line-up song that infuse fun and imagination into our daily routines.

You can find this FREEBIE here:

   
     Green and shiny things are added to centers and are available throughout the month of March. Pretend play naturally arises from the children's work with the materials they find there!

 

play dough with shiny, loose parts

St. Patty's Day themed sensory table

shades of green to explore in the art center

pots and gold for counting, measuring, and comparing

    

shamrocks in the science center for observing and drawing

     Penny investigations, using mini pots of "gold," are done in small math groups and used to practice skills such as counting, fair shares, measuring, estimating, predicting, missing addend, and more!  Lucky, the math mascot found on each page, guides children through each investigation by asking "math talk" questions. 

  

You can find this here:

     Guided drawings of leprechauns using Arthub provides great fine motor practice!  The children add their own details making each one unique! 

They also write about what they would do if they caught a leprechaun. 

Find this FREEBIE here:

     Sight words are practiced using this fun game where children take turns reading a word in hopes of finding the "pot of gold" that is hidden behind one of the cards.

You can find this FREEBIE here:

     As the big day draws closer, the magic really begins! With one day to go, we find a poem, some cups, and markers in our snack basket.  The poem invites us to decorate the "hats" and leave them overnight.

Find the poem and directions here:

     The next morning, the children are surprised to find these "shrunken hats" sitting atop a little bag of gold.  

     In the afternoon we go hunting for more gold.  Each gold piece is hidden with a 100 grid number card. As children find each card, they bring it to the 100 chart and place it in the matching pocket.

Find the number cards here:

     The gold, which is an assortment of pennies, plastic coins, chocolate coins, and candy go into their bags.  

     In the end, rather than stifling their imaginations, I've chosen to fuel them and incorporate the magic of the season into their play and learning.  What works for you when the leprechauns come marching in?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jackie

   

     

     

     

     

       

     

Animal Research Projects

 

     In February, we began watching the Decorah Eagle webcam  and the children had lots of questions about the eggs, eaglets, and the habits of the eagles. We used this source, along with books, artifacts, and websites to do research about the bald eagle. 

webcam viewing

models of eagle feathers, skull, and talons

Pebblego.com

     We then worked together to write a nonfiction book that included facts about the eagle’s body, habitat, diet, and life cycle.  

understanding wingspan

    measuring wingspan

     We shared our books with our first grade friends who were also writing nonfiction and brought their books to share. 

     To culminate the project, we broke into small groups and were given specific challenges to apply our learning. 

build an eagle habitat

make eggs that are "actual size"

fill an eagle's "lunchbox" with favorite foods

measure/draw an eagle's wingspan to actual size

      We then shared theses projects with another kindergarten class to teach them what we had learned.       

   With that experience under our belt, it was then time for the children to write their own nonfiction books based on an animal of their choosing. They recorded their top three choices on a post-it note and animal research groups were formed based on these interests.  

     All children were given the option of working within a group, but a few preferred to work alone. They gathered their facts, mostly using the illustrations, and recorded them on note paper.

note paper from Sarah's First Grade Snippets

   
 They then used these facts to write All About books.

pandas

snakes

sharks

butterflies

dinosaurs

dolphins

     Once they finished, they took turns sharing their books with the class.

     Their interest in animal studies continues in the classroom beyond writing workshop as children are building habitats and zoos in the construction area and using the animal books in the science center to do further research.

     We continue to check in with the eagles to observe the growth of the eaglets and anticipate their flight from the nest.  My kindergartners too will be leaving  soon, and the work they've done with these animal research projects shows me they are more than ready to go!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Jackie