Jumping like Jack, Be Nimble!

Happy Thursday everyone!  We had fun with a measurement activity today, so I thought I would share it!

Our Nursery Rhyme this week is Jack, Be Nimble.  For those of you who are not familiar with this rhyme, a little boy named Jack jumps over a candlestick.  Don't ask me why a little boy would be jumping over a candlestick, I would encourage him not to, but there are a lot of Nursery Rhymes that don't make much sense to me (a cow jumping over the moon?)

In an effort to help my kiddos remember the rhyme, we made our own candlesticks.  Ok, for the sake of time (and because I didn't have enough paper towel rolls) I made the candlesticks.  Next year I will remember to save more or ask for donations, so that every child can make their own.  I was lazy and didn't even cover/paint mine, so we had brown candles, but the kids didn't mind.

We measured the height of the candlesticks using standard (inches) and nonstandard (cubes & paperclips) units.  They did this in groups of 2-3 since there were only 4 candlesticks.

They recorded all of their answers on their paper.

After we measured the candlesticks it was time for some jumping like Jack!  I lined the candlesticks up on the floor and showed them how to jump over them.  (They got a kick out of watching me do it!)  Each child got a chance to jump over the candlesticks. 

 Each time a new student jumped, we recited "Jack, Be Nimble."  It may seem like a lot of times to recite the same thing, but I think they all had it memorized by the time we were done!  They all had a lot of fun with this, and whenever someone knocked one over they said, "Oh, no!  You burned your toe!"

If you want to have some fun jumping with your kiddos, head on over to my store to pick up a copy of the worksheet and rhyme.  

Come back tomorrow for all the photos from this week's pumpkin extravaganza!!!

 

Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins!

My planning may not have been the best this week.  I totally forgot to get a pumpkin and do "Pumpkin Math" while I was teaching about the life cycle of a pumpkin.  While disappointing, it just means that we get to have two weeks of pumpkins, which works out well because we are going to the pumpkin patch next Friday!  It will be our pumpkin celebration!!!  We still managed to do quite a bit with pumpkins this week, so here it is!

We made a pumpkin chart at the beginning of the week to show what we already knew about pumpkins.

As you can see from the chart, we also studied the life cycle of a pumpkin.  The kiddos helped me decide what to draw after we read a book about pumpkins.  Then they completed a worksheet where they had to color and glue the pictures in order to show the life cycle.  We compared the life cycle of an apple to the life cycle of a pumpkin so they could see the similarities/differences.  Next week we are going to be learning about plants in science, so this will be reinforced once again.

I have a plethora of pumpkin books.  The kids loved hearing the nonfiction pumpkin books just as much as the silly fiction ones!  It makes me happy when I see how much they love to learn :)  Unfortunately, that also means they want to shout out what they know all the time (which can get a little noisy!)   Yes, with kindergarteners you have to reinforce the fact that they have to raise their hand to share their thoughts (basically every day. . . for the entire year).

Here are a few of the books that we read this week!

After we read Pumpkin Jack they got to design their own jack-o-lanterns.  They were so excited you would have thought I had given each one of them an actual pumpkin to carve.  Nope, just an outline of a pumpkin for them to draw and color.  The music teacher came in while they were working and she couldn't even say hello before they were all holding up their designs to show them off.

Of course, they weren't just drawing pictures, they had to write sentences to describe their jack-o-lantern as well.  I encouraged them to use shape and color words, since we had already learned about them.  They could use the shape and color charts in the classroom to help them spell the words correctly.

I read them a book about a class going to the pumpkin patch to get them even more excited about our field trip next week.  Afterwards, they each wrote about what they want to do with their pumpkin after they pick it out at the pumpkin patch.  In case you are getting a pumpkin too, here are a couple of ideas you may want to put to use. . .

 (I will carve my pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern.)

(I will carve it and stuff it with candy.)

It was a great pumpkin week, but I can't wait until next week when the kiddos get to experience pumpkin math!  I haven't told them about it yet but I know they are going to love it.  Some of them have never scooped out the inside of a pumpkin or tasted pumpkin seeds!  I like to open their eyes to new things, so we will definitely be cutting open a pumpkin and roasting the seeds next week.  Come back and visit to see what else I have planned!

--Lauren

Apple Activities!

Plants and animals are in the K/1 curriculum, so we focused on a certain kind of plant this week, the apple tree.  This went right along with our farm unit, so it was perfect timing!

I have to send a big thank you out to Jessica Williams.  I found her apple freebie on TpT and used a lot of her ideas this week.  Click here if you want to snag her awesome handouts as well!

We started off the week by learning about Johnny Appleseed.  I read them a couple of books about the man who loved apples so much and they completed papers showing the facts they learned about him.  (The paper is included in the packet mentioned above.)

We made a chart at the beginning of the week to show what we already knew about apples.  They knew quite a bit to begin with (everything in the red apple!)  They also came up with some questions they had about apples.  As you can see, they sort of stuck to a pattern as far as the questions were concerned.  At the end of the week, I filled in the green apple with any new information they had learned.

  I brought in a few apples so we could do a taste test.

The kids predicted which color apple they thought they would like best.  Most of them guessed red or green.  I cut up the apples and gave them each a cup with the three kinds.

They had to use their five senses to observe the apples before tasting them.  This definitely sparked some conversation.  I loved just sitting back and listening!  After the tasting was complete, they colored the apples on their paper to show how they ranked the apples.

I also gave each student a small apple that they colored to show which kind was their favorite.  I taped the little apples to the whiteboard to create a bar graph.  There was an obvious apple winner!

The kiddos completed a bar graph of their own to match mine and then we completed the other sections of their paper together.

To tie in some writing, I had them write about what they discovered when using their five senses.  They completed a paper that told how apples taste, feel, sound, look and smell (this is included in Jessica's packet).  Toward the end of the week we discussed the parts of an apple.  They knew the basics, but core and flesh were two new words for them.  To help them remember the parts, we made apple diagrams.  They had a little trouble finding the core, so we drew some lines down the middle with a pencil.

At the end of the week they did some journal writing.  They were allowed to write about anything that had to do with apples (a trip to an apple orchard, their favorite apple dish, what they know about apples, etc.)  I thought this kinder did an amazing job sounding out her words ("Apples make my favorite juice.")!  I love seeing their skills and confidence grow :)

If you enjoyed our apple activities, come back next week for PUMPKINS!!

--Lauren

Fun with Farms

With fall come leaves, apples, pumpkins and beautiful colors.  All of these things come together at the farm, so that is what we studied this week.  We started by making a list of things that you find on a farm.  They did really well (however I was not so successful at making a barn out of construction paper.)  

The kids got to show their stuff by writing about what they like to eat that comes from a farm.  

They also cut pictures out of magazines to show things that come from a farm.  One day we read all about farm animals and the kids chose their favorite one to write facts about.  Sorry I don't have any pictures of that day's work.    

We read lots of farm books this week.  The kiddos were so into it that they started bringing farm books from home to share with their classmates!  We read Mrs. Wishy Washy and made puppets to act out the story.  I sent the puppets home and told them to retell the story to their parents.  I wonder how many of them actually did.

I thought it would be fun to celebrate our farm week by making something to eat.  We made butter!!!  It is simple, so if you are studying farms or cows you should give it a try!  Pour about 1/2 cup of cream into a jar (I used glass jars I had at home, but any sort of container should work as long as it doesn't leak).  

Then shake!

I prepared two jars, so I called two students over to shake while the rest were doing their phonics work.  When they looked like they were starting to get tired I had them switch with someone.  They got such a kick out of this.  They were also working their muscles, as one student pointed out.

I didn't even tell the kids what to look for, but they knew when it was ready!  It separates into butter (the solid) and whey (the liquid).  I used a spoon and scooped the butter out of the jar, leaving the whey behind.

As you can see, one of the butters became a little more solid and yellow than the other.  I guess those kiddos were better shakers :)

 I spread a little butter on some saltine crackers for the kids to try.  Eight out of ten gave it a thumbs up and wanted seconds and thirds!  Overall, I think our butter was a success.

Shapes and Sheep!

We have been working on shapes this week.  The kinders have been doing great, so today we went on a shape hunt!  I made each student a pair of binoculars from paper towel or toilet paper tubes.  They loved exploring the classroom with them!  They were super quiet while they did it too, which was an unexpected bonus!

They hunted for triangles, squares, rectangles and circles.  I made a paper for them to record their findings.  They could draw the item, or write the name of it.  Some students liked the challenge of writing the words instead of using pictures.

                           

If you would like to get the Shape Hunt paper for FREE leave a comment and let me know!

We have also been having fun with Nursery Rhymes in my class.  This week we focused on Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.  We had lots of fun with it!

They get b and d confused, so I made a letter sort for the pocket chart, using sheep and bags of wool.

We learned about sheep since we are studying farms this week as well.  The kiddos used what they learned to fill in a graphic organizer about sheep (we actually did this together as a class, which is why all the words are spelled exactly right!)

We finished the week by making a fluffy black sheep!  I mixed equal parts glue and shaving cream, and then added a little black paint to change the color.  (Make sure you don't stir it too much.  Mine started to lose it's fluff because I mixed it too long.)  Let the students use the mixture to create a sheep body.

I let these dry overnight, then we cut out shapes to make the legs and head.  They drew the other details on with crayons.  This was a shape review.  They identified the shapes needed and cut them out of their black paper.

I think they turned out really cute!  They earned a spot on the bulletin board.

They even enjoyed putting the rhyme back together in the Poetry Center.  I laminated the strips and added velcro to the back to use on a felt board (technically it is a"Question of the Day" board, but it works perfectly!)

All of the kiddos have learned this week's Nursery Rhyme already!  One step closer to the Nursery Rhyme Club!  Woo hoo!

If you think your little learners would enjoy spending some time with "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep", head on over here to pick up all of the pieces you need to make it happen!  I hope you are having a great week!  It is almost Friday!

--Lauren

Fall Fun!

Nothing brightens my day like a surprise when I get to work!

One of my students from last year surprised me with these flowers today!  It is a great feeling to know your students still think of you, even when they are no longer in your class.  To top it off, my boss made fresh cinnamon rolls this morning to share with the staff!

Sorry I didn't get to post last week.  We were busy learning all about fall!  To kick off the fall season, we made a class book about what we like to do in the fall.

The kids sounded out their words and told me what letters to write.  I started by letting them write, but I realized that they were going to run out of space since they write larger than me (understandable since they haven't had as much practice!)  They practiced reading their sentences too.  The second day I gave each child their sentence to cut apart.

 I like to make pumpkin pie in the fall.

 I like to dress up in the fall.

I like to celebrate Thanksgiving in the fall.

 They put the sentence back together again and glued it onto construction paper before creating a beautiful illustration.

I modified the assignment for the first graders by having them write their own sentences.  They still cut them apart and illustrated them the same way though.

I like to make apple pie in the fall.  I like to jump in the leaves in fall.

The last day I made them into a book and read it to the class.    The kids were so excited to see their work in a book!  I will be doing many more of these throughout the year.  If you have done any class books in your classroom that turned out well let me know.  I am always looking for new ideas!

Learning Names and Learning Letters

Happy Friday!  This week has felt exceptionally long, so I am pumped for the weekend.  I think my kids were too because they were telling me all about their plans.  From play dates, to plane trips, to spending all day in their jammies watching college football.  The football one made me laugh, because it came from the mouth of a tiny five year old girl who had a big pink flower in her hair!  Too cute!

I got another laugh this morning while my students said the Pledge of Allegiance (don't worry, I wasn't actually laughing out loud during the pledge).  They didn't say the pledge, they shouted it!  I guess they think the louder they say it, the better they sound.  It made me smile, not only because it was sooo loud, but also because they really have learned it in the last few weeks.  I'm proud of my little kinders!

They have been doing great with learning letters this week.  We have also learned a little bit more about each other.  We have been doing a letter a day, since most of the kids already know the letters.  I demonstrate how to correctly write the letter and they tell me words that begin with the letter.  I record all of this on a paper which gets hung on our wall after I try my hand at illustrating the words.

 I realized as I was drawing the little borders and the box with the dotted line for the letters, that there is an easier way to do this, that would take a lot less of my time!  Make a template on the computer and copy it!!!  It only took me half the alphabet to realize it.  I will be using this template next year.

Click here to get this freebie!

Each of my students is getting the chance to be in the "Celebrity Spotlight!"  This is a get to know you activity, as well as a writing activity.  The students take turns asking the "celebrity" questions, while I record the answers on a paper.  Then we discuss what color hair, eyes, clothes, etc. the "celebrity" has so we can draw him/her accurately.  Each student writes the missing words on their paper and then draws their classmate. 

                          I put the pages together in a book and send it home with the "celebrity."

  They also get their information/picture hung in the hallway!

The kids have been enjoying it, and it is a great way to help teach them how to draw people (even though mine don't look the greatest either).  If you would like to use this idea in your classroom, head on over here to pick up the templates!

Have a great weekend and come back and visit!
--Lauren