Polar Bears...continued!

This week we continued our Polar Bear unit. Let's take a look at the week!

Math - This week we played two math games. The first game we played was a Polar Bear Race Game.  The Polar Bear Race Game's objective is to see which Polar Bear can swim through the blue "water" to get to the snow first! The kiddos rolled the dice and took turns moving their polar bear down the circles and to the "snow" finish line!  The second game we played was a Polar Bear Paw Measuring Game. The kiddos practiced measuring with objects. We used pom poms, pumpkin seeds, and cubes to measure the length of a Polar Bear paw. 

Recess - Fun in the snow!

Science - This week we conducted two science experiments - Snowy Day Tissue Paper Art & Polar Bear Blubber Experiment. The tissue paper art activity combined science with art. The kiddos first layered tissue paper onto water color paper. We then sprinkled a small amount of snow on top of the tissue paper. As the snow began to melt the tissue paper "bled" into the watercolor paper, leaving behind a beautiful wash of color! We used colors that are in the Polar Bear's Arctic environment - shades of blue and some black. The process was a lot of fun and the pictures turned out beautifully!

What protects Polar Bears from cold weather? BLUBBER! Blubber is a thick layer of fat that helps keep many Arctic animals warm.  The Polar Bear Blubber Experiment showed the kiddos how Polar Bears keep warm in the arctic environment. As a blubber substitute we used Crisco. We scooped a bunch of Crisco into a baggie, and then put another baggie inside. We spread around the Crisco so we had a nice layer of "blubber" surrounding our hand. The kiddos took turns placing their two hands (one protected, the other bare) in a bowl of ice water. We counted how long each student could keep their hands in the cold water - the longest was 30 seconds! We asked each student, "Which hand is warmer? Which hand is colder?" All the students agreed that the blubber helped keep their hand warm!  This experiment helped the Pre-K kids answer the question - Does blubber protect from the cold? YES!

Morning Meeting - During Morning Meeting we did our usual routine - schedule, jobs, weather, calendar, and songs - but we also read fiction and non-fiction Polar Bear books. We filled in a Polar Bear Fact Chart that described Polar Bears - "Polar Bear can _____ . "   "Polar Bears are ______ . "  and "Polar Bears have _________ . "

Art - On Friday the kiddos made a Polar Bear craft using black construction paper, packing peanuts, and puffy paint! The reason why we used black paper is because the Polar Bear's skin is black underneath its white fur. The packing peanuts were the Polar Bears "blubber" and the puffy paint was the fur!

Spanish - The kiddos are learning animal names in Spanish. This week they practiced by playing an animal matching game.

PE - The kiddos always enjoy running, jumping, throwing, and practicing gross motor skills in PE!

Music - The Pre-K kids love music class. They enjoy singing and dancing with their friends.

Mystery Reader - This weeks Mystery Reader was Myraa's mom! She read the book, "I Like Myself!" by Karen Beaumont. 

Reading Buddies - A great way to start Friday's! 

Next week we start our "Community Helpers" unit!

Polar Bears

This week we began our Polar Bear unit!  To begin our unit we read a Scholastic Polar Bear book and took notes on facts that we read.  Through reading, we learned that Polar Bears live in the Artic, are great swimmers, have big paws, eat seals, and have great hearing and eyesight! We also watched Polar Bear videos and observed their habitats. Below are some questions you can ask your Pre-K kid to see how much they remember about Polar Bears.

1.) What are Polar Bear babies called? (Cubs)

2.) What do Polar Bears eat? (Seals & Arctic Foxes)

3.) Where do Polar Bears live? (Arctic)

4.) Why do Polar Bears swim? (to hunt for food)

5.) Polar Bears have skin underneath their fur. What color is it? (Black)

6.) A Polar Bear can smell a seal ______ miles away! (20)

ART: On Thursday we began the day painting a chair! We thought it would be fun to have a "Birthday Chair"!  We also created Polar Bear art using newspaper, paint, water, and watercolor paper. You will see these hanging up in the hallway outside of our classroom.

MATH: Polar Bear Race!  This is a perfect game for number recognition and counting. The kiddos rolled the dice, counted the dots, and placed a bear counter in the square above that number. The number polar bear that reached the top first won! 

SPANISH: This week the Pre-K kids began their Animal Unit. They are also incorporating counting during the hands-on-activities with Ms. Floyd. The kids love Spanish!

LANGUAGE ARTS: For Journals this week we asked the kiddos to complete the story - "Once upon a time a Polar Bear...." The kiddos drew a picture that matched their story. During morning meeting we learned about how Polar Bear moms teach their young how to stay warm and how to hunt. We asked the kids to tell us something that their moms and dads have taught them. Their responses are below. 

James - how to love

Myraa - how to build a snowman

Meri Lynne - how to dance 

Anika - how to write 

Kadence - how to whistle 

PE: During PE this week the kids played a variety of movement games. With Mr Linkheart they play ed a Freeze Dance game and Astronauts. These games work on gross motor skills and coordination. 

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: On Friday we celebrated Myraa's 4th Birthday! Myraa's mom brought in cupcakes, apples and milk for the kids to share. After finishing up our snack Myraa's mom read to the class a book called, "In My Heart" by Jo Witek. The book is about feelings. After the story the kiddos created a heart craft using construction paper. During the activity we asked the kiddos what makes them happy. 

MYSTERY READER: We had two Mystery Readers this week! We welcomed Anika's mom and second grade teacher Ms. Taylor-Pines into our classroom. The kiddos are always so excited to see who our Mystery Reader is every week! 

READING BUDDIES: 

REMINDERS: 

-Please double check cubbies to make sure your little one has enough seasonally appropriate extra clothes!

-Wyatt starts class on Monday!