Weather

This week we began our Weather Unit. We began the week by discussing different types of weather. During morning meeting we came up with a great list of "weather words" that include: tornado, rainbow, rain, cold, hot, blizzard, cloudy, fog, humid, thunderstorm, snow, windy, lightning and "yucky."

This week we also spent a lot of time doing "process art." Process art focuses more on the process of art making than the final product, ensuring that the kiddos engage their creative sides. The kiddos completed three weather process art projects - Crayon Drip Rain Cloud, Wind Process Art, and Shaved Crayon Sun.

Crayon Drip Rain Cloud

The Crayon Drip Rain Cloud was so much fun to create, and the kiddos enjoyed each step!  First, the Pre-K kids glued down the crayons at the top of the canvas. We used different shades of blue to represent "rain." With teacher supervision, the children used the hairdryer to melt the crayons. Next, the kiddos added cotton balls to represent "clouds" and added buttons for more texture!

Wind Process Art

The children used straws to blow the paint in all directions - just like wind blowing! The kiddos learned that they had to take a deep breadth and blow the air out quickly for the paint to move.

Shaved Crayon Sun

Using fine motor skills the kids first sharpened the crayons to make crayon shavings. We used shades of yellow, orange, and red. Then they decided where to put the shavings on the canvas to create a shape that resembles the sun. With teacher supervision, the kids melted the crayons using the hairdryer. The kiddos learned that they could move the melted crayons in different directions depending on where they pointed the hairdryer. As the shavings melted, the kiddos decided to add more so they could change the color and shape of the sun!

Thunderstorm Art Project

Practicing scissor skills, the kiddos cut out lightning bolts and raindrops and then glued them onto a grey storm cloud. The kiddos made the cloud by mixing black and white paint.

Rainy Day Art

Journals

This week the kiddos drew a picture and dictated their response to the question - What is your favorite type of weather?

Reading Buddies 

Spring/Plants...continued!

This week we continued our Spring/Plants Unit.  Most of our centers this week focused on planting seeds and the concept of "germination." Through videos, books, and hands on activities, the kiddos have begun to understand the life cycle of a plant and the science behind growing a seed. Planting the seeds is a great exercise in following directions as well as an important early lesson in patience. 

Milk Carton Grass Gardens

Planting grass seeds was a quick and fun project that the kiddos loved! With Earth Day this weekend we decided to repurpose milk cartons. We loved turning our milk cartons into something else and giving them new life with a value-added purpose.  The kiddos learned that you can take an ordinary household item and turn them into something new! Our Milk Carton Grass Gardens fit perfectly on our sunny windowsill. The children were excited to water them daily and to watch for growth. We are hoping to see some green next week. Fingers crossed!

Science Sprout House

Our Science Sprout House's combined engineering and science into one awesome project! First, the kiddos build their houses using toothpicks. Then, it was time to cover the houses with seeds. We used broccoli, spinach and lettuce seeds. These seeds sprout quickly and are small enough to fit inside the sponges pores. Once the seeds were "planted" all there was left to do was water and wait! 

Growing Beans in a Jar

Growing beans in a mason jar (and a plastic bag - see below) is a clever way to visually teach children about the parts of a plant, especially the roots systems. All we needed for this science activity was a glass jar, damp paper towels, and seeds! We used lima beans and peas. We are hoping to come back to school on Monday to see some growth!

Growing Beans in a Bag 

The first step in creating a plastic bag "greenhouse" is to wet a folded paper towel. Next, slip the paper towel into the baggie. We stapled halfway up the bag so the seeds could rest on top and the roots had room to grow below. We then added the seeds (lima beans and peas).  Finally, we zipped the bags closed and taped the "greenhouses" to our window so they could get plenty of sun! 

Seed Sorting Activity Tray

Wonderful activity for fine motor development!

Pumpkin Seed Letter Hunt 

Paper Flowers 

Journals

This week the kiddos dictated their response to the prompt - If you could plant your own garden, what kind of garden would it be? What would you grow? How would you care for your garden?

Earth Day

This week we invited Ms. Strain's Kindergarden class into our Pre-K room to have a combined Earth Day Lesson! We begin our lesson with watching the digital version of the book, The EARTH Book by Todd Parr. The book shares the importance of environmental protection and conservation. The book includes lots of easy ways on how we can all work together to make the Earth feel good - from planting a tree to using both sides of the paper, to saving energy and reusing old things in new ways. After our discussion of the book, the kiddos were asked to draw a picture of themselves helping the Earth feel good! The students then had a blast using their handprints to decorate the Earth!

Reading Buddies

Mystery Reader

This week our Mystery Reader was Upper School Spanish Teacher - Ms. Loperena! Two of her students joined us on Friday and read two digital books - "Busca Los Colores" and "Uno, Dos, Tal Vez Tres?" The kiddos had a great time interacting with the books and practice their Spanish!

Next week we will begin our Weather Unit.