The children were very excited to bring in and share their different apples last week. We began our apple study by asking each child to draw a picture of the apples that he/she brought to school. Once the pictures were finished we gathered together on the carpet and sorted our apples as a group, by color. We discovered that we had five red apples, two green, and three yellow. After adding each group together, the children enthusiastically announced that we had 10 apples.
BUT THERE WERE MORE!
Some of the apples were red and green or red and yellow. They had to be sorted into their own pile. The children decided to call them multicolored. Together, we counted 14 multicolored apples. Braden quickly added that if we had 10 of the other apples and 14 multicolored apples we had 24 apples all together. Kiss your brain, Braden! The other children excitedly agreed!
The next step was to graph the apples. The children used their drawings to do this.
Later, the children enjoyed the mysterious story about the little red house with no doors or windows and a tiny star living inside. Did you know there is a star living inside of each and every apple? Ask your child about it. Then, cut an apple (preferably red) through the middle horizontally.
The cut apples dipped in paint make wonderful prints . The children practiced creating patterns using red, yellow and green paint with their apple halves on strips of paper. The strips were then fashioned into hats which the children proudly wore home.
Apple tasting, comparing seeds from apples to seeds from pumpkins, coring and cutting apples to make warm, sweet applesauce, learning about Johnny Chapman, AKA
Johnny Appleseed, baking apple crisp and so much more made it an apple-icious week in Junior Kindergarten.
FROGS!
Did you forget about those tadpoles that we have been raising since they were nothing more than little jelly-filled eggs? The children sure haven't. One of our water tables outside has become a full-blown tadpole habitat. The children have been eagerly awaiting the metamorphosis of their wiggly little friends from tadpoles to frogs and have been observing them daily. A couple weeks ago we noticed that some of our tadpoles had back legs. Then suddenly they had front legs too! Last week we found two of our tadpoles had climbed out of the water and were sunning their little FROGGY selves on the side of the water table! Although each still had a tail in this picture, they have since lost it and hopped on to experience the world. Good luck little friends!
Pumpkin Observations
As you know, we have been studying pumpkins and everything fall this October. During our pumpkin study we hollowed out a very large pumpkin to sort, estimate and count the seeds, explore the fleshy stuff inside and plant a seed or two in a wet paper towel and a Ziploc baggie to watch how it grows. The children are keeping a book of drawings to log the cycle of growth the little pumpkin seed goes through. The baggies are hung in a sunny window where the children can visit them daily to see what is happening. Some of the pumpkin seeds have already broken open and are beginning to sprout! Our big pumpkin was taken to the garden to "give back to the earth". The children are also observing what is happening to it daily now that it is no longer full of seeds and able to "suck up" food and water from the stem and vines that once nourished it.
A few days after we removed the lid from the inside of the pumpkin where it fell (because the pumpkin was getting squishy, the kids said), the children were so excited to see that one little seed that was left at the bottom of the pumpkin had sprouted! As the pumpkin was rotting the sides expanded and the lid fell in, allowing sunlight to get through and shine onto the little seed. Because pumpkins are 80% water, the water at the bottom of the rotting pumpkin helped to nourish the little seed enough to burst through with new life. Yay! We'll keep watching! Grow little seed grow!
We will continue our learning about fall fruits and veggies through observation, books, iPad research and our exciting field trip to Graham's Market. Happy learning!
Other fun in learning last week included: pattern practice using pattern blocks, drawings, iPads and calendar. The children heard stories about the season of Fall and completed stories and illustrations of their own. They shared them with the class. We took a leaf walk, collecting interesting leaves in all sorts of colors. We read The Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert, and created our own leaf boys and girls as well as designs. AND sooooo much more!
SHORECREST SPIRIT!
We ended the week with a little Pep Rally Fun and School Spirit!
Members of Shorecrest sports teams escorted us in style to Friday's Pep Rally.
The children were so excited that some of them made their own necklaces, bracelets and even signs to share their school spirit!!! Go Chargers!!!!
This week the children will continue to compare and study seeds and what and how they grow. Letter Cc will be the focus. The children will work with graphs some more with candy and estimate and count candy corn for a little pre-Halloween math fun. AND AGAIN, sooooo much more!
Dates to Remember:
October 23 - Picture Retakes - If you would like to have your child's picture taken again, please send the first packets of pictures back to school in their yellow bags and write us a note.
October 31 - Halloween parade 8:20 and Fall Festival 10:00
November 8 - Poetry in the Park 8:30
November 16 - Exploring and Feast for Children- We need help at exploring and to plate the food.
November 19 - 23 Thanksgiving Vacation
Happy week!
Mrs. Carson
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