Outer Space

We started our Solar System theme by asking the children what they knew about outer space......

and from that information we realized that there was both collected knowledge about our solar system but also a great interest in planets. 

 And so Outer Space week came to be about adventure, imagination, and a lot of science. The children created the moon, a sun, and the earth with paint and printing and glue. We sang songs about the universe and rocket ship runs and found out about the orbiting of planets. Somehow, the Universe is a concept that four year old's embrace. They are interested in the names of planets and their characteristics, they like to imagine space travel, and easily bring their own ideas to the drama of space. We have been reading story books that are imaginative, such as Moon Boy, and books that are based in science, such as a wonderful series about space with beautiful pictures.

The flashlights that have come from home have added so much to our exploration.  We have turned off the lights and explored the room, our boxes,  and our rocket ship with our flashlights.

 Because the lights are off it's difficult to get wonderful images, but the boxes (rockets) are given all sorts of personalities with markers including names, buttons, and colors.

 There is a large box that the children climb into to travel, use as a space station or "ground control", and have added color and design to .

We found a light show sort of ball and now after we get everything cleaned up we sit with our flashlights and space music and watch a light show. Woah!

 "Earth" is blue and green and looks like a great blue marble from the moon.

 This is "ground control". Phones, keyboards, star maps, and calculators keep us connected.

 Palabras de la Semana:

Sol-sun
Tierra-earth
estrella-star
luna-moon

and all of the planets in Spanish!

Until Next Time,
Michele

Teddy Bear Week

Celebrating Teddy Bear Week at school means that we can bring in special toys from home that have significant meaning for us and share them with everyone. The children enjoyed all of the songs and books and especially enjoyed the chance to toss their bears (or other creatures) up in the air when we were running around in gym. Our teddy bear picnic was a special event-we made our own sandwiches, had a bear parade, and sat together to share a delicious teddy bear snack. We finished off our day by walking out in the woods to feed the birds with our crusts.

 There were bears everywhere! Our storybooks, songs, projects, and playtime was all about bears.

 This is a treasure for the bears (or pirates).

 The block rug became a bear's playground.

 Palabras de la Semana:
Oso - bear
cueva-cave
bosque-woods

 What do you need to make a sandwich?

 A treat for the birds!

Shoes and Body Parts!

We continued to enjoy our shoe store, particularly the cash register, and added some interesting exploration of our skeletal system and head, shoulders, knees, and toes. The children looked at x-ray pictures of animals and fish at the light table, and we also learned that we have all sorts of bones in our own bodies. We measured ourselves and found out that we are quite sizeable when we were traced and colored in our body outlines!

a painted arm prints like a bone x-ray!

block rug action!

pretzel dough!

 Palabras de la Semana:

cuerpo-body
manos-hands
pies-feet
calabaza-head (hombros-shoulders, ordillas-knees)

 What happens when a dinosaur comes to the shoe store? It wants to buy all the shoes!

 This was the biggest shoe store order ever!

 We had some time out in the snowy woods this week!

 The whole group of children changed "trains."

Rosalba taught us "head, shoulders, knees and toes" in Spanish this week.

Until Next Time,
Michele