Wind and Water-Week 4

January 18-22

Theme – We are continuing our wind and water theme throughout the month of January. This theme allows children to explore wind and water using observations, experiments, and books to learn more about topics such as evaporation, weather, temperature, insulation, rain, and snow.

This week we are reading:
* Rabbits and Rain Drops, By Jim Arnosky
*The Snowy Day, By Ezra Jack Keats
*Golden Bear, By Ruth Young

Small Groups this week:
*Where Are the Animals? (Math)
Students will learn and use spatial location terms such as; below,above, right, and left.
*Water Sound Exploration (Science)
Students will observe how water sounds when it is poured into various containers. Students will be encouraged to use language to describe how the water sounds.
*Beginning Sound Picture Sorting (Phonemic Awareness)
Students will discriminate between sounds that are the same and different. They will be using words that are found in our stories. (For example: butterfly, bumblebee)

Choice Activities this week:
Art: Moon Sand Exploration with moldable containers
Easel: Painting with colors from Rabbits and Raindrops (yellow, green, black, white, gray and blue).
Writing: Number matching with pincer clothespins
Sand and Water table: Snow with colored water in eyedroppers and spray bottles
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Matching mittens with different color patterns
Dramatic Play: Winter clothes dress up and mitten match

Songs, Word play and Letters :
Songs: Eentsy Weentsy Spider, 5 Little Ducks, The Wheels on the Bus, Clap Your Hands, What are you wearing?, Open Shut Them.
Poems: 10 Little Fingers, Rain Drops, My Big Balloon, Boom Bang
Literacy Skills: Can you think of words that rhyme with…, I’m thinking of… clue game, Alphabet clue game

Wind and Water-Week 3

January 18-22
Theme – We are continuing our wind and water theme throughout the month of January. This theme allows children to explore wind and water using observations, experiments, and books to learn more about topics such as evaporation, weather, temperature, insulation, rain, and snow.

This week we are reading:

* Rabbits and Rain Drops, By Jim Arnosky

*The Snowy Day, By Ezra Jack Keats

Small Groups this week:
. Students will develop math skills as they use Tangram pieces to create different pictures (Math)
· Students will explore different objects and their abilities to absorb or repel water while engaging in an  experiment. (Science)
· Students will develop literacy skills as they explore books related to the unit and identify key vocabulary words. (Book Browsing)

Choice Activities this week:
Art: goop exploration (cornstarch and water)
Easel: Painting with colors from Rabbits and Raindrops (yellow, green, black, white, gray and blue).
Writing: blank books with crayons, pencils, markers, vocabulary cards and story cards
Sand and Water table: Snow, spray bottles and ice cubes
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Matching number pegs and blocks
Dramatic Play: Winter clothes dress up and mitten match

Songs, Word play and Letters :
Songs: Eentsy Weentsy Spider, 5 Little Ducks, The Wheels on the Bus, Apples and Bananas, What are you wearing?, Open Shut Them.
Poems: 10 Little Fingers, Rain Drops, My Big Balloon, Boom Bang
Literacy Skills: Can you think of words that rhyme with…, I’m thinking of… clue game, Alphabet clue game

Special Notes:
1) Newsletters will soon be sent solely via the Integrated Preschool Blog. Please check out our classroom blog  http://www.cubcadetsnews.blogspot.com/
You can also access this through the Burlington Public School website.
http://burlingtonintegratedpreschool.blogspot.com/
2.)Also please look at our blog to see classroom photos and kindergarten registration information

Classroom Photos from Wind and Water Theme

We used markers to write on clear film on the easel. Then sprayed water on our writing. We then observed what happened.

We also observed how water moved in the water table. We used eye droppers and cups to pour into water wheels to make them move.  We also had moved sailboats in the water table using a classroom fan pretending it was the wind.

We read the book, One Dark Night. In the story the boy cared for a stray cat and three kittens. In our dramatic play area, we used boxes, blankets, pet bowls, puppy bones, and leashes to care for pets. The children loved this activity. We also discussed what pets we have at home and how we care for our pets.

We have been discussing how the wind can move objects. We blew into straws to move paint on paper. The children loved watching the paint move on the paper.

Kindergarten Registration Link

Kindergarten Registration Information for children starting kindergarten next year.
Here is the link with the information:
http://www.burlington.mec.edu/ps/kindergarteninfo_2010/k_reg2101.pdf

Wind and Water- Week 2

This week we will continue our theme of Wind and Water
Books this week
-Giberto and the Wind by Marie Hall
-One Dark Night by Hazel Hutchins

Small Groups this week
-Making Pinwheels(Math/following directions/observing and exploring materials)
-What can air move?(Science/discussing observations such as if objects moved at a higher or lower speed)
-Exploring Books (Comparing similarities and differences between Gilberto and the Wind and The Wind  Blew by Pat Hutchins. Then graphing the same and different elements in both books)

Center Activities this week
Art: Painting with colored ice onto kites
Easel: Writing with markers on clear film then spraying with water bottles to observe what happens
Writing: using word cards from stories and dry erase boards with markers
Sand and Water: exploring water wheels
Library: Exploring books
Puzzles and Manipulatives: matching uppercase letters with clothespins
Dramatic Play: taking care of animals (like in the story One Dark Night)
Blocks: building with blocks

Songs, Word Play, Letters
Songs: Down by the Bay; Bingo; Five Green Speckled Frogs
Poems: Stand Up; Boom! Bang!; Raindrops
Literacy Skills: Rearranging words( such as bingo changes to tingo or mingo); Guess what I’m saying (alphabet clue game); Beginning letter sound game(clap if your name starts with_, stamp your feet if you name start with _.)

Try this at home: Please complete the homework assignment send home by Thursday. (Things that move and didn’t move when blown with a fan or hairdryer with a parent) We will be creating a class book with this assignment so please return to school.

Reminders:
No School Monday, January 18 (Martin Luther King Day)

Wind and Water- Week 1

January 4-8   Wind and Water Theme

This theme allows children explore wind and water using observations, experiments, and books to lean more about topics such as evaporation, weather, temperature, insulation, rain, and snow

Books this week

-Giberto and the Wind by Marie Hall

-One Dark Night by Hazel Hutchins

Small Groups this week

-Shape Bingo Game(Math)
-Inflating balloons and observing their movement in wind(Science)
-Picture Card memory game using words from unit 3 storybooks (Games)

Center Activities this week
Art: Painting with straws (moving paint on paper blowing into straws)
Easel: Painting with colors from the book Gilberto and the Wind (black, brown and and white paint)
Writing: blank books with crayons and markers
Sand and Water: water and student and teacher created sailboats
Library: Exploring books
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Matching uppercase alphabet arch letters
Dramatic Play: playing house, clothes line and clothes pins for dramatic play
Blocks: building with blocks

Songs, Word Play, Letters
Songs: Come On and Join in the Game; Clap Your Hands; Wheels on the Bus
Poems: Hands; Stand Up; My Big Balloon; Mix a Pancake; Five Little Owls in an Old Elm Tree
Literacy Skills: Naming sound game and rhyming word game

Try this at home: Observe signs of weather with your child. When you are outside ask them to look at the sky and talk about clouds, rain, wind, and storms.