December 4, 2014

"This is my house, I know it" ~ Marcos

 

Students are continuing to work on and complete their house projects. They have created many drafts and are now on their final steps of the project. It has been eye opening for the students and for myself to observe them paying more attention to detail and really trying to improve their house every step of the way.

One student said we do not have the color gray and my house is gray. He was getting upset until we showed him you can mix black and white to make gray. He was so relieved he thought he would have to use another color and that was not what he observed on his photograph. Students are not just drawing and coloring with any colors they are trying to create a realistic picture that is not just a painting or drawing, but their home.

They have created beautiful pieces of artwork that represent not only themselves, but their families and who they are and where they are from.

They are proud of their work, their families and their home. They are defining who they are and growing as child, developing as a student and becoming a confident individual who is part of a community.

 

 Aiden~5 years old

Angela ~ 5 years old

 Xiomara~ 5 years old

Zoeliz ~ 5 years old

 

Common Core:

 

Geometry: K.G Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).

 

1. Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

 

ELA-Literacy:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.1.D Understand the question words (e.g. who, what, where, when, why how).

 

CCSS.ELA.-Literacy. L.K.1.F Produce sentences in shared language activities.

 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer question.

 

Language

5c. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g. not places at school that are colorful).

November 25, 2014

What can you paint for Thanksgiving?

 

Students were given white paper, paint brush, watercolors and the question what can you paint for Thanksgiving? I asked the students to create a painting for the Holiday so they could share something with their families that was made by them and created by them. The students were given the supplies and the question. They all decided to paint a turkey for the holiday and they came out beautiful!

 

Shaun told Audrianna Your turkey looks awesome! She said, Thanks its for my Mom!

 

Ralina, My turkey is running so he does not get eaten!

 

 
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
Radfan, I love my family!
The students are taking the time to look at each other's work and they are complimenting one another and helping each other. I observed another student take their friends paint brush and help them make the Turkeys feet. They gave the brush back and they both continued their own paintings. Helping one another can go a long way. They are making lasting impressions on each other and understanding that they are part of a growing community/ family in kindergarten.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

November 17, 2014

 What is Community?

Students are continuing to work on the House project we are working on to study our community. We have 62 kindergarten students broken up into 3 groups. Group1 is working on drawing their house on acetate and painting them. Group 2 is creating drafts which will turn into a final piece that will use the media watercolor. Group 3 is creating a 3-Dimensional map using their houses to create the community in which we live around our school. Students are using photographs of their own homes and looking at other maps to help them compare and create their own Kindergarten community.

Below are drafts of group 1 working on drawing their home without a photograph. Then the second draft is students using their own picture of their house to create an observational drawing that will then be transferred onto acetate and painted with acrylic. The students are focusing on the details of their home, they are counting windows and noticing color and nature around their surroundings.

 

 

 Students S said: "I live in a tall building with my family."

 

 Student Z said: "This my home!"

 

 

 

 

One child's comment transforms the group's perspective

 

Burchfield Nature Trail Fall 2014

 



Kindergarten students went on the Nature trail for the first time in October. They experienced the different trails and observed the environment, and they were looking for changes in nature in autumn.

 

The students began to walk the trail at first all walking in a line (without me asking them to). They began to take it all in. We got down to the creek side path and

student S said "It is so beautiful!"

 

 

This comment opened the student's eyes and ears they were looking at everything and trying to understand nature and what they saw. Student J said " there are some big rocks. That's hard because it is a big rock. Student J:" I think its mud, I think its mud and sticky!" Student S: "The rock is falling apart, the water is breaking it. Student M said: "Look, I found a waterfall!"  Student T walks over with what we know as a rock and says "I found a dinosaur egg."

Student M says, "I found an acorn."

 

One comment by their peer had helped the students begin to observe and take the time to not only observe nature, but to be part of it. They listened to their friend and they began to hear nature and the world that surrounds them. They understand that they are just a part of something much bigger, but they can affect the world when we listen. A four year old says "It's so beautiful!"  She changed the trip and opened the world to possibilities.

 



 



 

Monday, October 27, 2014

What is Community?

 

 

 

Students began discussing community and talked about their homes and where they live.

Students created their first draft of their home without using any visual aides. They were recalling from memory.

Student Z: "My house is gray."

Student T: "I live with my family."

 Student S: "I live in a tall building!" Students X: I live in a building that is tall too!

Student Y: "Me too, I live on the 8th floor! Students X and Y: "You live at my building!

Student L:" I know where that is, they live by me!"

 

 

Student R: "My house is Red."

 

Teacher: "How can we find our where you live?"

Student S:" We can use a map."

Student Z: "We can use a picture."

Teacher: "What is a map?"

Students S: "It shows us where to go!"

Students B: "It helps us find places!"

 

We used google earth to find out where students lived.

 

Student S: "That is from a plane."

Teacher: "Did you ever hear someone say from a birds eye view?"

Student C: "Yeah, that means it looks big for the bird."

Student S: "That picture is from the sky, they took it from an airplane."

 

Student C:" Hey, That is my house!"

 

 

    Student C: " Look, I live in this house,

this is where I live with my family!"

Wow, you found my house on the computer. Student D: That is his house!

Students: "I know where he lives, He lives by me!

Students are realizing they live by one another and that they are closer in the community than what they think. Students are discovering that they live by their friends and that they are by our school. They are understanding that they are part of something larger and that we are able to make connections to each other in the community. The students were talking about their houses with one another and telling their friends about their home and who they live with or the neighbors they live next to.

Student S:"do you see that tree by my house, Dad said it has to be cut down."
 You can not see my house because the tree is there, I play in the yard!"

Student D:" Can you move the picture? Teacher: "Why do you want me to move the picture?"

Student D: " I live farther down the street! That is my street, but not my house it is over there more."

Student D: "See there it is, its the blue one, Thank You!" Yep, That's it, that's my house."

 

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Fairy Tales

Students listened to and talked about the Fairy Tale "The Elves and the Shoemaker". They talked about how the Elves helped the shoemaker and his wife by making the shoes while they were sleeping. We also discussed the word tattered and why the Elves clothes looked the way they did.
Student R Said: "The word tattered means Broken." Student S said: " They have holes in them and are cut." Student N said: "They need new clothes they do not fit them anymore."
 Students understood the word tattered but were trying to make more sense out of why the Elves would help the shoemaker and his wife.
I asked the students to create something for the Elves since the Elves made the shoes for the shoemaker and the wife. Students S said: "The shoemaker and his wife made them clothes and shoes because they helped them get money.
Student N said: "They got them money and the people made the Elves clothes and shoes because they helped them."

My students then used the blocks to create something for the elves in return that they thought the elves would like or may need.

 

Student S: "we made a house so people have a fire so that they don't freeze. They are making decorations for the people.

"The elves are in the middle talking about the shoes", said student Y.

The elves are in the peoples house because they want their own house. We know what they are talking about because we could here them, said student S.

First we made a house then we turned it into a cake and then we made it into a house for the elves said student H.

We made them a fire to keep them warm said student C.

Students S: " Do you hear them?

Student Y: "No!"

Students S: "They are sleeping, sshhh!"

 

 

Wednesday, October 15 2014

Students are focusing on pets this week and how they have to be taken care of and the relationships and connections they make with families. The students read the Story Please, Puppy Please. I asked students to look at the picture and describe what they thought of when they looked at the illustration.

Student J: "He feels bigger than the sky!"
Student S: "They love each other."
Student Y: "Their hugging each other because the  puppy got the ball and finally listened."
Student M: "Brother, sister love the dog and the cat."
Student H: "Their having a hug."
Student Z: "They are happy."
Student A: "Their a happy family."

What do you think about your family and pets when you see this illustration?
 Student M: "Family"
Student N: " Yeah and Happy too!"
Students S: " I love my family!"
Student E and R: " I love my dog and I love my cat!"

The students were able to make a family and home connection with the story we discussed. They were excited to relate their lives and experiences with one another. We then used pattern blocks to create pets.

" I made a tiger striped cat!"

 

 

"We made a cat together!"

What can you build with 10 of the same shapes?

September 30, 2014
  What can you build with 10 of the same shapes?
It has been interesting to observe the students and see how creative they are becoming. The students have been focusing on same and different using shapes.
We are counting shapes and are identifying them before they begin to create. One of my students was really taking his time and placing his shapes in a certain way. It was a great challenge for him to slow down and see what he could create with only 10 of the same shapes. He was so excited when he realized he was beginning to make a flower.

 A:" Look I can make a flower!"

What do you like to do with your family?
 We started to talk about family and community in class today. Students read aloud the story What makes a family? We talked about how each of our families are special, who is in our family and what we think of the word family. 
 Students said
  Family means "Brother, Sister, Mom, Dad, and our pets too!"
Students J: " You have a lot of friends."
Student S: " A whole bunch of people that love you!"
Student R: Family means your together."
Student C: "I think of Mommy and , I Love You!"
Students N: Grandparents, Mom, Dad, Aunts, Uncles and cousins too!"
Students illustrated pictures of what they like to do with their families. They were so excited to talk about their families and neighbors too!
Student R: I have neighbors next to me and I have neighbors above me. We live in an apartment. I have a lot of neighbors!" 

Students also discussed school and why it is important?

Student M:" School helps us learn and you get to do centers."

 Student J:"We can learn and be good and play outside on the playground, and I like to play in the kitchen!"

 Student R:" We need school because we need to learn."

Students:" This is our school we made together!"

Identifying what is the same and different through building.

Students in math today were discussing how things are the same and different. we looked at 8 animal pictures and matched them by the same animal name. students then continued to look at the pictures and noticed though they were the same animal they were different. Body positions and facial expressions were different on each animal. Students discussed with each other that even though they are the same animal they are also different. "the cat in the first row is standing and the cat in the second row is sitting."
Students then carried over what they identified with animal pictures to the blocks at their tables. students began to build objects using shapes that were the same color and shape. they were able to create two of the same and one that was different. students decided to use all different shapes and colors with one creation.  my kindergarten students were able to tell how their buildings were the same and how they were different. I was excited to see my students use blocks rather than a pencil and paper to identify how they were the same. when I asked to students to tell me about their creations they used the vocabulary correctly and could identify how their work was like the animal pictures we observed and discussed earlier in the lesson.

Reviewing Letters of the Alphabet

Friday, September 19, 2014


Students have been reviewing the letters of the alphabet and practicing writing the letters Aa through Jj. I created a letter building center for the students to use a variety of materials. They enjoyed building with marbles, rocks, beads, noodles and beans. The students were all interacting and telling one another the letter they were building. When they finished I took photos of the letters they created and then students identified the letter and if they had it in their own name. Students discovered if they did not have the letter in their name that some others students at the table may have had it in their name.
The students were coming up with animals and other things that began with the letter they made.