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.