Welcome to the snowman factory!

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Students have been reading, discussing and learning about winter. We created a snowman factory with snow dough for students to explore and build their own snowman. The students have been discussing winter and the weather outside. We are discovering the seasons change and so does the weather. Students are identifying the changes in weather happen when the seasons change.
Teacher:What happens when it snows outside?
Student T said: It gets cold outside! BBBrrrr...
Student J said: You have to wear a hat, coat, gloves.
Student E said: You need the thing around your neck, a scarf!


Student A: I made a snowman! He is melting.
Teacher: Why did you make him melting?
Student A: He kept falling down, so I made my snowman in the shovel, now he won't fall down!



Where do animals go in the Winter?

 

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

 

Students are reading about and discussing Winter. We have read the stories The Mitten, The Hat, Every Season, and Warm Clothes. They created a web about Winter, discussed hibernating, student M said hibernating is when animals sleep in the winter. They talked about the words cold, freezing, snow, ice, mittens, gloves, boots, hats, snow pants, and a coat.

 

Student then identify the clothing in pictures that was needed to keep them warm when they are outside. We were able to put them in the order they should get dressed to go outside. We talked about animals wearing clothes like in the story and student J said Animals do not wear clothes people do!

 They were able to recall the story The Hat by Jan Brett. Student J said They go places to stay warm.

 

This is when are discussion began about where animals go in the winter and how they are able to keep warm. Students then read the story Sleep, Bear Sleep. We identified the different animals in the winter and where they went. Students discovered that some animals sleep in a cave, den and a burrow. They were excited to talk about a bear sleeping.

 

Student A said I made him a cave to stay warm and the rocks around the cave are fish in case he gets hungry!

 

Student R said We made a home for the bear and a dog. I made a ramp from them to climb in so they can get in and out.

 

 

 

 

Students M and Z said Our bear is hibernating because it is cold and winter. The front has a shower and the rocks are the water. His name is Freddie he likes to eat fish and berries, oh and honey! The rocks on the bottom by the cave are fish for Freddie to eat.

 

 

Student A said: My bear is sleeping in his cave!

 



January 6, 2015

 

What can I create with shapes?

Students read the story mouse shapes and were trying to use different shapes like the mice did in the story. Students then told me about what they created and how they used the shapes like the mice. Students were able to tell me about the story and create their own connection to literature by using the shapes to build. We created a connection for math and discussed the shapes in the story and students identified the shapes they were using to create their own image.

Students S: My fish lived in the bottle. He jumped in there! He was stuck and I could not get him out. My mom put him in the bowl with the turtle and he stinks really bad. They need a bath really bad. Then they need to have dinner.

Student A: I made a shark in the pool.

Teacher: Why did you make a pool for the shark?

Student A: The shark called my house and he asked me to make them one!

Student Z: I made the cat and my friends helped me make the three mice from the story.

Students J: We could make the animals out of shapes! Just like the story!

Student B: I made a scary mouse because it can scare the cat, Now he is a scaredy cat! I don't think he will come back.

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.