Highlights From Our Week Prior to beginning Writer’s Workshop this week, the children participated in a “turn and talk to a friend.” One child tells his/her friend a weekend experience. The other child will sing, “tell me more, tell me more.” This enables the children to think about additional details for their story. As you listen to your child’s recording on Seesaw, please ask your child to elaborate and “tell you more.” Our Fairy Tale Study Continues... Story Mapping The children rewatched THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS by Jon Scieszka and Walt Disney’s version of Three Little Pigs. We viewed these videos with a different perspective. This time we focused on the characters, setting, dialogue, problem and solution. This led to the introduction of the concept of “story mapping,” which is a comprehension strategy to assist children in learning the elements of a book or a story. Then the children chose one of the above versions for their story map. Before they began the “mapping” process, they discussed how to start their map with their partner/group, The children referred to the videos on iPads. Please ask your child to retell the fairy tale that was created on his/her story map. These group maps were uploaded to Seesaw. This strategy provided conversation, collaboration, and active participation. Experimentation with Straw, Sticks, and Bricks The children experimented with cardboard and makerspace materials in order to build a house of straw, sticks, and bricks. They divided themselves into three groups and selected which houses they were going to build. This activity provided a wonderful opportunity for teamwork. The 3 Little Pigs Play Inasmuch as the children knew the script, they decided it was time to put on their first play using puppets. They chose the characters, discussed the dialogue, and planned their debut. Laughter and giggles filled the room. The children’s videos were uploaded to Seesaw. I know you will enjoy watching their performances and if time permits, the entire family can act it out. Construction Challenge We read the Three Little Pigs, An Architectural Tale, written by Steven Guarnaccia which provided an inspiration for our construction challenge as we assumed the role of architects. As a prelude to our role as architects, we toured Braeside School to observe several fireplaces that exhibited amazing architecture. Culminating Activity Our culminating activity encompassed an experiment which incorporated the elements of STEAM. Each child was given the opportunity to construct a house for his/her little pig. The house needed to be strong enough to withstand the “big bad wolf blow dryer” and not fall down. In addition, numerous children included aspects of “The Falling Water House” designed by Frank Lloyd Wright as referenced in the Three Little Pigs, An Architectural Tale. Please ask your child if his/her house survived the "big bad wolf blow dryer?" Enjoy the weekend with your family.
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Highlights From Our Week SETTING THE STAGE FOR A FAIRY TALE THE THREE LITTLE PIGS Our introduction to the fairy tale The Three Little Pigs, began with a Walt Disney version. Please click on the picture below to watch Walt Disney’s Three Little Pigs. Then we viewed and read numerous versions of The Three LIttle Pigs. The children were excited to watch THE THREE LITTLE PIGS by James Marshall on BookFLIX. BookFLIX can be found on Symbaloo, which is located under Family Links on our website. USERNAME: braeside PASSWORD: bookflix After listening to the story of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS by James Marshall, we discussed the various story elements. This information enabled the children to fill in the chart below: The next version we read of The Three Little Pigs was entitled THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS by Jon Scieszka. Please click on the picture below to watch THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS by A. Wolf. After reading both versions of our first fairy tale, we were able to finalize the chart below. There are various graphic organizers to use for comparing and contrasting stories. A Venn Diagram provided an opportunity to compare the two versions of the story; “What was similar between the stories and what was different?" S.T.E.A.M. CHALLENGES I presented the children with the following challenges: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! In commemoration of Dr. Seuss, we read The Cat In The Hat. We continued our celebration by participating in a directed drawing activity. The children followed along as they drew “The Cat In The Hat.” Please click on the picture below to view the directed drawing. Math Exploration We revisited 2 dimensional shapes and their attributes. The children discovered the similarities and differences between the 4 basic shapes. Our follow-up activity included placing the numbered shapes on the math learning carpet. The children were eager to share their observations. UPDATES AND REMINDERS: Please remember to check the Braeside Website Calendar for upcoming events. Monday, March 6: Scholastic Book Club Order is due. Friday, March 24: Early Release Day - No AM Kindergarten Tuesday, April 25: Kindergarten Music Program Enjoy the beautiful weekend!
Highlights From Our Week Writer’s Workshop I asked the children to select one activity from the long weekend to share with our class. Then I reintroduced the "Tell Me More" concept. The children were able to write about a weekend experience and provide an additional detail. Conclusion of Our Polar Bear Study... As we continued to utilize our research tools, we focused on polar bear traits. The information that we obtained enabled us to complete a polar bear informational document. POLAR BEAR CENTERS This week our polar bear centers provided the children with opportunities to explore a polar bear’s paw, to understand the meaning of a caption in order to write one, and to participate in a blubber experiment. Polar Bear's Paw Activity The children enjoyed creating their own polar bear paw by following our step by step instructions. What is a Caption? After I introduced the meaning of a caption, which is a non-fiction text feature, we wrote one together as shown below. Then the children chose a photograph and wrote their own caption. A Blubber Experiment The children engaged in a blubber glove experiment, as evidenced below. We learned what keeps polar bears warm in bitterly cold temperatures. These animals have a thick layer of fat under their skin called blubber, which provides warmth. Prior to this experiment, each child stated his/her hypothesis and then recorded the results. Lovie Words/High Frequency Words Today I sent home lovie words/high frequency words flashcards. If your child is interested, please cut them out and review for instant recognition. Culminating Activity Our polar bear fact-finding investigation resulted in a writing activity which illustrated what we have learned. Thank you for your continued support. Enjoy the weekend with your family.
Highlights From Our Week Writer's Workshop During Writer’s Workshop, we listened to each child describe his/her weekend activity. Then I introduced the concept “Tell Me More, “which is a detail that supports the topic sentence. Patterns Are Everywhere! We have been singing and dancing to the GoNOOdle video, “Banana, Banana, Meatball.” The children used unifix cubes to illustrate the numerous patterns that were introduced in this video. Valentine’s Day Celebration Prior to our party, the children were presented with Valentine pattern block mats. The challenge was to build the design on the mat, as well as count and record the number of pattern blocks used. These activities reinforced their understanding of geometric shapes. Excitement filled the room as the children began to decorate their valentine bags. Upon completion of these valentine bags, we were ready to deliver valentines to our classmates. Our celebration concluded with delicious sweet treats. Thank you to the parent volunteers: Mrs. Zelwin, Mrs. Schultz, Mrs. Sher, Mrs. Ramirez, Mrs. Kiferbaum, and Mrs. Jones. Research Continues.. We reviewed the qualities that comprise a researcher as we began to explore polar bears in the Arctic as part of a study on polar animals. Prior to our research, we filled out a KWL chart. This information provided us with our essential question. In order to answer our essential question, the children utilized the following research tools: PebbleGo; National Geographic Magazine photographs; and videos. The video below enabled the children to better understand how polar cubs survive in the Arctic. Please click here to view this amazing video! The children participated in the following three centers: diagram design; standard and non-standard measurement of an actual-sized polar bear paw; and creation of a polar bear using Play-Doh. Enjoy the long weekend with your family. I look forward to seeing the children on Wednesday.
Highlights From Our Week Animal Features Activity Our discussions last week led to this week's culminating activity. During Writer’s Workshop, the children wrote about how they would use the animal feature they selected in order to complete this activity. Their creativity shone brightly as evidenced below. Habitat Research As our research continued, we began with the question: “What is a habitat?” Videos which introduced the children to animal habitats, as well as PebbleGo, provided the necessary information to answer our question. This research presented an opportunity for the children to build their favorite animal’s habitat. The children developed a plan for this activity which is reflected in the chart below. We Are Builders! Our classroom was filled with conversation, collaboration, and creativity as our “builders” began their construction process. Upon completion of their habitat, the children mixed Play-Doh colors in order to create their specific animal. Happy 100th Day The book entitled 100 DAY WORRIES by Margery Cuyler, provided a wonderful prelude for our 100th Day Celebration. Jessica, the main character in this story, is a worrier. Her teacher 's assignment in honor of the 100th Day of School, is to bring in a collection of 100 small objects. Jessica dwells on this assignment and rejects every idea for her 100 items. As the morning of this day approaches, Jessica's family comes to her rescue with 90 small objects. Jessica's ingenious solution for the remaining 10 items illustrates the love of her family. Our 100th Day Center Activities Our centers enabled the children to demonstrate their knowledge of numbers and their understanding of 100 as a quantity. The centers also presented an opportunity for teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving. A 100th Day Cup Challenge: Can you build a balanced structure using 100 cups? A 100th Day Marshmallow Challenge: Can you join your completed structures together using 100 marshmallows? 100th Day Crowns Activity: This activity provided a reinforcement of place value, as well as 1:1 correspondence and number writing. A BIG thank you to our 100th Day volunteers: Mrs. Kelley, Mrs. Stickell, Mr. Moore, Mrs. Marck, Mrs. Wanroy, and Mrs. Djemal. What a great way to end our week!
Highlights From Our Week Previously the children were introduced to the definition of a researcher. This week we brainstormed and discussed the qualities which comprise a good researcher. A video provided an introduction to a famous researcher, Jane Goodall. Please click on the picture below to view this video. Our research continued as we read Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell which tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of “a life living with and helping all animals.” Her dream becomes a reality when Jane Goodall becomes a famous researcher known for studying chimpanzee families in Tanzania. The class selected 3 animals they wished to research. As researchers, we explored PebbleGo in order to learn about the body of each of the animals. Then each child chose their favorite animal. We read What Do You Do With A Tail Like This? by the non-fiction author Steve Jenkins. Readers are given the opportunity to discover many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouth, nose, feet, and tail in this beautifully illustrated interactive guessing book. This book presented an opening to understand the meaning of a diagram. After we discussed the definition of a diagram and how it helps the reader better comprehend the text, we utilized our knowledge to label the animals. Then we discussed these animals specific features. Our discussions led to a creative culminating activity. This activity involved the children drawing themselves and then adding a specific animal feature. In order to complete this activity, the children will be writing about how they will use the feature they selected. Global School Play Day! Mathematical Thinking An introduction to mathematical thinking with our first story problem. Our New Math Game Please ask your child to explain this addition game. UPDATES AND REMINDERS Thursday, February 9th: 100th Day Shaker is Due Friday, February 10th: 100th Day Classroom Celebration Monday February 13th: Valentine Homework is Due Tuesday, February 14th: Valentine's Day Party Enjoy your weekend.
Highlights From Our Week We concluded our unit of study by revisiting our “wonder” questions. It was exciting to see all the evidence we collected from the resources that we explored. This week we finalized our Q-tip snowman project with the addition of snowman features. Our centers continued to focus on our unit of study. Symmetrical Snowflakes This week as the children created their snowflakes, they used a different collection of loose parts. They began with a hexagon, and then positioned the loose parts of their choice directly on the six points of the hexagon shape. Their creativity is evidenced below. Writer’s Workshop Since the children thoroughly enjoyed Snowmen at Night, we re-read it as we imagined ourselves as a snowman. Can You Build A Snowman? Prior to building our Play-Doh snowmen, we watched a video on SciShow Kids, “Can You Build A Snowman?” We learned the importance of balance when creating our snowmen. The use of Play-Doh to build our snowmen provided a terrific opportunity for exploration. In addition, its malleable properties resulted in exercising our hand muscles for strengthening purposes. Can You Build A Winter Setting? In our building center, the children worked together to create another winter setting. Upon completion of their setting, the children used sticky notes in order to label the numerous parts of their setting. Then each group presented a brief narration of their setting. The video, “How To Build An Igloo - A Boy Among The Polar Bears,” presented an excellent introduction to building our own igloo. Steps To Building A Snowman Snowballs by Lois Ehlert provided a background of ideas for the step by step snowman activity. The children compiled a written list as they created their snowman. The Study of Two Digit Numbers Step 1: Can you create a group of 10? Step 2: How can you create 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17,18, and 19? When we sang along with the video, “Numbers in the Teens,” the children gained a further understanding of 2 digit numbers and place value. As the children sang, they utilized unifix cubes to represent each 2 digit number. Winter Wonderland Seesaw Your child’s recordings on Seesaw provides an invaluable opportunity for sharing information, interaction, as well as asking questions for discussion purposes. Enjoy the weekend with your family!
Highlights From Our Week Our new thematic concept focuses on change. We began this unit by discussing the essential question: “How does the change in weather affect us?” The children participated in lively discussions exhibiting curiosity about changes that occur in winter. Then the children engaged in researching additional facts about winter. Our research tools included PebbleGO, BrainPOPJr, SciShow Kids, and read-alouds which provided us with factual information. Please ask your child about the facts he/she learned from our research. This is an opportunity for your child to develop researching skills with your assistance, as he/she navigates these websites on Symbaloo. Read-Alouds Our Snowflake Inquiry In order to answer the snowflake questions that the children wondered about, we once again utilized our research tools. THE STORY OF SNOW and SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY are collections of magnified snowflake pictures that are taken in various colored backgrounds. The children were mesmerized by the beauty that was displayed in each picture. When they looked closely, the children were able to see the uniqueness of each snowflake. PebbleGo Snowflakes Winter Centers These centers provided additional opportunities for exploration, discovery, and discussion. Sensory Snow Table Exposure to sensory play provides children with a wonderful opportunity to develop and refine the use of their senses. This was exemplified when the children mixed baking soda and shaving cream to form fluffy snowballs. Build A Winter Setting In this center, the children were presented with a challenge: build a winter setting using classroom materials. Some of these materials included Magna-Tiles, tin foil wrapped blocks, styrofoam cups, winter animals, and cardboard bricks. Create Snowflakes The children experimented with numerous loose parts which are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. The children utilized Q-tips, cotton balls, gems, washers, popsicle sticks, and styrofoam to create snowflakes. In addition, the children were introduced to the term symmetry as they designed snowflakes with pattern blocks. They discovered that in order to achieve symmetry, one shape must become exactly like another when you move it in some way such as turning, flipping, or sliding the shape. Have you ever built a snowman and then discovered the following day that his grin has become a little crooked, or his tree branch arms have moved? This poses the question: “What do snowmen do at night?” The book SNOWMEN AT NIGHT, a delightful wintertime tale, answers this question. Imaginative verse offers many amusing details concerning the secret life of snowmen. Snowmen Retell The first part of this center involved listening to SNOWMEN AT NIGHT on a CD. Then the children practiced retelling this story with a partner using the picture clues to assist with sequencing. During the final part of this center, the children recorded their retold version of this story on Seesaw. Q-tip SnowmanIn this center, the children continued exploring sensory play as they used Q-tips with paint to construct a snowman on paper. This activity also reinforces their fine motor strength. Next week we will be adding features to our snowman. As we focused on change through our activities, the children were engaged in observations, explorations, and discussions. Enjoy your weekend with your family.
Highlights From Our Week Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man. His words changed the way people thought, and his actions also spurred them on to change the world. This book introduces young readers to Dr. King with simple text, as well as friendly illustrations. We read My first Biography, Martin Luther King, Jr., watched a video about him on Pebblego, and then listened to a story on Bookflix. These resources provided the children with an introduction to Martin Luther King, Jr., his early years, and his notable contributions. The children illustrated and wrote about “How They Could Help Others.” PebbleGo and Bookflix can be accessed on our website, as illustrated in the images below. What is Bookflix? BookFlix® is a digital literacy resource that pairs more than 120 animated stories from Weston Woods. The fiction and nonfiction pairings are designed to strengthen early literacy skills while exposing young children to real world concepts. What is Pebblego? Pebblego includes 4 databases: Animals, Earth & Space, Biographies, and Social Studies. Each database features leveled text and navigation which is specifically designed for beginning researchers. The databases are enriched with spoken-word audio, text highlighting, and introduces audio and video clips. PebbleGo builds a foundation of research skills for every learner. How Do Traditions Around The World Connect Us? As we continue to focus on our essential question, I introduced additional books regarding traditions around the world. The book Wish takes us on a tour around the world in order to discover various ways that children make wishes. From birthday candles to giant kites, from lotus boats to peacock feathers, Wish shares an array of traditions from each continent. Each charming custom provides insight into the cultures of lands far and near while reminding us of the similarities we all share. The beautiful illustrations inspired us to retell our favorite wish tradition through its setting. The children built, painted, or drew their setting choice as evidenced in the book. Teeth fall out everyday. Throw Your Tooth on the Roof explores what children all over the world do when they loose their teeth. Some examples of tooth traditions discussed in this book include: placing your tooth down a mouse hole; in the stomach of a dog; on the roof of a house; or under a pillow. Then the children illustrated and wrote about their favorite tooth tradition from the book. Introduction To Place Value I posed the question, "How many days have we been in school?" As the children were introduced to place value, they participated in daily activities using manipulatives in order to give them hands on experiences. As a group, the children worked as a team to build the number of days in school. This teamwork prompted numerous group discussions, observations during the process, turn taking, and problem solving through the use of manipulatives. We continued working on place value in different groups. The pictures below illustrate planning, discussions, teamwork, and problem solving. Our New Jolly Phonics Sounds: /ai/ and /J/ Enjoy your holiday weekend with your family.
Highlights From Our Week We began the New Year by sharing our winter break stories. The children were eager to discuss their experiences prior to writing about them during Writer's Workshop. The children were excited to participate in their choice of centers. It's All About Numbers The Handwriting Without Tears curricululm incorporates hands-on activities in order to build correct handwriting habits. It engages students through the use of multi-sensory tools, fine motor activities, as well as child friendly language. One of the components of Handwriting Without Tears is the WET, DRY, TRY concept.
After we became confident writing numbers 1-6, we played a game called "Reach To The Top." The children rolled a die, counted the dots, and wrote the specific number using the correct direction and formation. Daily 3 Math Centers As part of our math centers, the children participated in three different activites which included technology, tools, and games. The book New Year's Day by Mari Schuh provided an introduction to the significance of the New Year, as well as, New Year's Eve. Then the children wrote their own goals/resolutions as illustrated below. Reviewing Our Jolly Phonics Sounds Traditions As part of our curriculum, we are studying traditions. We began this unit by discussing the essential question: "What are traditions and where do they come from?" In order to provide the children with a better understanding of traditions, we have begun sharing our family's traditions. I also introduced the children to the book Back To School We Go by Ellen Jackson in order to demonstrate how traditions around the world connect all of us. The children learned that no matter where you live, the first day of school is always an important occasion. This book explores the first day of school for eleven children who live in eleven very different countries. Our class will discover numerous connections between themselves and children who live so far away. Next week we will be comparing and contrasting the traditions of children from different cultures. UPDATES AND REMINDERS Wednesday, January 11th: Parent Volunteer Meeting at 7:15PM. Thursday, January 12th: Book Orders Are Due Friday, January13th: Early Release Day
Enjoy the weekend with your family and stay warm!
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About the Future AuthorsMrs. Biegel's Kindergarten students are always excited to share experiences about their learning adventures. Archives
June 2017
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