Dear families,
This week we continued our learning about Dinosaurs and the children were Paleontologists. First, they practised excavating chocolate chips from cookies (they had to count the chips before eating them :) ); then they each removed hardened purple play doh from three clay "dinosaur" bones, using several tools; and finally they put the bones together in teams of 2 or three. At each step, they drew and wrote what they did. We also compared how many chocolate chips they excavated, using the words MOST, LEAST and SAME. I think they really enjoyed the activities! I made enough clay bones so that each child can each take 3 home. The children also learned a song called "I am a Paleontologist." All their learning and observations are part of a booklet called "Paleontologist" that will go home on Friday. I think they especially liked wearing the yellow hard hats that Paleontologists wear!
The children coloured a large paper "dino" egg, and then wrote about it; "My dinosaur egg IS... HAS... INSIDE THERE IS..." We also looked at what real dinosaur eggs look like on the Smartboard. They also made Triceratops Art and coloured and cut big herbivore and carnivore dinosaur puppets, looking at non-fiction books for reference. I loved all the details!
Our Dinosaur learning chart is almost done: we start with a SCHEMA (what the children already know), then NEW LEARNING, as well as MISCONCEPTIONS (i.e. all dinosaurs had claws). I will type up the children's answers and will send a copy home in their Dinosaur Folder.
The children also did some Dino dot-to-dot (numbers and alphabet) activities, and they completed 6 Dinosaur Numeracy activities. At each centre they had to read the math question and, using the objects, come up with the answer. For example, "There were 2 dinosaurs and six plants. How many plants does each dinosaur get?" I will send home a copy of the questions.
The children took turns doing a "Dinosaur Dig" in the classroom sandbox, and did a "Pet Dinosaur" activity with their Reading Buddies. They learned about Pangea (the "supercontinent") that the dinosaurs roamed, and how the Earth looks today, with 7 separate continents. They drew pictures of both, and learned a song called "Continents." They made a giant dinosaur floor puzzle as well as smaller puzzles (thank you Claire for sharing yours with us!), and painted dinosaurs and paleontologists at the painting centre. We also matched up beginning and ending parts of sentences, i.e. "Dinosaurs lived..... millions of years ago."
Thank you to Tessa who brought in her collection of mini dinosaurs, and to Dylan who brought in a fossil! The kids are excited about learning that the Earth is a big rock and about fossils, and they have been bringing in stones that they like as well. Maybe there are future geologists or paleontologists in the classroom! A trip to the ROM would be a wonderful follow up to this unit!
We are reviewing our learning about Habitats by matching animals with their habitats. The children are observing our plants' growth daily and are writing in the growth journal. This week they also wrote about why Springfest was fun and drew a picture (they are on display in our classroom). If they didn't go to Springfest, they wrote about why Mother's Day was fun.
The sight words of the week were THERE and THAT, and the kids completed a mini read-and-write THERE book. Miss Nisker also brought in bubble wrap for the kids to practise their small motor skills. Who doesn't love popping bubble wrap?
Thank you Hannah's mom for being our Mystery Reader this week! Thank you as well to Cole who shared a terrific habitats book with the class, and to Martel and his mom who collated the Scholastic order forms. The order is due by May 31st. This will be the last order of the year.
Our next Inquiry will be about Farms (getting us ready for the field trip in June), followed by Canadian Coins and their values. I'll change the dramatic play centre into a Farmer's market where the kids can "buy" healthy fruits and vegetables.
That's the news from our classroom. I hope you are having a relaxing weekend! Go Jays (Saturday and Sunday), and Go Raptors (Sunday)!
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Week of May 9-13
Dear families,
I hope you are enjoying the lovely weather this weekend! I would like to wish all the moms a very Happy Mother's Day. The children have made and wrapped something special for you!
This week we finished our study on Habitats and the children brought their folders home with them on Friday. We completed our inquiry by learning about the flora and fauna in deserts and mountains. We also read all our booklets on the Smartboard so that the children could continue practising them at home. The Pond and Savanna booklets can be completed at home. Our Habitats bulletin board in the school hallway is finished! If you have a few minutes after school please come see the wonderful work the children have done to create it!
This week we also continued our learning about Dinosaurs and the children brought home the fossils they made. Our first batch didn't quite work since we poured the plaster mix on top of the sea shells. We re-thought our instructions and made another batch with the shells on top of the mixture.
We have also been reading a lot of fiction and non-fiction books about dinosaurs, and learned about and drew the Earth when there was just one large continent called "Pangea." The children are also learning a song about the seven continents.
We learned about the life cycle of dinosaurs, and compared features of herbivores and carnivores. The children completed a Venn diagram activity about this with their Grade 2 reading buddies.
The children have also been counting and sorting dinosaurs of various types, and made T-Rex Skelton art. I was pleased when some of the children wanted to,leave some of the "bones" unglued and raised off the paper "so they would be 3-D!" Great connections between units of learning!
The sight words of the week were LITTLE and OUT. Thank you to Stella, Cole and Dylan talked to their classmates about supporting the Syrian refugees at Springfest. Thank you as well to Matthew's mom who was our Mystery Reader, and to Catherine's and Christopher's moms who helped out in the Computer Lab!
The children brought home the grass seed "Egg Heads" they made and the Sunflower sprouts. Pleas help your child plant them directly into your garden or a pot. The sunflower will need some support as it grows.
I have had some questions about the field trip in June - no worries, the permission forms are not ready yet since we are still awaiting the cost for the school buses.
I hope you have a wonderful time at Springfest if you are going! Psst - there is a Dinosaur Dig in the sandbox!
Next week we'll continue learning facts about dinosaurs, focusing on the (always popular!) T-Rex and Truceratops. The children will be Paleontologists and will do some excavating activities, and then they'll write a booklet called "I am a Paleontologist" describing what they observed and learned.
That's all the news from Room 166! See you on Monday!
I hope you are enjoying the lovely weather this weekend! I would like to wish all the moms a very Happy Mother's Day. The children have made and wrapped something special for you!
This week we finished our study on Habitats and the children brought their folders home with them on Friday. We completed our inquiry by learning about the flora and fauna in deserts and mountains. We also read all our booklets on the Smartboard so that the children could continue practising them at home. The Pond and Savanna booklets can be completed at home. Our Habitats bulletin board in the school hallway is finished! If you have a few minutes after school please come see the wonderful work the children have done to create it!
This week we also continued our learning about Dinosaurs and the children brought home the fossils they made. Our first batch didn't quite work since we poured the plaster mix on top of the sea shells. We re-thought our instructions and made another batch with the shells on top of the mixture.
We have also been reading a lot of fiction and non-fiction books about dinosaurs, and learned about and drew the Earth when there was just one large continent called "Pangea." The children are also learning a song about the seven continents.
We learned about the life cycle of dinosaurs, and compared features of herbivores and carnivores. The children completed a Venn diagram activity about this with their Grade 2 reading buddies.
The children have also been counting and sorting dinosaurs of various types, and made T-Rex Skelton art. I was pleased when some of the children wanted to,leave some of the "bones" unglued and raised off the paper "so they would be 3-D!" Great connections between units of learning!
The sight words of the week were LITTLE and OUT. Thank you to Stella, Cole and Dylan talked to their classmates about supporting the Syrian refugees at Springfest. Thank you as well to Matthew's mom who was our Mystery Reader, and to Catherine's and Christopher's moms who helped out in the Computer Lab!
The children brought home the grass seed "Egg Heads" they made and the Sunflower sprouts. Pleas help your child plant them directly into your garden or a pot. The sunflower will need some support as it grows.
I have had some questions about the field trip in June - no worries, the permission forms are not ready yet since we are still awaiting the cost for the school buses.
I hope you have a wonderful time at Springfest if you are going! Psst - there is a Dinosaur Dig in the sandbox!
Next week we'll continue learning facts about dinosaurs, focusing on the (always popular!) T-Rex and Truceratops. The children will be Paleontologists and will do some excavating activities, and then they'll write a booklet called "I am a Paleontologist" describing what they observed and learned.
That's all the news from Room 166! See you on Monday!
Friday, April 29, 2016
Week of May 2-6
Dear families,
This past week was all about Habitats in the morning and Dinosaurs in the afternoon! Our Habitats bulletin board in the hall is really coming along and the children have been busy writing words and making pictures to match each habitat. This week we focused on Tropical Rainforests and The Arctic. After reading them together on the Smartboard (guided reading),the children read and coloured their own booklets about these habitats. By the end of their inquiry they will have made a booklet for each habitat. Next week we'll learn about Deserts and Mountains. The children are drawing detailed pictures of what is in each habitat on their own after they share their ideas on chart paper. We also caught a local centipede that was scurrying in the classroom and took a good look at it in the Science Centre! I'm sure they would love to talk about our local habitat (forest, river, pond, lake) with you!
Our week got off to an exciting start when "Mrs. Tyndall found a giant egg in her back yard!" (In actual fact my daughter kindly made a large egg shape from papier mache which I painted.) First, the children shared their ideas (which we wrote down) about what they guessed or inferred about what was inside the egg. The kids' ideas were great: chocolate, confetti, a chicken, nothing (hollow), for example! Then they drew a picture and wrote the word of what they inferred. The next day, I gave them three clues one by one (long tail, sharp claws, sharp teeth)and after each clue, they inferred more and more about what was inside the egg. They wrote the clues down and drew what they NOW thought was in the egg. Finally, the next day, the egg "hatched" while they were at the Library and out popped a Triceratops! We learned about its features and the children drew it and wrote its name. I think they really enjoyed the activity because they each wanted a piece of the "egg!" It's in this week's mail bag.
We are also learning about fossils - what they are and how they formed. Henry brought in a fish fossil and I brought in a fish fossil from Alberta's Badlands and a fossil of a few shells that my son found in Mimico creek. We talked about there being a lot of fossils in the creek because of the mud and shale. (I reminded them to stay away from the creek unless they were with an adult.) On Friday we watched "Land of the Dinosaurs" and learned about what Paleontologists do. I showed the children the items we need to make our own fossils (plaster powder, water, two containers, a spoon, a shell) and the children helped us figure out what the steps would be, in which order. Then I made up some plaster and the kids chose a shell, and we poured the plaster mixture over it. Now we're waiting! We reused empty play dough containers with lids so the kids can open them at home safely with your help :) Thank you!
Thank you to Luca who brought in a nest, to all the children who are sharing their dinosaur books with us, thank you to Stella's dad who read "Dinosaur Stomp" to the kids, to Martel's Claire's and Tessa's moms who helped with pizza lunch, and to Riley's and Henry's moms who helped Miss. Nisker in the Computer Lab!
The sight words this week were PRETTY and HOW. The kids did a "how" read and write mini book.
I sent home the new May words and Homework Bingo, as well as a copy of the Special Person of the Day for May and June. The Show and Tell item for May and June is "My Family."
This was the last week for the "Take-Apart Centre" and the "Make a Toy (reuse materials) Centre. The new centre is "All about Plants and Seeds" and the children have been observing the growth of our various seeds and recording their observations in a class journal.
Elizabeth, Luca and Stella received TDSB certificates for Cooperation at this month's Sharing Assembly. Well done! All the Kinders sang "This is the Way we Help the Earth." The Kinders also enjoyed a presentation by children's author Chad Solomon!
That's the news from Room 166. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
This past week was all about Habitats in the morning and Dinosaurs in the afternoon! Our Habitats bulletin board in the hall is really coming along and the children have been busy writing words and making pictures to match each habitat. This week we focused on Tropical Rainforests and The Arctic. After reading them together on the Smartboard (guided reading),the children read and coloured their own booklets about these habitats. By the end of their inquiry they will have made a booklet for each habitat. Next week we'll learn about Deserts and Mountains. The children are drawing detailed pictures of what is in each habitat on their own after they share their ideas on chart paper. We also caught a local centipede that was scurrying in the classroom and took a good look at it in the Science Centre! I'm sure they would love to talk about our local habitat (forest, river, pond, lake) with you!
Our week got off to an exciting start when "Mrs. Tyndall found a giant egg in her back yard!" (In actual fact my daughter kindly made a large egg shape from papier mache which I painted.) First, the children shared their ideas (which we wrote down) about what they guessed or inferred about what was inside the egg. The kids' ideas were great: chocolate, confetti, a chicken, nothing (hollow), for example! Then they drew a picture and wrote the word of what they inferred. The next day, I gave them three clues one by one (long tail, sharp claws, sharp teeth)and after each clue, they inferred more and more about what was inside the egg. They wrote the clues down and drew what they NOW thought was in the egg. Finally, the next day, the egg "hatched" while they were at the Library and out popped a Triceratops! We learned about its features and the children drew it and wrote its name. I think they really enjoyed the activity because they each wanted a piece of the "egg!" It's in this week's mail bag.
We are also learning about fossils - what they are and how they formed. Henry brought in a fish fossil and I brought in a fish fossil from Alberta's Badlands and a fossil of a few shells that my son found in Mimico creek. We talked about there being a lot of fossils in the creek because of the mud and shale. (I reminded them to stay away from the creek unless they were with an adult.) On Friday we watched "Land of the Dinosaurs" and learned about what Paleontologists do. I showed the children the items we need to make our own fossils (plaster powder, water, two containers, a spoon, a shell) and the children helped us figure out what the steps would be, in which order. Then I made up some plaster and the kids chose a shell, and we poured the plaster mixture over it. Now we're waiting! We reused empty play dough containers with lids so the kids can open them at home safely with your help :) Thank you!
Thank you to Luca who brought in a nest, to all the children who are sharing their dinosaur books with us, thank you to Stella's dad who read "Dinosaur Stomp" to the kids, to Martel's Claire's and Tessa's moms who helped with pizza lunch, and to Riley's and Henry's moms who helped Miss. Nisker in the Computer Lab!
The sight words this week were PRETTY and HOW. The kids did a "how" read and write mini book.
I sent home the new May words and Homework Bingo, as well as a copy of the Special Person of the Day for May and June. The Show and Tell item for May and June is "My Family."
This was the last week for the "Take-Apart Centre" and the "Make a Toy (reuse materials) Centre. The new centre is "All about Plants and Seeds" and the children have been observing the growth of our various seeds and recording their observations in a class journal.
Elizabeth, Luca and Stella received TDSB certificates for Cooperation at this month's Sharing Assembly. Well done! All the Kinders sang "This is the Way we Help the Earth." The Kinders also enjoyed a presentation by children's author Chad Solomon!
That's the news from Room 166. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Week of April 25-29
Dear families,
Last week we completed our big inquiry and learning about Earth week and the children proudly brought their folders home to show you. Throughout the year we talk about nature and science and in April we focus on the Earth. The children wrote letters to the Earth and drew an accompanying picture. We continued talking about the meanings of REUSE, RECYCLE and REDUCE and the children had a lot of terrific ideas about how to do this. They completed a sorting activity with pictures of paper, metal and plastic, and played with memory cards (a set of which they made themselves to play at home). The whole school also did a yard clean up on Earth Day. All the children did lovely paintings of the Earth surrounded by stars. The children also did "puffy paint" earth art which is drying over the weekend.
This week they also planted grass seeds in the half egg shells (to make "egg heads!"), planted sunflower seeds, and found "mystery seeds" in the Kindergarten yard that we planted in a pot too. We will be observing and learning about the germination/growth of all these seeds as well as beans.
There was a terrific presentation by the ROM about trees that the children watched, and the children completed drawings of themselves as Earth Rangers.
We are continuing our inquiry together on Habitats on the Earth and have so far talked and read about the Ocean, Forest, and Prairie/Grassland. Next week we will be developing a bulletin board in the hall about habitats.
Also in keeping with Earth Day and recycling, the children are continuing to enjoy the "Take-Apart Centre" and I brought in an old intercom from home and Claire brought in a small scanner for the children to take apart and examine. The children have also been bringing in and making great toys made from recycled cardboard and other household objects. This week Martel, Christopher and Cole made decorative shields, Dylan made a saw, and Matthew made a rocket launcher and a rocket. Two children work at the centre each day.
Miss. Nisker taught the children about Passover this week and on Monday will do an Afikaman hunt. Thank you Miss Nisker.
The sight words of the week were WHO and DOWN.
Thank you to Samantha who brought in a silica package that she found in the yard - we talked about not to touch this. We will turn it into a science learning opportunity next week, watching how the crystals absorb water.
Thank you as well to Martel's mom who made play-doh for the children. Martel also prepared this month's Scholastic order forms. The next order is due May 31st.
Thank you Camilla who brought in a book about reusing home articles to make egg heads.
Thank you as well to Elizabeth's dad who was our mystery reader.
Next week in the morning we are continuing our learning about Habitats and in the afternoons we are going to be learning about dinosaurs. Thanks to Samantha who brought in a "dinosaur foot" she made from a tissue box, because this inspired all the kids to want to learn more in class about dinosaurs. I have several books about dinosaurs and Kosti, Dylan and Christopher brought in terrific books too.
That's our news from room 166. I hope you have a terrific week!
Last week we completed our big inquiry and learning about Earth week and the children proudly brought their folders home to show you. Throughout the year we talk about nature and science and in April we focus on the Earth. The children wrote letters to the Earth and drew an accompanying picture. We continued talking about the meanings of REUSE, RECYCLE and REDUCE and the children had a lot of terrific ideas about how to do this. They completed a sorting activity with pictures of paper, metal and plastic, and played with memory cards (a set of which they made themselves to play at home). The whole school also did a yard clean up on Earth Day. All the children did lovely paintings of the Earth surrounded by stars. The children also did "puffy paint" earth art which is drying over the weekend.
This week they also planted grass seeds in the half egg shells (to make "egg heads!"), planted sunflower seeds, and found "mystery seeds" in the Kindergarten yard that we planted in a pot too. We will be observing and learning about the germination/growth of all these seeds as well as beans.
There was a terrific presentation by the ROM about trees that the children watched, and the children completed drawings of themselves as Earth Rangers.
We are continuing our inquiry together on Habitats on the Earth and have so far talked and read about the Ocean, Forest, and Prairie/Grassland. Next week we will be developing a bulletin board in the hall about habitats.
Also in keeping with Earth Day and recycling, the children are continuing to enjoy the "Take-Apart Centre" and I brought in an old intercom from home and Claire brought in a small scanner for the children to take apart and examine. The children have also been bringing in and making great toys made from recycled cardboard and other household objects. This week Martel, Christopher and Cole made decorative shields, Dylan made a saw, and Matthew made a rocket launcher and a rocket. Two children work at the centre each day.
Miss. Nisker taught the children about Passover this week and on Monday will do an Afikaman hunt. Thank you Miss Nisker.
The sight words of the week were WHO and DOWN.
Thank you to Samantha who brought in a silica package that she found in the yard - we talked about not to touch this. We will turn it into a science learning opportunity next week, watching how the crystals absorb water.
Thank you as well to Martel's mom who made play-doh for the children. Martel also prepared this month's Scholastic order forms. The next order is due May 31st.
Thank you Camilla who brought in a book about reusing home articles to make egg heads.
Thank you as well to Elizabeth's dad who was our mystery reader.
Next week in the morning we are continuing our learning about Habitats and in the afternoons we are going to be learning about dinosaurs. Thanks to Samantha who brought in a "dinosaur foot" she made from a tissue box, because this inspired all the kids to want to learn more in class about dinosaurs. I have several books about dinosaurs and Kosti, Dylan and Christopher brought in terrific books too.
That's our news from room 166. I hope you have a terrific week!
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Week of April 18-22
Dear families,
I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend! This week the children will definitely be planting their grass seeds (in the 1/2 egg shells) and pumpkin seeds! They should be ready to take home in time for safe planting in your garden/pot. We'll be learning a lot about seed growth as we continue our inquiry about life on the Earth and taking care of the Earth.
Last week we learned a song called "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and read and coloured a matching booklet. We brainstormed why we love the Earth and the children's answers were so insightful and genuine. We also brainstormed How to reduce, recycle and reduce things and the children had a lot of great ideas. We reuse/repurpose a lot of things in Kindergarten! I will type up the children's answers and send them home with their "Earth Folder." The kids also painted beautiful Earths and nests in trees following my example. We went on a nature walk in the shale pit and the children had to find several nature items. Next week we will learn about what is inside the Earth. We'll also start our inquiry on plants and habitats.
The kids' folder on 2- and 3-D Shapes went home on Thursday. They are always so pleased to put their work in their folders because it reminds them of all the awesome learning they've done! to finish off this inquiry, we cut several shapes and, with our Reading Buddies, glued them together to make a puzzle in which at least 2 sides were touching. We did more thinking about day-to-day 3-D shapes, such as cylinders (twistables, jars, vases, cups, etc.) cubes (Bubbles the Beta Fish's tank!), rectangular prisms, spheres (balls, marbles, the Earth, eggs) and even triangular prisms (3-sided pencils). The children also made some cool art by cutting and stamping 2-D shapes.
The "Take-Apart Centre" is still a big hit and the kids have had a great time using tools to take apart a clock, a laptop (thank you Andrew!), keyboards (we reused the letters for the play doh centre), and a phone. If you have any more old electronics the kids learn so much from taking them apart and looking at how they're made under the magnifying glass.
Thank you for sending in the wallet-sized photos. A special thank you to Theo's mom who sent me a link of a Robin's nest which, over 4 weeks, showed eggs hatching and finally the babies flying from the nest! The children loved it! We are also watching the live cam of a Bald Eagle's nest in Pennsylvania. Thank you to Chris' mom who helped in the Computer Lab, to Camilla's sister and Ruby's mom who were our Mystery Readers, and to Samantha who brought in 3-D boxs shapes (a heart and a rectangular prism).
The sight words of the week were WAS and I'M. The children did a read-and-write booklet for WAS. They learned that I'M is a contraction of the two other popcorn words they know I and AM.
This upcoming week we will start a new inquiries on Habitats and Plants, and will continue our inquiry on the Earth.
That's the news from Room 166 - I hope you have a terrific week!
I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend! This week the children will definitely be planting their grass seeds (in the 1/2 egg shells) and pumpkin seeds! They should be ready to take home in time for safe planting in your garden/pot. We'll be learning a lot about seed growth as we continue our inquiry about life on the Earth and taking care of the Earth.
Last week we learned a song called "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and read and coloured a matching booklet. We brainstormed why we love the Earth and the children's answers were so insightful and genuine. We also brainstormed How to reduce, recycle and reduce things and the children had a lot of great ideas. We reuse/repurpose a lot of things in Kindergarten! I will type up the children's answers and send them home with their "Earth Folder." The kids also painted beautiful Earths and nests in trees following my example. We went on a nature walk in the shale pit and the children had to find several nature items. Next week we will learn about what is inside the Earth. We'll also start our inquiry on plants and habitats.
The kids' folder on 2- and 3-D Shapes went home on Thursday. They are always so pleased to put their work in their folders because it reminds them of all the awesome learning they've done! to finish off this inquiry, we cut several shapes and, with our Reading Buddies, glued them together to make a puzzle in which at least 2 sides were touching. We did more thinking about day-to-day 3-D shapes, such as cylinders (twistables, jars, vases, cups, etc.) cubes (Bubbles the Beta Fish's tank!), rectangular prisms, spheres (balls, marbles, the Earth, eggs) and even triangular prisms (3-sided pencils). The children also made some cool art by cutting and stamping 2-D shapes.
The "Take-Apart Centre" is still a big hit and the kids have had a great time using tools to take apart a clock, a laptop (thank you Andrew!), keyboards (we reused the letters for the play doh centre), and a phone. If you have any more old electronics the kids learn so much from taking them apart and looking at how they're made under the magnifying glass.
Thank you for sending in the wallet-sized photos. A special thank you to Theo's mom who sent me a link of a Robin's nest which, over 4 weeks, showed eggs hatching and finally the babies flying from the nest! The children loved it! We are also watching the live cam of a Bald Eagle's nest in Pennsylvania. Thank you to Chris' mom who helped in the Computer Lab, to Camilla's sister and Ruby's mom who were our Mystery Readers, and to Samantha who brought in 3-D boxs shapes (a heart and a rectangular prism).
The sight words of the week were WAS and I'M. The children did a read-and-write booklet for WAS. They learned that I'M is a contraction of the two other popcorn words they know I and AM.
This upcoming week we will start a new inquiries on Habitats and Plants, and will continue our inquiry on the Earth.
That's the news from Room 166 - I hope you have a terrific week!
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