tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301007265039356432024-02-19T18:59:47.232-05:00Play To Learn In KindergartenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-87207979562302134292012-12-02T18:13:00.000-05:002012-12-02T18:13:06.455-05:00Is There Room For Santa In School?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's December 2nd! Already?! Can you even believe that?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm having a hard time believing it myself. I mean, 3 whole months of school-gone. Wow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is without a doubt-the most exciting time of the year for me. It is in part because I am ridiculously child-like. There is nothing that excites me like Christmas time. I can be in a foul mood-and walk into a mall that has Christmas music blasting, too many people per square foot and sparkly lights and 30 foot Christmas trees throughout-and I am instantly in a good mood. I love it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">During this season there are several things that are a give in for me. They are:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. I will bake. I am not a baker, normally. I love to cook-baking is just not really my thing. For one-if I bake it I eat it, and I try not to eat too much of it but that just doesn't fly. I have no self control.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. Hanson's Christmas album. Ha. You read that right. No need to re-read. It's called "Snowed In" and it makes me feel about 13 years old. Do you remember how exciting Christmas was for you at 13? Really stinking exciting. I had a very public love affair with Taylor Hanson-and listening to their Christmas album is just gonna happen for me. Every. Single. Year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. I'm gonna rub my Happy Christmas Attitude all over the place. Yep. I am. It excites me. Much of this excitement comes from the fact that I have 2 young kids. 5 1/2 and 3. Christmas is exciting for them. We have created wonderful, fun, festive traditions in our family-and I wait 11 months of the year to be able to see them come to life. Not much ruins that for me. Not even a Grinch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">With all of that being said. Here is my disclaimer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tomorrow-in our class, really awesome stuff is going to happen. Before school even started this year-each of our children's parents were asked what celebrations they celebrate and if there is anything they DO NOT celebrate. NOT ONE indicated that they don't Celebrate Christmas. Furthermore-upon intense investigation of my own-each of the children in our class mentioned being excited about Santa coming. This news really got me ready. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I know how completely lame this all must be for those of you who couldn't care less about the old guy, and it couldn't be more annoying for those of you who don't celebrate the same way as I do-BUT. This is why I titled this blog post "Is there room for Santa in School?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I get excited about Santa because I feel like children grow up too fast. I love the opportunity for children to use their imaginations, and believe that something truly magical is happening in a world where they hear, and often feel bad things happening. I think that most of the toys on the market today-have robbed our children of being able to truly use their imaginations. I believe that society's pressures for children to be seen and not heard-has robbed them of good old giddy childhood. I believe that no matter what our religious beliefs, no matter our stance on "lying to our children"-imagination is something to be respected. It is something to be encouraged-and in our world today-it is something to be celebrated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I must tell you. My 5 1/2 year old has one of the biggest imaginations known to man kind. I know that sounds ridiculous but I say it and truly believe it. He can take a kleenex and turn it into something that occupies him for an hour. I constantly hear him telling his sister "No Amelia-it's not real. You have to imagination it". :) When given the opportunity to watch tv-he normally lasts 7 minutes-and quickly leaves to go to his bedroom to build something fantastic with his lego. He is continuously thinking of new things to build with his lego. He never needs to be told "Build a house. Build an air plane" He just has the imagination required to pick up the blocks and construct. He also has a teacher this year that I can tell really encourages his enthusiasm for using his imagination. I am grateful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This was so wordy. I would love to hear your opinions. I know we will all share different views on this-so when you voice them-know that I respect yours. Whatever they are-and whatever the reasons. I do respect them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I will follow up tomorrow with some photos of what goes down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here's a hint: Our class brainstormed new ideas for our dramatic play center last week and it is now closed for construction. Here is what they decided:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-4089903082431151182012-11-22T19:00:00.000-05:002012-11-22T19:00:05.900-05:00So About Those Math Bins....<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alright. I got tremendous response in regards to the math bins. I got many emails saying 'Rah, Rah we toot the math bin horn too!' and 1 email that said 'you blow. and so do the math bins'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ha. Well those were my words but you get my drift? Lots of positive. 1 negative. That's okay. I respect a different opinion, and I welcome your opinions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did have many people ask if I could post about some of the different bins we do. So I will.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was one of the child directed bins. There were materials and numeral papers in the basket-they decorated their numbers. Very hands on. They loved it. The materials were ones that we didn't have in our art center at that point in time, so they were exciting and fresh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was a memory game. Number concentration if you will.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This was the other child directed bin that week. So we had the <a href="http://www.playissmart.blogspot.ca/2012/11/math-bins.html" target="_blank">Grab A Handful</a></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bin, the memory bin, the decorate your number bin, and the other teacher directed bin was a trace the hands or paint the hands bin. Each child traced or painted their hands onto paper, and then had to stick one sticker on for each finger. Ta-Da! Math Bins made easy and engaging.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This week-our Math focus is Patterning. We are trying to assess whether or not the children can copy, create, extend and ID a pattern. It is going well! These math bins are a huge teaching tool for me. As in-I am learning so much from them and am so glad my new teaching partner brought this to the table. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">About patterns--</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29OJjX_ikj5377QowkdqgVGzDIpQiIQsay6UQWU1TrBsTHnBwjKz3WvazJ2-l_R-w9EDVurefN2gozLxLp3AleXxM2ANClBh9yFow2mMwdprJ5f6wedY_sU9BJ5XbasYRisVR3CIIXNAr/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29OJjX_ikj5377QowkdqgVGzDIpQiIQsay6UQWU1TrBsTHnBwjKz3WvazJ2-l_R-w9EDVurefN2gozLxLp3AleXxM2ANClBh9yFow2mMwdprJ5f6wedY_sU9BJ5XbasYRisVR3CIIXNAr/s320/11.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the teacher directed bin that I am using to assess this week. The children are using dyed pasta to create pasta pattern necklaces. This is going over really well. I`m not sure who wouldn`t want to make a necklace. Not me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There are obviously 3 more bins this week-but I haven't taken pictures of them yet. I`ll get around to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">BTW. Do you all know how to dye pasta or riceÉ (and while you`re at it, do you know how to shut off the french on my laptopÉ, because I am really tired of seeing that É instead of a question mark).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">FYI</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I did not colour that pasta. My teacher did. I am not sure how she did hers, I think I heard her say vinegar but will check on that. I have always done mine like so:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">bunch of pasta or rice in a ziploc bag.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 tablespoons of food colouring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Shake that bag up. Lay it out on wax paper, on a cookie sheet to dry (the rubbing alcohol helps speed this process along), and VOILA! coloured pasta or rice, and the experience I have had with this recipe-the colour never bleeds onto skin or clothes! Yay!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Chat Soon :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-3235613811960400862012-11-21T20:06:00.000-05:002012-11-21T20:06:56.233-05:00Getting In Touch With Our Feelings<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sorry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">No good relationship can be sustained on this little communication. I've been a bad blogger. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">tisk. tisk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Seriously though. I've not been here in almost 2 weeks. That's a record for me. Not one I'm proud of-and I promise I have thought of it 113 times per day-since I've been away-I just, exhausted myself and needed to take a pause. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pause is over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm here with a cute little something something we did with our class 2 weeks ago. We had kind of put some focus on discussing feelings, and being special and individuals. We read some books, we had some discussions. We read "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes. What a super book. This was my first experience with the book-and it's a little wordy-but they sat still for it-and they got it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My new teaching partner (I am not sure when I will stop calling her "my new teaching partner") had the book, and she read it to the class. I love it. Good read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also read a couple of other books about feelings, and being special. We talked about these things in a circle, and then we put out my iphone at the easel with some music playing. We told the kids to paint what the music made them feel. This is always an interesting activity that can be done several times through the year, with different types of music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here are some great ones: (excuse the crappy iphone photography. I promise one day soon I will start remembering to act like I know how to take pictures again.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yep. You read that right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Swiss Cheese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's why my job rocks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tis the season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Smart kid-since I had on Hanson's Christmas Album (Snowed In) at the time she painted this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And yes. Hanson. Mmmbop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slpz0D35oRI&feature=related" target="_blank">CHECK THIS SONG OUT</a> I made the mistake of mentioning the movie this was from while this girl was painting. I only say it was a mistake because I like to let them figure it out on their own. Makes for better art. But nonetheless I didn't and she painted the character from the movie. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Great movie. Better message.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I suggest to take your easel to a new level of interest-you add music. I know many classes have music playing in them at other times, but I suggest special music near the easel, to entice the children to paint something. Rather then just filling a paper from edge to edge with colour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll be back soon don't worry.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-70494098766689712412012-11-12T20:18:00.002-05:002012-11-12T20:18:48.953-05:00Math Bins.........<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I said the dirty words. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Math bins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I don't like the way it tastes in my mouth either-so if you gasped when you read the title of this entry, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you didn't gasp, and you said "ooooooh, gotta click this linky dink, to gather me some ideas to stuff into my math bins" Give yourself a fancy pat on the back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll tell you why I think "math bins" are dirty words. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Misleading. Those words mislead my brain to think worksheets. lame. uber boring. non-engaging.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">You know what they say about ASSuming ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I will be honest. My new teaching partner likes her math bins. When she suggested we do them in our class, I died a little inside. BUT. BIG OLD BUT. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Today was our first day using math bins, and let me tell you. I love them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here's how it works in our class.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">4 different coloured math bins. 4 different coloured peer groups. 2 teacher directed activities, 2 child directed. Math bins last 7-10 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">4 different activities that target our learning focus. Basically, our learning focus is whatever we need to get assessed. Each group does one math bin per day, the following day we rotate activities and after Thursday, everyone has had a turn at every center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Are our math bins optional? Not really. Are they full of worksheets? NO!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This week we are focusing on Number Sense. 1 to 1 correspondence and I.D. numerals and counting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So here's the activity I led today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each child reaches into the basket of squares, closes their eyes and pulls out a handful of tiles. They then count their tiles and record their catch on their paper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did everyone seem engaged? yes. I made it like a game. I got excited about hearing them count to 17 or 8 or whatever they pulled out of the basket. I also encouraged them to "beat their own record".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now-I think I like this for the 2 biggest reasons of 1) the activities are engaging. We plan them with that in mind. The kids have to be interested in doing the centers, or they wont be serving a purpose anymore. AND 2) They only have to sit and do them for 7-10 minutes per day. Its a quick little window, that helps them build stamina for sitting at a table, and for allowing us a brief little assessment period per day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The other teacher directed activity this week is hand prints. They stamp their hands on paper, and add one sticker per finger. They count to 10, and it's a great illustrator of whether or not they get the 1 to 1 correspondence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I know this post was a little wordy. I'm sorry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I will keep you posted on some of the different activities that we implement in our math bins. I was not excited about this idea at first, but with a little conversation between my partner and I, I quickly started to see the benefits. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Today as we implemented our first math bins session-I REALLY saw the benefits. Which is why I will pat this ELK program on the back once again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Two minds are better then one. Bouncing ideas off of one another, trying them out and then reflecting as a teacher/DECE team, is absolutely an integral part of this program, and today proved it! :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana;">The program is only as strong as the team</span><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana;"> implementing it.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-91071123768006235172012-11-10T12:00:00.000-05:002012-11-10T12:19:39.156-05:00Remembrance Day<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Always a tough one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Remembrance Day is one of those that needs to be explained to curious minds. It has to be. They are able to hear it, they are able to ask questions about it-and even if you think you can get away with not explaining it (although I'm not quite sure why you would want to try), they WILL ask why people are wearing red flowers. And yes-you should tell them the truth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have a 5 year old of my own. We talked about Remembrance Day quite a bit leading up to Friday. Friday at his school-and at many schools (including the one I am employed at) was the Remembrance Day Assembly. It is meant to be a quiet, and respectful ceremony to honour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I wanted my own son to be prepared for the silence so I did talk to him about it. We listened to "highway of heros" by the Trews, about 300 times leading up to the day. It is a song he has heard a kajillion times anyways, as I have a slight addiction to the fabulous band. I'm sure you all know it but if not <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrkgV5bl7kQ" target="_blank">CHECK OUT THE SONG</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We talked about the words and what they meant. He gets it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In our kindergarten class, we worked on the concept of Remembering people who fought in the war for our freedom. We read this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhci65B9WfTSMsbZqZa7kd1ww0r6DwDCucFUhZvdPq4cVB_OAcBIeiLSIL9g9qX9JSXCVx4pfSwKxXOlIvUMFfOb7Ntn-4is0Q_bD79u1Pnk823e7TW54kzeWdKFK4vdD83L-X3kVveso/s1600/IMG_4880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhci65B9WfTSMsbZqZa7kd1ww0r6DwDCucFUhZvdPq4cVB_OAcBIeiLSIL9g9qX9JSXCVx4pfSwKxXOlIvUMFfOb7Ntn-4is0Q_bD79u1Pnk823e7TW54kzeWdKFK4vdD83L-X3kVveso/s320/IMG_4880.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I didn't know how this book would go over. I have seen it in the bookstores for years. I have never bought it so was glad when my partner said she had it! I read it to the class- and wow. They sat still. They listened. They absorbed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Great resource to add to my own collection! :) Love trying books on for size before investing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also designed this fantastic wreath to take to our Remembrance Day Assembly. Our reading buddies helped us.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViHM-20YCj3yT8juXlOlxIsELV3x-kMjFvMDqR9o9ukdy27nc_QWh_5eTjWdPfDwPgpPRP3W6WsgPxPgfPLns1ZDp7sgDTFHS-e2o0wB2QH9JoQxnkkMVhKbflbyj6MlQ1yi78dCZwFD4/s1600/IMG_4879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViHM-20YCj3yT8juXlOlxIsELV3x-kMjFvMDqR9o9ukdy27nc_QWh_5eTjWdPfDwPgpPRP3W6WsgPxPgfPLns1ZDp7sgDTFHS-e2o0wB2QH9JoQxnkkMVhKbflbyj6MlQ1yi78dCZwFD4/s320/IMG_4879.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We made it using a poppy pattern, red tissue paper and a black pipe cleaner. The kids love when they get to take a break from reading with their buddies and just have some good old craft time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I think they did a beautiful job-but perhaps I'm bias.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I also caught some boys in the block center, making connections to real life.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7mN7jnh2c0FFcBHcTPCdHUKWOXN3UFAVW4Fmyq0OUBrz2GcMwW1GH3ZQ37zOWVKdhcQ-LYVkwsaP8Cqoj3CzS6ZWwwMRkDeakniCiXUVvBxbstiKTpqWaGoeDYCv_Lnz_Zv1cSSoYLPO/s1600/IMG_4882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7mN7jnh2c0FFcBHcTPCdHUKWOXN3UFAVW4Fmyq0OUBrz2GcMwW1GH3ZQ37zOWVKdhcQ-LYVkwsaP8Cqoj3CzS6ZWwwMRkDeakniCiXUVvBxbstiKTpqWaGoeDYCv_Lnz_Zv1cSSoYLPO/s320/IMG_4882.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Normally I discourage the war play-but given that this took place 5 minutes after our assembly-and they built a tank with soldiers and one boy said "i just want peace" I let it go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Does everyone agree that they aren't too young to talk about the importance of remembering? How do you help kids remember? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-27933028286929466152012-11-09T20:10:00.001-05:002012-11-09T20:10:05.190-05:00The Opportunities are Endless<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So. This is a follow up to the blog I wrote on how annoyed I get with block center problems. You can find that post <a href="http://www.playissmart.blogspot.ca/2012/11/trouble-in-paradise.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you missed it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Today in our class (by the way-I have a new permanent teaching partner since all those big changes. I lucked out again with someone fabulous!) the boys got silly with lego-so we brainstormed things we could make. They decided based on the ideas in the book I made-that they would build an office building.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is the worlds most amazing office building, built by them:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKfBYQhj_Hcv8VW6x79YXwgdkh8KQOi2bZ9hNzDyOB53XZ4Xpl9eBc2hGWHoMiSAuVw74OczGjRBh-BF8VeesNqTC0qAezZlXuGQbRaWXs66geZRq8StRkZaOm05WR787Jq3RVNWRWSSu/s1600/IMG_4890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKfBYQhj_Hcv8VW6x79YXwgdkh8KQOi2bZ9hNzDyOB53XZ4Xpl9eBc2hGWHoMiSAuVw74OczGjRBh-BF8VeesNqTC0qAezZlXuGQbRaWXs66geZRq8StRkZaOm05WR787Jq3RVNWRWSSu/s320/IMG_4890.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you can see-they posted some 'stuff' to the outside of the building once it was complete. The 'stuff' was the people and things they said were missing from their building. They knew that office buildings hold things. I asked them what kind of things, they said "people, bosses, money, computers and computer guys"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I encouraged them to make some of these things. They headed to the craft center and got to work.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc6VMmCz5CQUEormwCrftZxF5QU0PS3b2jwtEbbqUsjc9ET_99jzqUK-BZfbeCgPrGvYCv5PVuoY-7vONCwO74mEyK4_pNo08z_3ZFbvJ-eJRjhfDSERQ0dK68jNB_CyUieBSBBDkmxTz/s1600/IMG_4885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc6VMmCz5CQUEormwCrftZxF5QU0PS3b2jwtEbbqUsjc9ET_99jzqUK-BZfbeCgPrGvYCv5PVuoY-7vONCwO74mEyK4_pNo08z_3ZFbvJ-eJRjhfDSERQ0dK68jNB_CyUieBSBBDkmxTz/s320/IMG_4885.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That is a janitor in case you can't tell. Holding a broom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">These pictures really got me happy. First of all-look at that detail. Drawn in blue because the boy who drew it explained to me that our school has a boy janitor so the office building should too. Also-the broom. Awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Second of all: and this is a big second of all: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">WRITING.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We want them writing right? a common way of thinking is that they must sit at a table and write journal entries daily. So mythical. Writing is writing is writing is writing. At this age-practice practice practice. So I want to save this? I'll take it all down and glue these bits of writing samples into their journals. We need to get kids interested in writing-how do we do that if we make them write about things they don't engage in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I love that this center time providing them with the chance to be creative and build. The blocks is their favorite center (or at least it is where they like to spend their time). So why not give them a chance to write about what they want to. Here's some more examples:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the secretary and the assistant boss. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I drew a girl and when I asked them who my girl could be they said "the boss" which I loved coming from a bunch of boys! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Also-thought it was really intelligent that when we placed our people and stuff around the office-they wanted to put the money they drew in the same room as the boss. Genius!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyhow. I am loving the learning going on in this center lately. I love that it is getting them writing. I'm looking for ways to incorporate more math in this center-aside from the obvious ways of counting how many blocks it took to build. Would love your opinions.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-38018369451208541202012-11-04T08:00:00.000-05:002012-11-04T08:00:00.542-05:00Trouble In Paradise<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You know I love my job right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Good. Didn't want you to forget how much I am enjoying my time in the kindergarten room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Can I tell you that it's not always sweet tea and butterflies?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It can be fun, stimulating, humorous, and it sure can be sweet tea and butterflies-BUT. It can be challenging. It can be tiresome. It can be the sound of wet hands on a balloon. (That's my analogy for really freaking annoying.) That probably sounds harsh. I don't mean it to be, and despite the fact that at times it seems like a little mosquito is buzzing in my ear while I'm in my tent trying to fall asleep-I still don't swat those mosquitoes! :) Instead-redirection is the key. I know that when the play turns to silliness-and we have boys rolling on the ground in the block center-they are secretly screaming "CHALLENGE ME!!!" So. Challenge we do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The block center is where most things that are annoying in my opinion, happen. These things aren't actually annoying. They are just annoying to me in the moment because I want them to be learning something-and they don't seem to want to do anything but call each other "poo poo head" and make helicopter gun noises. This is where the next idea came in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We have been struggling in the past 2 weeks with a lot of nonsense going on in the blocks. Lots of gun noises (no weapons at school), lots of name calling in a really silly manner, lots of rolling around, ruining other peoples creations! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We thought this could help solve our problems. (We were right)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a book-full of structures. Many structures from our world (The Eiffel Tower, London Bridge) many structures from our country (Scotiabank Place, The CN Tower), and a few structures from our own community (Our school, our local bank). I found pictures on the Internet, and made a little book. Laminated and did a little binding, and added it to the block center. So far- SOOOO good. They knew automatically what they should do. Look through the book-decide-plan-build! It is really amazing to see what they are coming up with! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It has been super for teaching cooperation naturally because they all decide on one structure they want to create and work together to make it look like the picture. They also have been asking questions like "What is this one?" I got to explain to them it was an arena in Ottawa-that housed one of our Canadian Hockey Teams! We talked about how long it takes to drive to Ottawa from where we live-and we talked about how mad their dads were that "the hockey players don't want to play hockey unless they make like 150 bucks a game-so they are having a break."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Seriously. That happened. I love their interpretations of adult conversations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also discussed which structure was the biggest. Two kids told me about when they saw the CN tower on TV. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I gave my camera out again-and had a child take a picture of the hotel they were designing. There is a picture of a hotel in the book-and they did an amazing job recreating it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The hotel in the book was very pyramid-y looking. (That's my own word-but you can borrow it if you see fit). I was amazed at their ability to get that right in their own structure. I'm not sure why I continue to be amazed by these things-because I know that we have a class full of little geniuses!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Try it. If you are having annoying problems in your block center-I beg you try this approach. It worked for us-and I'd bet it would work for you too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Can We Build It? the book is mosquito repellent!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com126tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-55326384869627637422012-11-02T19:00:00.001-04:002012-11-02T19:00:46.806-04:00Pumpkin Inquiry PART 2<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The initial stages of our pumpkin inquiry were fun-but I'm sure our class would agree if they voted, that the second half was much more fun! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We gathered materials. We actually borrowed them from one of our amazing ECE's at our school who is always prepared with the best stuff ! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We got into our groups and the teachers job was to cut of the top! Then it was game on! The kids took turns ripping out the insides, with spoons, scoops and their bare hands. Some of them weren't into using their hands (which we guessed) but most of them were.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Next we sorted the seeds from the guts (real technical lingo I'm using here, I know.) We counted the seeds. We had four pumpkins but as a whole class we focused our investigation on one pumpkin in particular. This was the pumpkin who's seeds we counted. 407! 407 seeds!!! It took a while-but we got there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The children made guesses on how many seeds they thought the pumpkin would have-and then we talked about how many it actually had. We discussed reasonable guesses, and that a guess of "one million seeds" in a medium sized pumpkin was not probable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Next-in their small groups they got to plan what kind of jack-o-lantern they wanted to carve. They had to agree and it had to be a team effort. They drew their faces, and we carved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">All four of the pumpkins looked different from one another! While we were busy carving the designs-I decided to try something new. I asked one boy in our class if he would take some photos of stuff he thought was important. Here is what he captured.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He took 63 pictures! All of the other one's had children's faces in them so I couldn't use them but it really got me thinking about letting the children use my camera more often. He loved being picked to take pictures-and he was very proud of his work. They see me with a camera in my hand for 90 percent of the day-so I suppose that looks like fun! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the last picture-he caught me-trying to take a picture using my phone's camera-so I would have a photo of him capturing all the investigating!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-7850085590230098782012-10-29T20:38:00.001-04:002012-10-29T21:08:06.092-04:00Pumpkin Inquiry PART 1<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our pumpkin inquiry began like this :</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJpsEdQiOC-EdwuDk1cB1Z_ERd8RUn1gofbrzob1Vnizi1H-l8Um_6rX4npbK38juAiJ2GfWOvVQqzCyTnwKCHYn6rnSwdxWvzPGKygBmhVoyE6TwfvmS96Y1ECv5kB1RYIteAgRXI6JS/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJpsEdQiOC-EdwuDk1cB1Z_ERd8RUn1gofbrzob1Vnizi1H-l8Um_6rX4npbK38juAiJ2GfWOvVQqzCyTnwKCHYn6rnSwdxWvzPGKygBmhVoyE6TwfvmS96Y1ECv5kB1RYIteAgRXI6JS/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We just started with a bunch of pumpkins and gourds of different shapes and sizes. We set them out with some magnifying glasses and some paper and writing tools in hopes that they would document what they were seeing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Immediately we had children using the magnifying glasses and exclaiming "whoa-the pumpkins are HUGE!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also had kids wanting to paint a picture of the pumpkins.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9fuz3F0t4KRprbUTSa8N3GIJ9yGElY1D-6xmD-1DUs33_13whuuZV-UBmPA-UqlZd_l4WQJh1WLN7W1Iqqhrs7JFwnctsczlxQpyUPQfH1IWqh2M7lIEjvpZWNxJFw_T1yx3cId23yGc/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9fuz3F0t4KRprbUTSa8N3GIJ9yGElY1D-6xmD-1DUs33_13whuuZV-UBmPA-UqlZd_l4WQJh1WLN7W1Iqqhrs7JFwnctsczlxQpyUPQfH1IWqh2M7lIEjvpZWNxJFw_T1yx3cId23yGc/s320/5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As soon as one of them painted a pumpkin-several others followed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The conversation also quickly turned to talk of how they could carve them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">One little girl came to me and said she would carve a happy face and I told her the production table had lots of materials that she could design that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is what she made:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnZeQtSDu5bO_Gy7qI5-Gm3jCjLxTGUbCS6yvyZMj6UrVqX2nQ4okMHbNnHgxiX-D3Bu2TaAOVUe-8KYmSP04g46K_4qb4OIPkqxd39h3Zs5piPZvSSclR__g2nabwoAG5dxPnKTApB2a/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnZeQtSDu5bO_Gy7qI5-Gm3jCjLxTGUbCS6yvyZMj6UrVqX2nQ4okMHbNnHgxiX-D3Bu2TaAOVUe-8KYmSP04g46K_4qb4OIPkqxd39h3Zs5piPZvSSclR__g2nabwoAG5dxPnKTApB2a/s320/4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I thought that it was a fantastic representation of what she wanted her jack-o-lantern to look like.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also had plenty of opportunity to model vocabulary that can be used when exploring. "It feels like...." "I wonder if...."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The children had lots of conversation about the pumpkins and the inquiry has continued into this week. We picked one of the pumpkins to focus on-and we had them make guesses about how many lines were on the outside, and then we counted them. We had them make guesses about how many seeds are on the inside-and we will count them tomorrow when we carve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We documented all of our guesses and findings on a chart-which we will display at the center of a Pumpkin Investigation Bulletin Board out in front of our classroom in the hallway! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We had brainstormed at the beginning of our inquiry to see what the kids wanted and thought we could do with our pumpkins. Many ideas were brought to the table including -paint them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> -count them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> -feel them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> -carve them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> -smell them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> -make them a hat</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yes. You read that right. Make them a hat. So right off the bat-several hats were made for our pumpkins.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Gai-JmxDxztwyeMNKSDkiFHmvlMkx6BsiEJZzgYbglFJJ5_DmDDOvIYTyhNowIopwPGFLVxdFnuyvKogHWK4xnKAiVGX4DQC06C9NRnlR6qW3yZiOq2iLlJVBZa_NI0n99UglomlRRPd/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Gai-JmxDxztwyeMNKSDkiFHmvlMkx6BsiEJZzgYbglFJJ5_DmDDOvIYTyhNowIopwPGFLVxdFnuyvKogHWK4xnKAiVGX4DQC06C9NRnlR6qW3yZiOq2iLlJVBZa_NI0n99UglomlRRPd/s320/2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Today to build on this (I hoped!) I added a measuring tape to our table of pumpkins and gourds. We immediately had one little guy come on over and ask : "Is this a measuring rod?"</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTojTr1uqMvr1F_d3sMYf_BzSwmcjOx2hzJtMDibOWhunr4oCbAy06D3PcoIKQJGJnWSrGS5OwpDl7GIHzID8tbtEZ2FPpGOTBU9T-qVzg97amdpwDZiqryKnMy2MWU8jMvjugh4DqM_6k/s1600/IMG_4548-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTojTr1uqMvr1F_d3sMYf_BzSwmcjOx2hzJtMDibOWhunr4oCbAy06D3PcoIKQJGJnWSrGS5OwpDl7GIHzID8tbtEZ2FPpGOTBU9T-qVzg97amdpwDZiqryKnMy2MWU8jMvjugh4DqM_6k/s320/IMG_4548-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I explained it was a measuring tape- and he right away told me he wanted to measure the pumpkin from top to bottom! (YAY! SILENT CHEER!!!!) He measured 3 of the pumpkins and read the measuring tape correctly each time. I explained to him that he was measuring in centimetres but that there were other ways we could measure things too. Then another girl came up- and stated that we could measure AROUND the pumpkin as well. She walked away. He measured around the 3 pumpkins. He then pointed to each pumpkin and said "fattest...skinniest...and medium" LOVED being part of such a perfect teachable moment! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RtHK0NyFYXBjIEAFwpImBJCF296EKslAwp1JExCe1SPcEMd3JtNdb8gLFnIpGwv8nQPOn1A-oRiUCOkF5sHKs5k4Uh-21-tHGkepKWsSN6zw-vnYNdMjt3fodpsq0Oc7qb8-kLtXO_gw/s1600/IMG_4551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RtHK0NyFYXBjIEAFwpImBJCF296EKslAwp1JExCe1SPcEMd3JtNdb8gLFnIpGwv8nQPOn1A-oRiUCOkF5sHKs5k4Uh-21-tHGkepKWsSN6zw-vnYNdMjt3fodpsq0Oc7qb8-kLtXO_gw/s320/IMG_4551.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tomorrow-we are carving the pumpkins! Today we provided little cards for each of the children to draw a picture of what they think we should carve our pumpkins like. About 10 of them participated in this and the consensus looks like they want a traditional jack-o-lantern! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I can't wait for them to feel the inside of the pumpkins. We have a couple of kids who are claiming to never have carved before-SO SO exciting! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll be back with follow up photos from tomorrows experience if I am still sane.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">{We are experiencing the rain of Hurricane Sandy this week. 1 field trip postponed, and looking like 2 more in the works. (All outdoor trips-and the rain is intense.) } </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">All these indoor recesses are bound to make me batty I'm sure. Would love to hear from anyone with indoor recess suggestions for the kids! We have recess monitors which are responsible grade 8 students, who help out. (I love comments on my blog-but for those of you who don't follow it, I LOVE hearing from you in my facebook inbox! Your messages are always encouraging and full of great ideas!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ciao!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-3820785255421669742012-10-21T09:00:00.000-04:002012-10-21T09:00:02.979-04:00Apples as Math!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtdZUK3_Hfa-K7KltYGNXC6I1hdWoD3fN6EWJ4yspfp1hfSlrGyZUTJX7yAyKT1EW1OUMc15LdEKVAK6DgGJ-AAvUYsJd6VDWdKMWmR2utoxiOdxpICg3finCff-nUAEwhneGBO-SZr9V/s1600/IMG_4254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtdZUK3_Hfa-K7KltYGNXC6I1hdWoD3fN6EWJ4yspfp1hfSlrGyZUTJX7yAyKT1EW1OUMc15LdEKVAK6DgGJ-AAvUYsJd6VDWdKMWmR2utoxiOdxpICg3finCff-nUAEwhneGBO-SZr9V/s320/IMG_4254.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These were our apples.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We read a few books about apples as part of our literacy and numeracy circles. Then these apples were discussed by our class.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We posed the question "What could we do with them?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We got many answers. Eat them was at the top of their list. There were also many more great answers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Count them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Feel them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pattern with them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sort them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">All of these things-skills they have learned from play. Imagine that!?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It is during times like these brainstorming periods that I really silently celebrate how effective this program can be! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While the program can be controversial-there is no disputing that it's doing its job when 1 month into school many of our students in both jk and sk are able to sort, pattern, and count -even though they have not been sitting at tables filling in worksheets. Instead-they have been choosing their play centers themselves. Not being forced to sit through math bins, but being allowed the freedom to learn in dramatic play, to learn in sensory. All of these skills can be incorporated into each center-providing them with MANY opportunities to learn. We have a hands on thinking center, where math based activities are available-but the materials available in our room in other centers-allow them to practice and learn new math skills!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So we counted. We patterned. We sorted, and of course. We taste tested!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNcbhN8rU6JBQlUcW-Qsx9vx8CoUdetnuJ-m5dXAkU2mMkSJSPimEgr9tt46jtrfxzRHqBKzOViJjnHNEl2Xo91sJmuawdQrBS9EYdxllhNGn3jkJxOPlQzMGCg5hrtfZ-g4lzzy3gkGn/s1600/IMG_4260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNcbhN8rU6JBQlUcW-Qsx9vx8CoUdetnuJ-m5dXAkU2mMkSJSPimEgr9tt46jtrfxzRHqBKzOViJjnHNEl2Xo91sJmuawdQrBS9EYdxllhNGn3jkJxOPlQzMGCg5hrtfZ-g4lzzy3gkGn/s320/IMG_4260.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Patterned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorted and ready for taste testing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We also painted with the apples! Made apple prints and turned them into:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pumpkins!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kids also decided that they would examine our apples underneath the magnifying table! :) A new tool in our class that they love to use!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The conclusion: "Everything gets bigger in this thing!"</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-78376939202672388152012-10-18T16:00:00.000-04:002012-10-18T16:00:04.408-04:00Do You Feel What I Feel?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You all know how I love fall? I explained why <a href="http://www.playissmart.blogspot.ca/2012/09/5-reasons-i-love-fall.html" target="_blank">right here!</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So it excites me-that our natural surroundings spark such curiosity in the kids! Our playground has a few trees in it. They shed beautiful maple leaves and oak leaves all over the ground. While on duty and during outdoor play I get to witness this provide them with perfect playing conditions! They build piles-and jump in them. There is no sight that screams childhood more than that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They pretend it is salad and serve it in their restaurants. They throw leaves in the air and watch them fall. They bury themselves in them. It excites them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They also, bring oodles and oodles of leaves inside. They all want to add to our discovery center. We allow them to. They examine the leaves and write about them in their science journals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">One day last week I set a couple leaves out on our science table and covered it in tinfoil. I taped the tinfoil down, and put paper and pencils at the table. I explained to the kids they could explore and make predictions about what it was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We had many many good guesses. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The children really used their senses. Some of them walked up-felt and quickly recorded what they believed was hiding under the tinfoil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some of them explored deeper.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIe3BV5GMzwmm1IUu1jkyJYMwI4nZLh1uud_2JtJ3Z43achPjJhZxjQMi8nTQp2UtEN_BIP5H-fmnUMFoSi-vKuXZusjSI2pp_BwJQAxAYFKdfJOdGtdL2sdDZBmeFoa77rn175FRy9XY/s1600/IMG_4245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIe3BV5GMzwmm1IUu1jkyJYMwI4nZLh1uud_2JtJ3Z43achPjJhZxjQMi8nTQp2UtEN_BIP5H-fmnUMFoSi-vKuXZusjSI2pp_BwJQAxAYFKdfJOdGtdL2sdDZBmeFoa77rn175FRy9XY/s320/IMG_4245.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Letting her fingers discover. Getting a feel for the texture of the leaves.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4g6z0sZCT6BZ3nwY6-2MiCBbi9CrQDqPxDXJypRvAT4Tfne9nmvcy0iHVzn524dfle7xPY93VrsTdfYqilyMxr6BXmMCmFT0JTe4uK-2suDV27-bOun7hxs630vDIK5L7NcoXrRa6cmM/s1600/IMG_4248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4g6z0sZCT6BZ3nwY6-2MiCBbi9CrQDqPxDXJypRvAT4Tfne9nmvcy0iHVzn524dfle7xPY93VrsTdfYqilyMxr6BXmMCmFT0JTe4uK-2suDV27-bOun7hxs630vDIK5L7NcoXrRa6cmM/s320/IMG_4248.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I loved seeing this happen! This little girl leaned down for a good minute listening so carefully to hear what the mystery items sounded like!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the correct guesses documented!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some of our other guesses were: cookies, soft paper towel, a button, and rocks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Their minds work sooooo hard to come to these conclusions! The big reveal was super exciting for them! Some of them cheering when they realized they were right! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We discussed doing this activity more often. They really liked it and it brought some of our kids who aren't typically found in discovery over to see ( and feel) what was going on ! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you have done this type of activity before-what types of things did you have them explore?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-86185010151916337802012-10-17T20:07:00.000-04:002012-10-17T20:07:26.422-04:00Back With Some Changes<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alright. Sorry for the delay. But I am here. With a new blog post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It took me longer then I ever planned it to but such is life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My life in kindergarten changed this past week-and it has taken me a few days to grab a hold of my new reality and embrace it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Embrace it I will.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have faith things happen for a reason-and although I don't want to ramble on with details I will say I have a new teaching partner. The one I have currently is supplying-but should I become lucky enough-perhaps she will be more permanent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Back to square 1 on room set up-displays-center materials etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's some new stuff!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Monday-my first day with my new teaching partner, kids were WILD! Lots of change for them, a new looking room and a new face in the room. Testing. Testing. Testing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the midst of what was truly chaos for me at times-We observed a few of our boys acting like animals in the dramatic play area. (serious. animals.) haha More specifically, cats and dogs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">DING DING DING! They are bored of it being a kitchen. Let's change it up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We asked them what we could put there that animals could belong in, and an animal doctor was top of the list. And so-our Animal Hospital was born.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxGMQ4SQxsME1UmQJzIZvFZ0rfz9c4dCeQxv8srfcUZ1E8Ip43ZcLqRuOPLYBo_tV7hOzaSd0a_mC6tJcUEW1C7AlJuVdS1Jhd4buFWNUu-H0uUSiT149MIGzKLB1hZ6yKjKij8HE-xB6/s1600/IMG_4293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxGMQ4SQxsME1UmQJzIZvFZ0rfz9c4dCeQxv8srfcUZ1E8Ip43ZcLqRuOPLYBo_tV7hOzaSd0a_mC6tJcUEW1C7AlJuVdS1Jhd4buFWNUu-H0uUSiT149MIGzKLB1hZ6yKjKij8HE-xB6/s320/IMG_4293.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the sign that 2 of our boys designed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQxBKxT_p6-10GgUjui1HOjTnYnUG_6VaGOsNCyfr1BolyZUTR5JwaHu-SZejSaHUWZzTsHgKJY90CPcYOUJyIoBH7ocJL2aspxFh6CdFIrvDfsaowQ5Mnodkwz2PSuTo8pPZ92WCJnlk/s1600/IMG_4274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQxBKxT_p6-10GgUjui1HOjTnYnUG_6VaGOsNCyfr1BolyZUTR5JwaHu-SZejSaHUWZzTsHgKJY90CPcYOUJyIoBH7ocJL2aspxFh6CdFIrvDfsaowQ5Mnodkwz2PSuTo8pPZ92WCJnlk/s320/IMG_4274.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Prior to painting-we discussed what would be important to be on the sign. The boys both agreed that animals should be on it. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgildmNLJCyjyakUJHwo_JaoXGWolMF10D7tN1C24F1RUK-s9W4OvusfeP-gNLSN_pDn9rRhLYHYJuo27O2W8i_wz5LkkPN6FYJOtoa4ddRFaHU_vHxlk82ZMQ4-9GhuaY0kVheFzxxzocQ/s1600/IMG_4278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgildmNLJCyjyakUJHwo_JaoXGWolMF10D7tN1C24F1RUK-s9W4OvusfeP-gNLSN_pDn9rRhLYHYJuo27O2W8i_wz5LkkPN6FYJOtoa4ddRFaHU_vHxlk82ZMQ4-9GhuaY0kVheFzxxzocQ/s320/IMG_4278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This started as a dog. The boy on the left painted the dog and I asked "What did you paint?" He said "A dog" The boy on the right said "Well that looks like a turtle" and the boy on the left responded with "I know it does."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So he changed his mind and is telling his classmates that it is a turtle.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL3SpkelMqsBD96VEFWyf49cPkmOKxcOK0vpm7_ik8RKU-uFlvvD4t6a_5jx5EZNmd6uOAh4P3exab6Bi89FzJlRUo3yehc1D9QeRvEbMkVLhCg8bQxk83NZzRonRceCj1AMVH8D83Mo2/s1600/IMG_4290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL3SpkelMqsBD96VEFWyf49cPkmOKxcOK0vpm7_ik8RKU-uFlvvD4t6a_5jx5EZNmd6uOAh4P3exab6Bi89FzJlRUo3yehc1D9QeRvEbMkVLhCg8bQxk83NZzRonRceCj1AMVH8D83Mo2/s320/IMG_4290.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Writing in dramatic play? YES! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa-iFrXzVFrhtXC8C9saRWdXpViD9ykmM5wreFW2Z6-lY3aqnj3y_XPxhtO6_7w6awjyV-yZxr_veCV5m1pMFQJ_sKYhee6c17Z7IBETYKCJ4jcDajEdE-Q9KmrDpscna340towDxbOzx/s1600/IMG_4291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa-iFrXzVFrhtXC8C9saRWdXpViD9ykmM5wreFW2Z6-lY3aqnj3y_XPxhtO6_7w6awjyV-yZxr_veCV5m1pMFQJ_sKYhee6c17Z7IBETYKCJ4jcDajEdE-Q9KmrDpscna340towDxbOzx/s320/IMG_4291.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scaredy Squirrel getting some TLC. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scaredy Squirrel getting some chest compressions! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I could have watched them all day long in this center. The creativity that was happening was truly awesome! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The materials that are in the center were mostly thought up by the class. We did some brainstorming and made a list of things they thought an Animal Hospital would need. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We have many more ideas in the works to build on this inquiry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I will be back sooner next time. I have many things I've photo documented over the past couple of days and intend on sharing them soon!</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> "Change in all things is sweet"</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">-Aristotle</span></strong></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-17357749614099694702012-10-11T19:54:00.000-04:002012-10-11T19:54:52.628-04:00Fall All Around!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You all know how important I think sensory experiences are right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Check out our new sensory bin!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4-o1yNoXCvbNn2aXmXSJBhfZeJn8anDrdDqZiqIuGYu87q0wjpbt3tq6mciR5sGkjGM2iA31_3hYfUN4nfSIg5nNMIIg54xfUxMBbu-fkdZ5rf-oX_Jr5mRt8ongcHFhkzQ-uTMQzFjJ/s1600/IMG_4043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4-o1yNoXCvbNn2aXmXSJBhfZeJn8anDrdDqZiqIuGYu87q0wjpbt3tq6mciR5sGkjGM2iA31_3hYfUN4nfSIg5nNMIIg54xfUxMBbu-fkdZ5rf-oX_Jr5mRt8ongcHFhkzQ-uTMQzFjJ/s320/IMG_4043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's just a bunch of pasta , some small gourds and pumpkins, some corn, and some silk leaves from the dollar store! Voila!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrajFUMCoDTvNx1f8mqQ_qGCx5AFY3GtqPcoZWP67gzL2espMbpQYSceub0vmdxiC9vwvpOWfRl71Z_5OAxE_eOZT6p0QuNta6Rld2_WGDGcwxTvT2IzMQ4GCo5JFcwd6xJgPzTq68Yn5S/s1600/IMG_4044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrajFUMCoDTvNx1f8mqQ_qGCx5AFY3GtqPcoZWP67gzL2espMbpQYSceub0vmdxiC9vwvpOWfRl71Z_5OAxE_eOZT6p0QuNta6Rld2_WGDGcwxTvT2IzMQ4GCo5JFcwd6xJgPzTq68Yn5S/s320/IMG_4044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wrote each of the uppercase and lowercase letters on the leaves. The kids have been busy finding their name letters and our jolly phonics letters while they are playing in the sensory bin! I also threw a couple blank leaves in to see if they would notice. I was approached by one of our girls who said "This one says nothing. Can I make it say my name?" So she wrote her name on it and threw it back in! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The class has been busy discussing the "rough" noodles, and the "hard, smooth" noodles! It's also brought on a few conversations about who has bought pumpkins at their house and who hasn't! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Would love to hear what you guys have got going on in your sensory bins right now? Fall or not!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's all for me tonight. I cut the heck out of a bunch of laminated goodness tonight-and have some photography stuff to work on still! :) Enjoy!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-60482371479281994822012-10-08T07:00:00.000-04:002012-10-08T07:00:13.695-04:00Thanksgiving Cuteness<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Educator friends who are not part of the ELK program-you probably do Thanksgiving activities. (American readers-I am way ahead of you-as we celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada much earlier then you-and don't get the awesomeness that is Black Friday either :( ) Educator friends who ARE a part of the ELK program-there was probably discussion between you and your teaching partner as to whether or not you were "supposed" to learn about Thanksgiving in your class. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The consensus I have gathered through a facebook group for Ontario ELK educators is---the children will be interested in this if it is introduced to them-and some of them will talk about it no matter what.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">With that all being said-we decided to go for the gusto! We started the Thanksgiving talk by reading a Thanksgiving book in our morning circle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The book we read was called "The Great Turkey Race" written by Steve Metzger. It seemed a bit wordy at first and I thought "no way in the world are our wigglers going to sit for more then 2 pages of this book". Boy, did I prove myself wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I tried to give each turkey a different voice, and I asked them to predict what was going to happen. They all got into it. Giggling, answering my questions, and making predictions. SUCCESS!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The next day I read the next book by Steve Metzger "The Amazing Turkey Rescue". Exact same response. It got kids talking all about Thanksgiving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The teacher I work alongside-had the idea to have a community circle where we discussed what we were thankful for. :) I am finding the community circles so wonderful for providing them with vocabulary. They got to practice using the phrase "I am thankful for...." </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqLc_L5WT-bZs54to2IQlmCSDz7L4lkxfXkQ8M-YAm07r6KH7WE8f2lUdA8X6NaoZ-s3aIVxn0wC3zQDBy8V3uYul4AH4rJStq55d1xIixUYhjsiyfWwPWLmXXpXzdCzIKNDqPItxcVaD/s1600/IMG_4081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">On Thursday we were fortunate enough to have some scheduled time with our Reading Buddies. We took advantage of this. Their reading buddies helped them create a turkey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqLc_L5WT-bZs54to2IQlmCSDz7L4lkxfXkQ8M-YAm07r6KH7WE8f2lUdA8X6NaoZ-s3aIVxn0wC3zQDBy8V3uYul4AH4rJStq55d1xIixUYhjsiyfWwPWLmXXpXzdCzIKNDqPItxcVaD/s1600/IMG_4081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqLc_L5WT-bZs54to2IQlmCSDz7L4lkxfXkQ8M-YAm07r6KH7WE8f2lUdA8X6NaoZ-s3aIVxn0wC3zQDBy8V3uYul4AH4rJStq55d1xIixUYhjsiyfWwPWLmXXpXzdCzIKNDqPItxcVaD/s320/IMG_4081.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love this picture because you can see them working as a team with their reading buddy-and I think this photo illustrates how helpful that reading buddy is! Trying to teach him how to cut!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Seriously adorable idea brought to you again by my teaching partner. This is the adorableness it produced: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjZkzcxS9Ro70FUDzJjFmPMnG4xjbKPxLOeFv-f-V_aSUTSu_6Fd1TX5R_8pKmofgOwXUDMfAPFfxvEG032WczgmARNg7liO2bguDm6EXEnBOQS4_vss1LpbWYLRr_7v94evwTon-_lbi/s1600/IMG_4087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjZkzcxS9Ro70FUDzJjFmPMnG4xjbKPxLOeFv-f-V_aSUTSu_6Fd1TX5R_8pKmofgOwXUDMfAPFfxvEG032WczgmARNg7liO2bguDm6EXEnBOQS4_vss1LpbWYLRr_7v94evwTon-_lbi/s320/IMG_4087.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHAoh4AxwfRMMKUjX7h94b1N4PySEDTEmZRUvECxSmSqv0vQDyl2UOAKL5HqAsccioYnfMp3AWrMFWvzeGdBasoLnAs791RFyeHeKkIDQh8jscqKoVGmafz3K3TlV1MJiMr4R79oXINUy/s1600/IMG_4116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHAoh4AxwfRMMKUjX7h94b1N4PySEDTEmZRUvECxSmSqv0vQDyl2UOAKL5HqAsccioYnfMp3AWrMFWvzeGdBasoLnAs791RFyeHeKkIDQh8jscqKoVGmafz3K3TlV1MJiMr4R79oXINUy/s320/IMG_4116.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love these 3 pictures. It illustrates that even though this was a teacher planned activity-there was plenty of room for interpretation. Each of them looked differently then the others. The body of the turkey is made from the child's traced feet (with shoes on in our case). The feathers-we precut some and the kids had to cut some. The eyes were chosen by them from a googly eye bucket. This is the poem that was attached:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjW27fQIJZoCpL0BC10g1nycuq7dtMWXYNlwP95vErCI2Egco6m0IGyZRSo1ie5yyxhxHmcJ5FgwN4h59fXo5-HqSui_ZMeKi8Rvy1EiHscYMYm2JmfuoWgK_0oaD8EVV0vIHyR1XcIP0z/s1600/IMG_4089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjW27fQIJZoCpL0BC10g1nycuq7dtMWXYNlwP95vErCI2Egco6m0IGyZRSo1ie5yyxhxHmcJ5FgwN4h59fXo5-HqSui_ZMeKi8Rvy1EiHscYMYm2JmfuoWgK_0oaD8EVV0vIHyR1XcIP0z/s320/IMG_4089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I take ZERO credit in writing that cute little poem. But I also can't say who did as I am not too sure! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Thanksgiving books really opened up for us a window to teach these children about this holiday! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They made food in the playdough center that they could take to Thanksgiving dinner (their idea!), and the donating of the food to the food bank-really came at a great time to wrap it up! :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Happy Thanksgiving Canadian Readers! I hope you had a seriously blessed holiday! I'm off to enjoy an Oktoberfest Parade with my family and some favorite friends! :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Gobble Gobble</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-17976447946295469982012-10-05T17:30:00.000-04:002012-10-05T17:30:01.212-04:00To Jingle or Not to Jingle?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Jingle or not to jingle? That was kind of the question.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">With the new kindergarten program-we are keeping things pretty child guided in our class. We had a lot of conversations and thoughts on whether or not to incorporate Jolly Phonics into our program, and we decided that we thought there needed to be a balance. We want there to be a lot of child directed opportunities, but think it is important to teach the kids the letter sounds. With Jolly Phonics we can make it really interactive so it fits well with the program suggestions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So this week-we had a short week with there being Fair Day and tomorrow a Professional Development day. We decided this would be the week we started our Jolly Jingles. It's basically teaching the song for 'S' to the kids, and the action that goes with the song. Then we have a very open conversation about 'S' words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Then we move along to more good stuff. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://playissmart.blogspot.ca/2012/10/pumpkin-spice-playdough-starbucks.html" target="_blank">The SCENTED playdough.</a> (s word) . We practiced forming the S letter with the playdough. I questioned in my own mind how this would go over, but luckily it flew! The kids were eager to come to Graphic Communication and try their hand at forming the letter 'S'.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA1KBO8KLv5ZHtrjGBnQjaDXWcwbRYk9TzcxMBeJAxpTCx_7zp9sTMwG8lPawYmZhkVPL_jKzj8fIhjc7O5GZc5VTbBvGna4ZdNvIZTcOnWIJ5aaiq3lY16k90YmME8fc9nZDgJ_upKW3/s1600/IMG_4054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA1KBO8KLv5ZHtrjGBnQjaDXWcwbRYk9TzcxMBeJAxpTCx_7zp9sTMwG8lPawYmZhkVPL_jKzj8fIhjc7O5GZc5VTbBvGna4ZdNvIZTcOnWIJ5aaiq3lY16k90YmME8fc9nZDgJ_upKW3/s320/IMG_4054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSfa0incOrQafAHGyxTdkUsJSSy3V_FWN3XZ54KmZgi_YoRFZg5zyj2e97h5DZWA-siK62lHkTBEQGEMzsL0hoRuCsWVDaAp512bRkurdN8uzZlB6VVEh-PMYW-13a65gKqAJOkGRNpHO/s1600/IMG_4051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSfa0incOrQafAHGyxTdkUsJSSy3V_FWN3XZ54KmZgi_YoRFZg5zyj2e97h5DZWA-siK62lHkTBEQGEMzsL0hoRuCsWVDaAp512bRkurdN8uzZlB6VVEh-PMYW-13a65gKqAJOkGRNpHO/s320/IMG_4051.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love playdough activities because of how good it is for fine motor development. As I began implementing this activity-I understood how beneficial it was based solely on the fact that most of the children who chose to play with this center didn't know how to roll playdough out. It was great to see them developing this ability, and turning it into the letter S. It gave them a real sense of accomplishment when I cheered for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Not everyone would agree with the implementation of Jolly Phonics in an ELK classroom, but we find it works for us this far. It's a short block of time that it is done in-and the choice to do the follow up activities (playdough formation) is theirs. We do ask them all to try-but if it's something they aren't interested in-we don't keep them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So. We decided to jingle. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-44809136465610894342012-10-04T21:16:00.000-04:002012-10-04T21:16:43.712-04:00Pumpkin Spice Playdough-Starbucks Inspired.<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I have been in the childcare field for several years, I am no stranger to homemade playdough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">You get kind of tired of putting out the money for the playdough brand stuff after a while-especially when you see how many different ways there are to make the stuff your self. Maybe I stand alone. But I love making playdough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have not always felt this way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Early in my playdough making days-I had alot of epic fails. I had one batch that remained a gooey liquid no matter how much I stirred it. I've also made playdough to go on to think it's perfect and 3 days later it has gone moldy, or slimy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have however narrowed down my favorite recipe to a few. I use them on rotation but they are mostly the same. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We are talking a lot about our senses in our class right now. How things feel. How they sound, etc. I wanted to give the kids something to smell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While enjoying my pumpkin spice latte the other day at starbucks, it dawned on me to make a fall scented playdough. The kids love the playdough center, why not give them something wonderful to smell while there? Starbucks gets my creative juices flowing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So I took the go-to playdough recipe, and I added some pumpkin spices, and orange food colouring. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's going to get eaten. I just know it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">THE RECIPE:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHtvWDGR2izarpRpje7etb6jPnsxProb6yntVF1Jzai8EIPBKTixRQcZYW-LiH5QCX7yIONz8nUB038r9dSX2oTKdlYvjeRYNKwhY_Z1u765mi2oMDopRlOYuC3M_HalKz8LeneqedVzx/s1600/IMG_4041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHtvWDGR2izarpRpje7etb6jPnsxProb6yntVF1Jzai8EIPBKTixRQcZYW-LiH5QCX7yIONz8nUB038r9dSX2oTKdlYvjeRYNKwhY_Z1u765mi2oMDopRlOYuC3M_HalKz8LeneqedVzx/s320/IMG_4041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">1/2 cup of salt</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">1 tablespoon of olive oil</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">1 tablespoon of cream of tartar</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">Then I added 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spices</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Put this all together in a pot on the stove-turn it on medium heat and stir CONSTANTLY until it forms a ball. Then scrape it all out onto a cutting board and knead it with your hands until it is soft with no lumps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">DONE . This is the final product if you are me!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4HampSTvwdNa4nDF09Lx2qWnqk6YYpm9q-CwwettKnArB7IG9uzOJJkX7ni3OY8yT9U2N-f597wBZqZuohLfDdq82DiFAH4X4jqZAeVLIS7_AWxayFClIqMKyN3zkwIMwmJVvTMs5aeA/s1600/IMG_4042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4HampSTvwdNa4nDF09Lx2qWnqk6YYpm9q-CwwettKnArB7IG9uzOJJkX7ni3OY8yT9U2N-f597wBZqZuohLfDdq82DiFAH4X4jqZAeVLIS7_AWxayFClIqMKyN3zkwIMwmJVvTMs5aeA/s320/IMG_4042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My own kids were home at the time I made the pumpkin spice playdough-and of course wanted to try it out! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-8080655480727039962012-10-01T19:43:00.001-04:002012-10-01T19:43:17.799-04:00A lesson in kindness<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a parent, I am fully aware of a child's ability to shock and awe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As an educator, I have learned from experience that a child's mind is an amazing thing. Children can be mean. Everyone has heard that before. We've all met mean children. Children can be selfish. In fact, most children are selfish. They look out for themselves first and foremost. This is something that I think with proper guidance and positive role models-many children outgrow as they become kind, caring empathetic adults.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the first 3 weeks of school I learned one unbelievably astonishing thing. SOME children-at the ripe old age of 5 can be more kind then an educated adult who knows better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The 3rd week of school I was blown away by the most random out of left field remark by one of our kinders. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While working with a group of children at our graphic communication center (writing) a girl who was playing in drama walked over to me and said with a ridiculous amount of confidence and certainty, "Mrs. Adams-you know what you should do sometimes?" And I responded "No. What should I do sometimes?" Which was retorted with "Sometimes you should donate some food to your local food bank."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yep. Just like that, and then she went to walk away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was blown away. Seriously taken back. I mean, she's 5!!! Most children at 5 don't know what a food bank is do they? Because most of our class had no idea. But she did, and she knew that there was a demand for food in them. She knew why. She knew there were hungry people in our community and she knew that it was up to our community to help them when times are tough. I wanted to cry. I wanted to hug her. I wanted her to meet my own children so she could rub off on them. (My children are kind too. Very kind in fact. But i immediately thought 'Have I ever talked to my own children about a food bank?' I went home that night and discussed it with them.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">At 5 years old. She knew. She knew about kindness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This got our wheels turning and turning and we decided if the children were interested, this could be a very big project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The next day we took this to our community circle, and our little girl told the class her idea. We voted and decided that we would in fact donate to our local food bank. We discussed why there are food banks. We discussed why we would want to donate to the food bank. We discussed what we could do once our donations started coming in. We knew this project would have many teachable moments hidden in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">SO. We went to our administration and got permission to take this on. I did up a quick newsletter explaining the project so that our families would want to be a part of it. <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1jqUP6q7p5rbzQxc0FOeGtPTWs" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO SEE THAT NEWSLETTER!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We got an immediate response. Some children brought a couple things. Some children brought none. That's okay. We made it very clear to them that not every ones family would be able to donate, but that they would still have an important part in the project!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some children have been bringing one item per day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Today we took on the task of sorting our items, and counting them. This is what that looked like.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V2OdYi_qvsZ6HoknOQdo9D0Ns1TKaL0VO-w1-eq76gnUm3Q6f5jhNCe_LTwHUpAfAcwsudOk1QKSH-AOGyAPyWEKP268T_4zaN_RnKag34rurcT7R9w5vLzra9A_QKLkbl5RoIlfO2OA/s1600/IMG_4002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V2OdYi_qvsZ6HoknOQdo9D0Ns1TKaL0VO-w1-eq76gnUm3Q6f5jhNCe_LTwHUpAfAcwsudOk1QKSH-AOGyAPyWEKP268T_4zaN_RnKag34rurcT7R9w5vLzra9A_QKLkbl5RoIlfO2OA/s320/IMG_4002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tallying.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8YGb3ac-j91oE6vX6oP9NPifCXjkkd8Qb1VsOuLNsHgX4-eXOWJUNLHXtbojsV7jz6PFipN19hVRq00kzb_fZDaNjmhSXLzoP1oz_OsNyzNehGriSkVUe0ljYUGp1ZX7sYbM8G90N9WL/s1600/IMG_4004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8YGb3ac-j91oE6vX6oP9NPifCXjkkd8Qb1VsOuLNsHgX4-eXOWJUNLHXtbojsV7jz6PFipN19hVRq00kzb_fZDaNjmhSXLzoP1oz_OsNyzNehGriSkVUe0ljYUGp1ZX7sYbM8G90N9WL/s320/IMG_4004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorting.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASRia81V2l8cGoLS5FzTBrAf8WiqJOnap6UorOuSRSolarjYCzNHmlF7TBJNinEuAo1_QKkoKKNjS8dNTy2pSKTDLYHuB9UQB7NseupwQywKvVgO5u6bCXfMOJBILqeD8Ww6B28JHtxbQ/s1600/IMG_4005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASRia81V2l8cGoLS5FzTBrAf8WiqJOnap6UorOuSRSolarjYCzNHmlF7TBJNinEuAo1_QKkoKKNjS8dNTy2pSKTDLYHuB9UQB7NseupwQywKvVgO5u6bCXfMOJBILqeD8Ww6B28JHtxbQ/s320/IMG_4005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The final tally.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHqUmXnEK3P_CMAYd8MbIXKfYjeGuW1ohp1mvoDwgHUxAaJaVSG5zVfsHKsSt-vHfpq5RRVlwYw-EG7C8uOmoUUU3WLJUonTz39NI8KsRBNCRX3H6-gF18fRRoFU1Bztxue6LzxInJxfy/s1600/IMG_4008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHqUmXnEK3P_CMAYd8MbIXKfYjeGuW1ohp1mvoDwgHUxAaJaVSG5zVfsHKsSt-vHfpq5RRVlwYw-EG7C8uOmoUUU3WLJUonTz39NI8KsRBNCRX3H6-gF18fRRoFU1Bztxue6LzxInJxfy/s320/IMG_4008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our chart that had our tally on it, as well as how we sorted the items (soups, tomato sauce, treats, fruit, pasta and extras-along with how many of each)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD-9jSzGNczsS1RAAXO0Ydv30ikkAG6P_g8f0gklq79YVQb_2odUIsm3DNYSXp1c6yTELcsMlrLKF2pRbj4KKHjC3dxDgS3EEnlGllfPYvE9OVbKIlDuqOY9WkBYFFjB7J2uV-223ZpGi/s1600/IMG_4012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD-9jSzGNczsS1RAAXO0Ydv30ikkAG6P_g8f0gklq79YVQb_2odUIsm3DNYSXp1c6yTELcsMlrLKF2pRbj4KKHjC3dxDgS3EEnlGllfPYvE9OVbKIlDuqOY9WkBYFFjB7J2uV-223ZpGi/s320/IMG_4012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A structure we built using soup cans! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsOU2QlIkmZ7zOSHHXOlMGXFZccWtKbcZOXNtmEqDcYsORhhHgXpPe2H9OJxi5540PKB6xKheNDBx8q_uZqdJjaAgrmwMx3hzepEqWyCUyge-VKfGlJrjAW98LZs_PAeHarYbRZibeaOz/s1600/IMG_4015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsOU2QlIkmZ7zOSHHXOlMGXFZccWtKbcZOXNtmEqDcYsORhhHgXpPe2H9OJxi5540PKB6xKheNDBx8q_uZqdJjaAgrmwMx3hzepEqWyCUyge-VKfGlJrjAW98LZs_PAeHarYbRZibeaOz/s320/IMG_4015.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And another. They are really into the whole structure thing since we introduced our <a href="http://www.playissmart.blogspot.ca/2012/09/challenged-learning.html" target="_blank">Block Challenge</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This project is meaningful. It was child directed. The kids get excited about it. They love to hand in their donations, they loved counting and sorting and talking about what is a "sometimes food" compared to an "anytime food". This week our deadline comes to hand in donations. We will then decorate a box to deliver it in and we will deliver it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think that many children are memorable. Most will be remembered for something or other. I will ALWAYS ALWAYS remember this child and the compassion for others that she already knows about at this young age. Kindness is part of my philosophy of life. Implementing this project has made my first month with this kinder class one of the most memorable months of my life :) I have much hope for the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sorry about all the words again. I just loved this project, and really wanted to share the valuable experience with you.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-67618363139518541842012-09-30T19:36:00.002-04:002012-09-30T19:36:45.801-04:00Learning Through Play....it is REALLY happening!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know I've told you before. I will tell you again. I love this program. I love that children aren't forced to sit at a 'math center' and count. I love that children aren't forced to sit at a 'writing center' and write. But yet-they still go to these centers and CHOOSE to do these things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I love that when they think they are just sitting at a table playing with jewels-they are actually learning. Learning things that would have been "taught" to them anyways, but in our classroom they are learning when they are interested in learning. Also-they are helping teach their peers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EVIDENCE:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I headed over to our Hands On Thinking Center (Math) to find the kids sorting the jewels. Up until this point in time-they had mostly been just looking at the jewels, admiring their beauty. Some of them would put them on a laminated ten frame we have in the center. But this particular day I walked over to find one child had sorted her bag of jewels. She had sorted them by colour, and then by shape. She had discovered a math skill all on her own-and now we could really roll with this whole sorting thing! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I also observed this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K9ZT3KJZ6wQJGGl9F8D96BQ_HDcQYcLDZazTjFMxJcDRv2XgKssMxNBk9yABL0v-193xPaKGNM67I2yNGD9cMpNn6s3aYn3exnpEzxCuwHbFdoJkMhXk6lFw8R2IS7EqssLLnAVR2G93/s1600/IMG_3982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K9ZT3KJZ6wQJGGl9F8D96BQ_HDcQYcLDZazTjFMxJcDRv2XgKssMxNBk9yABL0v-193xPaKGNM67I2yNGD9cMpNn6s3aYn3exnpEzxCuwHbFdoJkMhXk6lFw8R2IS7EqssLLnAVR2G93/s320/IMG_3982.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The little boy sitting next to her had completely patterned his bag of jewels! On their own, based on their own interest and idea of what they wanted to do with the jewels, we had both patterning and sorting. A-MA-ZINGGGGGGG! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We asked these children to share with their classmates what they had created while playing-and our class has been sorting and patterning ever since. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">During outside play at the end of the day on Friday, I took my camera out-hoping to catch something wonderful. They never disappoint! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UnEeIfStPAptSnY_ouh32fK_fcY7gO4XQxLEs_pQgatt4PQTRJpBq_W6SqdYZUoQ-rBPpFRNWud8CS4Kal5-B_js8-snT4KqhdVoLYd2festXETlS0QkbtDM1xBy4pcklXGTp32DHyQr/s1600/IMG_3998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UnEeIfStPAptSnY_ouh32fK_fcY7gO4XQxLEs_pQgatt4PQTRJpBq_W6SqdYZUoQ-rBPpFRNWud8CS4Kal5-B_js8-snT4KqhdVoLYd2festXETlS0QkbtDM1xBy4pcklXGTp32DHyQr/s320/IMG_3998.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This little guy had collected stones and patterned them in a big/little/big/little (AB) pattern. He was of course, very proud of his work! There was also a group of girls that had patterned red leaf/green leaf, and stick/stone. It's kind of magical to see them playing and learning and not even realizing it's happening! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now that the class is hooked on patterning, we will be planning some patterning activities for this week. Providing them with materials to pattern with, and allowing them some time to share their amazing work with their classmates. The sharing segment works wonders. The children see what their classmates have done-we provide them with the vocabulary to go along with their work-and the desire to pattern spreads like wildfire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Done for tonight. It`s a seriously big night in my world. I am a t.v. addict. There. I said it. I am. My favourite show season premiers tonight. Dexter. (every show I watch on t.v. is my favourite show f.y.i.) I'm off to prepare my snack, and work on our new fall sensory bin. Which I will photograph being manipulated this week. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ciao!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-1817558220840785212012-09-27T19:10:00.001-04:002012-09-27T19:10:49.156-04:005 Reasons I Love Fall....<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmFoDOtaXyrgKn1AdiMBPAG4ABxlSILPqnrXwivmv6eP4WwyzuphCansqsoMEYuCWHXIp95LBu_WIzSgHlMKIip9e6PZJtHCHu9AMwG24c2BCTAKgl1VlqXKyP0JQrHj8aIVv1S3EuKc4/s1600/IMG_3991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmFoDOtaXyrgKn1AdiMBPAG4ABxlSILPqnrXwivmv6eP4WwyzuphCansqsoMEYuCWHXIp95LBu_WIzSgHlMKIip9e6PZJtHCHu9AMwG24c2BCTAKgl1VlqXKyP0JQrHj8aIVv1S3EuKc4/s320/IMG_3991.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reason #1-Pumpkin Spice Latte. Salted Caramel Mocha. Pumpkin Steamer. Salted White Hot Chocolate. It's the season I return to drinking hot beverages at Starbucks instead of the iced coffee drinks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reason #2- Crisp. Cool. Amazing. Air.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reason #3-The fair. Where I am from. We have a fun little fair. The schools in our county are all closed for the day. The kids get free passes to the fair. It is called Young Canada Day. They can go to the fair, experience the culture of our area, ride rides, show school spirit. There are teams from each school that compete in various sporting events like cheerleading, road races, tug of war. The fair lasts a week but the excitement of Young Canada Day resonates for months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reason #4-We are only 1 season away from Christmas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reason #5-Opportunity to Learn. As school starts, the temperatures are still generally very warm here. So fall tends to be the first real change of temperatures that the kids experience during the school year. It's sometimes a gradual change, sometimes not. It gets them talking about the weather because it is different from what it has been. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lady bug found by one of the other kinders in another class during our outdoor play period.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There is also such a noticeable change is surroundings. The leaves change colour and then begin to fall off. The kids notice these things, and therefore want to talk and learn about them. This idea works perfectly with the ELK program. Child directed. Child guided. Child initiated learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This season change has done just that for our kinders! The first cool day turned out to be a COLD day. 2 degrees!! We went from shorts to winter coats for that day! Insanity! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It did get them asking questions and got us answering questions. At the end of each school day we have about 25 minutes of outdoor play. Sometimes we just play on the climbers. Sometimes we have outdoor tasks. Their outdoor task this particular day was to find some fall items. Like a scavenger hunt only we didn't tell them what they had to find. They just had to tell us what they found that was fall-like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Most of them brought us leaves. Some of them pointed at the trees and said things like "I see signs of fall because some leaves on that tree are green, and some are red." or "I see leaves on the ground that fell off the tree."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The next day-many of them collected leaves that they brought in and set on our discovery table. This made for a good sensory exploration which many of them documented in their discovery journals. We also have some milkweed and cattails on our discovery table right now. Some drew those. Some traced their leaves! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We decided to read them a book about textures. It included some descriptive words about textures (soft, hard, rough and smooth). It also had a portion on rubbings. We put rubbing materials out and many of them got right to making their own leaf rubbings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Their abilities amaze me. Sitting watching them do the rubbings, listening to their conversations amazes me. I don't know why. Because I know they are smart. They outsmart me everyday. I loved hearing them helping their friends. "You aren't pushing hard enough to make a leaf. Push harder. You did it!" I love hearing them encourage one another. They take such pride in their work. I love that too. We are really encouraging them to write their name on all their work. All we ask is they try. Even if it's only the first letter and doesn't end up looking like anything. Everyone gets A for effort. Today one of our JK kids wrote his whole name. All 5 letters. PROUD EDUCATOR MOMENT meets PROUD CHILD MOMENT! great. super.wicked. feeling. I love my job.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another leaf activity we have done already was our leaf creations at our production center. I glued one leaf on each piece of paper I had, and set them on the production paper along with some pencil crayons. I showed the kids what would be in the production center and told them they could turn their leaf into anything they wanted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This one was a firefighter. Amazing detail. The red on top (his hard hat of course) The black squiggly lines on the right hand side (his fire hose). You can't see it but around the stem of the leaf-there is one red boot. He also has hands and arms, and of course those big eyes and a smile! :) All of this from one of our JK students. I love this one a lot because as a quick observation for this child I was able to jot down in the Social/Personal domain of the E.L.E.C.T. Document: <em>3.1-recognize people in their community and talk about what they do. </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Easy Peasy. Lemon Squeezey. Observation noted, and can be looked back on for future reporting. (perhaps one day i'll blog about how I document observations.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This one was a boyfriend. HA HA. The girl sitting next to this child drew a Princess, and so this little girl drew a boyfriend for the princess! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This one is a butterfly. Some of them are still very interested in the butterfly life cycle that is a part of our discovery center right now! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A leaf found by one of our SK boys that had him thinking hard about what made those little holes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sorry. Just wanted to squeeze in a bunch of fall ideas. It's so easy to get caught up in all the learning that is to be had during the most wonderful season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sidenote. If you came here looking for fall programming ideas I hope the rubbings helped. There are so many avenues you could explore. Our class is just beginning so I will be sure to post more as they occur! This blog post is part of a <a href="http://teachingmy3.blogspot.ca/2012/09/welcome-to-fall-blog-hop.html" target="_blank">Fall Blog Hop</a> over at the Teaching My 3 Blog. You could hop over there to gather more fall planning ideas! Enjoy! :)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-5165301827898022722012-09-26T17:55:00.001-04:002012-09-26T17:55:56.686-04:00Challenged Learning<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have a group of kids who never. ever. want to leave the blocks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It is super that they love to build. BUT. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They had stopped building. They would come on Monday-build a super fantastic awesomely amazing transportation device of some kind or another, and then ask us to save it to work on next learning block, and they would never actually work on it. They would keep it 100% the same, drive it around and then want to save it again and again and again. SO.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Block Challenge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Before our center play yesterday we explained to the whole kinder class that blocks would be open and available to be used-on the condition that they were participating in the block challenge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The only rules to the block challenge: they had to build a structure of some sort. They had to draw their structure after they were done building it. They had to write a word about their structure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a structure being built. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It worked sooooooo well! The 'regulars' went right to the block center. They built, taking their time-to make it extra amazingly awesome. They went right away to get their paper and writing materials and they got to work. We had towers, we had houses and we even had a museum!! :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The best thing about this was that we had 3 children I had never observed playing in blocks before-taking part in the block challenge! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We now have all of the block challenge writing pieces, displayed in our "Look What I Made" binder. We quickly decided that the "Look What I Made" binder would be a good way to 'save' their work that they are proud of without actually taking the materials out of the hands of other children who could be using them. So-anything they want to save now, gets a photograph taken, and they have to write a word or sentence about it and it is displayed in the binder!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-41578059218978172682012-09-21T20:46:00.000-04:002012-09-21T20:47:18.514-04:00Pete the Cat Freebie!!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So earlier on in the life of this blog-before I was truly playing to learn in kindergarten, I blogged about Pete the Cat. If you missed it. Find it <a href="http://www.playissmart.blogspot.ca/2012/08/books-to-support-learning.html" target="_blank">here!!</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I love Pete the Cat. Not only do <strong><u>I</u></strong> love Pete the Cat, but every human I've ever shared it with-has also loved Pete the Cat. I shared it with the kinders in our class a week ago, on a Friday afternoon. It's one of <em>those books.</em> You know the type. High energy, catchy phrasing and a CD to go along with it that makes the whole class go crazy with rock and roll dance moves. Hence why it tends to be a FRIDAY AFTERNOON activity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The kids loved it. Obviously. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So-we did it again today. Twice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have zero plans tonight and my own children and sound asleep, and my husband has devoted himself to a very manly weekend of hunting ducks, so I sit here blogging.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While the kinders were dancing today, and walking along and singing Pete's song, I got an idea to make a kindergarten class edition of Pete the Cat. The remix you could say.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So tonight while avoiding doing the laundry I designed a template that I will SHARE! FOR FREE. Because that is how I roll. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I hope to use this template this week. I think if we put the Pete the Cat CD on repeat-their creative juices would really get flowing, and this book would be amazing and fun, and a real learning activity!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I can think of like 5 more things off the top of my head that I want to do with a book they are enjoying sooooo much. But I'll save those, along with an update of how this book making goes, for another post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> It is Friday night after all. See you next week.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1jqUP6q7p5rcHdBYjdpQWlYUzg/edit" target="_blank">GRAB YOUR PETE THE CAT BOOK TEMPLATE FREEBIE HERE!!!!!</a></span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-46389298022160141172012-09-19T18:53:00.002-04:002012-09-19T18:53:53.452-04:00The Importance of Getting Dirty and Clean.<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sand and Water play. It's where it's at in our room. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We don't have <strike>too many </strike>any kids that say "No way! I will not play in the sand and water."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each of them have their preference. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are some kids that will just scoop dirt but never really make their hands touch it, and there are some kids that can't stand having a drop of water on their clothes and will leave water play as soon as it gets sloppy. That's okay. It is an important option to have available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here's why.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It promotes cooperative play. Our sand and water tables each hold 4 children. That is what we allow in the centers at any given time. There are only so many accessories in those tables, and they have to learn to share them. Kindergarten Rules.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The amount of science and math they learn from sand and water play would amaze you! They learn to measure and pour. They learn the different consistency of the materials. How the sand is different from the water, how the water feels with bubbles in it vs. how it feels with no bubbles. Our kinders described it to me as "fuzzy with bubbles" and "soft with bubbles".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Right now our sand table looks like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our sand table started off with traditional sand toys. Buckets, shovels, rakes etc. This week my teaching partner switched it up to this. They are loving it! :) I observed a boy sticking his fingers in the sand to make little holes and when I said "What are you making?" he said "pot holes." so matter-of-factly. They have made roads, and hills, a mountain and even a tunnel! Their imaginations are going wild!!!!! So-in addition to the math/science and cooperation, they are using their creativity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Our water table did look like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gmakqONetxuNdoXb2xUVRvD6n-ikrI_5FNT_8BJ4csDfeLx0B6_1ttWXScJAD_A_VkcqIbVn-C39IVXENp19Sp65tV6EQEWd-4H6hlS0nQdiZobHv9XsPN3oZ8yalYA_wIM4Ob1IPY3b/s1600/IMG_3894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gmakqONetxuNdoXb2xUVRvD6n-ikrI_5FNT_8BJ4csDfeLx0B6_1ttWXScJAD_A_VkcqIbVn-C39IVXENp19Sp65tV6EQEWd-4H6hlS0nQdiZobHv9XsPN3oZ8yalYA_wIM4Ob1IPY3b/s320/IMG_3894.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Traditional water play toys. It started off with no bubbles, and then we added bubbles, and now those toys are put away. We now have a set of foam alphabet shapes. They float and they stick to the sides of the water table. Both things that our kinders discovered their first day using the materials. I also witnessed a child making an alphabet sandwich today! He had about 10 letters all stacked, pretending to eat it, and he called it an alphabet sandwich! <-----again. Creative? I think so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Is it messy? Yes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Is it worth it? Absolutely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">See the pretty little water table up there^? Well-it may look absolutely state of the art-but don't be fooled. It's by far the most useless piece of equipment if we are measuring its convenience. It is so hard to empty. It has a totally inefficient tap to drain it. BUT-----again. It's worth it. They love it. They use it. They learn from it. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-11111910799356597722012-09-18T22:25:00.001-04:002012-09-18T22:25:37.612-04:00The Very Hungry Caterpillar! <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you read about what we are doing in our discovery center these days? If not-you can <a href="http://www.playissmart.blogspot.ca/2012/09/discovery-center-excitement.html" target="_blank">catch up here</a> ! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We wanted to extend this a bit-and see where our kinders minds take us next. So we decided to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Most people know about this book-if you have been living in the dark-STEP INTO THE LIGHT! It's super. While teaching about the life cycle of a butterfly, it also carries a bunch of other teachable topics. There is opportunity to learn counting and the days of the week, there is potential to discuss nutrition, whats healthy vs. whats unhealthy and the effects it will have on our bodies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It also opens the window of opportunity to discuss self esteem with the children. That is why it is one of my favourite stories to read to my own children. I love conversing with them about transforming from a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, about how everyone has the opportunity-even people who start out as "unremarkable caterpillars", to realize their full potential and become amazing, beautiful, complex beings, just like the butterfly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well I read it to the kinders based only on the fact that we have our own caterpillars transforming in our classroom currently. I was hoping they would make the connection to our discovery center-and they did!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They also noted-that our caterpillars looked differently then the very hungry caterpillar. Ours are yellow and black striped, Eric Carle's is green with a red head! Only 2 weeks into the school year and their observational skills are blossoming!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">To extend this a little-we provided the class with materials at our production center (arts and crafts), to make their very own hungry caterpillar. They had brown paper bags, scissors, a picture of a caterpillar, grocery flyers, and glue. This is what they made:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE62DP_FIYXd4PW_a5q9rpyTOThPOEXdTBtZKCMP4IHyj-cScHYu6Ac65sWqVU9a3Wmix_LP7efIUxgwHvFqXpYOPNFamt__qSYeox1V7wTJeEGPrkao1RE3Nj79XmJ3IYcjEwwR0pU-aD/s1600/IMG_3905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE62DP_FIYXd4PW_a5q9rpyTOThPOEXdTBtZKCMP4IHyj-cScHYu6Ac65sWqVU9a3Wmix_LP7efIUxgwHvFqXpYOPNFamt__qSYeox1V7wTJeEGPrkao1RE3Nj79XmJ3IYcjEwwR0pU-aD/s320/IMG_3905.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A little grocery shopping bag for the caterpillar with whatever the children thought he would like it eat!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Also, all the caterpillar and butterfly talk seeped out into the other centres. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We had noticed that many of our children need help with their cutting skills. They were wanting to use scissors and we know how great that is for them to practice, but we were using SOOOOO much paper. So we opened up playdough, and only put out scissors to go with it. They would cut that playdough until the cows come home.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKU_sGHFd8gkY9uWiv4wpOJPvP-sBamJKMLRh8KhnvgtYaz7HVPBGv-alvYdskBQeZrE7UI_rRJvwrYjNZe0HghIsMWPuMTdsKBvYvwedyP048hpb2kdLhhALBITu6j5cAAYspda2YCu5/s1600/IMG_3897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKU_sGHFd8gkY9uWiv4wpOJPvP-sBamJKMLRh8KhnvgtYaz7HVPBGv-alvYdskBQeZrE7UI_rRJvwrYjNZe0HghIsMWPuMTdsKBvYvwedyP048hpb2kdLhhALBITu6j5cAAYspda2YCu5/s320/IMG_3897.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I overheard 2 children sitting, and cutting playdough, building a caterpillar.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEPiIHIC_LD5QER8A80U0ZmOsHzue6ZIal2eSqtQqzeaVclWYFE5DpBTNf9nvL5BWw5ia7iN71uKiIBcDzdM6IBsLh6vWXNZN2blrzZ_WF5AK5j522u3RTNIlSZ6jTA0KGn1ABFY4VmLC/s1600/IMG_3886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEPiIHIC_LD5QER8A80U0ZmOsHzue6ZIal2eSqtQqzeaVclWYFE5DpBTNf9nvL5BWw5ia7iN71uKiIBcDzdM6IBsLh6vWXNZN2blrzZ_WF5AK5j522u3RTNIlSZ6jTA0KGn1ABFY4VmLC/s320/IMG_3886.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some spectacular sounding out of the word Caterpillar by one of our kiddos! Along with an awesome drawing of the very hungry caterpillar! :) We are making huge steps towards success already! They are learning through playing with the chalk!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And finally-two of the journals. We don't as a rule make the children do journals, but we leave them open on our Graphic Communication table (writing center) and allow them to come and go as they please. Most of them do it without being asked-sometimes we put the bug in their ear to inspire them! We have science journals and writing journals. These masterpieces are part of our science journals!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The top one a cocoon, and the bottom one, of course a beautiful Monarch! :) I am loving the interpretations of whats happening in our room!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We are Krazy for Katerpillars in Kindergarten. (hmmmm...sounds like a bulletin board.)</span><br />
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<span id="goog_1233382254"></span><span id="goog_1233382255"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-2171336991845515732012-09-14T19:17:00.001-04:002012-09-14T19:17:39.776-04:00This is my family....<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's FRIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDAAAAAYYYYY! I'm happy-are you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Super week in our room! :) Our routines are getting faster-the kids are starting to know what is expected of them during transitions and are doing it with less reminders. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Our classroom is coming together one piece of furniture at a time. Today our tables and chairs came into our room! We have matching tables and chairs-that are the right size for our little guys! :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Our kids even got some computer time today in the library-something they all look forward to! Each time I tell them our library teacher is coming I am bombarded with "Is it com-pooters?????"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We did a lot of great things this week. We have begun observation recording. We painted today for the first time! We made our first big book as a class together, that will hopefully be laminated next week and added to our hands on thinking books next week. We practiced our routines, and our ability to play cooperatively in all of our centers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also worked on these:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In our writing folders we encouraged the children to introduce us to their families. Some children did. Some children didn't. That's okay. It gave us a chance to see what stage the children were at in their drawings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They also did self portraits. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJH4lG18Xs8C4m-gEuIUH_NqPHtuMRUIs1hasmHYO1rogtJZBvXFcpZZE3O37uc-XM_amf434VVQo1YVQclx10CaNEmXzFCPMycyPJfbtsb3Kh2U3aSOXTxmja_vSHt5OUwujYnDHEP_9t/s1600/IMG_3727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJH4lG18Xs8C4m-gEuIUH_NqPHtuMRUIs1hasmHYO1rogtJZBvXFcpZZE3O37uc-XM_amf434VVQo1YVQclx10CaNEmXzFCPMycyPJfbtsb3Kh2U3aSOXTxmja_vSHt5OUwujYnDHEP_9t/s320/IMG_3727.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl0JTJC4l4zpVhbAohNQ4GZ2YZwT7z_KR27i1891UZuf89AqFTcQlS5IumVgiOJ19C_oh57z4y_Uru_dceOqOGjftcGMKtQcsoLEmN2LYVZpakgpJnemIlI1I9EXhtuIaH9tjrJkyb_jr/s1600/IMG_3728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl0JTJC4l4zpVhbAohNQ4GZ2YZwT7z_KR27i1891UZuf89AqFTcQlS5IumVgiOJ19C_oh57z4y_Uru_dceOqOGjftcGMKtQcsoLEmN2LYVZpakgpJnemIlI1I9EXhtuIaH9tjrJkyb_jr/s320/IMG_3728.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two examples of self portraits being worked on by JK students. We were impressed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also were able to start working on concepts of print in our morning message this week. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Productive week. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Job well done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now I am off for the weekend. So ill see you Monday! :)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530100726503935643.post-43467457885237625502012-09-13T08:30:00.000-04:002012-09-13T08:30:00.518-04:00Butterfly Extentions....<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alright so the other day I was here telling you all about our <a href="http://www.playissmart.blogspot.ca/2012/09/discovery-center-excitement.html" target="_blank">Discovery Center!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We still have caterpillars but all of our beautiful monarchs have been released into the great wide open. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yesterday fantastic things happened in our world! The kids are really getting into this whole bug thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It started when one little girl found a classroom critter. We caught it very gently, in a bug container and put it on display in the discovery center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Soon enough-kids were gravitating towards it. We had ourselves a cricket!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT-2NwHLdDlWM7uzJbdHhpGMu0lM6YvCF81PQSDSjUFAGF3KfVYu0xCZLxfHRhVqbyySOfyXfVnbFPJnN5m6V1A-YYGj9m_ulIb_snLMkMPUVXQXCKCWo54p0QSWCZ-jqBSoVeOFkPZlJ/s1600/IMG_3737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT-2NwHLdDlWM7uzJbdHhpGMu0lM6YvCF81PQSDSjUFAGF3KfVYu0xCZLxfHRhVqbyySOfyXfVnbFPJnN5m6V1A-YYGj9m_ulIb_snLMkMPUVXQXCKCWo54p0QSWCZ-jqBSoVeOFkPZlJ/s320/IMG_3737.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This child sat in a chair staring at the cricket for about 5 minutes before she picked up this blue "diamond" we had sitting near discovery in our hands on thinking center (math). The kids have been sorting the diamonds, and rocks and other materials. But she grabbed the diamond and was pointing it at the cricket. When I asked her what she was doing she said "seeing if he can see the blue one."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">She then picked up a red diamond and pointed both diamonds at the cricket and exclaimed "Look! Now he's a shiny purple one!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Cue the epic background music. She sat down at a center. Without being persuaded to do so, and made her own observations! The discovery center is right by a window so the light reflecting off the two diamonds and back onto the crickets home-made the cricket look kind of purple! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This cricket led to fantastic conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">After recess the cricket was placed on the production (art) table, and supplies were left at the table. Children sat down, and drew the cricket! Some of them drew a cricket and a dog. Some of them drew their dad. But still-some of them drew a cricket!!! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9obBQB25rtMgethAIZGrAY2A6rIBTKQ0ME0ThecqmMuPSAb23Lk9jBG2mSXY0K8tgrysl0mjg0pnL87tg3e9N-6MgU61roeZgrQr1BQ8slby5WHTTCCGYXduFVjn5SzVP9CR_Vq1j6YDl/s1600/IMG_3741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9obBQB25rtMgethAIZGrAY2A6rIBTKQ0ME0ThecqmMuPSAb23Lk9jBG2mSXY0K8tgrysl0mjg0pnL87tg3e9N-6MgU61roeZgrQr1BQ8slby5WHTTCCGYXduFVjn5SzVP9CR_Vq1j6YDl/s320/IMG_3741.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQtlbKRQpohOp9z9mYwdaW9moF8JEy2FdvjkHwicYDFtZhQxivuWk0p32g5oC8gfPH87YFGFoMk0Jpculb0Na7W9QHRREXO8872RTPUpKoyC322Fi-Hqv3ZZgDvEsCcBpq5GibE5VGUNC/s1600/IMG_3748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQtlbKRQpohOp9z9mYwdaW9moF8JEy2FdvjkHwicYDFtZhQxivuWk0p32g5oC8gfPH87YFGFoMk0Jpculb0Na7W9QHRREXO8872RTPUpKoyC322Fi-Hqv3ZZgDvEsCcBpq5GibE5VGUNC/s320/IMG_3748.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Above is the process, and then the product. Have I told you yet that I love my job?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While sitting with the small groups that came and went to the production center, they asked many questions. I started this conversation by saying "I wonder if the cricket likes it in there?" This was followed by amazing inquiry. Such as, but not limited to:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"I wonder if he drinks coffee?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"I wonder if he eats animal food?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"I wonder if he walks?" and then was followed by a shrieking "He does walk!!!!!" when he moved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"I wonder how he gets away from predators?" (Yes, I'm serious. First week of school and some of our kinders are using the word predators!!) :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"I wonder if he is sad?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"I wonder if he likes cookies?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And my favourite statement: "He's cricketing!!!!!!!!" upon hearing him make his cricket noises! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The kids are seriously interested in discovery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also had a guest speaker today. Our vice principal brought in part of his butterfly collection to show our class.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JaWeQEwhmuBWclHScRRQyxMReRqCaeqyGtkvU84rVUKJwldnqb5k0FYOR2d4Qb5rbZ9ObPWdQth6TOtbNaxzsxJUQg2eqcoXkbfedicHv9cKFmuTIJ6W9QMyE0tIppvLv4NM4leWyLIC/s1600/IMG_3734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JaWeQEwhmuBWclHScRRQyxMReRqCaeqyGtkvU84rVUKJwldnqb5k0FYOR2d4Qb5rbZ9ObPWdQth6TOtbNaxzsxJUQg2eqcoXkbfedicHv9cKFmuTIJ6W9QMyE0tIppvLv4NM4leWyLIC/s320/IMG_3734.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKOl1wucGDkFSs4sXRg4Q11hNMgTNCDC5mShc9-MdMIJAXJacH-PzCZ24Ui3Ap355p6WBqbA8vWw4fKnBzJuIvSEZGAfRiKYK4qu20Wzq_8cb-LhKfkX0d2uSTkv9rNreFMwDHX3HQSXu/s1600/IMG_3735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKOl1wucGDkFSs4sXRg4Q11hNMgTNCDC5mShc9-MdMIJAXJacH-PzCZ24Ui3Ap355p6WBqbA8vWw4fKnBzJuIvSEZGAfRiKYK4qu20Wzq_8cb-LhKfkX0d2uSTkv9rNreFMwDHX3HQSXu/s320/IMG_3735.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beautiful. The kids learned some new vocabulary from our speaker. He taught them the words camouflage and metamorphosis, as they pertain to butterflies! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102175256450753839noreply@blogger.com0