Notes from Mrs. Young
Dear Parents,
We started off January celebrating the New Year by making liquid watercolor, fireworks paintings. We learned about opposites by reading Mary Serfozo’s book, What’s What and There’s a Mouse in the House, by Richard Fowler. At circle time we listed opposites, acted out opposites and played an opposite game.
At the science table the children explored with magnets and together we made a prediction chart and tested classroom objects to see if they were magnetic or not. We also pretended to be magnet detectives and moved around the classroom with magnet wands to find other magnetic objects.
Winter, and seasonal weather are other topics we have been learning about. We have been discussing how winter weather affects humans. We discussed that people wear more clothing, spend less time outdoors and eat warm foods. Some of he books we have read are When Winter Comes, The Jacket I Wear in the Snow, By Shirley Neitzel, and The Hat and The Mitten by Jan Brett. At the art table we practiced cutting and counting by making winter hats with geometric shapes. We also made mitten prints using poster paint. The children practiced letter identification by playing a magnetic snowflake letter game. During music we danced with silk scarves, pretending snow was falling and swirling in the air.
At circle time I showed the children a large paper thermometer to demonstrate temperature. We learned that when the red part of the thermometer is low the temperature is cold (winter weather) and when it’s higher up on the thermometer it is hot (summer weather). I also told them 32 degrees is the point where water will freeze and snow will fall instead of rain. To illustrate this concept we made solid snowmen (below 32 degrees) and melted ones (above 32 degrees). We counted and sang a subtraction song about 5 fat snow men who melt one by one when the sun comes out.
Other winter concepts we discussed were hibernation and migration. Some bears, ground hogs, turtles, snakes and ladybugs hibernate during the cold winter months. Other animals such as monarch butterflies and some birds migrate to warmer climates for food and comfort. Some of the books we have read on these topics are Animals in the Winter, by Henrietta Bancroft and Little Brown Bear Takes a Nap, by Jane Dyer.
To celebrate the year of the Dragon some of us made red lanterns and gold and red string paintings. We read Sam and the Lucky Money by, Karen Chinn and Bringing in the New Year by, Grace Lin.
We have had a busy start to 2012 and we look forward to more learning and fun.
Diane Young
We started off January celebrating the New Year by making liquid watercolor, fireworks paintings. We learned about opposites by reading Mary Serfozo’s book, What’s What and There’s a Mouse in the House, by Richard Fowler. At circle time we listed opposites, acted out opposites and played an opposite game.
At the science table the children explored with magnets and together we made a prediction chart and tested classroom objects to see if they were magnetic or not. We also pretended to be magnet detectives and moved around the classroom with magnet wands to find other magnetic objects.
Winter, and seasonal weather are other topics we have been learning about. We have been discussing how winter weather affects humans. We discussed that people wear more clothing, spend less time outdoors and eat warm foods. Some of he books we have read are When Winter Comes, The Jacket I Wear in the Snow, By Shirley Neitzel, and The Hat and The Mitten by Jan Brett. At the art table we practiced cutting and counting by making winter hats with geometric shapes. We also made mitten prints using poster paint. The children practiced letter identification by playing a magnetic snowflake letter game. During music we danced with silk scarves, pretending snow was falling and swirling in the air.
At circle time I showed the children a large paper thermometer to demonstrate temperature. We learned that when the red part of the thermometer is low the temperature is cold (winter weather) and when it’s higher up on the thermometer it is hot (summer weather). I also told them 32 degrees is the point where water will freeze and snow will fall instead of rain. To illustrate this concept we made solid snowmen (below 32 degrees) and melted ones (above 32 degrees). We counted and sang a subtraction song about 5 fat snow men who melt one by one when the sun comes out.
Other winter concepts we discussed were hibernation and migration. Some bears, ground hogs, turtles, snakes and ladybugs hibernate during the cold winter months. Other animals such as monarch butterflies and some birds migrate to warmer climates for food and comfort. Some of the books we have read on these topics are Animals in the Winter, by Henrietta Bancroft and Little Brown Bear Takes a Nap, by Jane Dyer.
To celebrate the year of the Dragon some of us made red lanterns and gold and red string paintings. We read Sam and the Lucky Money by, Karen Chinn and Bringing in the New Year by, Grace Lin.
We have had a busy start to 2012 and we look forward to more learning and fun.
Diane Young
