Kindergarten Nurturing
Quarter 3, Week of February 11th
Kindergarteners started a new unit this week, all about adaptations! We read the book The Flying Contest to get students thinking about birds and their strengths. Students built background knowledge about what characteristics make a bird and how birds can use their strengths to survive. We also thought about our own strengths, making connections to our reading. Next week, we will work on building our compare and contrast skills as we look more closely at what makes a bird special.
Kindergarteners started a new unit this week, all about adaptations! We read the book The Flying Contest to get students thinking about birds and their strengths. Students built background knowledge about what characteristics make a bird and how birds can use their strengths to survive. We also thought about our own strengths, making connections to our reading. Next week, we will work on building our compare and contrast skills as we look more closely at what makes a bird special.
Quarter 3, Week of February 4th
Kindergarteners continued their study of lines this week. We categorized a variety of lines and looked at attributes such as length, curved, straight, horizontal and vertical. We saw that we could categorize the same group of lines in many different ways. Students worked this week on describing details in a complete and increasingly elaborate sentence as they thought about ways to describe lines and where they might see lines in real life. We also created stories to go with our "squiggle line" creations that were made last week and presented our different stories to the class.
Kindergarteners continued their study of lines this week. We categorized a variety of lines and looked at attributes such as length, curved, straight, horizontal and vertical. We saw that we could categorize the same group of lines in many different ways. Students worked this week on describing details in a complete and increasingly elaborate sentence as they thought about ways to describe lines and where they might see lines in real life. We also created stories to go with our "squiggle line" creations that were made last week and presented our different stories to the class.
Quarter 3, Week of January 28th
Kindergarteners applied their knowledge of attributes to lines this week. Students worked to answer the question: "what makes lines special?" We discussed attributes of lines and discussed what we think about as we identify lines. We also thought about the many different places we see lines in the world around us. Students finished by making a "squiggly line" creation; each student was given a different line and was challenged to create something totally new out of that line.
Kindergarteners applied their knowledge of attributes to lines this week. Students worked to answer the question: "what makes lines special?" We discussed attributes of lines and discussed what we think about as we identify lines. We also thought about the many different places we see lines in the world around us. Students finished by making a "squiggly line" creation; each student was given a different line and was challenged to create something totally new out of that line.
Quarter 3, Week of January 21st
This week, Kindergarteners learned the vocabulary word attribute. We looked at sets of pictures to practice making observations and learned that attributes could be things such as color, shape, or size. Students then read the story Harold and the Purple Crayon, where the main character uses the attribute purple to create details from his imagination. Like Harold, students took turns to think about the color red and what that attribute means to them. They thought about what red could represent and created their own red crayon drawings.
This week, Kindergarteners learned the vocabulary word attribute. We looked at sets of pictures to practice making observations and learned that attributes could be things such as color, shape, or size. Students then read the story Harold and the Purple Crayon, where the main character uses the attribute purple to create details from his imagination. Like Harold, students took turns to think about the color red and what that attribute means to them. They thought about what red could represent and created their own red crayon drawings.
Week of December 3rd
Kindergarten students learned how to make a glyph this week. Students had to follow a series of oral directions to color a gingerbread man according to their likes and dislikes. We then sorted and categorized ourselves as a class, according to certain characteristics on our gingerbread man creations!
Kindergarten students learned how to make a glyph this week. Students had to follow a series of oral directions to color a gingerbread man according to their likes and dislikes. We then sorted and categorized ourselves as a class, according to certain characteristics on our gingerbread man creations!
Weeks of November 19th and 26th
Kindergarten students have been applying categorizing to literature. After reading the picture book Fortunately by Remi Charlip, students looked at cause and effect and categorized events into the categories of Fortunately and Unfortunately. Students then worked with a partner to write and create their own Fortunately, Unfortunately pages, creating a class book!
Kindergarten students have been applying categorizing to literature. After reading the picture book Fortunately by Remi Charlip, students looked at cause and effect and categorized events into the categories of Fortunately and Unfortunately. Students then worked with a partner to write and create their own Fortunately, Unfortunately pages, creating a class book!
Week of November 12th
Students met Sybil the Scientist this week, who is a scientific thinker! Sybil likes to observe and record data. She also loves to categorize anything and everything she can. This week, Sybil presented Kindergarten students with several "does not belong" puzzles. These puzzles had four different objects, and students had to choose one that did not belong. We found that there was no one right answer when we started solving the puzzles; each object had a reason why it might not belong with the set, which helped us practice justifying our thinking and reasoning as we considered characteristics of each object.
Sybil also shared her science lab with our students, but as it turns out it was a huge mess! First, she had a bunch of mysterious creatures that were just running loose! Luckily our Kindergarten students were able to classify them into four containers based on their different attributes. We then saw the rest of Sybil's lab, and she had random science objects sitting all over! Our students once again came to Sybil's rescue and helped categorize the things in her laboratory. Through these activities, we learned that categorizing requires flexible thinking; there are lots of different ways we can categorize a set of objects.
Students met Sybil the Scientist this week, who is a scientific thinker! Sybil likes to observe and record data. She also loves to categorize anything and everything she can. This week, Sybil presented Kindergarten students with several "does not belong" puzzles. These puzzles had four different objects, and students had to choose one that did not belong. We found that there was no one right answer when we started solving the puzzles; each object had a reason why it might not belong with the set, which helped us practice justifying our thinking and reasoning as we considered characteristics of each object.
Sybil also shared her science lab with our students, but as it turns out it was a huge mess! First, she had a bunch of mysterious creatures that were just running loose! Luckily our Kindergarten students were able to classify them into four containers based on their different attributes. We then saw the rest of Sybil's lab, and she had random science objects sitting all over! Our students once again came to Sybil's rescue and helped categorize the things in her laboratory. Through these activities, we learned that categorizing requires flexible thinking; there are lots of different ways we can categorize a set of objects.
Week of November 5th
This week, Kindergarteners learned more about categorizing through dances such as the Elmo Slide and the Zig Zag Dance! After dancing, we worked together to sort motions from the dance into only four groups. We practiced justifying our thinking and discussed similarities and differences observed in the movements. Then, we challenged ourselves to sort the same set of movements in four completely different categories. Through this activity, we formed generalizations and new ideas about what it means to categorize and why categorizing might be important.
This week, Kindergarteners learned more about categorizing through dances such as the Elmo Slide and the Zig Zag Dance! After dancing, we worked together to sort motions from the dance into only four groups. We practiced justifying our thinking and discussed similarities and differences observed in the movements. Then, we challenged ourselves to sort the same set of movements in four completely different categories. Through this activity, we formed generalizations and new ideas about what it means to categorize and why categorizing might be important.
Week of October 29th
Kindergarteners got to be authors this week! We talked about what authors do, think about, and create. We then read the beginning and middle of a Halloween tale, but did not read the ending! Students had to create their own ending based on the clues in the story. It was fun to compare and contrast our ideas after reading the ending of the original story. We learned that authors ideas can effect the course of the story, and there is no one answer to the way a story can end!
Kindergarteners got to be authors this week! We talked about what authors do, think about, and create. We then read the beginning and middle of a Halloween tale, but did not read the ending! Students had to create their own ending based on the clues in the story. It was fun to compare and contrast our ideas after reading the ending of the original story. We learned that authors ideas can effect the course of the story, and there is no one answer to the way a story can end!
Kindergarten students have continued to learn about detective thinking and deductive reasoning. This week, we worked to follow clues and come to one right answer in logic puzzles! Students were very excited when Dudley told them he was having a birthday party, and they analyzed clues and details in his party scene. Dudley then brought out a group of presents for the party, but we soon realized that he forgot to put the names on all the gift tags! Students had to reason through Dudley's clues to help label the presents and make the party a success.
Kindergarten students are being introduced to Dudley the Detective! Dudley likes to use deductive thinking, following clues to find one correct answer. Students were introduced to Dudley through a story that told about Dudley's missing detective badge. Using evidence from the text, students were able to deduce who took Dudley's detective badge and solve the story's mystery! Students then analyzed riddles to draw some of Dudley's favorite "mystery" animals.
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Here's some of the riddles we worked to solve (and our answers are below!)
Mystery Creature #1: My favorite afternoons are spent sunning on a log by the pond. When Rascal Raccoon does by, I ignore him by pulling my head, tail, and four feet into "my house."
Mystery Creature #2: Some say I am very wise. Maybe that's because when I'm not flying I can turn my head almost all the way around. I don't miss much. I'm also forever asking one question.
Mystery Creature #3: My love for honey sometimes gets me into a whole lot of trouble! When I stick my paw into the beehive, I usually get stung on my black nose. My brown fur helps to protect me everywhere else.
Mystery Creature #4: I'm afraid I was spotted last night sneaking through the woods. I'm sure my pointy ears and long red bushy tail were noticed. I know some people do not feel safe when I'm around. No need to worry; even though my legs are short, I can travel very quickly, and I'll be gone by dawn!
Mystery Creature #1: My favorite afternoons are spent sunning on a log by the pond. When Rascal Raccoon does by, I ignore him by pulling my head, tail, and four feet into "my house."
Mystery Creature #2: Some say I am very wise. Maybe that's because when I'm not flying I can turn my head almost all the way around. I don't miss much. I'm also forever asking one question.
Mystery Creature #3: My love for honey sometimes gets me into a whole lot of trouble! When I stick my paw into the beehive, I usually get stung on my black nose. My brown fur helps to protect me everywhere else.
Mystery Creature #4: I'm afraid I was spotted last night sneaking through the woods. I'm sure my pointy ears and long red bushy tail were noticed. I know some people do not feel safe when I'm around. No need to worry; even though my legs are short, I can travel very quickly, and I'll be gone by dawn!