Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Our Thanksgiving Feast!
Do you know why we celebrate Thanksgiving?
There were some cute responses to this: "Yes! It's because we eat chicken and share chicken!"
"The pilgrims got washed away to the Indian Island!" Ethan informed us.
Toys: Potato Heads, Color Puzzles, and Foam Blocks.
We had fun singing songs today:
Janeen Brady's, "The Pilgrims and the Indians"
It's Autumn-Time
and the storybook/song, "I'm a Turkey" by Jim Arnosky.
William--"I'm thankful for my Star Wars guys!"
Brody--Thankful for Nursery Rhymes
Eva--Turkey shirt!
Kayson--"I brought a Cat's Thanksgiving; I like the cats chasing the mice and making pies (parts in the book)."
Ethan--"I brought a turkey because the Indians brought wild turkeys."
Dade--10 Fat Turkeys
I put rolls in a basket,
crisp and warm,
stirred the gravy,
buttered the corn.
I watched the turkey cook golden brown.
I mashed the potatoes while Mom sat down.
In fact,
I was such a big help today that before we bowed our heads to pray,
Mom whispered, "I'm thankful for you."
We reviewed the First Thanksgiving. You can find and print out pilgrim and Indian pictures here (click on the purple link) or here: http://printables.scholastic.com/printables/detail/?id=28485
Indian Corn helped save the Pilgrims after their first crops did not grow. Samoset, Chief of the Massasoit Indians, and Squanto, an Indian who had traveled to England and spoke English well, taught the Pilgrims many things and helped them survive after the first harsh winter*. (Some credit him and the Indians for saving the Pilgrims and being sent by Heaven). Squanto taught them how to tap the maple trees for sap, differentiate plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers, and how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and fish in each mound. The decaying fish fertilized the corn. He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn.
*Over half of the 102 Pilgrims died the first Winter in America. There were four women alive in the spring and most of the fifty people remaining were the children.
Eva offered a prayer and we ate up our feast!
During our feasting we passed around a glitter turkey and played the Grateful Game counting all the things we were thankful for.
Ethan said during the feast, "This is the BEST feast!"
Today was a special preschool because we worked together to prepare for our feast and remember
the First Thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and the Indians (Native Americans--especially Chief Massasoit, Squanto, and Samoset ).
We missed Eleanor, Seth, and Theo and hope to see them on Tuesday!
Thanksgiving Books:
The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt, Ill. by Cyd Moore (Scholastic)
The Story of the Pilgrims by Katherine Ross, Ill. by Carolyn Croll
Arthur's Thanksgiving by Marc Brown
It's Thanksgiving by Jack Prelutsky, Ill. by Marilyn Hafner
Thanksgiving With Me by Margaret Willey, Ill. by Lloyd Bloom
The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing, Ill. by Tammie Lyon
The First Thanksgiving Feast by Joan Anderson, Phots by George Anacona
The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George, Ill. by Thomas Locker
Thanksgiving Day by Anne Rockwell, Ill. by Lizzy Rockwell
Sarah Morton's Day; A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl by Kate Waters, photos by Russ Kendall
The Pilgrims of Plymouth by Marica Sewall
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky Ill. by Susan Jeffers
I Am The Turkey (I Can Read! 2) by Michelle Sobel Sprin, Ill. by Joy Allen
I'm a Turkey! by Jim Arnosky
10 Fat Turkey's by Tony Johnston, Ill. by Rich Deas
All the Places to Love by Patricia Maclachlan, Paintings by Mike Wimmer
Thank you, Grandpa by Lynn Ploude, Ill. by Jason Cockcroft
Grandad's Prayers of the Earth by Douglas Wood, Ill. by P.J. Lynch
Online fun--Thanksgiving Websites:
There were some cute responses to this: "Yes! It's because we eat chicken and share chicken!"
"The pilgrims got washed away to the Indian Island!" Ethan informed us.
Toys: Potato Heads, Color Puzzles, and Foam Blocks.
Ethan has his "pirate face" on!
Cute turkey bum!
Snack: ( In the place of our snack, each student brought a part of our feast! Thank you Moms for your support.) "We all brought things for our class feast--that makes us friends!"We had fun singing songs today:
Janeen Brady's, "The Pilgrims and the Indians"
It's Autumn-Time
and the storybook/song, "I'm a Turkey" by Jim Arnosky.
Show N' Teach:
William--"I'm thankful for my Star Wars guys!"
Brody--Thankful for Nursery Rhymes
Eva--Turkey shirt!
Kayson--"I brought a Cat's Thanksgiving; I like the cats chasing the mice and making pies (parts in the book)."
Ethan--"I brought a turkey because the Indians brought wild turkeys."
Dade--10 Fat Turkeys
On Thanksgiving Day
By Rochelle Nielsen-Barsuhn
By Rochelle Nielsen-Barsuhn
I put rolls in a basket,
crisp and warm,
stirred the gravy,
buttered the corn.
I watched the turkey cook golden brown.
I mashed the potatoes while Mom sat down.
In fact,
I was such a big help today that before we bowed our heads to pray,
Mom whispered, "I'm thankful for you."
Indian Corn helped save the Pilgrims after their first crops did not grow. Samoset, Chief of the Massasoit Indians, and Squanto, an Indian who had traveled to England and spoke English well, taught the Pilgrims many things and helped them survive after the first harsh winter*. (Some credit him and the Indians for saving the Pilgrims and being sent by Heaven). Squanto taught them how to tap the maple trees for sap, differentiate plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers, and how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and fish in each mound. The decaying fish fertilized the corn. He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn.
*Over half of the 102 Pilgrims died the first Winter in America. There were four women alive in the spring and most of the fifty people remaining were the children.
Our Feast: Popcorn, Corn-meal Muffins, Yams,
Turkey, Craisins, Fruit Salad, and Pumpkin Pie with cream.
Turkey, Craisins, Fruit Salad, and Pumpkin Pie with cream.
Eva offered a prayer and we ate up our feast!
During our feasting we passed around a glitter turkey and played the Grateful Game counting all the things we were thankful for.
Ethan said during the feast, "This is the BEST feast!"
Today was a special preschool because we worked together to prepare for our feast and remember
the First Thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and the Indians (Native Americans--especially Chief Massasoit, Squanto, and Samoset ).
We missed Eleanor, Seth, and Theo and hope to see them on Tuesday!
Thanksgiving Books:
The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt, Ill. by Cyd Moore (Scholastic)
The Story of the Pilgrims by Katherine Ross, Ill. by Carolyn Croll
Arthur's Thanksgiving by Marc Brown
It's Thanksgiving by Jack Prelutsky, Ill. by Marilyn Hafner
Thanksgiving With Me by Margaret Willey, Ill. by Lloyd Bloom
The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing, Ill. by Tammie Lyon
The First Thanksgiving Feast by Joan Anderson, Phots by George Anacona
The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George, Ill. by Thomas Locker
Thanksgiving Day by Anne Rockwell, Ill. by Lizzy Rockwell
Sarah Morton's Day; A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl by Kate Waters, photos by Russ Kendall
The Pilgrims of Plymouth by Marica Sewall
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky Ill. by Susan Jeffers
I Am The Turkey (I Can Read! 2) by Michelle Sobel Sprin, Ill. by Joy Allen
I'm a Turkey! by Jim Arnosky
10 Fat Turkey's by Tony Johnston, Ill. by Rich Deas
All the Places to Love by Patricia Maclachlan, Paintings by Mike Wimmer
Thank you, Grandpa by Lynn Ploude, Ill. by Jason Cockcroft
Grandad's Prayers of the Earth by Douglas Wood, Ill. by P.J. Lynch
Online fun--Thanksgiving Websites:
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Horses and Farm Animals
This morning we went back to signing in our names. See how far we have come?
Toys: Buckin Broncos, (new) Farm Floor Puzzle, felt Barn Activity book, Play House, (new) large ABC puzzle mats.
Giant Puzzlers!
Guess what letter Seth found?
It's a good morning in our Play House.
We all cleaned up together.
Snacks: Pretzels and Animal Cookies
Letter H Show N' Teach:
Ethan and Kayson: Fire Helicopter and a Police Helicopter
I Spy "H" Game:
hog, hero, horse, hospital, hornet, huffs, hay.
Letter H Activity:
We learned that H the horse is stung by a hornet and has to hurry to the hospital. "H h h" in the sound his hooves make (children move arms up and down with hands curved like horses hooves while making the Ha ha ha sound).
Children help H the Horse make it through a maze to get to the hospital.
Songs:
It's Autumntime!
Old Macdonald Had a Farm.
Books:
Two Cool Cows by Toby Speed (audio book/Play on Mother Goose Rhymes)
Old McDonald Had a Farm Ill. by Pam Adams (Child's Play-Jumbo Book).
Number Farm (Jumbo Book) by Stephen Holmes
What's Happening on the Farm? by Heather Amery & Stephen Cartwright
Once Upon a Farm by Marie Bradby, Ill. by Ted Rand
Rooster's Off to See the World by Eric Carle
No Milk! Jennifer A. Ericsson, Ill. by Ora Eitan
The Smallest Cow in the World (I Can Read, Lvl. 3)by Katherine Paterson & Jane Clark Brown
Animal Sounds (A Sturdy Golden Book), Ill. by Aurelius Battaglia
Robert The Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner and P.D. Eastman
The Three Pigs by David Weisner
Pigs in the House by Steven Kroll, Illl. by Tim Kirk
Emmett's Pig (An I Can Read Book) by Mary Stolz, Ill. by Garth Williams
A Huge Hog is a Big Pig; A Rhyming Word Game by Francis McCall & Patricia Keeler
My Goose Betsy by Trudi Braun, Ill. by John Bendall-Brunello
Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming
Down by The Pond by Margrit Cruickshank, Ill. by Dave Saunders
"Not Now!" Said the Cow by Joanne Oppenheim, Ill. by Chric Demares
Inside a Barn in the Country: A Rebus Read-Along Story by Alyssa Satin Capucilli & Ted Arnold
Spot's Noisy Walk by Eric Hill (Play-a-Sound)
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
It's Autumn Time!
Toys:Fisher Price Village, Cars and Car Rug.
Snacks: Animal Crackers, apple slices
Happy Un-Birthday to SETH! (10/30)
Activity: Colorful pumpkins and leaf gathering walk.
Autumn Leaf Hunt!
Leaf Art Activity: We took our leaves and made pictures with them!
Songs: Today we gathered leaves and then sang this action song--
It's Autumn Time (See Youtube link to song)
“It’s Autumntime,”
Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 246
Brightly
1. It’s autumntime. It’s autumntime.
The leaves are falling down.
It’s autumntime. It’s autumntime.
It’s all around the town.
The leaves are falling down.
It’s autumntime. It’s autumntime.
It’s all around the town.
2. It’s autumntime. It’s autumntime.
There’s yellow, red, and brown.
It’s autumntime. It’s autumntime.
Bright colors can be found.
Words: Rita Mae Olsen, b. 1932. © 1966 IRIThere’s yellow, red, and brown.
It’s autumntime. It’s autumntime.
Bright colors can be found.
Kayson's "Monsters."
It's autumn time, it's autumn time ... sway side to side above head
the leaves are falling down ... slowly lower leaf as if falling
It's autumn time, it's autumn time .... sway side to side above head
It's all around the town ... circle leaf above your head
It's autumn time .... sway side to side above head
yellow, red, brown ... raise leaf when color is said
It's autumn time .... sway side to side above head
colors can be found ... shake leaf above head
Five Little Pumpkins (review)
Five Little Pumpkins
(Tune: “Five Little Ducks”)
(Tune: “Five Little Ducks”)
Five little pumpkins sitting on the gate. (Hold up 5 fingers.)
The first one said, “Oh, my it’s getting late.” (Hold up thumb.)
The second one said, “There are witches in the air.” (Hold up index finger.)
The third one said, “But I don’t care.” (Hold up middle finger.)
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.” (Hold up ring finger.)
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun.” (Hold up pinky.)
Ooooo! Went the wind, and out went the light. (Blow through hands, then clap.)
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight! (Roll hands behind back.)
The first one said, “Oh, my it’s getting late.” (Hold up thumb.)
The second one said, “There are witches in the air.” (Hold up index finger.)
The third one said, “But I don’t care.” (Hold up middle finger.)
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.” (Hold up ring finger.)
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun.” (Hold up pinky.)
Ooooo! Went the wind, and out went the light. (Blow through hands, then clap.)
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight! (Roll hands behind back.)
Autumn Harvest Books:
I See a Leaf (Scholastic Reader, 1) by Grace Maccarone, Ill. by Laura Freeman
Sam the Scarecrow (A First Start Easy Reader) Troll
October Smiled Back by Lisa Westerberg Peters, Ill. by Ed Young (Months)
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams,Megan Lloyd*
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
What Happens in the Autumn; Books for Young Explorers, The National Geographic Society.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Pumpkins!
Pumpkins & Jack O' Lanterns
Daily Question: Do pumpkins float? (Miss Nikki and I were impressed that the students all said "Yes!")
Toys: Traffic Rug and Cars, Potato Heads, and Linkin Blocks.
Snack: Gold fish crackers and fruit leather, Ritz crackers and blueberry mini-muffins.
Exploring a pumpkin! How does it smell, feel, taste, sound, look?
Daily Question: Do pumpkins float? (Answer: yes, pumpkins of all sizes float in water because pumpkins are made up of 80% water.)
We enjoyed opening up a sugar pumpkin (smaller and sweeter than a "normal" pumpkin). Students saw inside, smelled, touched, and tasted, if they wanted to, the fresh pumpkin.
We noticed the
differences and tasted the canned pumpkin we used in our recipe.
We learned a new recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies that only uses three ingredients. Try it! This became our snack with milk. Yum!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box spice cake mix
15 oz. (1/2 a large can) Pumpkin
1 C. chocolate chips
Mix above ingredients together and drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-16 minutes.
Pumpkin Books
:
The Pumpkin Patch by Elizabeth King (Picture Puffins).
The Tiniest Pumpkin (A First Start Easy Reader) Troll
Pumpkin Time by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, Ill. by Christopher Santoro
This is the Pumpkin by Abby Levine, Ill. by Paige Billin-Frye
Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell *(Jack-O-Lanterns to plant to pumpkin, sharing, cycles).
The Stubborn Pumpkin (HelloReader! Lvl 3, Gr. 1 &2) by Laura Geringer and Holly Berry
Song Story: 5 Little Pumpkins
Mom and Dad--ask me to sing the song we've been practicing in preschool...
We learned a new recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies that only uses three ingredients. Try it! This became our snack with milk. Yum!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box spice cake mix
15 oz. (1/2 a large can) Pumpkin
1 C. chocolate chips
Mix above ingredients together and drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-16 minutes.
We took turns adding the ingredients and stirring our cookies!
We practiced dropping the cookie dough onto a greased sheet by tablespoons.
Cooking.
Done!
The Pumpkin Patch by Elizabeth King (Picture Puffins).
The Tiniest Pumpkin (A First Start Easy Reader) Troll
Pumpkin Time by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, Ill. by Christopher Santoro
This is the Pumpkin by Abby Levine, Ill. by Paige Billin-Frye
Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell *(Jack-O-Lanterns to plant to pumpkin, sharing, cycles).
The Stubborn Pumpkin (HelloReader! Lvl 3, Gr. 1 &2) by Laura Geringer and Holly Berry
Song Story: 5 Little Pumpkins
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Elephants at the Circus
Daily Question: Have you seen an elephant at the circus?
Toys: Dress ups, Circus Tents, ABC Wooden Puzzles, Colored
foam blocks.
I love how creative the children are. This morning Eleanor was "Lyndsay the Animal Tamer." She had two animals, "Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer" (Dade--camera shy) and the "Sleep Tight, Sleep Bite" Bear (Theo).
Brody, Ethan, and Kayson saw a picture of E the Elephant lifting weights and made barbells out of foam blocks!
We also had several princesses, fairies, and tight rope walkers.
Snacks: Buttered bread, fruit leather, vanilla pudding ghosts, mandarin orange Jack O'Lanterns and Circus Animal Cookies.
Elephant Activity: During snack time we reviewed A-D with the songs/stories
and actions. Then introduce letter E. E the Elephant
exercises in the evening lifting 80 pound weights and says "e e e"
(eh, eh, eh). E also says it's own name (long e sound).
Recess: We are loving this sunny Fall weather! (Sorry no pictures). The children drew lines on the sidewalk and practiced tight rope walking. Eleanor was our trapeze artist! The students enjoyed flying on the teeter totter to a circus or Egypt or to a Saharan plain to see an elephant. Kayson was the Police-man Trainer and called out commands to his fellow circus members on the teeter totter, "Okay--now be animals!"
Circle Time (after recess): Ee Show N’ Teach:
Before class a student came up to me and said, "I brought a special Show N' Teach today! It is invisible, and small, can you guess what it is?! It's me! E-leanor!"
Kayson: Blue Elephant
Ethan: Baby Elephant
Seth: Toy airplane
Eva: Empty Easter Egg
Brody: Tranformer toy named "Ed"
Dade: Pumpkin!
Eleanor: Herself and her embroidered jacket.
I Spy E words: Encyclopedia, Explorers Book, Eggs, eelephant toy, Eva, Ethan, Eleanor, excited (for Halloween)?!
Circus Books: Sidewalk Circus and Olivia Saves the Circus.
The Art Reinforcement Activity has been an ABC dot-to-dot (a new skill for most of
the students). It was fun to sing the ABC song while doing the activity several
times. I hold children’s pencil
and we sing the ABC song over and over as I help each child and then they color
E the Elephant.
We reviewed some words that can be made with three letters, as well as, "Ee" words on the dry erase board. Parents, this is a fun time to begin to point out words that are one, two, or three letters long (A-E) throughout the day. Examples of words you child might read at this point are: a, add, cab, dab, bed, etc.
Elephant and Circus Books:
Circles at the Circus; My First Book of Shapes (Gymboree)
Eleanor's Enormous Ears (Scholastic, Jumpstart Pre-K Readers)
The Travels of Babar by Jean De Brunhoff (Random House)
Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss
Horton Hatches an Egg by Dr. Seuss
If I Ran the Circus by Dr. Seuss
It's Circus Time, Dear Dragon by Margaret Hillert
Lowly Worm Joins the Circus by Richard Scarry (Read-to-Read, Level 2)
Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer
Sidewalk Circus by Paul Fleischman and Kevin Hawker
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