Monday, May 11

Hello friends!

Thank you for helping me put together this surprise slideshow for Miss Karen, Miss Cheryl, and Miss Tiffany!  I know you filled their buckets!

Teacher Appreciation Slideshow

I am so excited that we got an update on Emma's bird nest!  Check out these sweet baby birds!

I wonder how many days it will take for them to fly away from their nest?  Do you have a prediction? 

We are going to learn a good reading strategy.  A strategy is something that helps us learn better.  Reading strategies help us to become better readers.  You will learn many reading strategies as you learn to read.  This strategy is called visualization.  

What did round bird look like in your brain?  I can't wait to see!  Do you think this poem is fiction or non-fiction?  Just fiction!  If round bird was a real bird, he might have looked different than other birds you've seen.  But guess what?  That would be ok because God made him special and would love him just the way he is!  What did God make special about you?    

Can you create a short video telling or showing how God made you special? Be creative!  You can just tell me with words, or show me somehow, or create something that shows how special you are.  Take a minute and think...

What is special about you?

What is something special you can do?

Tell your mom or dad your idea.

Now think...

How can you create a video that shows how special you are?

Can you tell about what makes you special?

Can you show me something special you can do or create something?

(Parents, breaking this question down as listed above will help children process their thinking to prevent answers like, "I don't know". 😊)

I hope your mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day!  Did you celebrate in a special way?  Did you do your tea cup kit together?  Charlie and I did ours today and I love it! 

That's it for today.  Get ready for some engineering challenges the rest of the week! 

Thursday, May 7

Hello friends!

Don't forget to pick up your Mother's Day tea craft kits at the church today from 3-5!  I will wave to your from the classroom windows!

Yesterday I was looking for new play dough recipes and I came across a bird seed play dough recipe!  I had to share it and I hope you'll try making it!

Here is the recipe:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
Water
Bird Seed

Directions: Mix flour and salt together.  Slowly add in water until the flour and salt are incorporated into a dough but not sticky.  It took me about 2 cups of water.  I also added about 1 TB of oil because it still felt sticky. Sprinkle in the bird seed.

What can you create with the play dough?  Can you make a bird?  A nest?  Bird eggs?

The first time we did a play dough activity I challenged you to make play dough letters.  This time I challenge you to make play dough numbers!



Some parents have asked for the "number rhymes" that we use at school to help us write/create numbers.  Here they are!
1- Come right down and 1 is done
2- Around the railroad track and back
3- Around the tree, around the tree, that is how you make a 3
4- Line down, line across, then down some more.  That is how you make a 4!
5- Short neck, belly fat, number 5 wears a hat!
6- Draw a line, then an o, that is how you make a 6 you know!
7- Line across, then down from heaven, that is how you make a 7!
8- Draw an S then line up straight.  That is how you make an 8!
9- Draw a circle then a line, that is how you make a 9!

Now find something to stick in your play dough.  It could be toothpicks, buttons, golf tees, stones, etc.  Stick 1 object in your play dough number 1, 2 objects in your play dough number 2, 3 objects in your play dough number 3, and so on.



Let's play an addition game! Print out this bird's nest, draw your own, or use your imagination and build your own.  Use play dough to roll small balls.  These will be your eggs.  You will need two dice.  There are addition and subtraction versions of this game!


Addition version: Roll two dice.  Count the total number of dots on both dice.  Count that many eggs and add to your nest!

Subtraction version: Start with 10 eggs in your nest.  Roll 1 die. Count the number of dots on your die.  Take that many eggs out of your nest.  How many are left?

      Challenge: Write number sentences to go along with your game (3+5=8, 10-7=3).
      Not ready for addition and subtraction?  Just roll one die and work on counting that many eggs.


Lastly, with your play dough try to make a wacky sculpture!  Do you remember when we were learning about famous artists for our art show and we learned about Picasso?  We learned that he made sculptures and paintings that looked a little different!  He used lots of bright colors and bold shapes.  Can you make a wacky play dough sculpture?

Try using different materials for your sculpture!  The picture shows pasta noodles and buttons, but you could also try Q-tip, pretzel sticks, beads, twigs, etc. How many beads or buttons can you stack?

Wednesday, May 6

Hello friends!

Today we are going to change things up a bit and spend the day outside!  I checked the weather and it looks like in the afternoon it will be warm and partly sunny.  That's the weather prediction!  Is their prediction correct? 

I have 3 outdoor challenges for you today!

Challenge 1: 
The first has to do with our bird project.  Isaac's mom found this fun bird scavenger hunt.  Can you find these spring birds? How many can you find?  If you find one, try to follow it with your eye and see if you can find its nest!


Challenge 2:
Make a sidewalk chalk obstacle course.  I was inspired by both of our friends Anthony and Emersyn who created these at home and shared videos of them.  Can you use chalk on your driveway or sidewalk and create an obstacle course?  Here are some ideas of obstacles you could draw:
Hopscotch
Zig Zag lines to walk on
Lines to jump over
Circles to jump inside
Numbers to count while you jump on them
Letters to jump over and say their name/sound
Rocket ship blasting off with a 10, 9, 8, 7 ....countdown into space
Spirals to follow

What other ideas do you have for your obstacle course?  Don't forget every good idea starts with a plan!  Can you make a map of your obstacle course first?  When you're finished, try to take a video of it and share it with me or on Marco Polo!

Challenge 3:
Charlie has been very interested in going on treasure hunts. I challenge you to a treasure hunt!  Pick a treasure from your house (ex. toy, piece of jewelry, trinket box, etc.). Ask your grown up to hide it in your yard somewhere.  Now follow these clues! 
(Parents, you will need to change these as necessary.  Insert the final location of the hidden treasure into the last clue.  With this activity we are practicing gross motor skills and spatial concepts!)

Clue 1: Run to a rock and look under it
Clue 2: Skip to a tree and look around it
Clue 3: Gallop to a bush and look beside it
Clue 4: Twirl to a flower and look above it
Clue 5: Hop to a chair and look below it
Clue 6: Try a summersault to get to your final clue!  (Parents insert final clue here to find the treasure.)

All of today's activities were inspired by ideas of our friends at The Nest!  Do you have any ideas that you'd like me to post to share with the class?

Tuesday, May 5

Hello friends!

Did you make your special surprise pictures for Miss Cheryl, Miss Karen and Miss Tiffany?  Don't forget to send me a picture so I can put the surprise together!  They will love it!

Did you know that other animals make nests too?  Not just birds!  Can you think of any other animals that make nests?  Mav sent us a video yesterday of a kind of nest that wasn't made from a bird on Marco Polo.  Do you remember what it was?

Miss Carol said that these little bugs were baby praying mantises.  She said their nest is called a ootheca that can hold up to 400 eggs!  Wow, thanks for sharing Mav!  Do you know what a praying mantis is?  Here is a picture of an adult praying mantis.  

Do you know what other kinds of bugs make nests?  Can you find any outside?  

It's time for some math!  Let's learn some new dice games.  All you need for these games are dice, paper, and crayons.  Here are a few games to try out at home today to practice counting and adding.  Have fun!

Dice Match and Color:  On a piece of paper, have a grown write the numbers 1-6 or 2-12.  Write each number a few times each all around the paper.  Then roll one die or two dice.  If you roll one die, count the number of dots on the die and color or trace that number on your paper. If you roll two dice, count the total number of dots on each die, adding them together.  Color or trace the number that is the total. 

(Parents, make this appropriate for your child.  If they are working on counting and identifying numbers, use one die and numbers 1-6.  If ready to add two groups together, use two dice and numbers 2-12.  If they need more of a challenge, use 3 dice or have them write a number sentence to go along with it. [5+3=8 is a number sentence.])

Rainbow Write Numbers:  Roll the die and use the chart below to practice writing numbers in the matching color.  (If they need more of a challenge, have your child write the number word [ex. one, two, etc.]) 

Roll and Build: Get out some blocks.  Roll the die.  Count the dots and count that number of blocks.  Build something with that number of blocks.  Roll the die again to add on to your block creation.  In the end, count how many blocks you used all together! 

Tug O War:  This is one of my favorites!  You need a long strip of paper.  Draw a dot in the middle.  Write the numbers 1-10 (or 1-20) on the strip on both sides of your dot.  Put one game piece on the dot. Each player has a side of the strip.  Each player takes turns rolling the die, moving the game piece closer to their side of the number strip.  Whoever gets the game piece to 10 (or 20) first is the winner! See below: 

Enjoy, mathematicians!

Also, in case you missed it on Facebook:

We are supposed to be celebrating mothers next week at our annual Mother’s Day Tea. I still want to do something to celebrate and honor all the amazing mamas of The Nest, so I will be putting together DIY Mother’s Day teacup kits for you to do with your child at home. Kits will be available to be picked up from 3-5 on Thursday, May 7. They will be in a box outside the classroom windows and I will be inside the classroom waving! If you need to arrange an alternative pickup time, please send me an email. In addition, if your child will be transitioning to kindergarten next year there will be a graduation cap to be picked up that they can wear at our virtual Preschool Celebration on May 27. Hope to “see” you then!

Monday, May 4

Hello friends!

Let's start today by seeing the final results of our egg experiment from last week!  Remember I had put the egg back into the corn syrup and then I added green food coloring.  What did you predict would happen?  Let's check your hypothesis!

Check it out!

What happened to the egg?  Was I able to turn it green?  I sure enjoyed being a scientist with you!  

We have more exciting news!  The nest that Magdalina found now has three eggs inside!  Also, Audrey found a nest!  Look at the pictures below.  What is similar about the eggs and the nests?  What is different? Do you think the eggs came from the same kind of bird?

Audrey's Nest

Magdalina's Nest

Look at this chart of bird eggs.  Do you see any eggs that look like the eggs in Magdalina's and Audrey's nests?  Do you have any predictions on what kind of bird laid them?

Now check out a surprise project we are putting together for Miss Karen, Miss Tiffany and Miss Cheryl!

I can't wait to see the drawings you make for them.  They are going to be so surprised and happy!  Who else can you make feel happy today? 

Let's do a bucket filling challenge!  Think of someone who might need their bucket filled.  What can you do to make them feel happy?  Remember when you fill someone else's bucket, your bucket also gets filled!  Happy bucket filling!  

(Parents, we use the idea of being a bucket filler regularly at The Nest.  Check out their website for more information, resources and bucket filling activities!  https://bucketfillers101.com/ ). 

Thursday, April 30

Hello again scientists!

Check out some of your scientific work!

  

Today we will check on our egg soaked in corn syrup.  I wonder what happened to it?  Did you make your hypothesis?  Let's find out!

We discovered that the egg shriveled back down to it's normal size and that it was bright yellow.  The corn syrup was watery and thin! When we held a flashlight up to it we could see through the egg and see the yolk inside!

Why did the egg shrink in corn syrup?

This is because the corn syrup is full of sugar.  The sugar can't pass through the thin membrane of the egg like the vinegar could.  The vinegar passed through the membrane of the egg, making the egg larger.  (Osmosis!)  The sugar could not pass through the membrane, so the water that was already inside the big vinegar egg moved outside the egg again, back into the corn syrup!  The egg got smaller and the corn syrup got more watery!

Let's see if I can turn the egg green!  Will it be green?  Or will it stay yellow?  Will the egg get smaller? Or will it get bigger?




Now, let's test the bouncy egg experiment again.  I have one egg that was soaking in vinegar and one normal egg.  Let's see how high I can drop each of the eggs without them breaking. How high do you think I can drop the normal egg without it breaking?  Make a prediction!  How high do you think I can drop the bouncy egg without it breaking?  Make a prediction!


We will use a tape measure with inches to measure the height.  Ready?  Here we go!

















It's time to finish what scientists called, "the scientific process".

1.  We asked a QUESTION.  What will vinegar and corn syrup do to an egg?
2.  Then we created HYPOTHESES
3. Next we conducted EXPERIMENTS to test the hypotheses.
4. Then we OBSERVED and TOLD ABOUT what we saw after the experiments.
5.  The last step is to SHARE your work with others.  What did you learn?  What happens to eggs when they are soaked in vinegar and corn syrup?  Draw your answer in your notebook and then share it with someone in your family.  You could share the information with someone who lives with you or do a virtual phone call with someone else!  Who would you like to tell what you learned?

Lastly, I just got news that the first egg in the nest at Emma's house hatched! Check it out!

Wednesday, April 29

Welcome back, scientists!

I am really enjoying these egg experiments.  Are you?

Let's go back to our egg in vinegar experiment.  Today we will make our observations, check our hypotheses and test 2 new experiments with the egg!

Get out your notebooks!  What did you observe today?  How did the egg look and feel?

What do you hypothesize will happen to the egg after it sits in corn syrup?  

Why did the egg shell go away and become bouncy?  

Explanation:  The vinegar reacts to something called calcium carbonate, which is inside the egg shell.  The reaction creates a gas, creating the tiny bubbles on the outside of the egg.  The shell dissolves, or goes away, and leaves a thin layer of the shell called a membrane.  The vinegar can pass through the membrane. Since the vinegar can now get inside the egg, the egg gets bigger, or expands!  

The vinegar has a large amount of water in it.  The egg has a small amount of water inside.  When water moves from something with a lot of water, through a membrane, to something with less water, this is called osmosis!

 

Let's end today with some alphabet exercise!  Ready?  Stand up and exercise with Jack Hartman!