Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Today we thank God for Violet!  Happy Birthday Violet!! 



We love our new magna tiles!  (A HUGE thank you to Zion's PTL for purchasing these for us!) The magna tiles provide a setting to explore 2-D shapes, spatial relationships, problem solving, creativity,  and even  3-D shapes!  We learned how to make a cube and a pyramid.  The children are not only exploring math concepts, they are also learning new vocabulary!  




The children have enjoyed using the keyboards to help predict the weather in the news station.  Here are some conversations that happened today: 

"This just in!  A huge storm is coming!"  (Typing on the keyboard) "No wait-two storms are coming!"

"We better wear our coats today because it is going to snow!"

"My computer says that it might lightning tomorrow!" 








Claire made her own weather map! 


Sammie used words from our word wall to help her practice her writing skills! 


This morning we continued to explore clouds as a part of Phase Two of our weather project.  One of the questions from last week was "How do clouds do different things?" 

We explored this concept further by discussing how clouds are made up of water.  

We explored the changing state of water with boiling water turning to steam, then back to water when it cooled.  We also put water in ice cube trays to see if it would freeze.  






We each took a turn to feel the water that collected on the bottom of our "cloud."   (We did discuss how only Mrs. Douglas goes near the steam because it is very hot!) 

Through these explorations we focus on the children's questions.  Such questions can lead to and guide further learning. 
"Children’s inquiry into appropriate phenomena is not only the place to build foundational experiences for later science learning, it is fertile ground for the development of many cognitive skills. It also is a context in which children can develop and practice many basic skills of literacy and mathematics." (Science in Early Childhood Classrooms: Content and Process, Worth 2003)





Before we started small group time, we read the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. The children used the felt pieces to help re-tell the story during small group time. The ability to re-tell a story is a valuable pre-reading skill!





We then did a marble painting with Ms. Emma! 





Of course we danced and ran on the blue carpet for some large motor time! 




We then made weather cards to put on our five day forecast for our dramatic play center.  Through this activity, the children are practicing their writing skills!








We also had some indoor recess fun! 





During Jesus time we learned that just like Jesus healed the blind man on the road, He heals us from our sin and bad choices.  Because of Jesus' death and resurrection we will be healed forever in heaven with Him! 

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