Sequencing and a Nature Walk

We are learning more about sequencing.  Ms. Arboe read the story "Somebody and the Three Blairs" by Marilyn Tolhurst.  It is a different version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears".  After the story we talked about when we retell a story, it is really important to tell the events in the correct sequence, or order.  We made a chart with some key words for sequencing.

After the story, we did a great activity.  We worked with partners and Ms. Arboe gave us picture cards. First we had to decide how to put the cards in the right sequence.  Then we practiced telling a story using the cards.  We are pretty good story tellers!

   

Since we were all bundled up for recess, we decided to take our nature walk after our recess time.  We each got a ziploc bag and headed off to the woods!

While we were in the woods, we had to gather some tree bark, branches or twigs and leaves.  We put these things in our ziploc bags for a special project we will do tomorrow.  We also found a few other cool things and brought them inside, too.

   

   

   

Once we were back inside, we added to our class Science Journal.  We listed things that we did on the nature walk!

Then Ms. Arboe read us the story "Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf" by Lois Ehlert.

It was another great day in Kindergarten Plus!

Computer Lab and Leaves

On Mondays and Fridays, we go to the computer lab.  We love it!!  On Mondays, we work on Math activities in Education City.  I hope you are checking out Education City and IXL at home...user names and passwords were sent home in Friday Folders last week.

   

     

In Science, we continue to learn about trees.  Today's lesson was about leaves.  We collected leaves, compared and sorted them.  We discussed the colors of the leaves and their shapes.  Then we organized our information by using different types of graphs.

   

First we used tally marks to graph the colors of the leaves.

   

Then we used the giant floor graph.

   

Last, we made our own bar graphs.  It is pretty fun to see all the different ways we can organize information by using graphs.

Granny Goose and More Trees

In today's Science lesson, we learned about the parts of trees.  We now know that trees have roots, trunks, branches and leaves.  We labeled two different types of trees.  We talked about how trees get nutrients and energy.  We even journaled about it in our classroom Science Journal!

   

Then we got to work together in pairs to label parts of trees.  We did really well and we hardly even had to look at the charts we labeled together in class!

   

   

This afternoon we met a new friend.  Her name is Granny Goose.  Granny Goose has been reading to kindergarten students at Northview for 11 years.  She volunteers her time once a month to share her love of reading with our kindergarten students.  Today she read us a fun story called "Arthur's Halloween" by Marc Brown.  It kind of made us a little excited about Halloween...just a little!

When she comes to read, she also brings her two little stuffed animal friends that sit on her lap...Gracie and Lacey Goose!

   

Have a great weekend!

Trees

We started a new Science unit on Trees!  Ms. Arboe had us help her make a KWL Chart.  We started our KWL chart by listing things we already KNOW about trees.

Next we added things we WANT to know about trees.

We got in to small groups of students and we observed some parts of trees.  Ms. Arboe showed us many samples of different types of weed from trees.  She showed us some different types of bark from trees.  We even got to observe some really big pine cones!  We learned that you can figure out how old a tree is by counting its rings.  We got to use magnifying lenses and we loved it!  It was so fun to be able to see things better by using this tool.

   

   

   

After we observed the parts of trees, we completed our KWL chart by listing the things we LEARNED about trees!

We will learn lots more things about trees in the coming days.  We can't wait!

Germs Are Not For Sharing

Today we had a very special guest visit our classroom.  Her name is Lynn Freeman and she works at Minneapolis Children's Hospital.  She came today to give us a presentation titled "Germs Are Not For Sharing".  

Mrs. Freeman talked to all of us about staying healthy.  She told us that we all have germs on our bodies and there are ways that we can be healthy, especially during the upcoming cold and flu season.  She talked with us about washing our hands.  She told us that we should get our two pumps of soap at the sink and then we should step back so we don't try to rinse them too quickly.  She reminded us to wash the palms of our hands and the backs of our hands.

   

She even told us that it is important to wash between our fingers like doctors do.  Don't forget to wash under your nails, too.  And of course, remember to wash your wrists!

Next, Mrs. Freeman put this special lotion on our hands.  We rubbed it in.  Then she read us a really cool story called "Germs Are Not For Sharing".

   

 Now came the really cool part.  Remember that lotion we put on our hands?  Well, next we got to put our hands under a special type of light.  The light could show us if there were any germs on our hands. The germs showed up a bright white color under this special light.  And guess what?  We did find some germs!!  Now, there was only one thing left to do...WASH OUR HANDS!!

We all headed out to the big sink.  We got our two pumps of soap and stepped back.  Then we sang the ABC song in our thinking bubbles, because we can't be too noisy in the hallway.  We washed just like Mrs. Freeman told us to.  We dried our hands and then went back to our classroom for the next big test...the special light.

   

It was back to the special light to check and see how we did and if those germs were gone.  And guess what?  Mrs. Freeman said we did a pretty good job!

We also discussed other things we can do to stay healthy.  We talked about and practiced how to catch our coughs and sneezes in our sleeves.  We also learned that even if we want to, we should not share food or drinks.  She even loved that we have disinfectant wipes right on our tables in our classroom in case we ever need them!

We know that it is almost impossible to get rid of  every germ.  But we now know that we can try to do our best not to spread germs by washing our hands properly, catching our coughs and sneezes and not sharing food or drinks.  Tomorrow in our Friday Folders, we each get to bring home a copy of the book she read us and an activity packet to work on at home.

Many thanks to Lynn Freeman, Minneapolis Children's Hospital and Kohl's Department Store for sponsoring this wonderful presentation.  It was really a great experience for the students.