Independent Reading Time and Recycling Paper

Today was a busy day in Kindergarten Plus.  We were introduced to a new procedure for Reading Workshop called Independent Reading time!

While Mrs. Kurt teaches Guided Reading groups, the rest of the class needs to be busy working so the kids in the small groups can learn how to read better.  So today, we got our red reading folders and had a chance to shop for just right books from our classroom book collection.  We call them "just right" books because they need to be books that are not too easy to read or not to hard to read...they need to be just right for us to read so we can practice and get better at reading.  After we read a book, we write the title of the book in our reading log (inside the red reading folder).  It was the first time we did this today, but we did a really good job and we are excited to try it again tomorrow.

In Science, we completed our Paper Recycling investigation.  We learned that we could make new paper from old paper.  Students stuffed eight square lengths of toilet tissue into a small bottle.

We added water to the bottles until they were about 2/3 full.  Then we put the caps on the bottles and shook them for five minutes.  At this point, we learned that the paper inside the bottles had broken down into very small pieces, called pulp.

Next, we screened the pulp and soaked up all of the extra water.  Then using the bottles, we rolled out the paper on to a piece of waxed paper to dry overnight.  Hopefully, these will be sent home in our Friday Folders tomorrow so you can see the results of our hard work.