Sunday, May 15, 2016

Week of the 16th

Study Unit of Plants 

For the next two weeks our class will continue to investigate plants. Children will consider the questions “What are plants?”, "How plants grow?", “How does a seed grow?”, and “How are we similar and different from plants”, “Do all plants need light to grow? and observe and identify the different parts of plants and its purpose. The students will explore the life cycle of plants and butterflies , and see how they are different and similar. We hope this study will help your children explore and appreciate nature. As we study plants, we will use literacy, math, the arts, and technology to explore the topic in depth. We will learn important social studies and scientific concepts through firsthand investigation.

Learning Centers:

Blocks/Construction: Wrap blocks in green and brown paper (other color paper as desired) to create stems, tree trunk, soil etc. Students will create a garden or jungle.

Science: The students will compare and contrast the life cycle of plants and butterflies.( The classroom has a caterpillar to butterfly habitat, and a section by the window with various types of plants students planted) 

Pretend Play/ Dramatic Play: The dramatic play area will be turn into a flower shop. Students will be encouraged to identify the flowers being sold and identify money. 

Math: Students will sort seeds based on size, shape and color. 
         Students will use beans to add. 

Writing: Students draw a plant of choice and label its parts.

Art: Hang pictures of famous paintings of flowers such as Sunflowers by Claude Monet, Twelve Sunflowers in a Vase by Vincent Van Gogh, Poppy by Georgia O’Keefe, Flowers by Andy Warhol or Garland of Flowers by Auguste Renoir near the easel will be hanged in this center. Children will be encourage to reflect on these paintings, prompts such as, “What do you notice in this picture?” and “How does this picture make you feel?” After children reflect, they can paint their own pictures of flowers.

Students will be encouraged to paint the flowers we seen on our neighborhood walk. 

Sand and Water/ Sensory: Add potting soil and seeds as well as gardening tools. Students will be encouraged to observe the seeds over the course of a few days. Students will describe what is happening to the seeds. 

Library: Add books about plants

Books we will be reading this week:

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

Time For Kids: Plants
by Brenda Lasevoli

National Geographic Readers:
Seed to Plant
By Brenda Laselovi

How a seed grows?
by Helene J. Jordan

Reminders:
Our Moving up Ceremony will be on Tuesday, June 21st at 11:00 A.M.

Please make sure you are not sending food containing peanuts.

The following will help your child transition to kindergarten smoothly:

The students are practicing sight words please continue to do so at home. A list of the Dolch sight words was provided last month. 

Help your child count and identify numbers 

Continue to practice letter sounds 

If possible read to your child daily

Home school Connection:

Ask your child about plants . Tell him/her to describe it for you. The class has a caterpillar to butterfly habitat , ask your child what is the life cycle of a butterfly. Show your child pictures of when they used to be a baby , talk about the changes living things go through.

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