Week of February 20th!!

 REMINDERS

 

         •Monday, February 21st - President's Day - School Closed

         •Please remember to send sleeping mats to school. 

         •School/Church doors close at 8:15 AM

         •Late drop-offs will no longer be permitted to enter the                               building.  

         •No adults are permitted in the building past the table at the                      main door.

         •Dismissal times remain as 3:00 PM for all PreK classes.

         •There are no early pickup/appointments etc. -- if there is an 

         appointment the child should remain home.

         •All parents etc. coming near the building are required to have           a mask on their face for the safety of all students and staff.

 

 

Unit Topic:

Light

           

Essential Question for the Unit:

How and why do we use different kinds of light?

 

Focus Questions for this Week:

How does light help us?

 

 

                  Focused Learning Activity for the Week:

                   Do Seeds Need Sunlight to Germinate Activity? 🌞

   

 

The teacher will encourage children to plant seeds.  The teacher will invite children to place half of the planted seeds in an area that gets sunlight and the other half in an area that is dark. The children will be encouraged to predict which seeds are most likely to grow and why.  The planted seeds will be monitored periodically.  To conclude the experiment, the teacher will refer back to the children’s predictions.  The children will be invited to discuss and graph the results. 

 

Critical thinking questions/statements: 

What do you think plants need to grow?

How do you know? 

Which seeds are most likely to grow and why? (seeds receiving sunlight or seeds in the dark) 

 

 

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

For all children to be successful, multiple entry points will be considered. The teacher will tailor instruction to the needs of each individual student. 

 

For example, 

       •         Repeat directions

       •         Extend time 

       •         Preview questions (if applicable)

       •         Provide 1:1 support 

       •         Adapt materials  

 

 

 

Foundational text for the week: 

Kitten and the Night Watchmanby John Sullivan 

 

The link to the foundational texts HERE!

 

                                         

Questions that will be asked throughout the week related to the foundational text:

 

 

Level 1: Recall

What are some of the things the night watchman does at work?

What does the night watchman find at work?

What does the night watchman do with the kitten he finds at work?

 

Level 2: Skill/Concept

When does the night watchman do his job?

When the night watchman starts working, it is sunny. What happens to the sun while the watchman is working?

 

Level 3: Strategic Thinking

The night watchman works at night. When do you think he sleeps?

What would you think about working at night and sleeping during the day?

 

Level 4: Extended Thinking

What types of light help the night watchman do his job?

What types of light help you? What do they help you do?

 

 

Lesson and activities for the week:

 

Blocks-  Students are invited to explore how they might use blocks and a flashlight to create shadow letters.  

 

Pretend Play- Students will be able to use flashlights for shadow play inside a tent.  

 

Art-  The teacher will read the book Round Trip by Ann Jonas.  After reading the book, children will be provided with black and white paper to create a picture.  Children will be encouraged to cut or rip the paper and use glue to assemble the art. The teacher will use vocabulary words such as straight and wavy to describe the lines that they make. 

 

Science-  Students will be able to use the light table to look at x-rays and an assortment of translucent objects.   

 

Math-  The teacher will supply translucent plastic drinking cups in a variety of colors. Children will be invited to create patterns with the cups.

 

Library-  Students are invited to read books about our theme, light.  

 

Writing-  The children will be invited to use a hole puncher to create letters on pieces of paper. The teacher will allow children to place the papers over the light table to explore the letters and light. 

 

Sensory-  The teacher will line the bottom of the sensory table with tin foil and add water as well as glass beads, containers, scoops, etc. The teacher will invite children to explore, sort, and enjoy.

 

For more information on the Lesson Plan, HERE!!

 

 

As always, please make sure to read the OLQM school blog for additional updates and information HERE!

 

If there are any questions regarding the Pre-K for All program that cannot be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the Help Line at 888-227-8175