Puppet Show

Ms. Weil's 8th-grade theater class put on a puppet show for the preschool-2nd grade classes. The plays were fun to watch and also taught us different lessons.  One play showed puppets arguing over colors to use in art class. After they decided to share them, they were able to create a beautiful picture. Another play taught us the difference between "helping" and "cheating." One puppet helped a friend study for a test, and during the test, kept quiet.
A third play taught us to tell the truth, but not if it will hurt someone's feelings. "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything." The last play taught us to recycle paper and plastic. It also taught us to keep the earth beautiful by growing flowers. Buddies
We met with our 5th-grade buddies to finish the stories we were writing. Our new project is to create a song we can sing to our Senior buddies when we visit them on the 23rd. Excited and energized voices filled the classroom as Kinder and 5th-grade buddies shared ideas for lyrics and tunes. Some pairs chose common nursery rhyme melodies, while others chose popular teen music. Our goal is to finish our songs next week so that we can practice them the following week. We hope to videotape these "performances" to be able to share them with you.

Math
In addition to recording numbers of objects that they counted, the children also recorded designs they made with pattern blocks. We began by giving the children a number of pattern blocks they should use (e.g., 6, 8). The "rules" were as follows:
You must only take that number of blocks (e.g., 6, 8).
Each shape must touch another shape.
After creating a design, the children then collected the corresponding paper shapes, put them into the same design, and glued them onto a sheet of paper.

We talked about "sorting" and sorted people and attribute blocks. Some children had an idea about sorting before we even started. What does it mean to sort something?
You put things in the right place.
You put things in order.
You put all one color in a place.
We learned that sorting means putting same things into groups. We sorted our friends in several ways - by shirt color (green, beige, gray), by hair color (black, brown, blonde), by shoes (velcro and non-velcro), and a second way by shoes (socks and no socks).

After sorting people, the children had a chance to sort attribute blocks using cards with the following on them: small, big, thick, thin, red, yellow, blue, square shape, circle shape, triangle shape, and rectangle shape.

Inquiry
The class met as a whole to share ideas about the heart and blood. There were a few children who were not a part of the original groups but participated in the large-group discussion. We began the discussion by having one child share their picture(s) and ideas about the heart and/or blood. Then we asked if someone had a different idea, either in disagreement or to add to what was just shared. The children are becoming more comfortable sharing their ideas with others, and they are beginning to learn how to build on the ideas of others. The children are very comfortable with the fact that everyone has different ideas and that that's okay; however, they are also learning that it's okay to change your mind after hearing what someone else thinks and then agreeing with them. It's difficult to describe the flow of the discussion with you without writing out a script. Hopefully we will be able to share with you video clips of our discussions at some point. (You are also welcome to visit the classroom during Inquiry to witness the process first-hand. If you are interested, please call or e-mail, and we'll try to schedule in a visit.) The children then drew their (new) ideas of the heart and blood on a transparency paper. The idea is for the children to create a human body by layering all the parts they believe to exist in the body.

Next week, the class will meet as a whole to create one group picture of the heart and blood. For this activity, the children were told that they would have to decide on ONE way to draw the heart and blood. As I write this, I'm not sure how long it will take them to complete the class drawing (on a life-sized plastic sheet). It all depends on how the discussion goes and what decisions are made. Again, not only are the children learning about the human body, they are also learning how to discuss ideas (share and listen), compromise, and share the work. Look for the "exciting conclusion" in next week's newsletter.

The two brain groups will also meet in a large group to share and discuss their ideas about the brain. Then each child in the group will draw their ideas, old and new, on a transparency sheet. The children in both blood/heart and brain groups will now have two transparency sheets to layer. You can imagine how their "mini" human bodies will look when all of the groups have completed this process.

REMEMBER: Do not attempt to answer your child's questions! We are not only learning about the human body, we are also learning how to think.

Family Learning Activities
We've been enjoying the Family Learning Activities that friends have been bringing in. We had three children complete September Art Projects, which were displayed in the classroom. Several children have shared the writing they've been practicing - name, family members' names, rhyming words. We've also heard the stories that friends have written with their family members and have placed these "books" in the classroom library for everyone to enjoy. If you have been enjoying these activities at home, please encourage your child to share them with his friends at school. Please don't feel that once the week has passed you can't complete those activities. You'll notice that the weblog has an archive from which you can access any and all past entries.

Parent Volunteers
Thank you to SM's mom, who came in and read two books. Fancy Nancy was a favorite. Nancy loved using fancy words, and we enjoyed hearing them. Nancy is an inspiration to us as we write in our journals.

Thank you to MN and AmR for donating items for the Art, Drama, and Writing centers. The children have been enjoying your donations!

Upcoming events-
Friday, October 10 - In-service Day for teachers, No school for students
Monday, October 13 - Discoverers' Day holiday, No school for students
Thursday, October 23 - Monthly assembly, visit to Manoa Senior Care

No new photos posted.

Posted on October 3, 2008 7:03 AM | Permalink