Week of October 7, 2013

Hello Everyone,

Here are a few highlights of a beautiful fall week. Enjoy!

The kids shared their family drawings

during one of our language arts times.

We will continue to share until

everyone has an opportunity to present his/her family drawing to the class.

As the children share, they practice how to talk to an audience, answer questions,

reflect on their work, and enjoy the attention.

The audience practices

listening skills, asking relevant questions, and making comments respectfully.

Before sharing, the children discussed what it means to be respectful while talking about their peers' work.

The children also engaged in a conversation about "what is best work."  We all agreed that everyone's "best work" looks different, and is always perfect work.

Also during one of our language arts times, George's mom read a science book

to the class about how mountains are formed.

One morning we found a surprise in our

Science Center.  One of the Black Swallowtail caterpillars had built a chrysalis.

Another caterpillar is building a cocoon also.

The children marveled at the change!

In science class, the children held a discussion about the caterpillars' changes. Kate helped answer children's

questions by reading excerpts from a book entitled Face to Face with Caterpillars.  The children reviewed differences between moths and butterflies.  Next, they brainstormed what caterpillars, moths, and butterflies need to survive.  The children also finished their observational drawings of moths and butterflies' wings with magnification and without magnification.

Muddy Boots Club - what a beautiful fall day!

We took a long hike

through the woods

over one of our favorite bridges

and we stopped at the 

pavilion to have our late 

afternoon snack.

We read this book during one of our language arts times. So much laughter!!!!

It is a subject of high interest to the children,

so we learned how it all works scientifically.

First Grade Math - the first graders

are shown playing a game called Compare.  

The children have been comparing quantities.

They compare two quantities to see which is larger, developing an understanding of how the quantities in the counting sequence are related: each number is 1 more or 1 less than the number before or after it.

  Each game also offers the children "more ways to play" making the games more challenging.

Until next time.

Liliana