(One of the) Best Field Trips Ever!

Today our 4s embarked on an adventure right here in our community.  During the month of February we learn about our town and the helpers who make it a great place to live.  Today we visited the library, Dominos, and Food Lion.

*We traveled in small groups today. I happened to have the camera, so most of the pictures are from my group's experience.  We will just have to get another camera!

After we ALL donned our hairnets, we were ready to visit the bakery.

We learned how the bakers prepare cupcakes to be sold.

We met the produce manager.  

She taught us how to know when certain fruits and vegetables are ripe.

Then we found the ice cream freezer!

We did not stay here for long!

On to the milk and egg cooler.  

Our next stop was Dominos.  

Each child got to make their own portion of a pizza.

They could choose any toppings they wanted.

Some chose black olives, green peppers, chicken, pepperoni, ham, sausage, and bacon.

The funny thing to me is that many of them picked the toppings off, when served their pizza...

We extend our warmest thanks to the management and employees of the Thelma Dingus Bryant Library, Dominos Pizza, and Fool Lion of Wallace.  We were treated so kindly.  They children had a wonderful experience that will not soon be forgotten!

Three Little Kittens...

This week our 2s worked with a familiar rhyme, "Three Little Kittens".

We read the story and acted it our together during circle time. 

 It is so much fun to meow like those fussy kittens!

Then we worked together to wash our mittens in warm, soapy water.

With all that scrubbing and squeezing, we had a great fine motor workout!!

C decided that the mitten needed to be hung to dry, so he took the wet mittens to the clothesline, just like the kittens in the story did.

Finally, it was time to make pie.

We followed the recipe,

stirred and mixed,

and made a great chocolate filling for our pies.

The boys and girls just loved our chocolate pies, but they were so careful not to get any on their mittens!

Sink or Float Part 2

The second part of our Sink or Float lesson asked the children to take what they learned yesterday and apply it to a similar situation.  We remembered together what had made our boats float.  The children suggested that boats need to "have high sides", "be flat-ish on the bottom", and most importantly  "not just dumped in the water".  To an outsider  who walked up on our outdoor lesson the day before, it might have looked like a bunch of kids playing with play-doh and water.  Instead, what I saw was a lesson was filled with problem solving, the scientific process, collaboration, exploring the concept of density and mass, and the technology of design. 

We started day 2 off with a buffet of materials.

We set up partnerships and the children received their task: 

Use the provided materials to make a vessel that will float.

I provided play-doh, just to have a familiar medium available  but no one even tried to recreate the boat design from Day 1.  They were off with fresh materials and new ideas!

This was our first design to float.  They patterns started off with a paper boat, but could not make sides.  

They decided to wrap their boat in tin foil and had immediate success.

This successful attempt included a sail, that actually helped us move the boat.

This partner ship make a Army ship.  

Sure, it floated on its own because it was a pie tin, but when I asked about their project, they explained that they were making Army men to go in their boat.  They took small wooden sticks and drew faces and uniforms on each one.  They quickly explained to me that no boat could go without men...

and there you have it!  Just ask and they will explain it to you :)

 This is a panoramic view of our classroom during the lesson.  Oh, it was loud and busy, and it should have been!  And, I am sure it looked like chaos, but a midst all of that busy-ness there was powerful learning going on.  No, we will never win an award for the neatest or quietest classroom, but that is not what we are going for. We are producing thinkers and doers!

What a great day at preschool!

Sink or Float Day 1

What a perfect day for a sink or float!  

It was one of those not-so-rare anymore warm January days that just invites an outside math/science lesson!

We started by finding out what happens when you drop a ball of clay in water.  

Then we thought about what we could do to change the result.  

How could we get the clay to float?

The boys and girls worked with their clay and experimented with different designs.  

Through collaboration, trial and error, and determination, each child was able to make a vessel that would float!

Success!  Now on to the next step... boat building with other materials!