It was a very EGGciting week in Kindergarten! Our chicken eggs arrived on Tuesday and our room has been buzzing with excitement. This fits into our new unit of living and nonliving things, with a bigger themes of growth and change. We will center our learning around these essential questions:
- How can we observe change?
- How do living things grow and change? What do they need to grow?
- How do chicks grow and change?
To begin our unit, we learned how scientists are observers, and observers use their 5 senses. The students practiced their observation skills by observing in the classroom and outside using the senses of sight, sound, smell, and touch. We also read the Listening Walk by Paul Showers, and really focused on observing sounds we heard outside. We learned that scientists make observations so they can see how things work and how they change over time. I then asked the students to think about all they had observed, and work in a group to make a list of things that are living and nonliving. After they worked, we discussed as a class what makes something alive, and what they need to survive. We will continue our study of this next week.
- How can we observe change?
- How do living things grow and change? What do they need to grow?
- How do chicks grow and change?
To begin our unit, we learned how scientists are observers, and observers use their 5 senses. The students practiced their observation skills by observing in the classroom and outside using the senses of sight, sound, smell, and touch. We also read the Listening Walk by Paul Showers, and really focused on observing sounds we heard outside. We learned that scientists make observations so they can see how things work and how they change over time. I then asked the students to think about all they had observed, and work in a group to make a list of things that are living and nonliving. After they worked, we discussed as a class what makes something alive, and what they need to survive. We will continue our study of this next week.
In math this week, we extended our learning of addition to the concept of decomposing numbers. One way the students are developing this part-whole thinking is through number bonds. The students rolled a dice, and then had to find two numbers that made up that number (for example, 5 is 2+3 or 4+1) We also did this as a whole class outside with chalk.
The students also practiced decomposing and adding with Mrs. Belkind with a complex task. The students had to figure out all the different ways monkeys could put 10 bananas into 2 baskets. It was great to watch them work in a group and explain their thinking!
The students also practiced decomposing and adding with Mrs. Belkind with a complex task. The students had to figure out all the different ways monkeys could put 10 bananas into 2 baskets. It was great to watch them work in a group and explain their thinking!
Next week we will learn more about our eggs, where they came from, the life cycle of a chicken, and other animals who lay eggs.
Only 16 more days until hatching!
Only 16 more days until hatching!