This week we are finishing All About Me and transitioning to Apples/Johnny Appleseed.
Language Arts:
We read about Johnny Appleseed and charted all of the things we learned. We learned his name was Johnny Chapman and he was a real man who planted apple seeds as he traveled west. We talked about how he didn't like to wear shoes so was often bare foot, and he carried a pot on his head like a hat! We practiced tracing and writing our letters as we all sang and danced to our Zoo Phonics song. We have read many Johnny Appleseed books, both fiction and non fiction, as well as viewed a video on him. We have read many apple books and begun learning about the life cycle of an apple.
We read with children individually as well as in small groups from our Bob books. They love the monster fingers which make it all move entertaining for them.
The children counted the letters in their names and wrote each letter on an apple and then joined them together. We read the book "Ten Apples Up On Top" and placed the apples on top of their heads! We hung our apple names up on the wall in the library to compare each child's name.
Science and Math (STEAM Centers!)
Sink of Float? Experiment
The children took turns dropping items in a water bin to determine which would sink and which would float. They made predictions and then tested them. We talked about the scientific process and how you have to test ideas. They loved watching the items splashing into the water! They illustrated a page in their journal and wrote words and dictated their favorite part of the experiment.
We talked about the different parts of an apple and discussed as a group as we labeled each part. They thought it was funny that apples have skin just like us!
We played a Math game where we searched for the hidden apple behind the numbers from 1-20, as we counted and each child identified the number and we counted to it. They loved playing this, as they each are anticipating finding the apple and it keeps them engaged!
Life Cycle of an Apple
The children acted out the life cycle of an apple, beginning by burying themselves in the ground, watering themselves with rain drops or a hose, becoming a sprout and growing tall until they could reach up high with their branches! Then we picked an apple and took a bite!
Taste test!
Red, yellow or green, which is your favorite apple to eat? We made predictions about which color or type of apple would be our favorite and discussed the names and types of different apples and their differences regarding their texture, taste, and size. We used descriptive words to discuss our favorite apples, with some of the comments being: "fruitity", good, "tastes like lemon", smooth, bumpy, crunchy, juicy, sweet, "doesn't smell or taste like anything", yummy, sour, ripe, and very very sour. We used our five senses to smell, touch, taste, hear and see the apples, comparing and contrasting all of the different kinds of apples. We charted our results and added the numbers, practicing our counting and correct number formation to write.
We cut open an apple vertically and discovered a surprise inside! Every apple has a star in the middle! We read the story about the star inside the red house with no doors and no windows. The children wrote words describing their favorite tastes and illustrated a journal page.
Fine Motor/Art:
The children made Johnny Appleseed hats by measuring their heads and then decorating them with apples, inchworms, suns, crayons and glue sticks. They illustrated pictures in their journal about different activities this week.
Social/Emotional:
We talked about how we are all friends in JK and how when we are at school we take care of our friends because they are our Roycemore family! Each day we are roll playing different situations to help give the children the words to express themselves when frustrated or when trying to navigate new and challenging situations. We also talked about not laughing when someone is doing something that is not nice or safe or respectful.
Have a wonderful weekend! It will be fall before we know it, and we will be carving pumpkins!
Ms. Massey
