What a fun week we’ve had, starting a study of RABBITS! In an attempt to document student learning in a new and interactive way, we’ve made a “floor book” that kids add to on a regular basis. The floor book is a large blank book where we teachers record student thinking, interests, questions, and projects. Kids also add their ideas through drawings and pictures. With the help of the floor book we’ve started to explore what makes a good bunny home, what toys bunnies might like to play with, and what we’d like to learn about bunnies.
A current interest related to bunnies is how we can make their cage more like a real rabbit den or warren. You can help! We’d love donations of the following:
-shoe boxes, tissue boxes, cereal boxes (pretty much any small box)
-cardboard poster tubes, or larger tubes that a bunny could fit through
-scraps of wood (preferably soft wood like pine)
-masking tape - lots of it!
-heavy duty fabric
-cross stitch hoop
Speaking of bunnies, let me know if you’d like to host the bunnies at your house for Thanksgiving break. I’ll provide the cage and food, you provide the TLC!
This week we’ve also had an intern start working in our classroom. Jeannie Wade is a graduate student studying nature-based early childhood education at Antioch University, and will be with us for a number of weeks. Welcome Jeannie!
Finally, hopefully you noticed the GLASS jar in your child’s backpack on Wednesday - their very own Peace Jar. When you’re feeling mad, excited, scared, or having any sort of difficult emotions you can shake the jar, and as the sparkles settle so can your difficult feelings. Help your child practice using the jar, and perhaps it can come in handy sometime!
Here are TWO WEEKS worth of pictures - thanks for your patience as I did some trouble shooting last week.
Scooping pumpkin seeds to get ready for...PUMPKIN VOLCANOES!
Kristine lead the class in a fun project involving pumpkins, baking soda, vinegar, food coloring, and voila! volcanoes!
discoveries during an expedition on the nature trail
Old fashioned slate boards are still fun!
Ready, set, go!
a giant geo-board
Dandelion is the most patient bunny, letting us dress her up in different hats.
Last Friday's wind storm kept us out of the woods, but we had a great time with a kite on the soccer field!
This guy is making a plan for a bunny see-saw.
First the wood had to be cut...
Teamwork!
...then a fulcrum was added.
And before you knew it the bunnies had a new see-saw!
more practice making nature mandalas
walking her "dog"
an exploration of primary color mixing after reading White Rabbit's Colors
adding to the "floor book"
At the end of woods time we all visit our sit spots to have a quick decompression before heading inside. This is a particularly fun spot!
action in the classroom
painting with "natural" paintbrushes - white pine needles and grass heads
Kristine brought in materials for a "small world" on our light box - a very popular new activity!
The bunny see-saw has made us more interested in our own see-saw!
a new cozy spot
On Tuesday kids helped Sarah create a new garden bed that we'll turn into a bean teepee in the spring!
What hard workers, and such great teamwork!
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