All About Snow

We still have lots of snow on the ground!  I was sure that by now it would have all melted, but I'm starting to think that we will be stuck with snow until April!

Today I tried an All About Snow book with my kids.  We were working on an ELA outcome - creating messages, and also science - explore features of our natural surroundings.  We started the lesson by listening to a book on Tumble Books called I Like Snow.  It was an informative book that explained different facts about snow.  After listening to the book, we brainstormed different things that we knew about snow (both from the book, and things that we just knew).  I then showed the students the booklets I had made (each one was made from one piece of paper, cut into four and then stapled).  We discussed the word non-fiction and shared examples of non-fiction books. We also reviewed the four words on our word wall (I, a, and, the) and I put the portable word walls on their tables. I went through the booklets with them, showing them how they would write one piece of information and one illustration per page.  Finally, the students sat down and created their book.

As the kids finished writing, they brought their books to me and read them.  I transcribed their words on the page.  Once everyone was finished, I had them share their books in partners, and then I read each book out loud.  They were sooooo excited to hear their books read aloud!  The kids were amazed to see that everyone's book was different!

Today was our first day really trying out our portable word walls.  I was so impressed that a couple of kids actually used them and spelled those words correctly without any prompting from me.

Tin Can Stilts

My kids were a little busy today!  As  I was looking for something in my cupboard, I came across the tin can stilts that I had made last year.  I pulled them out and they were a hit!  The kids took turns clomping around the room on them.  They are great for working on gross motor skills and balance, plus they got rid of a lot of energy!

These work great using old coffee tins.  Simply hammer a large nail through opposite sides of the top of the can and then tie some heavy string in a loop.  Thanks to Jill for the idea and Jeff for the great hammock string!!

Examining the Effects of Heat on Snow

It has been snowing for two days!  The kids have been so excited to finally have snow on the ground.  And, it is that great, heavy snow that is perfect for making huge snowballs!

One of our outcomes in science is to observe the effects of heat energy on snow.  We had a discussion in the classroom about where we find heat.  They came up with answers like:  by the heater, in the sun, by the fireplace, in the oven, on the stove, etc.  So, we went outside and gathered small containers of snow.  We came back in and put the containers in different places to see what happened to them.  Even though I'm pretty sure that all the students know what happens to snow when it melts, they were all amazed to see that when we removed the put of snow from the stove that it was water! and we could pour it down the drain!

We came back to the classroom, and the students represented their learning through drawings and/or words.

The Snow melted in the microwave.

 

Kindergarten Word Wall

This morning I made my word wall for my Kindergarten classroom.  I included just 4 words:  I, a, the, and.  I put the word wall down underneath my white board at the front of the class.  I showed the words to the kids and we discussed them.   We talked about how easy those ones were to spell and how often we used them when we were writing.  I also told the kids that these were our "no excuse words".  Because they were such easy ones, and they were up on the wall for us to see, then there was no excuse for us spelling them wrong.  So, our goal from now on is that when we use those words, we will spell them in conventional writing.

I also made my portable word walls.  I used a file folder and glued in the list of our four words.  As the students learn more words, I plan on making other folders in different colours.  The students that are ready for more words will be able to choose the portable word wall in the colour that I have assigned to them.  We are going to try them out tomorrow when we do our journals!

 

I made one extra copy of the words and posted them on my door.  As the kids come in and out of the room, I'm going to get them to read the words.

SK ECEC

I spent the day at the Saskatchewan Early Childhood Education Council. Miriam Trehearne was one of the keynote speakers and also offered two other sessions throughout the day. She is such a great speaker and I always find so many ideas to take back to my classroom.

One thing I want to do when I get back on Monday is to find a spot for a word wall. I know this isn't a new idea, I've even had one in past years. But, with the emphasis on learning through play in Kindergarten, this was one thing that I have let go of.  After hearing Miriam today I felt the need to bring it back. She talked about "no excuse" words which kids should have no excuse for spelling wrong. So I think I will start small and create my board.

I'm also wanting to create what Miriam called "portable word walls". These were just the word wall words posted into a file folder. These would be easier for kids to use and copy from. What a great idea.