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Groundhog Day


Groundhog Day
Two Days Before Groundhog Day*
Daily Question: Will the Groundhog see his shadow? NO!  He did not see his shadow which means that he predicts we will have an early Spring!
  Toys: Train table, Buckaroo, Puzzles, Puppet Theater, Magnets...
 

Snack: Clementines, string cheese, and fruit snacks.

Circle Time:
We had a fun discussion on the Four Seasons.
We read and talked about a story called Winter's Song. What does Winter sound like? (Soft, quiet snow, snowplows, sledding, snow plows, snow ball fights, dripping melted snow, etc.).  
What would Spring, Summer, or Fall sound like?

We talked about where do animals go in the Winter? 
We liked listening to Hibernation Station again during snack time and talking about the many different types of animals that hibernate in the Winter.
We talked about habitat (animals home environment), hibernation (animals sleeping in dens through the Winter) and migration--when birds an butterflies go south for the winter.

Science:  What makes a shadow?
A shadow is a dark area or shape made by an object something in between light and a surface (like a body in between the sunlight and sidewalk).  We stuck objects in front of a lamp and watched the different shadows made and talked about the earth (sun and moon).   
*Groundhog Day is celebrated in the USA on February 2nd. Each year on this day in Punxsutawney,  Pennsylvania, people from all over the USA watch Phil the Groundhog as he emerges from his den.  (The children enjoyed watching a 2 minute clip of Phil the Groundhog and Gobbler's Knob.)
On Groundhog Day, Phil the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter's hibernation. If he sees his shadow, he is thought to return to his hole (some people think this is an omen of six more weeks of bad winter weather). If he doesn't see his shadow (i.e., if it is cloudy), he is thought to stay above ground (some people think of this as a sign of mild weather to come).

I See a Little Goundhog (Tune: I'm a Little Teapot)

I see a little groundhog, furry and brown,
He's popping up to look around.
If he sees his shadow, down he'll go.
Six more weeks of winter--oh, no!

Recess Time: Shadow Hunting outside. We wanted to play Shadow Tag but couldn't find the elusive sunshine until it was almost time to come in!



Shadow Tag
If it's sunny outside and body casts a shadow, play shadow tag. Instead of touching a person, whoever is It must step on someone's shadow.
Activities: We had fun making a groundhog picture (out of shapes--rectangle and heart) and drawing Spring or snow outside.















 

 Definitions of today's vocabulary words: Habitat: The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. Hibernation: The resting (sleeping) state of some animals in Winter. Den: A wild animals lair or habitation (home). Migration: To change location periodically, especially by moving seasonally from one region to another. Season:One of four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) demonstrated by particular weather patterns and daylight hours.

Books Read and Discussed Today:  
Winter's Song by Claire Daniel, ill. by Leslie Bowman  
Round and Round the Season's Go by Rozanne Lanczak Williams, Ill. by Roseanne Litzinger  
Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows and Kurt Cyrus (audio)

Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons by Agnes Rosenstiehhl
Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft & Richard G. Van Gelder, Ill, by Helen K. Davie
 Footprints in the Snow by Cynthia Benjamin, Ill. by Jacqueline Rogers (HR, 1)  
GorgeousWake Me in the Spring by James Preller, Ill. by Jeffrey Scherer (HR, 2) cartoon hibernation  
The Magic School Bus Sleeps for the Winter (Scholastic Reader, 2) 

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Modern Day Heroes



Modern Day Heroes


Daily Question: Do you know a Modern Hero?

Toys: Play Kitchen (Cookies, Cut-up Food Puzzles), Race Cars, Town Rug, and Mega Bloks.
 
Snack: Orange slices, apple slices, powdered sugar and chocolate doughnuts.

Aaron's Birthday Celebration!  Aaron's fifth birthday is this Sunday!  He told us he likes blue (all though he does not have a "favorite" color--he likes many colors!).  He has seven members in his family.  He has a younger sister, Lily.

In Circle Time, we saw and talked about many books of Modern Day Heroes/Heroines. We learned that after the start of America, people in Africa were kidnapped and taken by boat to America to work as slaves on plantations that grew tobacco and cotton. We talked about how the slaves (People from Africa who became African Americans or were sometimes called Blacks or Coloreds) were treated poorly--not allowed to vote, hold a paying job, use the same water fountain, or marry. We talked briefly about the US Constitution, the Civil War and President Lincoln (whose birthday is celebrated in Feb.), Segregation, Civil Rights, "Separate but Equal," Martin Luther, Coretta Scott, and Rosa Parks, and Montgomery Bus Boycott. We also talked a little about Helen Keller, one of my personal Heroines.

Happy Birthday Book:
Henry's Happy Birthday by Holly Keller.  Henry feels disappointed by several things on his birthday and wishes it was someone else' birthday--in the end he has a wonderful day feeling loved by his friends and family and only regrets his birthday wish.

Heroes/Heroines Book:
Martin Luther King, Jr. A Dream of Hope by Alice Fleming (Sterling Biographies)--PCL copy, use for pictures--too advanced for preschoolers.
What's So Great About...? Rosa Parks by Jim Whiting (A Robbie Reader) PCL
Helen Keller by Sean Dolan (Rookie Biographies) PCL
Bio-Graphics Abraham Lincoln (Graphic Planet, Red Wagon) written by Joe Dunn, ill. by Rod Espinosa
The Bus Ride That Changed History; The Story of Rosa Parks by Pamela Duncan Edwards, Ill. by Danny Shanahan
Coretta Scott Poetry by Ntozake Shange, Paintings by Kadir Nelson

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Naughty Behaviors (Manners Lesson)


Naughty Behaviors (Manners)

Daily Question/Sign-in: Nn Do you know what manners are?

Toys: Cash Register and Play Foods Market, Spaghetti Doll House and Village, Play Kitchen and Skee Ball.
Snacks: Banana slices, Cheeze-its, and Nutter Butter Cookies.

During snack time I heard a lot of please, thank you, more water, please. Etc. We talked about other polite words like pardon me, excuse me, and I'm sorry.



Show N' Teach: for letters Mm and Nn
Today we had a special guest join us--Max!  Savannah (and her Mom) brought in their special pet, a white Shih-Tzu.  The children had fun asking Savannah questions about what Max ate?; where he slept?; and how Savannah took care of him.



Jack shared a bag of noodles (a favorite food of several students)!  Eli brought in a special microphone and told us how it worked.  

 Aaron brought in a favorite race car named Nigel Gearsley (an Astin Martin race car from Great Britain).
 Today after play time, we read the books Time to Say Please and Say Please! We had an informal white board discussion and wrote down the students ideas about what manners are.  We also listened to Winter's Lullaby (about Hibernation) and the changing of the seasons.



N The Naughty Newt Nailpolish Activity:
The children enjoyed the upbeat story and song about N the Naughty Newt who painted the Nursery walls numerous times with neon nail polish. Mother shook her finger at N and said, "N n n" (like you would scolding a disobedient child). Our follow up activity was using nail polish to paint N the naughty newt! It was lots of fun. (What good little artists I have.)

Season Book:
Winter's Lullaby (also about Hibernation, see Legendary Lizards Lesson) by Barbara Seuling and Greg Newbold.
 
Manners Books:
Please Pass the Manners: Mealtime Tips for Everyone by Lola Schaefer, & Kellie Lewis
Manners by Aliki
You've Got Manners: Table Tips From A to Z for Kids of All Ages by Louise Elerding
*Say Please by Virginia Austin
No David! by David Shannon

*Time to Say "Please!" by Mo Williams

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Many Healthy Munchies



 Many Healthy Munchies


Daily Question:  Have you ever seen a moose? (Eli has!  Several of the students knew what a moose was).


 Toys: Spaghetti Doll Village, Lace-ups, Puzzles, and Play Market with toy money and play foods.
 
 






Snacks: (Whole grain) Goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, and Chocolate Chip muffins, and milk.

Math:  Money Exploration
We (briefly) explored play coins and money.  We talked about pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, as well as, $1, $5,$10, and $20 bills.  Parents, please review with your child cash and money sense. 


To Market, To Market:  Students had fun putting on a play Market (Greg's Grocery Store).  We had store clerks, shoppers, and food stockers.  We also reviewed healthy "munchies" put in Seth and Aaron's baskets.
  

 
Songs: Do you know the Muffin Man?

Making Muffins:  We had fun read directions, adding ingredients, and baking muffins to eat while we listened to a story and song about a boy, a moose, and muffins.
 







 










 


























M the Moose Activity:  M the Moose tells his mother he can eat up all the meatballs "m-m-m." Students say the "m" sound while patting their tummies.  Students color the moose and the strip of healthy munchies beginning with the letter m.

We discussed healthy foods that begin with Mm: macaroni, meat, milk, muffins, meatballs, marshmallows (not so healthy!), and munchies.

Other M words we talked about together: moose, market, "munchie" mom, mother, month, mouse, mice, money, mitten, and M&Ms.
Show N' Teach:  Mm  Hugh brought in his Woolly Mammoth toy to show us.
We had fun reading If You Give a Moose a Muffin about a moose who wanted a muffin, we listened and danced to a Moose and Muffin song, and talked about Pete's a Pizza (a bored boy can't go out to play ball in the rain and so his creative parents pretend to prepare him as a pizza).

 More M or Healthy Snack Books: A Bad Case of Stripes If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff, Ill. by Felicia Bond If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff, Ill. by Felecia Bond Jack Sprat (Nursery Rhyme) Pete's A Pizza by William Steig More Spaghetti I Say! by Rita Golden Gelman, Ill. by Mort Gerberg

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Legendary Reptiles




 Legendary Reptiles


Did you have fun over Winter Break?
Surprisingly--not all students answered "yes" to the above question.

 Toys: Fisher Price Little People Village, Mr. Potato Head, and 123/ABC magnets.



Snacks: Apple slices and Goldfish Crackers.  

Circle Time Discussion on Reptlies:
We talked about what reptiles are (cold-blooded animals of the class Reptilia with a backbone.  These include: snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and tortoises.)  We talked about animal defenses, camouflage, habitat and hibernation (when animals go to sleep in dens or holes during the Winter).  Where do reptiles go in the summer?  Where do reptiles go in the Winter? 

We learned about L the lizard who lazily licks a lemon lollipop, "l-l-l" is what she says as she licks.
Arts and Crafts: The children had fun licking their own lollipops (Dun Dums) while coloring and cutting out the L shape, and taping a lollipop in Lizards mouth.
We enjoyed Listening to Hibernation Station about all the different animals who "get aboard the train" and begin to sleep during the Winter and reading The Gingerbread Kid Goes to School (Counting book and Manners) about a naughty gingerbread cookie who plays tricks on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 adults but is eventually caught by a kid who likes to read and eaten by his smart dog! 

Supplemental Books:
Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows and Kurt Cyrus
The Gingerbread Kid Goes to School by Joan Holub and Debbie Palen.

 
Lizard and Reptile Books: Crictor by Tomi Ungerer A Snake in the House by Faith McNulty, Ill. by Ted Rand Reptiles Reptiles, Oxford Scientific Films by Mike Linley Snakes (Usbourne Discovery, Internet-Linked) Rachel Firth & Jonathan Sheikh-Miller Snakes (All Aboard Reading, Lvl. 2) by Patricia Demuth, Ill. by Judith Moffatt Snakes by Seymour Simon Geeko Hide and Seek: A Counting Book From Hawaii By Gill McBarnet The Goodnight Geeko: A Bedtime Story from Hawaii by Gill McBarnet Claire and the Friendly Snakes by Lindsey Tate, Ill. by Jonathan Franklin

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