Dear Parents,
We began our week predicting which color and size car would roll down our inclined planes fastest. The children guessed correctly that the bigger cars would roll farther and faster. We worked in groups using the pulley, the tool boxes, or the inclined planes. There were squeals of delight at the cars rolling down the inclined planes. The clothespins we used with the pulley were challenging for some, but great exercise for our fine motor skills.
On Tuesday we got out our train set. We read Terrific Trains, There’s A Train Going By My Window, The Busy Building Book, and Last Stop On Market Street.
Outside we have been digging in the sandbox. The children are building homes, the Empire State Building, and ramps for cars. In the big room, similar buildings are going up in the block area.
On Wednesday, while some tumbled with Natalie in the big room, those in the classroom guessed what objects would sink or float in water. The boats, everyone predicted, would float. They did. We also tested a wood block, a cork, and a metal corkscrew. We used the corkscrew to identify three simple machines on one tool. The class named all three as we used them to open a bottle of wine. (It was already empty.)
Everyone got turns to float boats in a water bin after our sink or float project. Some children tried to sink their floating boats by filling them up with water. The boats did sink. We read Boats and some children identified the different kinds of boats. One person told us that his boat has sails and a motor, and that people can sleep on the boat.
We made a list of things that fly. The class added machines, animals, and insects to the list. One person said deer fly. Others debated whether it was true or not. Not one mention of Santa during the conversation.
After reading How Does An Airplane Fly? and Air Force One, we made paper airplanes. The folding and creasing of paper is a challenging task for many who became frustrated. After a bit of looking, listening, and teacher assistance, we had many paper airplanes. There was excited talk as we went into the big room to fly them. The entire class flew airplanes from the stage and atop the jungle gym for a good solid thirty minutes or more. Many ran around in circles holding their planes up to catch air.
We read Is There Life In Outer Space? after someone asked the question. We posed the question to the class. One person said they didn’t know, one said they do not believe there is life in outer space, but everyone else said they think there is life in outer space. We went into the big room to work on our outer space mural. We used lots of black paint and rollers to cover a huge piece of paper. Afterwards we played in the jungle gym and the kitchen area feasting on pretend food. Three friends wanted to start adding stars to our mural. They worked a bit more and then ran to play. We will add more stars on Monday.
Next week we will begin building our spaceship. When we talked about it this week, several children excitedly asked if we were building a real spaceship. When we answered, some children looked disappointed, while others were relieved. One person said they’re going to be an astronaut when they grow up. A couple of others said they want to go to Mars.
Have a far out weekend,Therese