Insects Unit

We have been having so much fun this week with our insect unit!

We started off by talking about what makes an insect an insect.

Here's a picture of the work we did:

We spent the rest of the week learning about the life cycle of a butterfly.

We did some really great projects.. this is one of my favorite units!

This is a life cycle project using pasta pieces to represent each stage.

I put this in the art center.

We made a book about the life cycle of a butterfly.

We wrote some facts about caterpillars and butterflies.

My favorite project.. the life cycle art project.

I put out various art materials and the kids had to display the four stages and label.

It was so interesting to see how different all of the projects came out. They really enjoyed it!

(The butterflies are attached to popsicle sticks and stuck in toilet paper tubes to emerge out of the cocoon!)

Check out my insect unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Earth Day Book Bag

I have been working on an Earth Day Book Bag for my kiddies.

I just got the book in the mail today and we're going to start rotating it around next week.

For those of you who have never used book bags... they are great!

You choose a book, for this one I chose Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel.

Then you design a few activities to go along with the book. 

You send the bag home with each child for a few nights and then have the kids talk about what they did with the bag.

It is a great way to incorporate families and get them involved in learning. 

I posted all of the materials for this book bag on Teachers Pay Teachers if you are interested!

I always include a journal in my book bags, this one is about how you and your family will help the earth.

I found a great bag for $2 at Michaels, its a cute draw string backpack!

I'm starting on my next book bag soon... insects!

Enjoy :)

Pattern Block Activities

Last week we made we did some math activities using pattern blocks.

The first activity was to create a creature using pattern blocks and then record how many of each shape you used to make your creature. 

The second activity was about symmetry.

The kids had to create a symmetrical shape, and then trace and color their shape.

I will be putting these two items on teachers pay teachers as a freebie later on this week :)

I'm also trying to create a whole unit using pattern blocks in different ways, 

so if anybody has any ideas please share! 

Thanks!

Feelings Unit

Over the past two weeks we did a feelings unit.

We talked about a variety of different feelings and things that make us feel a certain way.

It was really interesting to hear some of the responses.

We did one feeling a day for two weeks and completed a feeling journal.

Each journal consisted of children writing a sentence or two about what made them feel that way, how they looked when they were feeling this way, and whether or not they liked this feeling.

At the end of the two weeks, the children selected their best two pages to put in their portfolio.

The rest were compiled into a book that the kids could take home and share with their family.

Here are a few pictures of some interesting ones and ones that made me giggle.

You can purchase the feelings journal on Teachers Pay Teachers.

I feel bored when.. I can't play the wii.

I feel happy when.. I go to the ice cream shop.

I feel nervous when.. I first go to basketball.

Some things that make me feel sad are.. when people laugh at me.

I am curious about... how movies come out and how 3D glasses and how it works.

(Me too!)

Some things that make me feel grumpy are.. when I stay up all night.

Some things that make me feel scared are.. jumping off a airplane and dinosaurs.