Popcorn!

POP! POP! POPCORN!


Wow! What a week we had learning and having fun with popcorn!  The word of the week was POP!
The students loved reading it, coming up with words that rhyme with it, and pretending to pop like popcorn with their bodies!  At center time we pretended to be kernels popping by jumping on a mini trampoline!  We had to count and jump 10 times then get back in line for another turn. During large group time, we played the POP game in which we showed the students different letters of the alphabet and when they saw the letter P for popcorn they jumped up and said POP! When they saw the letter F they fell down. There were many letter P cards in our alphabet pile!! During gym class, the hippos enjoyed using a parachute and balls as we sang our popcorn song.  (goals-gross motor, letter identification, following directions, rhyming, number 10, rote counting). 

During circle time we talked about the different ways to make popcorn such as on the stove, in the microwave, and using an air popper.  All of us were able to watch a real air popper change the kernels into popcorn. We also felt the weight of a water bottle filled with kernels and a water bottle filled with popped popcorn. This led to a discussion of heavy and light as we placed them on a scale. We discussed how the kernels changed into popcorn when adding heat. The students also painted a big box white and cut out and pasted red strips to make a popcorn box.  Each student named a letter and a number on a piece of yellow paper then crumbled it up (representing popcorn) and threw it in our popcorn box. The students used grabbers to place the popcorn back in the box during center time. This is a fun way to work on fine and gross motor as well as being responsible to clean up the popcorn off the floor. Our sensory table this week, contained corn kernels, scoopers and cups. On Monday, we will look at a cup with 15 kernels and another with 15 popped pieces of popcorn.  I will ask the students which cup they think will have more. This will lead to a discussion about size and volume! (goals- cutting, fine motor strengthening, counting, contributing as a member of a group, comparing numbers, curious behavior, number/letter recognition)

During center time, we planted popcorn kernels in dirt and watered them with a squirt bottle! We also practiced our alphabet by recognizing the letter and placing a poker chip on the letter.  It was fun to fill up the entire popcorn sheet! In addition, we placed butter (yellow water) on popcorn (cotton balls) using pipettes. We also made popping sounds by jumping on bubble wrap!  Next Monday, we will pop bubble wrap using our fingers. On Wednesday, we signed in to the question, "How do you like your popcorn? Do you like it plain, with butter or with salt?" We also played a number game by recognizing the number and counting that many pieces of popcorn and placing it in a popcorn container. On Monday, we will blow popcorn across the table using a straw. (gross motor, fine motor, following 2 step directions, comparing numbers)

We continued our letter Q this week by watching a Q letter video and showing the students the proper way to make a Q. Next week we will introduce the letter G. During our Heggerty lesson we worked on rhyming words with the word POP. During our 2nd Steps lesson we learned when we hurt others on accident, we say, "Sorry, it was an accident."

Our highlight of our week was having Mac's dad come in to talk about Veterans day and how he served in the military! He brought in many props for the students to try on. We thank you for your service and protecting our country!

Books We Read:
Popcorn Shop

Popcorn

Curious Geoge-Popcorn Problems

POP

Questions to Ask:
1. How do we make popcorn at our house?
2. What did we plant in the dirt and then water? (kernels)
3. What did we play with during gym? (parachute and balls)
4. What is your favorite thing to do on the playground?
5. Sing the popcorn song with your child! (I'm a piece of popcorn put me in the pan, shake me, shake me, as fast as you can, then.. I... will..... POP!)

6. What rhymes with POP? (pop - hop, or pop - go)

Important Reminders

Monday 11/16-Thursday 11/19- Hippo Canned Food Drive-please send in a few cans during the week

Saturday, 11/21-Family Garden Day 9:00-11:00 at the LECC garden, if interested

Wednesday 11/25 -No school Thanksgiving Break-we return to school on Monday, 11/30

Next Week:
Turkeys and Thanksgiving!

Below is all the fun we had while learning and exploring!!  Enjoy!  Thank you for all you do for us!

Art Fun

We recognized the number and counted that many popcorn
pieces and placed them in the popcorn container.

We traced the word pop and practiced writing letters in our name.

We sang our popcorn song as we made these
balls fly into the air.

Show and Tell

Show and Tell

Show and Tell

We counted candy corn.

Here we pretended to put butter on popcorn (cotton balls)
using pipettes.

Popcorn ABC game

It was fun making popping sounds by jumping on bubble wrap.

Music Fun

Mac's dad served in the Marines.

We are getting ready for our parade.

Mr. Drury brought things he wore when
serving in the Marines.

Each student practiced recognizing letters and numbers,
then crumbling up the paper like popcorn and placing it in
our popcorn box. During center time, we used grabbers
to place the crumbled popcorn in the popcorn box.

Everyone planted popcorn kernels.

We made popcorn by scrunching tisses.

It was fun to water our plants by using a squirt bottle.

The hippos jumped 10 times on the trampoline.

We matched letters in the word POPCORN.

Everyone enjoyed scooping and pouring kernels.

We used playdoh to make popcorn for the container.

Which weighs more?

We practiced our cutting skills by cutting red strips that 
go on a popcorn box.

We painted our popcorn box white.

We turned our leaf prints into people or animals.

Fall Bingo

We made a banner for our parade.