Hippo Headlines: 2023-10-01

Hello Everyone!

We had such a fun and exciting week learning about rockets, planets, the sun and our solar system. The Hippos began the week looking at pictures of planets, watching a few short videos, using a globe, exploring a model solar system and singing our planet song! We also saw a video of a rocket taking off!

This week we turned our arch into a rocket. We painted our rocket using red and blue paint. We then cut out American flags, pasted them on the rocket and made our own rockets out of paper towel tubes (fine motor). It was fun to play in our rocket ship with headphones, computer keyboards and control panels, which we made with a variety of recycled materials (developing relations, fine motor, making decisions independently, showing persistence, taking turns, using language). We practiced counting backwards from 10 to 1 and shouting BLAST OFF!! After reading books, we recalled facts about the sun and the other planets including Earth and Mars (answering who, what, where, when questions, listening skills). When signing in, the students decided what they liked the best, the moon, the sun or the stars. We then counted the columns and compared the numbers (one to one counting, recognizing and comparing numbers). In addition, we played with galaxy play dough, took turns with a sit and spin (representing spinning Earth) and made our own rockets! The students also enjoyed building rocket ships and other items with our small legos (fine motor). We used a pie pan with a sun taped to the middle of it and a ball. The students moved the pie plate so the ball would rotate around the sun. Our study of the solar system will continue next week.

As we read Trip to Mars, we used props from the story. The children answered questions about the story and then used these props (backpacks, flashlights, paper and crayons, pretend food, mop, teddy bear, space suit and gloves) to enhance recall. We also wrote in our Hippo journals about what we would bring if we went to Mars.

All the hippos enjoyed the rocket stomper during gym time. We worked on our jumping and coordination skills. During center time it was fun to make our very own rocket and travel to other planets! As we ended our week we sang our solar system song, counted backwards from 10 -0 and shouted BLASTOFF and played a thumbs up thumbs game with facts about the different planets!

Books We Read This Week
My Book of Planets
Trip to Mars
Me and My Place in Space
There's No Place Like Space

Questions to As Your Child
1. How many planets are there?( 8 - make an 8 with your hands-circle on top and a circle on the bottom.
2. Which planet is the biggest, Jupiter or Earth?
3. What is your favorite planet?
4. What planet do we live on? (Earth)
5. The Sun is a giant______. (star)

6. Do we need an umbrella on Mars? (no-because it does not rain on Mars)

7. Which planet has many volcanoes? (Mars)

What you can do at home:
Crouch down and practice counting backwards from 10 and then blasting off like a rocket by jumping into the air.

Reminders:

10/11 Vision screening during school

10/16 Parent Teacher Conference week- Monday and Wednesday

10/26 Thursday Theis Pumpkin Farm field trip

10/29 Magic House Halloween Party

10/18 & 11/2 Hearing screening during school

Below is our Planet song and pictures of all the fun things we did this week! Thank you so much for sharing your child with us! It is such a joy each day to explore, discover, play and learn together!!

Planet Song (tune to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, are closest to our yellow star.

Next comes Jupiter the king, and Saturn with its icy rings,

Uranus next rolls along and Neptune is the planet that ends our song!!