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 gym 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! There were many letter P cards in our alphabet pile!! We also practiced making the yoga pose "popcorn".  The hippos enjoyed using a parachute and balls as we sang our popcorn song.  (goals-gross motor, letter identification, following directions, rhyming, number 10). 

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 practiced scooping the popcorn into popcorn boxes and rolling yellow playdough into popcorn balls during center time. 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 on a piece of yellow paper then crumbled it up (representing popcorn) then threw it in our popcorn box.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, curious behavior, number recognition, letters)

During center time, the students picked up the popcorn and put it back into the box using grabbers! 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!! We planted popcorn kernels in dirt and watered them with a squirt bottle! We also opened up yellow crumbled paper (popcorn) with a letter on it and used a little eraser to find the letter on our popcorn sheet.  It was fun to fill up the entire sheet! In addition, we placed butter (yellow water) on packaging noodles (popcorn) using pipettes. It was fun to make popping sounds with bubble wrap! On Monday, we will sign in to the question, "How do you like your popcorn? Do you like it plain, with butter or with salt?" We will also play by number game by recognizing the number and counting that many pieces of popcorn and placing it in a popcorn container. We will try to fill it up to the top! (gross motor, fine motor, following 2 step directions, comparing numbers)

The letter of the week was the letter Q for quilt, quarter and quiet. Our 2nd steps lesson explained we can have different feeling with the same activity.  For example, two children see the dentist. One likes going to the dentist and the other child is scared to go to the dentist.  We pointed out that it is ok to have different feeling about the dentist. 

Our highlight of our week was having Rowan's dad, Ava's grandpa and Ben's mom come in to talk about Veterans day and how they served in the military! We thank you for your service and protecting our country!

Books We Read:
Popcorn Shop

Popcorn

Leaf Man

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. How are you responsible at home?

7.  Name some words that rhyme with POP!

Important Reminders

11/13-11/16 Hippo room canned food drive! Send in cans this week!!

11/22-11/26 No School Thanksgiving Break

11/27 Classes Resume

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!

We turned over cards of with pictures of children being responsible at home!
We discussed what the card was showing.

We decorated fall leaves for our bulletin board.

We made a special banner for our veterans!

The hippos held a bottle with kernels and one with popped popcorn!
We discussed heavy and light!

The air popper is making popcorn!

Fun in music class with flags!

Everyone worked hard when making their veteran headbands!

We used scissors and our hands to make popcorn with playdoh!

It was fun to plant popcorn plants and water them with a squirt bottle,
which works on fine motor hand strengthening!

,

Would you like some popcorn?

At carpool we were visited by a worm!

We crumbled paper.....

.....then threw it in the popcorn box we made!
Crumbling paper works on fine motor.

We loved our Veteran's Day parade!

Ben's mom came to speak to us about Veteran's Day!

We sang the popcorn song using a parachute and balls!

We pretended to be a popcorn kernel.
Sizzle, Sizzle, POP

We made popcorn sounds by popping bubble wrap.
which works on strengthening the finger muscles!

We added butter to pretend popcorn (packaging noodles) using pipettes!

We pretended to be popcorn by jumping on this mini trampoline!

Popcorn ABC bingo!

What is your favorite colored leaf?

We made leaf animals or people based on the book, Leaf Man.

Spinning like popcorn in the air popper!

Look at this little pumpkin that came off the vine!

Everyone painted the popcorn box.

Matching the letters in the word, POPCORN!

The Hippos did a great job of pretending with popcorn 
and not eating it!

Show and Tell

Show and Tell

We watched the parade before joining it!

Ava's grandpa came to talk about Veteran's Day.

We made rhyming words with the word pop!

What is your favorite colored leaf? (journal)

L for leaf, lemon, log.

Rowan's Dad also came to talk about Veteran's Day!

Being responsible by cleaning up popcorn with grabbers!