Hello all! We had a great week learning about and exploring different types of transportation! Below is a list of the activities and pictures centered around our theme.
- We used our smart minds to brainstorm different vehicles that take us places. (contributing as a member of a group). We showed pictures of the different types of trains, boats and airplanes. We discussed the differences between all the different types of trains, planes and boats.
- Our letter of the week was S for sun. We practiced tracing last weeks letter G.
- On Tuesday, during center time, we pretended to be conductors as we turned our arch into a train by making wheels and a smoke stack with steam. It was fun to use a hole puncher when collecting tickets. (fine motor, developing relationships with peers)
- We enjoyed experimenting and exploring with hills, trains and bears. The students predicted if the train would knock plastic bears off the track. Some students placed big bears on the track, different amount of bears, little bears and some used two train cars instead of one. So much discovery going on!! (showing curiosity, taking turns)
- We made trains by cutting shapes and painting with rectangular sponges. (shapes, cutting)
- On Wednesday we signed in to our favorite train (passenger, diesel, or steam engine). We counted and compared the numbers.
- During our water vehicles day, the students made boats out of swim noodles, popsicle sticks and styrofoam triangles! The students added little bears to see if the boat would float or sink. You can do this activity with the boats the children brought home. (fine motor, following 2 step directions, making discoveries)
- We sorted different colored airplanes and used tongs to place them in ice cube trays. (fine motor)
- After reading The Airport Book, the students answered questions recalling facts from the story and sequenced steps on going on a trip by plane.
- During center time the students loved decorating paper airplanes and flying them in the room!
- We traced stencils of a car, boat, or train and drew a picture of ourself inside. (fine motor)
- During group time we made predictions on which items (pencil, feather, spoon, penny, rock, ping pong ball) would float and sink! We discussed why some items floated while others sank. (participating as a member of a group, answering questions, making predictions)
- The hippos loved building airports with blocks and flying the planes around. (gross/fine motor, taking turns, using language, resolving conflicts if they arise).
- After reading, Who Sank the Boat, we added animals to a styrofoam boat in water. We placed many farm animals in the boat but it did not sink! Finally, we added a few heavier animals and that did it! The boat sank!
- Thursday we pretended to go on a trip on an airplane during gym time. We paid money for a ticket, used our boarding pass to find the correct seat on the plane, buckled up our seat belts, took off, and then landed at the gym. During our flight the flight attendant passed our snacks. (pretend food) We also used our backpacks as our luggage!
During our 2nd steps lesson we learned that sometimes things happen that are accidents. When this happens we should say sorry and tell that person it was an accident and see if we can help that person. Susie, our puppet, bumped into Sammy by accident while she was looking for something. She said it was an accident and said sorry, then helped Sammy up.
Books We Read:
Trains
Who Sank the Boat
The Airport Book
ABC to the Rescue
Pete the Cat's Train Trip
Questions to Ask:
What is your favorite transportation vehicle?
Name a type of train, a type of water vehicle and a type of air vehicle.
What object sank and which object floated? (sank-penny, rock, spoon/floated-feather, ping pong ball, block, plastic spoon)
When reading Who Sank The Boat, which animal sank the boat? (a mouse)
What do we do at the airport? (check our bags, go through security, board the plane and store our carry ons, eat on the plane, land, and go to the carousel to pick up luggage)
Reminders:
PJ Day Tuesday 12/19
Winter Class Party Tuesday 12/19 at 11:00, all are welcome
Winter Break 12/20-1/3 School resumes Thursday 1/4
Martin Luther King Day-No School- Monday 1/15
Next Week: More Transportation!!
What to practice at home:
You and your child find different objects around the house to test in the bathtub/sink to see if they sink or float. Discuss why some objects sink and why others float. Have fun in the tub!
Enjoy the pictures of everyone exploring, discovering and having fun!!
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| S for spot. |
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| Little letters and dump trucks. |
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| Building with letter blocks! |
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| Look what we built! |
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| Cutting out shapes to make our train! |
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| Look at my family! |
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| Look what we built! |
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| How many bears can be knocked over by one train or two trains? |
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| The hippos loved hole punching train tickets! |
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| All aboard! |
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| Counting and comparing which train we like! |
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| Cutting yarn! |
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After we made our train, we added a track, wheels and couplers.
We then asked where their train would take them. |
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After we finished making our boats, we had fun placing bears in the
boats. How many bears did it take to sink our boat? |
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After reading, The Airlplane Book, the students sequenced
pictures in the story! |
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| We made airports for our planes and helicopters! |
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| Happy b-day Rylie and Knox! |
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| Sorting airplanes! |
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The hippos enjoyed decorating their airplanes and
flying them! |
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| In our Journals, we made windows and told they us where they wanted to fly to. |
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We pretended to be on an airplane. We held up
our boarding passes after we found our seats!
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| Here the students are paying me for their tickets. |
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| We grabbed our luggage (backpack) for our trip! |
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| Hole punching fun in art class! |
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| Show and Tell |
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| Show and Tell |
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| Fishing on the carpet and matching numbers. |
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| We traced the stencil then drew ourselves. |
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Everyone experimented with boats and animals!
How many animals made the boat sink? |
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| We predicted which items would float and sink! |
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| As we used props while reading our story! |
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| We pulled apart cotton balls to represent steam in our steam engine! |
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| We cut strips to make train wheels. |
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| We cut on different lines leading to trains. |
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| Letters and magnetic wands! What letters can I catch? |
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| I spy letters! |
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| Letters and moon sand. |
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We used letter bean bags to work on letters, letter sounds
and things that start with the letters! |
