Process of Design

Yesterday we spent our day doing Valentine science.  Part of our science curriculum asks students to use 'THE PROCESS OF DESIGN' to enrich their learning of a concept.  One of our science units is about paper and trees, so we used the process of design to build our own Valentine's Day envelopes.  We looked at how a pocket works to hold things.  The kids had to figure out how to turn a piece of paper into a pocket.  We experimented with folding, gluing, taping, stapling and tearing.  We figured out that three sides had to be closed and the kids got to decide how they wanted to close them.

Next, we put valentines into the pockets to test them.  

Finally, we decorated them.  Next, we will complete self-evaluations and fill up our envelopes at our party on Friday.  For some students, it will be their first time giving and getting valentines.  How exciting!

Finishing Up With Penguins

I thought we were finished with our polar animal unit last week, but we've been having so much fun with penguins that I had to add one last day.  We sorted out the penguin life cycle and then pretended we were little daddy penguins who had to carry our eggs on our feet to keep our babies warm.  The kids carried their 'eggs' to me, where I rewarded them with some krill (le krill).  I had some of them fooled that they'd really be eating seafood!  Instead it was just a peach gummy candy.

After that we learned about how penguins keep warm by huddling close together to shelter each other from the wind.  Here is our (super cute) penguin huddle.
 

TGIF!!

We made good use of our time today at kindergarten as we finished up a few winter and polar animal activities so that we will be ready to jump right in to 100th Day and Valentine's Day next week.  Festival du Voyageur will follow, so it was now or never!!  We started with a penguin sort.  We learned about the 'manchot jugulaire' (Chinstrap penguin), the 'gorfou sauteur' (Rockhopper penguin), the 'manchot empereur' (Emperor penguin), and the 'manchot adélie' (Adelie penguin).  Here we are trying to find our penguin family.  Nineteen kindergartners waddling in all directions is pretty adorable.

Next we sorted our penguins. 

We also did a penguin directed drawing activity.  What a bunch of little artists!

As if that wasn't enough excitement, we started our Borax crystal science experiment.  We folded up pipe cleaners to make snowflakes.

Next, we submerged them in boiling water and Borax.  The kids helped with the measuring and mixing.  Hopefully they will be covered in beautiful crystals when we come back to school on Monday.

SmartBoard Fun

We did something WILD today.  We threw things at our SmartBoard!!  The kids loved playing this colour identification game that involved throwing koosh balls at animals.  If they hit their target, a colourful SPLAT appeared and they would have to name the colour in French.  We'll be playing this game with letters, numbers and words in the coming weeks.

 

New Welcome Work

We started our new baskets today.  The kids have really been enjoying these activities.  I like how they can touch on math, literacy, fine motor, logic and reasoning practice, and social skills.  Here are your cuties in action:

Race to Fill up a Cup

Valentine Number Lines

ABC Ordering (lowercase)

Matching Groundhogs to their Shadows 

Stamping Words 

Groundhog Day

Today we learned about Groundhog Day (Jour de la marmotte).  We are so excited that Winnipeg Willow predicted an early spring!

To celebrate, we made the cutest little groundhog puppets.  What a great start to February.

Polar Animal Sort

Today we learned a bit more about the differences between the animals of the North Pole and the animals of the South Pole.  We did an animal sort and learned some of their french names.