Things that Grow - May 22-27

This will be the last week of our Things that Grow Unit. During this unit children will explore how living things grow, using observations, experiments, and books. Through story time readings, children hear about ducks who find a special home, a new baby on a farm, a boy who grows from babyhood to school age, and a girl who discovers the joys of growing vegetables. Children continue to learn about letters, sounds, and rhyming words and participate in many mathematics, science, music poetry and art activities.
The theme concepts include:
- Living things grow and have life cycles
- Living things reproduce and the offspring are the same kind of plant or animal as the parents.
- Living things need food, water and proper living conditions to survive.
- Immature living things need special care.
- Living things interact and among animals there are predators and prey.
Books this week:
I Heard Said the bird, By Polly Berrien Berends
Bigger, By Daniel Kirk

On the Farm, By Julie Lacome
Small Groups:
Language - Students will talk about the who and what you see at a Farm. They will put together a book and identify the things that do not belong on a farm.
Literacy - Students will put together their Alphabet book and make a cover page for it.

Math - Students will trace their bodies on paper, measure themselves with carboard blocks and decorate them.
Choice Time:
-Sensory Table- Bird seed, plastic eggs and pretend birds

-Easel - Animal paintings

-Blue table - Caterpillar and bug creation blocks
**Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "Z". Students will glue zebra pictures and decorate the letter "Z" with stripes. We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "Z." Send it in this week for show and tell!
-Rug - Alphabet floor puzzle
- Yellow table - Students will observe worms in their habitat witha magnifying glass.
Songs, Word Play, and Letters
Old McDonald had a Farm

Alphabet Action song

Rhythm sticks
Bean bag songs
Down by the Bay
The Green Grass Grows

Things that Grow - May 16-20

This week we will continue the OWL unit called Things that Grow. During this unit children will explore how living things grow, using observations, experiments, and books. Through story time readings, children hear about ducks who find a special home, a new baby on a farm, a boy who grows from babyhood to school age, and a girl who discovers the joys of growing vegetables. Children continue to learn about letters, sounds, and rhyming words and participate in many mathematics, science, music poetry and art activities.
The theme concepts include:
- Living things grow and have life cycles
- Living things reproduce and the offspring are the same kind of plant or animal as the parents.
- Living things need food, water and proper living conditions to survive.
- Immature living things need special care.
- Living things interact and among animals there are predators and prey.
Books this week:

Planting a Rainbow by Louis Elhert

I Heard Said the bird, By Polly Berrien Berends
Make way for Ducklings, By Robert McClosky
Small Groups:
Language and Literacy - Students will oserve the growth of their bean planted last week. They will record the progress in observation booklets.
Science - Students will use clay and scraps from outside to make small bird nests.
Fine motor group - Students will develop fine motor skills and observe their own progress as they create self portraits and practice writing their first names.
Choice Time:
-Sensory Table- Soil and pretend bugs
-Easel - Flower painting

-Creation table- Students will use pine cones and bird seed to make bird feeders to hang outside. **Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "Y". Students glue yearn scraps to decorate the letter "Y." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "Y." Send it in this week for show and tell!
-Rug - Large colored building blocks
- Yellow table - Students will observe worms in their habitat
Songs, Word Play, and Letters
5 Little Ducks Went out To Play
Alphabet Action song

Rhythm sticks

Bean bag songs
Down by the Bay
The Green Grass Grows

Things that Grow - May 9-13

This week we will begin a new OWL unit called Things that Grow. During this unit children will explore how living things grow, using observations, experiments, and books. Through story time readings, children hear about ducks who find a special home, a new baby on a farm, a boy who grows from babyhood to school age, and a girl who discovers the joys of growing vegetables. Children continue to learn about letters, sounds, and rhyming words and participate in many mathematics, science, music poetry and art activities.
The theme concepts include:
- Living things grow and have life cycles
- Living things reproduce and the offspring are the same kind of plant or animal as the parents.
- Living things need food, water and proper living conditions to survive.
- Immature living things need special care.
- Living things interact and among animals there are predators and prey.
Books this week:

Make way for Ducklings, By Robert McClosky
Growing Vegetable Soup, By Louis Elhert
The Ugly Vegetables, By grace Lin
Small Groups:
Science - Students will place beans in a plastic bag and paper towel to see them grow in the sun. They will record the progress in observation booklets.
Language and Literacy- Students will talk about different kinds of vegetables as they play Vegetable Bingo.
Math - Students will develop counting skills as they sing 5 Little Ducks and make a song board to accompany it.
**Special Activity - On Thursday the class will make vegetable soup together! Please refer to the notice in your child's backpack regarding the ingredient they can bring to contribute to the soup!
Choice Time:
-Sensory Table- Soil, rakes, shovels and different sized containers
- Dramatic Play - Students will pretend to make their own vegetable soup
-Easel - Vegetable picture painting
Creation table- Students will use pine cones and bird seed to make bird feeders to hang outside.

**Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "X". Students will use xylophone cutouts to decorate the letter "X." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "X." Send it in this week for show and tell!
-Rug - Farms and farm animals
Songs, Word Play, and Letters
5 Little Ducks Went out To Play

Buttercups and daisies poem
Down by the Bay
Color Song
The Green Grass Grows
Clap Your Hands
Old McDonald

Things that Grow

This week we will begin a new OWL unit called Things that Grow. During this unit children will explore how living things grow, using observations, experiments, and books. Through story time readings, children hear about ducks who find a special home, a new baby on a farm, a boy who grows from babyhood to school age, and a girl who discovers the joys of growing vegetables. Children continue to learn about letters, sounds, and rhyming words and participate in many mathematics, science, music poetry and art activities.

The theme concepts include:

- Living things grow and have life cycles

- Living things reproduce and the offspring are the same kind of plant or animal as the parents.

- Living things need food, water and proper living conditions to survive.

- Immature living things need special care.

- Living things interact and among animals there are predators and prey.
Books this week:
Growing Vegetable Soup, By Louis Elhert

The Ugly Vegetables, By grace Lin
Small Groups:
Science - Students will plant their own Marigold flowers. They will use soil, seeds, water and then place the plant in front of the sunny window.
Language and Literacy- Students will talk about different kinds of vegetables. They will measure the weight of them using a bathroom scale, a balance scale, and their own arms as a scale.

Math - Students will develop one to one correspondence skills as create a floral picture with flowers of different heights.

Art - Students will create a vegetable soup picture

Special Activity - Students will create a special gift for Mother's Day!
Choice Time:
-Sensory Table- Soil, rakes, shovels and different sized containers

- Dramatic Play - Students will pretend to make their own vegetable soup

-Easel - Green paintings
Creation table- Students will use different vegetables to paint vegetable prints
**Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "W". Students will use whale cutouts to decorate the letter "W." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "W." Send it in this week for show and tell!
-Rug - Farms and farm animals
Songs, Word Play, and Letters
Buttercups and daisies poem

Down by the Bay

Color Song

The Green Grass Grows

Clap Your Hands

Old McDonald

April 25-April 29

This week will conclude our unit called Shadows and Reflections! During this unit students will explore shadows and reflections using observations, experiments, and books to learn what makes a shadow and a reflection. Through story time books, children hear about a girl playing by a still pond, a puppy who thinks he's a kitten, a crocodile collecting reflections in a pain, a sleepy boy who sees a shadow save a cat, and raccoon who has an adventure with his own reflection. Children continue to learn about letters, and sounds and counting concrete objects. They will participate in many other mathematics, science, music, poetry and art activities.
Books this week:
Bear Shadow, by Frank Asch
Kitten for Day, By Ezra Jack Keats
Dreams, By Ezra Jack Keats
Small Groups:
Science - Students will talk about shadows and create a shadow picture from the story Shadow Bear.
Language and Literacy- Students will talk about the animals form our story and match the animal picture to the written animal word.
Drama group - Students will make a kitten puppet and use them to put on their own Kitten for a Day play in our pretend theater.
Art -Students will make a puppy puppet
Choice Time:
-Sensory Table- Sand, swamp and swamp animals
- Dramatic Play - Kittens and puppies
-Easel - Dreams and Kitten for a Day paintings
Creation table- Students will use clay to make animal sculptures
**Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "V". Students will use volleyball cutouts to decorate the letter "V." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "V." Send it in this week for show and tell!
-Rug - Farms and farm animals
- Yellow table - Number blocks and number pegs
Songs, Word Play, and Letters
Alphabet Action Song
Rhythm Sticks songs
Bean Bag songs
SNAKE song

School Vacation!

Just a reminder that April Vacation begins today, Friday April 15th. Enjoy your vacation week and we will see you the week of April 25th!

Shadows and Reflections - April 11-15

This week we will continue our unit called Shadows and Reflections! During this unit students will explore shadows and reflections using observations, experiments, and books to learn what makes a shadow and a reflection. Through story time books, children hear about a girl playing by astill pond, a puppy who thinks he's a kitten, a crocodile collectiong reflections in a pain, a sleepy boy who sees a shadow save a cat, and racoon who has an adventure with his own reflection. Children continue to learn about letters, and sounds and conuting concrete objects. They will participate in many other mathematics, science, music, poetry and art activities.

Books this week:

Kitten for Day, By Ezra Jack Keats

Dreams, By Ezra Jack Keats

Small Groups:

Math - Students will develop patterning skills as they make picture from the story "Kitten for a Day."

Science - Students will explore the concept of shadows using flashlights and animal figures.

Langauge and Literacy- Students will learn the song 3 Green and Freckled Frogs and make an accompanying song prop.

Choice Time:

-Sensory Table- Sand and Treasures

- Dramatic Play - Students will sit in a tent, use flashlights and create stick puppet shows with shadows.

-Easel - Students will use florescent paint and black paper to make night sky paintings. -Creation table- Students will use tissue paper and laminate to make stained glass windows.

**Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "U". Students will use unbrella cutouts to decorate the letter "U." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "U." Send it in this week for show and tell!

-Rug - Wooden blocks and flashlights

- Yellow table - Baby animal and parent animal lacing cards

Songs, Word Play, and Letters

3 Green and Freckled Frogs

Alphabet Action Song

Whose reflection is in the pool?

Looby Loo

SNAKE - sung to the tune of Bingo

Little Turtle Poem

Reflections in the Mirror

The Safari Scouts dressed up in their favorite costumes and looked at their reflections in the mirror!

Shadows and Reflections - April 4 - 8

This week we will continue our unit called Shadows and Reflections! During this unit students will explore shadows and reflections using observations, experiments, and books to learn what makes a shadow and a reflection. Through story time books, children hear about a girl playing by astill pond, a puppy who thinks he's a kitten, a crocodile collectiong reflections in a pain, a sleepy boy who sees a shadow save a cat, and racoon who has an adventure with his own reflection. Children continue to learn about letters, and sounds and conuting concrete objects. They will participate in many other mathematics, science, music, poetry and art activities.

Books this week:

Guess Whose Shadow? By Stephen R. Swinburne

Play With Me, By Marie Hall Etts

Raccoon on His Own, By Jim Arnosky

Small Groups: Math - Students will talk about some of the animals from the stories read, and develop one to one corresspondence skills as they graph animal figures.

Science - Students will explore the concept of reflection as they discuss what are good reflectors and what aren't. They will look at mirror panels and see how refections can bounce.

Literacy and science- Students will create a Guess Whose Shadow? book.

Choice Time:

-Sensory Table- Water, reflective paper and boats

- Dramatic Play - Students will sit in a tent, use flashlights and create stick puppet shows with shadows. -Easel - Students will paint clouds on blue paper as they discuss how clouds cast shadows on the ground.

-Creation table- Play dough and animal cookie cutters **Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "T". Students will use tutle cutouts to decorate the letter "T." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "T." Send it in this week for show and tell! -Rug - Large colored lego blocks - Yellow table - Reflection collages

Songs, Word Play, and Letters

Raccoon Song

Whose reflection is in the pool?

Open Shut them

Wheels on the Bus

SNAKE - sung to the tune of Bingo

Little Turtle Poem

World of Color

Here is a sneak peak at some more of the fun activities we did during the World of Colors unit!

Shadows and Reflections - March 28-April 1

This week we will beign a new unit called Shadows and Reflections! During this unit students will explore shadows and reflections using observations, experiments, and books to learn what makes a shadow and a reflection. Through story time books, children hear about a girl playing by astill pond, a puppy who thinks he's a kitten, a crocodile collectiong reflections in a pain, a sleepy boy who sees a shadow save a cat, and racoon who has an adventure with his own reflection. Children continue to learn about letters, and sounds and conuting concrete objects. They will participate in many other mathematics, science, music, poetry and art activities.

Books this week: Play With Me, By Marie Hall Etts Raccoon on His Own, By Jim Arnosky Small Groups: Math and Literacy- Students will develop letter and number recognition skills as they play number and letter go fish. Games and memory - Students will learn about the diiferent animals seen throughout this unit as they play animal memory Science - Students will explore the concept of reflection using mirrors and flashlights. Art - Students will make a paper plate raccoon and learn an accompanying song.

Choice Time: -Sensory Table- Reflective cookie sheets and spoons and bubbly water

-Easel - Students will use colors from the stories read to paint pictures of animals found in the stories.

-Creation table- Play dough

**Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "S". Students will use stickers to decorate the letter "S." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "S." Send it in this week for show and tell!

-Rug - Large colored lego blocks

- Dramatic Play - Dress up, mirrors and reflective mylar paper

- Yellow table - Animal puzzles

Songs, Word Play, and Letters

5 Little Fishies

Whose reflection is in the pool?

Come and Join in the game

Eentsy Weentsy spider

SNAKE - sung to the tune of Bingo

Clap your hands

World of Color - March 21-25

***We will celebrate a color a week during this unit! This week is Blue week! Please help your child wear the color of the week to school especially on Thursday, Blue Day!***
This week will conclude our World of Color unit!

Books this week:
We will have a reading from each our favorite books from this unit!

Max's Dragon Shirt, By Rosemary Wells

Dogs Colorful Day, By Emily Dodd

The Lion and the Little Red Bird, By Elisa Kleven

Mouse Paint, By Ellen Stoll Walsh
Small Groups:
Fine motor and science - Students will revisit the paper fading experiment. They will see how their paper strips faded in the sunlight and how the papers out of the sun remained non-faded. They will cut strips and sort them into faded and non-faded categories.
Language and Literacy - Students will talk about the book Mouse Paint and discuss their favorite colored mouse and the color paint that he made. They will create their own Mouse Paint Picture.
Science - Students will use primary colored water to create new water colors. They will use squirt bottles and tubes to see the colors blend.

Art - Students will use miscellaneous blue materials to decorate blue crowns for blue day!
Choice Time:
-Sensory Table- Seashells and sand
-Easel - Students will use Wiki sticks to trace the outlines of letters from the alphabet.
-Creation table- Students will place tangram blocks together to create whole pictures.
**Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "R". Students will glue ribbon pieces to the letter "R." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "R." Send it in this week for show and tell!

-Rug - students will use colored Clicks and star builders to make their own creations

- Dramatic Play - Students pretend to work at an ice cream stand. They will play the roles of Ice Cream Scooper, the Customer and the Cashier.
- Yellow table - Color matching puzzles

Songs, Word Play, and Letters
Alphabet Action
Color Train
Someones wearing a ___ shirt
The color I see

World of Color - March 14-18

***We will celebrate a color a week during this unit! This week is Green week! Please help your child wear the color of the week to school especially on Thursday, Green Day!***
This week we will continue OWL Unit 4 called World of Color! During this unit students will learn about color names, color mixing, stains, fading, and color patterns. Throughout the story time books students will hear about a dog that stains his white coat, a lion who paints pictures, a boy who gets special letters from his grandmother, and a rabbit who wants to buy a special shirt. Children will increase their vocabulary and observe and explore color and patterns directly. They will continue to learn about letters and sounds, including rhyming words and they will participate in music, poetry, mathematics, science and art activities.
Books this week:
The Color Kittens, By Margaret Wise Brown
Circus Shapes, By Stuart J. Murphy
Small Groups:
Art- Students will color a Mouse Paint Picture. They will mix two promary colors to make a new color.
Math - Students will develop math skills as they create a pattern with different colored rectangular shaped circus cars.
Language and Literacy - Students will develop letter recognition and letter sound associations as they play alphabet go fish.
Science - Students will paint Mouse Paint jars and use two primary colors to make a new color.
Art - Students will use miscellaneous green materials to decorate green crowns for green day!
Choice Time:
-Sensory Table- Seashells and sand

-Easel - Students will use primary colors to paint on paper towels. They will allow the colors to blend and make new colors.
-Creation table- Students will use miscellaneous materials to make "I spy" pictures. They will ask clues of their friends to try and discover the hidden item.
**Art table - This week we will learn about the letter "Q". Students will glue Q-Tips to the letter "Q." We will save the picture to create an alphabet book.** Please look around your house with your child to find something that starts with the letter "Q." Send it in this week for show and tell! - Dramatic Play - Students pretend to work at an ice cream stand. They will play the roles of Ice Cream Scooper, the Customer and the Cashier.
- Yellow table - Color game

Songs, Word Play, and Letters
Alphabet Action
Color Train
Someone's wearing a ___ shirt

The color I see

Baking and Color Fun!

A fun and education filled activity was enjoyed by the Safari Scout class last week! We measured and mixed sugar cookie dough and used dog shaped cookie cutters to make cookies. Students were able to choose two primary colors of food coloring that they wanted to mix for their own dollop of frosting. They thoroughly enjoyed the process, however, I gather that for them the finished product was the best part!