Subject: Social Studies

Playdough Sushi

  • For sushi rice, mix uncooked rice into white dough.

Note:  The texture is very realistic for sushi rolls

  • Make other colored dough:
  1. Mint green—cucumbers
  2. Orange—grated carrots
  3. Brown—soy meat
  4. Dark Pink—tuna
  • Smoosh out the playdough rice in the middle of the nori, making a thin layer.
  • Encourage your students to roll, pinch, squeeze and squash the dough to make the sushi filling.
  • Roll the nori tight.
  • Wet fingers and seal the edges and ends of the sushi roll.
  • Cut sushi with a sharp knife.

Encourage your students to make more and to even play restaurant.

Rainforest Terrarium

  • Layer the terrarium.
  • 1-inch layer of small rocks at the bottom of your jar.
  • Add a layer of activated carbon charcoal.
  • Then place a layer of moss or pistachio shells.
  • Ask the children to sprinkle water on the plants before planting.
  • Add potting soil to the terrarium to accommodate roots of the plants.
  • Pick a variety of tropical smaller plants.
  • Choose small animal figures to put in your terrarium.
  • Don’t put the lid on for a few hours.
  • Once the lid is on, only remove every few weeks for fresh air.

Macaroni World

  • Draw a basic globe with a blue or green crayon.
  • Paint water on the coffee filter.
  • Add a little glitter if you want.
  • The crayon outline should be visible.
  • Fill the continents in with glue.
  • Encourage your students to put pasta in the glued areas.
  • Let the project dry.
  • If you want to hang it…the project will need to be mounted on a sturdy structure backing.

Rolling Paint

  • Cut cardstock to fit inside the peanut butter jar.
  • Place cardstock, blobs of paint, ½ cup of beans in the jar.
  • Put the lid on tight.
  • Encourage your students to “shake, rattle and roll” as much as they would like.
  • Remove paper from jar.
  • Allow paint to dry.
  • Give the students outlines of colorful rainforest animals.
  • Encourage them to trace and cut out animals using your colorful paper.

Note:  This project works well for a puppet

Paper Plate Parrot

  • Cut the paper plate in half.
  • One half is the head and the other the body.
  • Instruct the students to color the head to look like a parrot, head and beak.
  • Glue on the goggly eye.
  • Cut tissue paper into squares and glue them to the paper plate.
  • You will need several long strips of ribbon.
  • Staple them to the tissue paper half.
  • Staple the 2 halves together as shown in the picture.
  • Display or make into a puppet using a popsicle stick.

Beautiful Birds 1

Beautiful Birds with music

God’s Beautiful Birds

Mexican Wedding Cookies by Simple Simon

1 cup softened butter

½ c powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

2 cups of flour

1 c finely chopped pecans

½ cup extra powdered sugar to roll cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter, ½ c powdered sugar, and vanilla together until fluffy.  Add the flour slowly and when all is combined add the finely chopped pecans.  Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and bake for 12-14 minutes until bottoms are lightly brown.  Cool on a rack for several minutes and then roll the cooled cookies in the extra powdered sugar.  Enjoy!

My Tree Book

·  Get a local field guide book for your area from the library.

Note:  Often there are pictures and descriptions of the tree and the leaves and seeds

·  Take a walk around the school or nearby church collecting leaves and seeds from trees.

Note:  Follow the steps to keep information together.  Remember to leave some space on the page for tree identification

  1. Make a rubbing of the bark
  2. Tape the leaf and seed to the page with the rubbing

·  Ask the students such questions as:

  1. What is the shape of the tree?
  2. How does the texture of the bark feel?
  3. Does the tree have flowers, fruit, or nuts?
  4. Can you see any animals around the tree?
  5. What animals might use the tree for food?

·  Collect the pages and assemble to make a guide with a personal cover created by your student.

National Trees

State Trees

History of Arbor Day

Arbor Day Foundation website

Books:

  • A Tree Is Nic by Janice May Udry.
  • We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow.
  • A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell Depalma.
  • The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers.
  • A Tree is a Plant by Clyde Robert Bulla.
  • Redwoods by Jason Chin.
  • A Tree for Emmy by Mary Ann Rodman.
  • Gus Is a Tree by Claire Babin.
  • Old Elm Speaks:  Tree Poems by Kristin O’Connell George.
  • Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting.
  • Arbor Day Square by Kathryn Galbraith.
  • Tell Me, Tree:  All About Trees for Kids by Gail Gibbons.
  • The Big Tree by Bruce Hiscock.
  • This is the Tree:  A Story of the Baobab by Miriam Moss.
  • A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer.

YouTube version of A Log’s Life

Game: Colored Tickets

Note:  This game requires at least 12 students.  For smaller group, just use 2 or 3 different colors of paper

  1. Cut out 2”x3” paper tickets from four different colors of paper.
  2. Pass out the tickets to your student.
  3. Now, chug around the room pretending to be a train.
  4. When you stop, call out, “All aboard the Red Train.”
  5. Only students with the red ticket can come up and hand you a red ticket, then hook onto your back for a ride around the room.
  6. Chug around the room, then call out “End of the Line, All OFF the Train.”
  7. Continue the game, by next calling “All Aboard” for a different color train.

Game: Hook on the Train

  1. One student is chosen to be the engine of a train.
  2. This student chugs around the room and then backs up into another student.
  3. The new student connects onto the train by grabbing onto the waist of the engine.
  4. Then these two students chug around the room and back into another student.
  5. The game continues until all students have hooked onto the train.

Song: Chug Chug Chug

Author:  E. Scofield

Tune: “Jingle Bells”

 

Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug

Chugging down the track.

See our little choo-choo train

Chugging down and back.

We are-all lined up.

Chugging just like so.

Hear our whistle toot-toot-toot

As down and back we go

Freight Trains

Additional Resources:

Then and Now…Progression of transportation

  • Discuss the different kinds of trains and train cars…

Note:  A resource book would be great for visuals

1.  Hopper Car—

  • an open top car that carries cargo that is poured into the top of the car.
  • carries coal, wheat and sand.

2.  Flat Car—

  • flat floor on wheels that carries large loads that are usually tied on.
  • lumber, machinery.
  • carries large items stacked on top of each other.

3.  Box Car—

  • is a four-sided rectangular car with a large side and sliding door?
  • Cargo varies.

4.  Tank car—

  • is a metal tube shaped car?
  • carries liquid such as milk, oil or gasoline.

5.  Caboose—

  • is the last car on a train?
  • It is a home and an office for the train workers.

 

3-D Map: Part 3

  • Gather your students around a map or globe.
  • Remind them how to use the direction papers on the wall.
  • Identify where different objects are on the map.
  • Encourage them to use specific terminology when answering questions.
  • Ask:
  1. In which direction is the tall tree?
  2. In which direction are the rocks?
  3. In which direction will you find pink flowers?
  4. In which direction are the animals grazing?
  5. Where do the groundhogs live?
  • Example answer: “The rocks are north of the stream.”
  • Add new objects to the map.

Note:  Keep your questions simple

  • Switch teacher and student roll.
  • Encourage the students to ask questions.

3-D Map: Part 2

·  Look at a compass or some smartphones can download an app.

·  Show the students the cardinal directions of North, South, East and West.

·  Teach them how to use the compass.

·  Note the directions around your home or another location.

·  Place a piece of paper on the wall with the appropriate direction on the walls of your classroom, N, S, E, and W.

·  Ask questions about your home location and the directions.

Note:  Keep the questions simple

3-D Map: Part 1

  • Prep an area to be able to work on the project for several days.
  • Give the students a variety of supplies.
  • Encourage them to make a 3-D map of a prairie.
  • This activity will continue for a few days.

Website Wild Flowers: Part 1

  • Print blackline 1.13a-1.13e.
  • Cut apart the different flowers to reduce extra paper.

Information:  Many flowers and plants were used for food and medicine

  • Roots of the Virginia Spring Beauty are edible.
  • Potatoes are baked or boiled for eating.
  • Roasted Chestnuts are used in baking or for eating plane.
  • Bedstraw Plants were used for stuffing mattresses and pillows.
  • Baked Corn Salad Plant leaves were eaten or added to a salad.
  • Compass Plant was believed could point to North or South and Native American children used this plant is gum.
  • Oxeye Daisy was believed to keep lightning away and it is told that pioneers would hang it in their house.
  • Visit the web site to find more information about each of the blackline flowers.

Flowers

  • Encourage them to look carefully at the pictures and to recreate the coloring on the blackline using crayons.

Safety First

  • Review with students how Rebecca almost drowns in the river and Harrison falls off the wagon.
  • Talk about how to stay safe when doing different activities.
  • This could include water, parking lot, playground, classroom and travel.
  • Examples:
  1. Tell the person in charge where you are going and when you change your plans
  2. Take a friend when playing outside at home
  3. Put on a seatbelt in the car
  4. Sit in a booster seat while riding in a car
  5. Wear a helmet when riding a bike
  6. Wear a lifejacket on a boat
  7. Walk in the hall or classroom
  8. Walk with sticks
  9. Walk with scissors
  10. Hold rocks carefully
  11. Say “no” to strangers
  12. Walk by an adult in a parking lot
  13. Play safely on climbing equipment and slides
  14. No running at the pool and other safety rules
  • Summarize rules as an act of love from a parent or grown-ups.

Playdough Sushi

  • For sushi rice, mix uncooked rice into white dough.

Note:  The texture is very realistic for sushi rolls

  • Make other colored dough:
  1. Mint green—cucumbers
  2. Orange—grated carrots
  3. Brown—soy meat
  4. Dark Pink—tuna
  • Smoosh out the playdough rice in the middle of the nori, making a thin layer.
  • Encourage your students to roll, pinch, squeeze and squash the dough to make the sushi filling.
  • Roll the nori tight.
  • Wet fingers and seal the edges and ends of the sushi roll.
  • Cut sushi with a sharp knife.
  • Encourage your students to make more and to even play restaurant.

Children around the World

  • Discuss different countries & cultures: Asia, Africa, Australia, etc.
  • How do children around the world keep their bodies healthy?
  • How do these cultures differ from ours in how children care for their bodies? How are these cultures like ours?

Books from Around the World for Kids:

This is the Way We Eat Our Lunch by Edith Baer

Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley

The Usborne Book of Peoples of the World by Usborne Books

Somewhere in the World Right Now by Stacey Schuett

Global Babies by The Global Fund for Children

A Life Like Mine by DK

Children Just Like Me by Anabel Kindersley

Children Around the World by Donata Montanari

What I Eat by Peter Menzel

This Child, Every Child: A Book about the World’s Children by David J. Smith

Friendship Tree – Art project

  • Draw an outline of a tree with a brown marker on a large poster board.
  • Let the students color in the trunk with brown crayons.
  • Once the trunk is completed, draw skinny limbs extending out of the tree.
  • Try to make enough limbs to represent each of your students.
  • Let your students choose the color of paint for their leaves.
  • Paint each child’s hand with a large paint brush.
  • Write the child’s name in permanent marker next to their hand print.

Dramatic Play: Laundry

  • Build the washer / drier from 2 boxes.
  • Reinforce with packing or duct tape.
  • Draw details of the washer / drier.
  • Gather a variety of paired socks, dish towels and baby clothes.
  • Instruct the students they will be practicing chores that can help around the house.
  1. Folding clothes
  2. Pairing socks
  3. Folding small towels

Seven Continents

  • That a laminated wall map and trace each continent.
  • Transfer to tracing to colored paper or cardstock.
  • Laminate.
  • Place one or two Velcro dots on the back of the continent, placing the corresponding on the wall map.
  • Encourage the students to match the shape of each continent on the wall map.
  • Talk about where each student lives and correspond the wall map and a globe.
  • Look at the continent in a children’s picture atlas.
  • Encourage your students to draw pictures of animals that might live in different continents.
  • You can make a “web” with the animal pictures and map.
  • Find the continent with the different artic babies in this unit.

How Ice Melts

Children Science Activity

  • The following experiment is based on the video clip below.

Cullen’s ABCs:

Ice Melting Children Science Activity

  • Put ice cubes in a large tub or bowl.
  • Give your child a variety of tools to help explore the properties of ice: rubber gloves, magnifying glasses, tweezers, tongs, small shovels, and measuring cups.
  • Give your child a bit of time to explore with the tools above before beginning the next activity.
  • Talk about what is happening to the ice cube or iceberg.
  1. How does the ice feel?
  2. How does the ice smell?
  3. How does the ice look?
  4. Does ice make noises and sounds?
  5. How does it melt?
  6. Does it melt faster when your hand is opened or closed?
  7. What does the ice look like when it melts?
  8. Is the ice smooth or rough as its melting?
  9. Why is the melting of ice so important to our world?
  • Watch video clip.

Global Sea Levels Rising as Arctic Ice Melts at Alarming Rates

Ice Melting Conditions:  Experiment

  • Record your results on the chart below:
  1. Using a strainer, run cold water over an ice cube
  2. Using a strainer, run hot water over an ice cube
  3. Place an ice cube into a small pan of boiling water
  4. On a microwaveable plate, time how long it takes to melt 1 ice cube in the microwave
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 ice cube on a jellyroll pan and place in the oven
Melting Type Melting Time in Seconds
Strainer with cold water
Strainer with hot water
Boiling water
Microwave
Oven

Amazing Dogs

  • Watch Video Clip.

Animal X:  Dog Hero

Reading A to Z

  1. Dogs at Work—Level G, Grade 1
  2. Troika: Canine Superhero—Level D, Grade 2
  3. Baltic Rescue—Level Q, Grade 2
  4. Heroes of September 11—Level J, Grade 1

Post Activity:

Have the children draw and color a picture of a dog.

Graphic Organizer Web Diagrams: Types of Transportation

  • Draw a web organizer on a large post-it chart paper.
  • Review DAY 1 content.
  • Remind the students of the definition of transportation– Any device used to move an item or person from one location to another.
  • In the center circle, write the word
  • In the spokes of the web, list different types of transportation used in the past.
  • You may need to add more spokes and circles to accommodate.

Transportation / Video and Books

  • Watch video clip

Wilbooks-Transportation

After Viewing Questions:

  1. What is transportation?—Any device used to move an item or person from one location to another
  2. Where do you go?
  3. What is your favorite transportation? (list the children’s favorite transportations on the board or on a large post-it chart)
  4. Ask the children if there are other forms of transportation that no one has mentioned.

Reading Extension: Reading A to Z:

  1. Getting Around the City—Level D, Grade 1
  2. Going Places—Level A, Kindergarten

Craft Activity

Clothes pin Airplane on Pinterest – Go to our Cobblestones Pinterest Account and under the “transportation board” you will find this simple airplane you can make with the children.

After making the clothespin/popsicle stick airplanes have the children share with their classmate:

If I flew in an airplane I would visit ____________________

Chinese New Year Celebrations

  • Talk about celebrations in the United States and in your family.
  • Food, games and activities are a part of each family.
  • Watch several video clips below.

 

My Choice—Chinese New Years—Children Celebrate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIThvekI_u0

 

Discovering China—Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year Drum Performance

Chinese Food in Chinese New Years

Martin Luther King Jr. Day:  Third Monday of January

Books about Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr. by Jean Marollo.
  • I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.
  • A Lesson for Martin Luther King Jr. by Denise Lewis Patrick.
  • My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris.
  • A Picture Book of Martin Luther King Jr. by David A. Adler.

Group Activity:

Martin Luther King Jr. was a great role model for being kind to others.

  • Invite students to explain what acts of kindness are and ask them how they feel when someone does something nice for them.
  • Give them examples of different acts of kindness to get them started.
  • Write “I am kind when ______” on several large construction paper hearts.
  • Ask each student to say how they would finish the sentence and write down what each student says.
  • Then ask them to draw a picture on their heart.
  • After all students have finished drawing, tie the hearts together with ribbon and put them into a class book.

Song:

I Am Kind to My Friends

Tune: Skip to My Lou

I am kind to my friends,

I am kind to my friends,

I am kind to my friends,

When I ____________. (Let a child finish with an answer)

Matching Game:

Laminate several hearts of different sizes and colors and cut them in half for the children to match together.

Snack:

Give each child two cookies and have them decorate them and then invite them to exchange with another child. A healthier option is using celery sticks or apple slices and letting them spread yogurt or cream cheese on the celery or apples and then put berries on top.

Kid President on Martin Luther King Jr. 

Community Web

  • Children should be placed in a circle.
  • The main purpose of this activity is to show the students that each and every piece of the yarn is important.
  • Tell the children that we are all connected just like a spider web.
  • As you begin to create the web, use a piece of masking tape to anchor the first piece of yarn to the floor.
  • Instruct the children to hold securely to the yarn creating a web.
  • Go back and forth in the circle.
  • The students will enjoy weaving their bodies back and forth.
  • Enjoy a fun activity together by bouncing a large beach ball on top of the web.

Note:  For security…have the students hold the yarn in their lap or on the floor, step lightly

“Hidden” Disabilities

ADHD
Anxiety disorders
Allergies
Arachnoiditis
Asperger Syndrome
Asthma
Autism
Bipolar disorder
Brain injuries
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic pain
Circadian rhythm sleep disorders
Coeliac Disease
Crohn’s disease
Depression
Diabetes
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Endometreosis
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Food allergies
Fructose malabsorption
Hereditary Fructose Intolerance
Hyperhidrosis
Hypoglycemia
Inflammatory bowel disease
Interstitial cystitis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Lactose Intolerance
Lupus
Lyme Disease
Major depression
Metabolic syndrome
Migraines
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Myasthenia Gravis
Narcolepsy
Personality disorders
Primary immunodeficiency
Psychiatric disabilities
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Repetitive stress injuries
Rheumatoid arthritis
Schnitzler’s Syndrome
Schizophrenia
Scleroderma
Sjagren’s syndrome
Temporomandibular joint disorder
Transverse Myelitis
Ulcerative Colitis

Guidelines for Talking About Disabilities

  • Age appropriate education is necessary at any age when referring to disabilities.
  • Help the students understand that everyone is different. Help them understand that even if we are different on the outside, we are all the same on the inside.
  • Use examples that are positive while leaving the conversation open to discussion.
  • Let them know that canes, wheelchairs, walkers, assistance dogs, and other medical devices are an extension of the person with disabilities, and should not be leaned on, tampered with, stared (or pointed) at, or played with.
  • Help your students understand that there are inward and outward disabilities.
  • Teach the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Gifts For the Community, Neighbors or Friends

  • Print blackline 3.22 on card stock.
  • Cut cards apart.
  • Explain to your child that Christmas is a time when many people bake cookies, cakes, and others treats.
  • Read the recipe together.
  • Point out recipes contain dry and wet ingredients.
  • Ask: Which ingredients are considered wet?
  • Tell your child you will be combining all dry ingredients together as a gift.
  • Then explain that the wet ingredients will be added by the person later.
  • Gather items necessary.
  • Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a quart jar.
  1. 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
  2. 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  3. ½ teaspoon salt
  • Layer the remaining ingredients in order as listed below.
  1. ¾ cup sugar
  2. ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  3. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  4. 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  5. 1 cup chopped walnuts and raisin (optional)
  • Press each layer firmly into place.
  • Neaten your project with the dry paper towel.
  • Once the lid is secure.
  • Decorating the cards and lids on another day.

Box Barns

  • Cardboard box (cut the back).
  • Cut 3 out of 4 flaps off.
  • Cut a door and windows.
  • Paint the box as you wish.
  • Trim out if desired.

Use toys around your home, such as; people, animals, fences (glue together popsicle sticks).  Create a farm and role play farm life.

Farm Jobs

  • Brainstorm with your child various jobs on a farm.
  • Talk about how growing food and raising animals are just as important.
  • Sing the following song to the tune of the “Farmer in the Dell”.

The farmer sows his seeds, the farmer sows his seeds, heigh-ho the derry-o, the farmer sows his seeds

(Have your child curl up in a little ball like a seed)

The wind begins to blow, the wind begins to blow, heigh-ho the derry-o, The wind begins to blow

(Wave arms like waves of grain)

The rain begins to fall, the rain begins to fall, heigh-ho the derry-o, the rain begins to fall

(Move fingers like raindrops)

The sun begins to shine, the sun begins to shine, heigh-ho the derry-o, the sun begins to shine

(Arms in a circle over the head, like the sun)

The seed begins to grow, the seed begins to grow, heigh-ho the derry-o, the seed begins to grow

(Rise from squatting position to standing like a plant growing)

The farmer cuts the grain, the farmer cuts the grain, heigh-ho the derry-o, the farmer cuts the grain

(Move arms to cut grain with a scythe)

Create different verses and motions for additional learning

  • The cow ate the grass…
  • The farmer milked the cow…
  • The wife made some cheese…

Note:  Make notes below for recall purposes

 

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Home Maps

  • In a basket, place lots of photo copied maps, aerial views, etc. of your state and town.
  • Provide pencils, rulers, thin markers, and curved rulers.
  • Have the students look at the maps.
  • Show the maps of your home area.
  • Talk about landmarks, roads, directions and other highlights enjoyed around your neighborhood.
  • Send a note home to the parents requesting maps.
  • Request that the families locate their residence using a dot, and any frequently visited sites from what directions they come to school.

Water Cycle

  • The amount of water on and around our earth is the same amount of water that has been there since God created this earth.
  • Tell the children that somewhere on or around our earth is some water that Adam and Eve, Noah, Esther, and Jesus used.
  • God doesn’t need to create more water to make it rain; He created a cycle.
  • Discuss when it first rained on our earth—the Before the flood the water cycle was different. The water was in the atmosphere and appeared as heavy dew every morning to water plants and trees.
  • Read a book about the water cycle or use online resources:

NASA:  The Water Cycle

Water Cycle Song

The Water Cycle Song

Water Cycle 3-D Animation

“Book Bag”

  • Note: Book variety is always a challenge. The “Book Bag” provides opportunity for fresh periodicals.  Send the “Book Bag” home frequently, 1 to 2 times a week.  Read the books when the opportunity presents:  before lunch, after recess, during rest time, fillers, or chill zone. 

Sensory Table

  • Create a sensory experience filled with ocean creatures: plastic ocean life and greenery, sea shells, etc.
  • Fill the sensory table with water & blue food coloring.
  • Provide a hands-on ocean life experience.

My Neighborhood

  • Discuss what a neighborhood means.
  • Where do the children live?
  • What do their homes look like?
  • Are there similarities?
  • How are they different?
  • What materials were used to make their home? Bricks, sticks or straw?
  • Rural, Suburban, or Urban?

Create a picture book of their home, family and continent.

  • Draw their home and neighborhood.
  • Draw their family.
  • Include what continent they live on.

 

“Book Bag”

Note:  Book variety is always a challenge.  The “Book Bag” provides opportunity for fresh periodicals.  Send the “Book Bag” home frequently, 1 to 2 times a week.  Read the books when the opportunity presents:  before lunch, after recess, “time” fillers, or chill zone. 

Suggested Reading:

  • Where Do I live? by Neil Chesanow.
  • I live in Tokyo by Mari Takabayashi.
  • Where I live by Frances Wolfe.
  • I live in the Desert by Gini Holland and Susan Nations.
  • Pery’s Neighborhood by Stuart Murphy.

Tools

  • Explain to the children that most jobs have tools.
  • Talk about different jobs and the tools they might use.
  • Have a variety of tools from different jobs in a bag and pull the items out one at a time.
  • Ask: Who would use this tool?
  • Have the children share what type of material the tool is made from.
  • Instruct the children to draw a picture of the tool and career of their choice.

Note:  You can also create a concentration game having the children match the career with the tool.

Library Trip

  • Take a trip to your local or school library.
  • Prior to arriving, ask the attendant to have career books out for the children.
  • Allow the children time to explore the books.
  • Take some time to read a few books.
  • Ask the librarian what kind of work they do?

Note:  Teacher can check books out and take them back to the classroom.

Thank-You Cards

  • Brainstorm with the children a list of community friends and helpers.
  • Encourage the children to write the following statement inside the card— “I Thank God for You”.
  • Give the children time to decorate the card.
  • Have the children deliver the cards to community helpers with a smile and a thank you.

Elisha and the Syrian Army.

Maps

  • Build with your students.
  • Painters tape—define roads, parking lots and driveways.
  • Popsicle sticks, foam and cardstock—make traffic signs, trees, etc.
  • Small cardboard boxes—homes, buildings and churches.
  • Medium metal cars and Fisher Price Little People—represent traffic patterns and dramatic play.
  • Green and blue felt or fabric—parks and bodies of water.

“Book Bag”

  • Note: Book variety is always a challenge. The “Book Bag” provides opportunity for fresh periodicals.  Send the “Book Bag” home frequently, 1 to 2 times a week.  Read the books when the opportunity presents:  before lunch, after recess, during rest time, fillers, or chill zone. 

What is Sand?

Questions to ask the children:

·  What is sand?

·  Where does sand come from?

·  Take a closer look at the sand.

·  Put some sand on a piece of black construction paper and some on a piece of white paper.

·  Use a magnifying glass to show small pieces of seashells, rocks, and some pebbles.

·  Keep the sand to make a footprint keepsake or other art projects (Go to Pinterest for ideas).

Role Play: Friendship

 

  • Topics throughout the week:
  1. What to do when another student takes a toy from you.
  2. What to do when you want a toy that another student is already playing with.
  3. What to do when a friend has an accident (makes a mess, falls down, etc.).
  4. What to do when someone is unkind to you.
  • Ask the students to draw a picture and to tell the teacher something they might have learned.

Game: Water or Land?

  • Explain to the children that we live on an enormous planet shaped like a ball, that orbits the sun, called “Earth”.
  • Blow up an inflatable globe.
  •  Toss the globe back-and-forth.
  • Ask the children to catch the ball with all their fingers spread wide.
  • Have the children hold the ball tight.
  • Explain how land and water is identified on the globe.
  • Identify the parts of our earth that are covered by water and those that are covered by land.
  • After he or she has caught the ball identify where their thumb has landed: land or water?
  • Gently toss the ball back and forth repeating the activity.
  • Show the children the continent where we live.
  • Find a large body of water near where we live.
  • Explain how our earth is covered with more than 70% water.
  • Watch the video clip.

Know Your Globe

Children’s:  Continents and Oceans

Did you ever see a Lassie

(Tune to “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”) – Practice ahead of time, before teaching the song.

Oh, can you name the oceans?

The oceans, the oceans?

Oh, can you name the oceans?

Why don’t you sing along?

There’s the Atlantic and the Pacific,

And the Arctic and the Indian,

And don’t forget the Southern;

You sang them with me!

Flower Memory Game

  • Purchase enough flower stickers (you will need 2 of each kind).
  • Cut card stock 3” squares.
  • Place one of each sticker on two cards.
  • Put the cards on the table face down.
  •  Take turns choosing 2 cards at a time.
  •  If a match is not made, the next person gets a chance.
  • The game continues until all the flower cards have been matched.
  • The student with the most matches wins!

Baggie Garden

Activity:

  • Begin by reading the book “Sunflower House” by Bunting or another book describing and showing how plants sprout from seeds.
  • Wet paper towels, and fold in half.
  • Add seeds.
  • Place paper towels with seeds into a re-sealable bag.
  • Let some air in the bag and seal it shut.
  • Place bag in the window to receive indirect light.
  • Have the children observe what happens.

Additional Activity:

You can sprout cress seeds in a cracked egg shells (open a small hole from the top of the egg to empty egg), wash inside of egg shells well, put cotton wool inside the shells and moisten with water. Sprinkle cress seeds all over the cotton wool. Add googly eyes, draw a mouth and nose. Watch the egg grow hair, the children will love this activity.

 

 

Another Habitat: Desert

  • Compare rainforests and deserts.
  • How are the plants different or the same?
  • What is the ground like?
  • Is there lots of water?
  • How do animals hide?
  • Where do animals sleep?
  • What kind of foods could animals eat?
  • Why or why not?
  • Read library books about deserts.

·  Discuss the creatures pictured on the blacklines.

·  Color pictures that go with environment.

·  Glue habitat label and pictures in one of the four sections.

·  Add environment elements that belong to the habitat.

·  Explore website below.

Neok12 Educational Videos, Lessons, and Games For Kids

Where is My House?: Rainforest Habitat

  • Read a library book about the rainforest.
  • Discuss rainforest animals pictured on the blackline masters.
  • Include types of weather, homes, food, camouflage, dangers, etc.
  • Explore websites below:

Tropical rainforests

Jungle and Rainforest Activities and songs

Pre-K Activities about the Rainforest

  • Color rainforest blackline habitat.
  • Divide poster board into four pieces using a crayon or marker.
  • Glue habitat label and pictures in one section.
  • Draw elements that belong in habitat: trees, water, rain, clouds, vines, plants, etc.

Note:  Work on poster throughout the week

Make a Fleece Blanket

(Teacher can do the first four steps ahead of time, before instructing the students to knot the cuts together)

  • Fold the yard of fleece in half.
  • Cut along the fold, creating two same-size sections of fabric.
  • Now use sharp scissors to create three-inch-deep cuts into the fabric about one inch apart, working around the entire blanket.

Note:  Use a tape measure or ruler to help guide your cuts

  • Once you’ve finished making the cuts, start knotting the top section to the bottom by tying a set of cuts together.

Note:  Tie double knots for a secure finished blanket

Field trip to Pet Store: Humane Society—Local Shelter

  • Deliver items made and gathered.
  • Invite a service dog and owner to come visit the class.
  • Invite a dog groomer to visit the class.

Video on service dog

Video on dog grooming

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Recipe

2 cups whole wheat flour, or as needed

2 cups spelt flour

2 cups quick oats

1/4 cup flax seeds

2 1/2 cups warm water

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

· Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

· Combine wheat flour, spelt flour, oats, and flax seeds in large bowl.

· Stir in water and peanut butter.

· Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in more flour as needed until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

· Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick.

· Cut with small cookie cutters into desired shapes, and place 3/4 inch apart on greased cookie sheets.  Or you can shape the cookies however you want.

· Bake 40 minutes.

· Turn oven off; leave biscuits in oven until completely cool.

Package items to giveaway or to feed your pet.

What’s Missing

Activity:

Place 6 different items on a flat surface. Encourage the children to turn around and say to them… “NO PEAKING”. While their backs are turned, take away one object. Instruct the children to turn back around. Ask, “Which item is missing?” Continue until all items are missing.

Now tell the children that they are going to play the same game, however this time they are all going to walk over to each of the learning centers.  Tell them to look in each learning center very carefully. Now tell them to go back to their seats and put their heads down until you tell them they can put their heads up. Take away one item from each of the learning centers and put them in a box. After you have collected one item from each learning center have the children gather together at one of the centers.  Ask them to look around and see if they notice something missing.  Repeat this exercise until you get to the last learning center Your goal should be to guide the children to an understanding that procedures are important to keep the classroom neat, clean, safe and in order.  Share with them the phrase “Everything has a place and there is a place for everything.”

Book Bag

Activity:

Have the children decorate their bag using fabric pens.

Send an instruction sheet home explaining the book bag procedure (i.e. share with the parents the importance of reading to their child; perhaps including an article on literacy and the early years) and add a notation to your first newsletters.

Line-Up Song

Song: I’M READY TO GO…

My hands are at my side

I’m standing straight and tall

My eyes are facing forward and I’m ready to go _____ (outside)

Note: The words can be changed to fit any location. (i.e. to go home, to go to chapel, to go to lunch, to go to gym, etc.)