Afternoon Sculpture Work

As one of our teachers has a Masters in Education with a focus on using the creative arts in learning, we decided to spend some time learning about sculpture today.  We had previously discussed the Lincoln Monument while using our microscope (see previous post) and had talked about it being a sculpture.  Today the afternoon children were read 3-D ABC, A Sculptural Alphabet by Bob Raczka.  This helped them to see many different types of sculptures.  (We also read had a book about the Lincoln Memorial and were able to see how big this was - much different from the back of a penny!)

We had been saving lots of items that would have been recycled and also went to the Scrap Box to obtain the rest of the parts to create our own sculptures.

                         They chose what items they would like to incorporate into their work.

Here are some masterpieces. 

 

This was a lot of hard work!

 

Glimpse of "afternooner" work...

We are busy in the afternoons!  After lunch we clean up the classroom and start working!  Besides more in-depth math and language, we have been looking in mircoscopes....

gardening...

and conducting experiments!!

 

By the way, if you have a microscope, put a penny under the light and try to see Abraham Lincoln.  We tried this with seven pennies before we saw it!  As we "follow the child" in Montessori, we ended up studying Abraham Lincoln and discussing erosion (as on the pennies that were worn away.)  We also branched off and decided to clean some of the pennies and conducted an experiment to see what the best cleaner would be! 

Sewing has begun!

We have now begun our sewing curriculum!  The children used a very blunt needle to sew through holes in cardstock.  We progress through activities increasing in complexity and will hopefully be sewing pillows by the end of the year!

Land and Water Forms- Island and Lake

The children began studying islands and lakes in geography this week.  Using our models, we gave them lessons on an island - land surrounded by water- and lake- area of water surrounded by land. 

The children were shown how to fill up a pitcher with water and pour it into the model to increase their understanding of these concepts.  We also discussed their own experiences on islands and different lakes they had visited. 

As an extension of this work, some children chose to color pages showing island and lake.

Vertebrates and Invertebrates

This week we began studying vertebrates and invertebrates.  Thanks to one of our parents we had an amazing model of the spine! (THANK YOU!)

We discussed animals that had backbones and those that do not have backbones.

We classified animal pictures into two columns, ones with backbones and ones without.

The children wanted to make books to take home.  Please look for these tomorrow in your child's backpack. 

 

Folding- Care of the Environment

Some of the children have been busy learning how to care for the environment.  One example of this is folding the blue cloths we use to mop up various water spills.  In the mornings, we bring the clean laundry and put it on a table.  Several of the children have noticed it when they arrive and once given a lesson on how to fold a cloth, they are off. 

Several children are now looking for this as soon as they enter the classroom.  We do not mention that they need to be folded.  The cloths sit on a table and the children notice them on their own. 

The children were heard this morning talking to each other saying, "Did you see those cloths!  We can fold!!"

They create piles of blue cloths and then take turns placing them in the classroom on the shelves and then in the cabinet where they are stored.  It is a delight to see the children caring for their environment in this way.

 

If you have laundry that needs to be folded, take a week to show your child how to fold shirts.  The next week can be towels etc..  After they are done folding, they may want to help put the clean clothes away. 

 

 

First Week of School

We had an amazing but busy first week of school!  Everyone should sleep well this weekend! We really enjoyed getting to know the new children and seeing our returning students again!  The children all learned so many new things.  We had many grace & courtesy lessons on how the classroom works, painted many pictures, poured, transferred, poured drinks of water, matched colors, learned some phonemic sounds of letters, watered plants, washed tables, learned the Earth is made of land and water and many, many more things!  Here are a few pictures!

walking through the maze

 

 moveable alphabet

having a snack

 living & non-living

watermelon slicing

brass polishing

addition with short bead stairs