Making Machines!

Thank you to everyone who brought in containers for the girls to work with this week. They were definitely put to use! During snack we gave the girls a task of inventing a machine that would move a figurine one foot. The task was to make a machine using at least 5 items from the re-usable pile. We demonstrated different ways they could move their figurine (pulleys, catapults, gravity and rubber bands) and had them work in groups of 5-6 to make their machine using anything in the classroom they needed (Popsicle sticks, wheels, scissors, tape etc.). You should have seen how quickly that ate their snack and rushed to get materials!! Below is a video and the girls during the beginning stages of their machine making.

IMG 8364 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

Here is an explanation of their machines:

Painting Unicorn Table:

SW, SWB, AC, AS

We are going to make her launch off of this (catapult) and then she is going to land into this (yogurt container/pool). We have these batteries to make her launch. There is air and power in here (the shoe box).

Rose Table:

WF, SO, EH, MB, AaS, SG.

She is going to slide down and land in the cup. Someone is going to pull the cup up so we can bring her up. Then we have a spoon that we are going to flick (catapult) her into this cup.

Drawing Table:

DB, MxS, EL, AY, AW, GH

Our plan is that we have wings for the rocket. We are going to put the rocket on the sea saw and we are going to press the sea saw to make the rocket launch.

I have to say, their machines were quite impressive and many of them are steps away from working. These girls have vision!! I will try to post videos of their demos when the machines are complete.

Earth Week!

 Here is a quick video of the girls playing a renewable energy Simon Says game with the Calprig teachers:

IMG 8359 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

This week the girls have been learning about sustainability as well as renewable energy (wind, sun and water). On Tuesday the girls made replicas of Earth with tissue paper. During the process Ms. Hamre took photos of the girls working while I documented their conversations. Here is a little peek into the lives of your girls.

I am going to use green as land. AY

What is the size of a quarter? AY

Do this! (making an OK sign with her fingers) AS

I am just putting glue in random places. NS

Anna this is yours! I accidentally lost yours. It was right next to me! MB

I didn’t even know they were there. AW

I am doing my green first. NS

I am doing both first. SO

I am going to cut a big piece out and then cut it up and cut it up. NS

Until it is the size of a quarter! AW

Or smaller. NS

A quarter is not square, it’s a circle. AW

Look at mine! MB

Why do I see the other side looks like the same side I just worked on? WF

Because it’s see through! GA

 I decided I don’t want to make Antarctica because it will be too hard. SW

Will it be too hard? SWB

Actually I think I am going to make Antarctica blue. SW

  

Hey I have a new way of putting stuff on! It sticks to the paintbrush and plop I put it on. WF

Polp Plop, Plop Plop. AM

That is cool Whitney! GA

That’s how I’m doing it. SWB

 It’s funny how everyone calls me Whit Whit. WF

And everyone calls me…. SWB

Syd Syd! AM

There are two Sydneys at school. AM

Ms. McDonald calls you WB. AM

So does Ms. Hamre. SWB

 I’m cutting up the Earth (in song). SW

Susie, you really could be an actress! WF

That’s what my parents say. SW

Susie you really could be an actress! GA

Why does everyone tell me that? Probably because they have the same brains. SW

Susie, not everyone has the same brains… GA

 Okay where are my scissors? MxS

Oh sorry I think I have them. EH

It is okay to go over the spaces, that way there won’t be white spaces. MS

It’s like we are saving the earth! GA

Can we have less talking and more working? GH

Yes! AY

You mean no, we can’t. AS

It’s like a private dance party. SG

Hey less talking more working! AS

Hey that’s mine. AS

Well we are all sharing at this table. AY

Oh yeah! AS

I have to catch my breath. AY

Why do you have to catch your breath? Do you have to say, hey breath! Wait up for me! AC

Catch my breath.. letting it go… Oh I just love that song! I can’t stop singing it at home! EL

I’m cutting mine it little bits by doing this and just breaking it up. SO

Oooh I made a whole rectangle. AW

I am taking my time and cutting mine. MB

Final Frog Post

I had the best of intentions to get this post out to you before the break, but the sunshine got the best of me!
The girls are now frog and toad experts who know just about everything about frogs. AY can tell you that one frogs pupil is shaped like a heart while AM can share with you that tadpoles will eat each other if there is not enough food. The entire class has learned about the life cycle of a frog and all that occurs through metamorphosis. They can also let you know what makes a frog/toad and amphibian. Here is a photo of our final Schema chart and vocabulary list.

Ms. Hamre has been teaching the girls how to sew their own stuffies! This is an activity she has done in the past and was excited to share with our girls. We will be working to complete our stuffies during Earth Week and hopefully have them home to you by Friday. Here are some photos for the process.

The girls wrapped up their Reader's Theatre with a performance for their class. The girls were so great about reading (not memorizing) their lines and I was so impressed by how much they learned in such a short period of time! Unfortunately I blew it on the video taping of Group 1 Scene 1 so we are missing the video for that group. So sorry!! If I can get them to perform it again I will post it for you.

Frog & Toad Scene 2 Group 1 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

Frog & Toad Scene 1 Group 2 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

Frog & Toad Scene 2 Group 2 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

STEM in Kindergarten

Although a HUGE part of our kindergarten curriculum is literacy, the other 50% is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math). This post is going to be dedicated to all of the STEM activities the girls have been working on together these past few weeks. Once you play the videos they will rotate to the proper orientation :)
Science:
In Science our theme has been Frogs. Throughout our frog study, the girls have been reading both fiction (Frog & Toad stories) and non-fiction books about frogs. After each reading the girls would add new frog facts to our Schema chart (explained in a previous post) and move things, as necessary, to our misconceptions log. The girls would discuss each new piece of information and respectfully agree or disagree with whether or not it was, in fact, a true statement. We still cannot seem to figure out whether or not a frog can fly (which was stated in a non-fiction text) or just glide through the air.
In an effort to make our frog study come to life we purchased and cared for 6 tadpoles. Unfortunately after 7-8 weeks three have died and one has been taken by a Leprechaun! The final survivors are now at the homes of MB and SW. Hopefully they will transform into frogs with the girls and we will be able to witness the transformation in real life!
Mr & Mrs. Cheng came in last week for an amazing frog lesson. They read The Wide Mouthed Frog and transformed a tadpole into a frog right before our very eyes. Here are some photos from their visit.

The girls also made their own frog fold books about the life cycle of a frog.

IMG 7953 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

Technology:
Ms. Hamre has been working with the girls to use her iPhone to take photos of class projects. Below are some of the photos they took and uploaded to dropbox while we discovered Goldie Blox for the first time.

I believe Ms. Hamre may have taken this one.

Engineering:
A few weeks ago we introduced the girls to a new engineering game called Goldie Blox. To learn about the theory behind this product, I encourage you to watch this video. I watched it and ended up buying it for all of the flower girls in my wedding!
Here is a two part video of half of the class working together to build a Spinning Machine.

IMG 7955 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

IMG 7956 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

The girls have also been working with Snap Circuits. Snap Circuits encourage the girls to follow a manual to snap together pieces to build AM radios, make a light bulb light up or a fan spin into the air. Some girls choose to follow the manual while others are making their own complete circuits. Below is a video of WF and AC working together to build an alarm circuit.

IMG 8067 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

Mathematics:
The girls are on their third work place sheet and have been introduced to a few new math concepts and activities. Below are a list of the activities the girls are working on and the math skills they focus on.
Patterns & Numbers: The girls practice writing their numerals to 20 while figuring out which numbers are missing in a counting-by-2's to 20 pattern, counting sets of frogs on a ten-frame and extending a 2 coin pattern. The skills in this work place are writing numerals from 1-20, recognizing and naming pennies, nickels and dimes.
Where Do You See It? The girls look at 7 frogs arranged in a ten-frame, 3 on top and 4 on the bottom. The girls then make a connection between what they see on the ten-frame and one of four math equations. For instance the the equation 3 + 4 = 7.  As they move back and forth between the numbers and the picture, the meaning of the symbols becomes more clear. The skills in this work place are understanding addition and subtraction, exploring standard notation for addition and subtraction and exploring how abstract symbols (+ - =) can be used to represent pictures.
Frog Jump Measuring: The girls use popsicle sticks to estimate and measure the distance their friends can "frog" jump. Here is a cute video of SG leaping for her friends.

IMG 7936 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

Their Polydron Houses

Polydrons: Can You Build It?: We just introduced a new work place and I LOVE it. It is a great bridge between Math and Engineering. The girls use blueprints for 6 different 3-dimensional polydron structures. This activity, like Goldie Blox & Snap Circuits, requires the girls to interpret visual instructions. They girls worked together to follow a blueprint for building a house. Below is a video of the girls trying to figure out what their structure was going to become.

IMG 8020 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.

Even though this post is dedicated to STEM, I have to share this video. The girls are working with Ms. Abbott to bring a Frog & Toad story to life through Reader's Theatre. Ms. Hamre had the great idea of putting their scripts in their book baggies and this is what happened during reader's workshop.

IMG 8043 from Lisa Dutton on Vimeo.