Week in Review: January 18th-January 22nd

Week in Review: January 18th- January 22nd

Creating different kind of lines 

Last semester, the children explored how various lines and shapes came together to create organic structures such as flowers and plants. This semester, we are looking at how lines can come to create inorganic structures such as designs and patterns. We provoked the children's thinking with white paper, black paint, and pictures of different types of lines ( swirl, dots, chevron). Many children took their time looking at the different of lines (swirl, dots, chevron). Then they explored how they could fill up their paper with the various lines. 

Early Childhood Standards of Quality Met: 

1.       1. Early Learning Expectation: Creativity-Imagination-Visualization. Children demonstrate a growing ability to use originality or vision when approaching learning; use imagination, show ability to visualize a solution or new concept.

        6. Early Learning Expectation: Fine Motor Development. Children experience growth in fine motor development and use small muscles to improve a variety of fine motor skills both in structured and unstructured settings.

1.       Early Learning Expectation: Visual Arts. Children show how they feel, what they think, and what they are learning through experiences in the visual arts.

Exploring how force can move an object 

We provoked the children's thinking with basters and pom-poms. We asked the children, "How can you make the pom-pom travel to the other side of the table?" Some of the children used the long end of the baster to push the pom pom around like a hockey stick. We wanted the children to think about how the air could move the pom-poms. We showed the children how the air comes out when you squeezed bulb of the baster. The children were very intrigued this idea. They placed their basters in front of a pom pom and began squeezing until they saw the pom-pom start to move. 

Early Childhood Standards of Quality Met: 

1.        3. Early Learning Expectation: Curiosity–Inquiry-Questioning Tinkering-Risk Taking. Children demonstrate an interest and eagerness in seeking information (e.g., be able to see things from a different perspective, fiddling with something to figure it out or attempting a reasonable solution).

1.       5. Early Learning Expectation: Reasoning-Problem Solving-Reflection. Children demonstrate a growing capacity to make meaning, using one’s habits of mind to find a solution or figure something out.

 6. Early Learning Expectation: Fine Motor Development. Children experience growth in fine motor development and use small muscles to improve a variety of fine motor skills both in structured and unstructured settings.

1.       1.Early Learning Expectation: Observation and Inquiry. Children develop positive attitudes and gain knowledge about science through observation and active play.

Transforming our cardboard box into_____

Last week, we read "Not a Box" and drew our ideas of what we could turn a box into. This week, we provide the children with a real life box and discussed our ideas for the box. When we laid the box horizontal on the ground it turned into a house or a cave. Yet, when we placed the box into the upright position, the box became a rocket ship, and the children wanted to blast off into space. 

Early Childhood Standards of Quality Met: 

3. Early Learning Expectation: Spoken Language: Expressive. Children develop abilities to express themselves clearly and communicate ideas to others.

     4. Early Learning Expectation: Dramatic Play. Children show how they feel, what they think, and what they are learning through dramatic play.

1       6. Early Learning Expectation: People and Their Environment. Children increase their understanding of the relationship between people and their environment and begin to recognize the importance of taking care of the resources in their environment.

Exploring Animal Shadows 

In the block area, we projected light onto a large curtain. The children explored the animal cut outs in front of the curtain. Each animal was given a distinct movement and sound when the children were experimenting with the cut-outs. The giraffe, polar bear, and elephant moved around the screen in a stomping motion while making a lot of noise. While the snake and bird were assigned more fluid movements and represented in softer tones. 

Early Childhood Standards of Quality Met: 

    2. Early Learning Expectation: Living and Non-living Things. Children show a beginning awareness of scientific knowledge related to living and non-living things.

1.       2.Early Learning Expectation: Initiative-Engagement-Persistence Attentiveness. Children demonstrate the quality of showing interest in learning; pursue learning independently.

1.       6. Early Learning Expectation: Participation-Cooperation-PlayNetworking-Contribution. Demonstrate increasing ability to be together with others, in play or intellectual learning opportunities and/or making positive efforts for the good of all; join a community of learners in person and digitally as appropriate.