Autumn

With the change of seasons, we focused on our observations of our surroundings.  After reading the book Autumn is Here by Heidi Pross Gray, students identified the characteristics of Fall- leaves changing colors and falling off trees, colder weather, wearing pants and long sleeves, squirrels looking for nuts, etc.  Following a discussion we headed outside for a scavenger hunt of Fall items.  The children explored the area around Memorial collecting leaves, nuts, pine cones, sticks, etc.  We then met in the gazebo to share our findings.

In the classroom we read several stories that highlighted the characteristics of Fall.  We discussed different story elements such as characters and setting as well.  Below students acted out the story, The Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger.  We also listened to the book There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro and fed the old lady.  Then we did some yoga poses to bring the story to life.

We spent a good deal of time observing, describing and sorting different leaves.  The students sorted by color, size and other physical features such as points.  In the art center, the children did leaf rubbings and painted leaves with watercolors.

The children also painted fall trees using watercolors and q-tips reflecting what they observed outside.

During circle we conducted a science investigation in which the students predicted which fall items would sink and which items would float in water.  They were all amazed that apples and pumpkins float despite their size!  The students tried to determine why these large items would float while smaller items like rocks sink.  They concluded that there must be more air inside the pumpkins because they are mainly open inside.  We have some amazing scientists in the class!

Another Fall art activity was pumpkin making.  Students stuffed bags and painted them to make pumpkins which would later be used for our pumpkin patch.

After our trip to Ward's Berry Farm, our apple orchard dramatic play switched to a pumpkin patch.  The students acted out many of the roles they observed during the field trip.  Students pretended to be farmers, harvesting pumpkins and tractor drivers taking friends to the pumpkin patch on a hayride.  They were also cashiers collecting money for pumpkins, hayride tickets and snacks.  Snack shop workers took orders on a menu sheet and fulfilled them.  Some students were customers.  Through this pretend play, the children practiced conversational turn-taking, pre-writing skills, learning the purpose of money, counting and using their imagination to put into practice what they observe in the world around them.

Our study of fall and visit to the farm naturally led to curiosity about pumpkins.  We first read nonfiction books to learn about the pumpkin life cycle of pumpkins and their different parts.  Then we investigated a real pumpkin, labeling its parts and taking a look and feel inside.  The children described their observations of both the outside and inside of a pumpkin.  We also measured the pumpkin using cubes and estimated the number of seeds inside.

For fine motor practice, the students hammered golf tees into pumpkins with hammers and then stretched rubber bands from one tee to another.

At the playdoh center, the children used their creativity to create jack-o'lanterns.

As part of our discussion of Fall, we also shared our observations of the animals in our environment.  Many of the children talked about birds flying to warmer places and squirrels collecting nuts.  We read The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri which highlights many of the items squirrels gather in preparation for winter.  We read a nonfiction book about other animals and what they do as the seasons change, such as grow thicker fur, hibernate, change color, and hide in the mud.  We sang the song Gray Squirrel, Gray Squirrel Shake Your Bushy Tail and the students sponge painted their own squirrels.

This month students continued to work on:

Math: counting, comparing by shape and length, sorting by color, 

Literacy:recognizing letters in their name, rhyming, identifying different sounds in words

Other: color recognition, pencil grasp, turn-taking

Here students are sorting letters by those in their name and those not in their name.

The students played the games Sneaky Snacky Squirrel and Farm Bingo practicing turn-taking and color matching.

Our Fall theme was integrated into gym class with a Fall obstacle course.  First we played a Simon Says game where the children pretended to do fall activities such as rake leaves, pretend to be falling leaves, crawl like a squirrel, sit like a pumpkin, etc.  Next the children jumped over puddles (hula hoops), climbed over mountains (a panel mat), scooted between trees, tried to balance on "limbs", tried to catch acorns and threw "leaves" in the air and tried to catch them.

As part of our social emotional learning, we are using the Social Thinking Curriculum.  We spent some time this month talking about Thinking Thoughts and Feeling Feelings.  After reading a story about this topic, the children and I discussed that we all have thoughts in our brains and our thoughts influence our feelings in our heart.  We tried out several examples in which I shared my thoughts, or the children shared theirs.  Next, we focused on feelings.  We read the book, Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Emberley.  In this story different monsters share experiences that cause them to have certain feelings.  The students then shared what makes them feel happy, sad, loving, worried, and scared.  They created their own feelings monster to demonstrate a specific emotion.

In case you were wondering.... sometimes when we have indoor recess, our room becomes and obstacle course!

Red Sox Spirit Day!