Gingerbread

Our study of the five senses transitioned us from the sense of taste to a study of versions of the Gingerbread Man.  We read each story, identified the characters, repeating text and each ending.  Students made predictions, based on prior knowledge, about what might happen to the gingerbread people.  The versions we read included The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt, The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett, The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst, The Gingerbread Boy by Richard Egielski, The Gingerbread Bear by Robert Dennis, The Ninjabread Man by C.J. Leigh and The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires and Holly Berry. 

The first story we read was The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett.  The students were asked to recall which animals the gingerbread baby encountered and in what order.  Volunteers stood in line to show the order of events.  As we read other books, we compared characters that the gingerbread people encountered, described the personality of the gingerbread people, discussed the setting of each story and how that influenced the animals in the story, recited the repeating text and identified rhyming words and predicted and compared endings.

To end our study, each child was given a gingerbread cookie and asked to take a bite.  We graphed which part of the gingerbread body the children ate first.  Almost everyone bit off its head!

The children also drew pictures of their favorite gingerbread story and dictated a sentence telling why it was their favorite.

We also worked on counting objects, syllables, patterns, and letter recognition.

Dramatic Play:

In the dramatic play center, the students practiced their writing skills as they created cards and letters for friends and family to be mailed in our post office.

Block Area:

Cooperative play continued in the block area as the children built structures with Magnatiles.  Jingle bells were added so students could explore their magnetic properties and how the bells could be incorporated into their buildings.

The wooden trains and tracks were a big hit with all of the children.  They loved working together to build tracks on the floor, under tables, and around objects.

Playdoh:

In the playdoh center, students used cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread people from gingerbread playdoh.  They then decorated them with buttons, eyes, yarn and other materials.

Math:
As a math activity, students played a game where they rolled dice and covered the corresponding number on a gingerbread man.  This practiced counting and number recognition.

Games:

The children practiced color and shape matching while playing a Gingerbread Shape bingo game.

Art:
In the art center children used different colored puffy paint to decorate gingerbread people.  They also painted using magnets and bells.  By placing a piece of paper and bells on a cookie sheet, the children could use a magnet underneath to move around a paint-covered bell.

Pajama Day!

Assembly:

Just before vacation, our class attended an all school assembly.  We sang holiday carols led by Mr. R the music teacher and several classroom teachers.  Also, members of the high school band visited and played holiday music for us in the hall.  The children enjoyed singing along.

Party:

We ended 2018 with a winter party hosted by our room parents.  The children made snowmen, and igloos, played a candy cane fishing game and enjoyed some delicious treats.  Thank you to everyone who contributed!