Pumpkins, Pumpkins

We had so much fun exploring pumpkins this week!! These are some of the books we read

We explored the inside and outside of a pumpkin

We ate pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pudding and pumpkin seeds. Our taste test was delicious!!

We pulled out the seeds and counted them. The students loved pulling out the seeds and the pulp

We read Pumpkin Pumpkin and discussed the life cycle of a pumpkin. The students create the life cycle on the "vine". A section of the plate is left unstapled so that they can put the life cycle into the pumpkin and then pull it out one section at a time.

We did a pumpkin investigation!! We wanted to see if it would float or sink. Then discovered how many cubes tall it was and around.

Sorting

We have been working on sorting objects by color, shape, size, etc..

Sorting money

Sorting flowers by color and size

Sorting shapes by color and shape

Sorting by size

Sorting by color or size

Making patterns and sorting the jewels by color

The students decided how they were going to sort the shapes! I was proud that they were able to tell me how they sorted the shapes!!!

New Language Arts Centers!

So we have been in school for 8 weeks now and I thought it was time to switch up language arts centers.
Here is a look at what the students are currently working on.

I just added a recording sheet to the listening center

In the writing center the students are using lists to write down their October Lists! They are also doing a Write the Room Activity. I have attached all the cards to a pumpkin and hid them around the room. The students use the clipboards to go find and record the fall words they found. My students really love this!!

Here is the link to the fabulous Fall Write the Room Activity

http://livelovelaughkindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/09/fall-read-room-freebie.html

In this center the students are sorting the cards by number of sounds. This really helps with the phoneme segmentation fluency

We are working on initial sounds!

Here the students are building sight words, writing them and then rainbow writing them

The students are practicing building words and changing letters to make new words.

These are our current centers!!!

Fall

This week we did fall activities! First we read the story "Leaf Man'

 My students love this story. We have been discussing leaves, their colors and how they change. To follow up with this story we made our own leaf pictures.

Their pictures turned out really cute!! Next we discussed apples! Of course we read "Ten Apples Up On Top"

I made dye cut apples for the kids, wrote numbers 1-10 on them and the students practiced number order.

We also read several books having to do with apples!

We labeled the parts of an apple

We also did a taste test. This was mine and their favorite part!!!

We tasted apple jelly, apple sauce, apple juice and apple jacks. The students decided whether or not they liked it!

We also completed a Johnny Appleseed writing activity

Heres the link to this activity:

http://theinspiredapple.blogspot.com/2011/09/apple-activities-for-spelling-and.html

Comparing Numbers!

This week we are comparing numbers! The students are having a great time with this.
We started by introducing greater than and less than with the alligators. This power point was amazing!!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Comparing-Numbers-Alligator-Style-57430

To help understand the concept we used Cookie Crisp cereal. An amazing co teacher of mine shared this idea with us!! We rolled the dice and counted the cookies, placed them in the oval, then we compared the two numbers. Day two I allowed the kids to use number cards for this activity. They had them face down and chose two cards. Then they counted the correct number of cookies and chose the correct alligator!

I have never had a class grasp this concept so well! To follow up and show our understanding we completed a worksheet.

Here is a link to find the worksheets and work mats that I have used in this unit.

                                               

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Comparing-Numbers-1-10-906452