Camping Project: Natural World

Animal Kindoms:

Classification of animals starts with learning the difference between the living and no-living world.  At this website, there is a beautiful poster of the Kingdoms and the order of the Natural World.

 

WEBSITE:

http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/assets/PDF/Natural_World_Chart.pdf

 

Montana Animal Books:

I have created printable books for Montana mammals and Montana Trout. I will create more and more as the children’s interest further in the subject of animal classification. These books are posted of TeacherspayTeachers.com and include pictures of the animal/fish, map of their habitat, name and latin name.

Montana Fish Classification Card

WEBSITE: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Montana-Trout-Classification-Cards-1214499

 

Montana Mammal Classification Cards:

WEBSITE: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Montana-Mammal-Classification-Cards-1214746

 

Camping Project

Painted Sticks:

We painted sticks that the children found on mature walks they took at home. Provide the children with different types and colors of paint with a variety of paint brushes. Let the children paint what they want and with any means that they want. This is hard to do sometimes, but remember its the PROCESS not the PRODUCT that is important.  From the painted sticks more art can be created! Think out of the box. Picture frames, Wind charms, wall art work…

Camping Project

This month the children showed signifigant interest in camping and all things camping. When asked what they already know the children listed their knowledge of camping gear and cooking on a camp fire. The children expressed interest in learning about animals and tracks, what plants are eatable, what kind of animals they could run into and how to stay safe, and forest fires.

This is a great list to start from!

Tracks and Footprints:

WEBSITES:

Prekinders.com has examples of a printable animal track book:

http://www.prekinders.com/animal-tracks-book/ 

Printable pages for  Track Book:

http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/assets/PDF/Animal_Tracks.pdf

 

Introduction to Animal Research:

This a printable page to introduce Animal Research. It’s a great resource to start the process of learning about animals in a scientific manner.

WEBSITE: http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/assets/PDF/Introductory_Animal_Research.pdf

Water Cycle: Weather Lesson

I made a hands-on interactive books to introduce the science words in the water cycle. These are big words but the children often use them once they understand what they mean. Each flip of the page helps them remember what part of the water cycle they are learning about.

Cloud Finder

WEBSITE: http://tekyteach.blogspot.com/2011/08/cloud-inspector.html

This Website has a great tool to give to kids to start looking at clouds. Most of us have asked kids to find shapes in clouds. Now, you can ask to discribe  them and characterize them.

 

DIRECTIONS:

Print this out on card stock and cut out as directed

Laminate to make it last for the lesson and maybe the next class

Glue or tape a popsicle stick or craft stick to cloud viewer

Go outside and start looking for clouds.

LEADING QUESTIONS:

What does that could look like?

What do you think cloud are made of?

What kind of weather does this cloud represent?

If you see this cloud what kind of weather should we look for/predict?

RESEARCH:

Use books, videos, songs, and charts of weather to help children find the information to actuarially answer these questions.

Luke Howard isn’t exactly a household name, but the cloud classification system he came up with is quite well known. Howard lived in 18th century England, and was fascinated by clouds, even as a child. This title captures his wonder and chronicles his journaling and classification efforts. Readers learn about the different types of clouds, and might even be inspired to keep a cloud journal too. (Could be a fun class activity!) The watercolor and ink cartoon illustrations are cute and add an age-appropriate lightness to the subject. Booklist ended its review of this title by calling it “an attractive combination of biographical narrative and weather science.” We agree.

This Let’s Read and Find Out Science title covers the 10 different types of clouds and how to forecast the weather just by looking at them. Spreads feature kids engaged in outdoor activities, with a featured cloud type depicted above them and a few sentences about what makes that cloud type unique. Rockwell has provided just enough information for children in grades 1-3. (We’ve bumped the interest level up a bit from the publishers recommendation of “preschool and up.”)

 

This book is a simple introduction to clouds for young children. It covers all the various cloud shapes. The illustrations are both colorful and interesting.

POSTERS:

This is a great poster to hang up on a window so create an inviting and curious environment to promote cloud classification.

Weather Lesson

April is a Month of crazy weather, there are days were its beautiful and sunny, the next its snowing. I have used this month to introduce a weather lesson. We discuss anything from types of clouds and what they  predict in the weather to extreme weather!

Creating a Weather Chart

Step one: add a fun way to introduce and trace weather.  I create a Weather Calendar by taking a old cork board or whiteboard and label it with the days of the week and a space above to write or stick the month and year.  Then use velcro dots to add the days in the month. The start tracking. I have could some weather pictures with the weather word labeled on it. I use these to add the weather words into my morning meeting time.

WEBSITE: http://prekinders.com/2011/03/weather-seasons/

Prekinders.com also has great printable for the season! Its easy to add the season into a weather lesson .

 

 

CHARTS AND GRAPHS: Adding Math to Weather 

From the weather calendar  graph the results of the calendar to a graph and use that to describe what was most, the least, and use that data to predict what the next month will look like.

 

Mouse Paint

This is another little mouse book by Ellen Stoll Walsh.  In this story the mice play in paint and use it to escape from a cat. I use this book to introduce/review color words.

 Music and Movement

Here is a poem we put in our Poem and Song books. We highlight color words.

Match Counts!

Making patterns using the book and characters.

Language and Writing Practice

This is a worksheet to practice reading and writing color words.

Color Mixing Experiment

Making Predictions

The Plan:

1.Set up 6 cups in a circle.

2.Add red, yellow and blue water to 3 of the cups leaving a empty cup between each primary color.

3. Roll up a paper towel sticking one end in the color and the other in the empty cup.

4. Continue with each cup. (there with be two towels in each cup)

5. Watch the water color absorb up the towel and mix in the empty cup. ( The kiddos will think its magic!)

When doing this project, here are some questions you can ask the child?

• What colors are in the bag to begin with?
• What color do you think the two colors will make?
• What colors do you see? (ask when they are mixing the colors)

 

Color Project

Primary Colors and Secondary Colors: Blending Color Sensory

After discussing and finding primary colors in our classroom, I added 3 bags of paint taped to table.

When doing this project, here are some questions you can ask the child?

• What colors are in the bag to begin with?
• What color do you think the two colors will make?
• What colors do you see? (ask when they are mixing the colors)
• Point to different shades of the color green and ask them what’s the difference. Point out that there are lighter shades of green and darker shades of green.
• Challenge the child to squish the colors till it makes one solid color.

What’s nice about this project opposed to just mixing the paint on paper is the results are slower. The child can watch what is happening and see what colors they started with. I also found that children like squishing the bag even when the project is done. And best of all, no mess!

Mixing Color Worksheet

This is a worksheet I have used to color in and make a connection about mixing color and making prediction as well as it helps you connect all the the color mixing. It’s a great reference sheet what is easy to color in and reuse a guide.

Spicing up my room with Chalkboard Art.