It’s been a short and full week! The kiddos have been so excited about the upcoming holiday.
This week’s Math stations were centered on figuring out one (or two) more than a given number AND one less than a given number – this is tricky work!
· Monster Squeeze – Room #7 is ready to partner up during this game! One student thought of a mystery number (0-30). Students then took turns guessing that number. The individual who knew the number then replied either: “My number is greater than that” OR “My number is less than that.” Children continued guessing numbers until the correct number had been determined or “squeezed” between the two monsters.
· Counting on Cup - In this game, one person turned over the top number card and put that number of counters in the cup. Next, he/she rolled the die (+1, +1, +2, +2) and placed that many counters next to the cup. Finally, he/she decided how many counters there were in all and filled in the record sheet.
· Count on 1 More – Independently, students turned over a number card and represented that number with buttons on their “work board”. They then counted out one more in their head and used counters to represent this number on their “work board”.
· Nearby Teen Numbers – Using various game boards, students placed the missing teen numbers in their grid to complete the “number line”.
· A Colorful Feast – At this station, the kiddos helped themselves to a Thanksgiving feast! Each child dished out servings of cranberries, turkey, potatoes, and corn (represented by colorful cubes). Next, they lined them up and used invisible buddy lines to determine the least and the most of the colorful “foods” they had served themselves. Finally, when asked specific questions, the “turkey eaters” figured out how many more they each had of the various foods. What fun!
· Turkey Tessellation – Using various pattern block shapes, the boys and girls of Room #7 created a turkey!
· Spin and Write Teen Numbers - Using a spinner with all of our teen numbers represented in 10-frame form, the kiddos spun, then practiced writing that number on their board. They always had to remember: “Numbers in the teens start with a ONE!”
With the upcoming holiday, Room #7 has talked A LOT about Thanksgiving and what it means. Here are a few of the activities we did this week in order to cement the meaning of this fun and important day!
1. I am thankful for…. Thank you to all the families who sent back the 5 feathers noting the things/people for which or whom your child is thankful! On Monday, the kiddos finger painted turkeys and then glued on the many things/people they appreciate in their lives. Then, the boys and girls shared all for which they are thankful. Very sweet.
2. On Tuesday, Room #7 learned about the very first Thanksgiving. After reading Thanksgiving is…. by Gail Gibbons, the class talked about the sequence of events that led up to this special day. In order to help them retell the story and include most of the events, the students made their very own Thanksgiving retelling bracelets, where each bead on the bracelet represented a specific part of the Pilgrims’ story. Everyone worked super hard on this activity and did a great job retelling the story to a variety of friends and adults! Ask your child to repeat the story to you!
3. On Wednesday, Room #7 read the book Pilgrims of Plymouth by Susan E. Goodman. In this photo book, the life of the Pilgrims is recreated. In this way, the students were given a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to live in this time period, and they learned of the tribulations that were endured daily by the Pilgrims. Then we compared our lives today with the lives of the Pilgrims and identified both the differences and the similarities. Using a Venn Diagram helped the students conceptualize this complicated concept and allowed them to really see what they have in common with the Pilgrims and their lives and also to understand the differences between the two. Great discussion, Kindergarteners!
We also read several Thanksgiving-themed books this week. Two of the class favorites included A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting and The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing. In the first book, the class talked about the word, prediction, and what it means. Everyone made a prediction about what they thought the story would be about given the title and the cover of the book. The class predicted that the main character, Mr. Moose, was going to hunt for a turkey for his holiday dinner. Boy, was everyone surprised when they discovered that their prediction was incorrect! Mr. Moose wanted to invite the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. The cherubs got a real kick out of the book and have been practicing making predictions since!
The Night Before Thanksgiving is a story that follows the format of the book The Night before Christmas. Many of the kiddos recognized the familiar cadence and remarked that the Thanksgiving book reminded them of the Christmas story. I told them that “Oh my gosh! You all just made a text-to-text connection!! Wowza!” This type of connection occurs when something in one book reminds the reader of something that one has read in another text. The class and I then discussed what this term means, and I challenged them to make other text-to-text connections with other stories!
Happy, happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoy time with your families!