Kindergarten Fall Leaves and Apples

Kindergarten experimented with color mixing with shaving cream and food coloring. We added fall colored food coloring to shaving cream and stirred it in a swirling pattern. The students took turns adding their white construction paper on top of the shaving cream, transferring the color to paper, and then wiped away the shaving cream with paper towel. This left a marbling effect on the paper. The students then practiced tracing and cutting skills by tracing leaves on the paper and cutting them out. In another lesson, they practiced using watercolors and paintbrushes appropriately by painting apples. Their leaves and apples were added to the Kinder bulletin board in a fall display.

Animal and Plant Habitats

We used PebbleGo to look at different habitats and ecosystems. As a class we made a Tree Map of facts learned for each habitat including what it looks like as well as what animals and plants could live there. The students then used the Tree Map to draw picture representations of each habitat along with at least one animal and one plant that could live there.

Garden Scavenger Hunt

We went on a scavenger hunt in the garden to look for various things such as rocks, plants, bugs, and more. The students identified objects as living and non-living. They identified the parts of a plant. They talked about what animals use the garden as a habitat.

Safari Sunset Art

As a part of our lessons on various habitats and ecosystems, we talked about the desert and what animals must have to survive in the desert. We also talked about grasslands and the need for larger animals to have a wide space to roam. To extend our learning, I taught the students how to paint a sky to look like a setting sunset. We worked on mixing white into colors to make them lighter and then worked on blending the colors to fade into each other. After the paintings were dry, I helped the students trace various animals that would be found in this habitat as well as trees on black paper. They added these silhouettes to the paintings. They turned out fantastic!

Cherry Blossoms

The students researched facts about Cherry Blossoms during a mini-writing lesson. They then wrote the information they found on a Circle Map. As a class, they decided what order to put the facts in for their shared research paper. They then told me what they wanted their paper to say and I typed it for them. I printed it on poster paper to hang with their Cherry Blossom art. The students used a mixture of brown and black paint to paint a branch of a Cherry Blossom. They then used the bottom of a recycled coke bottle to paint the blossoms in pink. I found this fun art idea from Pinterest. You can follow my educational Pinterest boards here.

Terrariums

During our study of plants, we built a terrarium using a 2L Coke bottle. I cut the bottle in half and then the students added rocks and soil. The students then poked holes in the soil and added seeds. They then covered the seeds with soil and added water. I then added the top. As we built the terrarium, we discussed what plants need. We also discussed what would happen when the water heated up; it evaporates. We connected this back to our lesson on precipitation and how clouds hold water. We placed our terrarium in the science lab so it can get sunlight. After building the terrarium, the students created a foldable to write about and illustrate the steps that they took. We have been visiting to watch the changes in the plant and to see the water droplets forming at the top.

Carrot Descriptive Writing

Since we were learning about the parts of plants and it was close to Easter, we decided to write about carrots. The students created a carrot and then used a Tree Map to answer questions about it. They wrote about what parts it has, where you can find it, and what you can do with it.

Research Posters

The students made posters of flowers to show what they learned through their garden habitat research. They added facts to the middle of each flower. They then presented their facts and posters to their classmates.

Celery Experiment

To demonstrate that stems carry water from the roots to the leaves, we conducted a celery experiment. We placed stalks of celery with the leaves still attached in water with red food coloring. The students observed the changes in the celery over a few days to see the celery stalk, or stem, and the leaves change colors.

Garden Expert

As a part of our research over the garden habitat, we invited a  garden expert to come talk to the students. Mrs. Flowers (yes, that is her real name) from Pat's Plants in Grand Prairie, brought various types of plants for the students to learn about. She talked about the parts of the plants, their needs, and their purposes. She then answered questions which the students then added to their research notes in class.

Working in the Garden

We recently received potatoes to plant in the school garden. To prepare for the planting, four first grade classes teamed up with a third grade class and a fifth grade class to clean up in the garden. Everyone pulled weeds, picked up trash, added fertilizer, and turned the soil. We cut up the potatoes to let them air dry over the weekend. Early next week we will be planting them.

Measuring in the Garden

To review measuring and comparing length, we took our math lesson out to the school garden. Using pop cubes, the students took turns estimating and then measuring the various heights of plants. They compared the pop cube lengths to one another to determine which plant was the longest and which was the shortest. While we were in the garden we reviewed the parts of the plants and how bugs and plants are interdependent upon one another.