Constructing the fence

Last week, the children began work on building a fence to keep the balls safely on one side of the classroom. The children discussed different materials that could be used to build a fence including bricks, wood, metal, concrete, straw, leaves, etc. 

The children first used the tracks to build around the structure. 

They tested out the balls and it did not work. 

The children then tested out a theory using popsicle sticks. 

"It needs to be longer. Not that way, but stretchier."- MG

After they tested the ball, it rolled over the top. 

"We need something stronger."

MG and a small group of his friends went to grab some blocks and created a design for the fence. 

                                                    

                                                           "It needs to be stacked."- MG

Decomposition of a banana plant

During small capers, we took a closer look at the parts of the banana plant. 

Children shared their theories:

Bananas are ripe when they are yellow. 

It's hard to peel. It's not hard to peel at home. 

It's not growed yet. It's not ready yet. 

These are baby bananas.

Maybe seeds inside.

They smell like cucumbers.

It's squishy. 

It's different colors. 

After capers, the children shared what they discovered with the banana plant. The children discussed what they like their bananas to look like- yellow, no brown, hard, a little soft. We will be bringing in bananas at different stages this week. 

Ball of yarn

                 Ideas shared during this experience: 

                            It's crossing.

                        It's a spider web.

                             A bridge.

                                Trap

                         It looks like lasers.

                              Triangle

                                 Oval

                      Get down real low. 

                        Jump and crawl

                  Straight 

                   Curve 

                     Left 

                    Right 

                 Together

                Connected

                   Moving

              Track- roller coaster 

         Down and up- on the highway

Creating Colored Lights!

The children are exploring with creating color from lights.  In the classroom they went around to find more objects that reflected color.  With spot lights they put several items together that reflected color.

The children used  several science colored viewers to shine the spotlights through.  The saw how the colors reflected.

They put the spotlights in a box and looked through the rainbow science viewer. They shared how all the lights look like rainbows. 

The children added colored film to one of the spotlights.  They noticed the reflection on the table and stated how they made  the light change into green.

Forest Monday

The children visited the Forest today. The children explored

with different paths and were re-calling the hole that was found

during our last trip. They used it as a hiding spot.

    "How do you get to the hole?"- teacher asked

         "I think it's this way." - MR

Once they discovered the hole, they said they needed a 

fence to keep the animals out. 

Observational drawings of the banana plant

Banana plant observations

Christian and his family sent in a banana plant. The children observed it today and here are some of

our noticings and wonderingly.

*"When I look really close, it looks really big." 

*This part is growing." 

"I think it's dead." 

"Maybe the yellow is going to come out." 

"These aren't ready to open." 

"This might not grow for a long time, maybe 20 weeks." 

"It feels soft and cold." 

"The bananas get too big and the petals fall off. The bananas grow inside of there." 

"It has bumps." 

"This one has a little stem on it."

"They've grown up to that." 

"They're not gonna turn yellow right away."