Worms and Compost!

Last week we introduced some new creatures to the classroom- our WORMS!  The children have been very excited to observe the worms and ask some questions about these unique creatures.  While it is obvious we enjoy animals in the classroom (hopefully you have seen the new fish tank set ups), we brought the worms in with a purpose - to become a part of our experience with compost.  The children have been exploring new foods (please look out for our Regie Rainbow post in the very near future) and we have started some cooking explorations in the classroom.  Rather than wasting the food scrapes we wanted to find a way to use them.  To encourage recycling, we will begin to explore composting.  Our hope is to use the compost in the near future, as we begin exploring plants and the garden.

We introduced the children to worms at group time.  They had an opportunity to observe and touch the worms (if they wanted).  We are working really hard to use gentle touches and be kind to these living creatures, while putting on our brave face.  Later the children observed the worms moving across the table and began to generate some questions.  We have introduced some videos of worms in motion and the children have even tried slithering like worms.  The children are very intrigued by what the worms eat.  We have added some cucumber slices, melon pieces and cardboard/paper to our compost.  We will continue to explore what creates the best compost and what the worms like the most.

Some of the questions we have are:

1. Are worms insects?
2. Do worms have legs?
3. What do worms eat?
4. How do worms move?

We will be looking to the Pre-K and Kindergarten class for some answers, as they have been studying worms and are quite knowledgeable.  We looking forward to the collaboration soon and to continue our adventures in composting!

Classroom and Curriculum update

Well it has been quite some time since we have updated (Sorry!  We have been so busy learning).  The children had a great fall semester and explored many wonderful topics.  They have really started to develop their different roles in the classroom and are really finding their place in the classroom community.  We have such an awesome group of learners, with great ideas, who work so well together in the classroom.

During the Fall we covered many different topics.  Ms. Huff explored painting extensively with the children.  They used many different materials and types of paint to create beautiful works of art.  They children worked on many collaborative pieces throughout the semester.  We are hoping to continue their collaborations, as well as working on individual pieces.  To build on their painting projects, we have started to introduce some different art techniques.  This week our focus has been on sketching and creating lines.  We are eager to see how these skills translate to the art work of the children.  As they begin to develop stronger fine motor skills, we are beginning to see more details emerging in their work.

We also began a study on the classroom bullfrogs.  The children have been eager to hear the sounds of the bullfrogs and explore their movement.  We have watched many videos, observed the bullfrogs in the classroom, and even tested out flippers like the frogs have on their feet.  Sadly, we lost both of our bullfrogs over the long break.  The children have not noticed the loss too much (especially with all the other creatures in the room).  We are hoping to introduce some tadpoles to the children and begin the cycle over again.  We have watched a few videos involving tadpoles and the children have been able to recognize the differences between baby and full grown frogs.  We are eager to continue these explorations, as the children still have a strong interest.  They have been wearing the flippers all over the classroom, and other parts of the building.

With new faces in the classroom (two new inters, a new strategies students and new staff members), we are eager to introduce some new topics to the children.  We can not wait to see where the new semester takes us, and what ideas the children bring to the table.  Here are a few pictures from the first few days back to school.  The children have really gotten down to business and have been busy exploring!  Please look forward to more frequent updates.  We like to keep everyone posted about what happens in the classroom!

Busy Start to the School Year

We have had a very busy start to the school year!  As we enter our second month of school we are noticing the children are beginning to adjust and have become more comfortable exploring all areas of the classroom.  They are starting to show us what interests they have and in turn we are planning explorations which follow their thinking.  We have been working hard to introduce many new materials to the children and have found they really enjoy the art and sensory materials.  We really like to make messes!  We are also noticing interests in light, textures, colors and shapes.  As the children begin to develop relationships which each other, learning groups will begin to form as well.  So far we are noticing big ideas which touch on all areas curriculum areas.  Ms. McInchak is exploring capacity and movement of materials in the sand and water table.  Ms. Steele has been exploring different properties and characteristics of materials (for example last week the children explored with real and pretend natural material).   Below are some pictures of different materials we have been exploring.  We are curious to know what the children are exploring with at home too!

As the season of Fall gets into full swing we will be exploring more with fall colors for painting, different fall natural materials (like pumpkins for example) and take walks outside to observe the changes taking place on the playground.  We have already explored some gourds with the children and are eager to see what they know about pumpkins.  They have also been talking about the changes in the leaves on our trees.  We have been spending some time in the garden (the children very much enjoy this space) and have noticed some of the plants dying off, as the weather turns colder.  We will continue to discuss these changes with the children throughout the season.

Cecropia Moth

We had a special visitor this Monday morning!  Our Cecropia Moth cocoon had finally opened, revealing the largest moth any of the children (and the teachers) had ever seen.  This species of moth can grow to have a wingspan of over six inches.  At first the children were a little apprehensive about getting too close, but they soon warmed up to the moth.  You're probably wondering where this cocoon came from.  Long story short, Ms. Camardese is the crazy bug lady.  A family in the program found the caterpillar and watched it cocoon in their garage.  Feeling as though they could not provide it adequate care over the winter, they brought the cocoon to Ms. Camardese and asked if she would care for it.  Over eight months later (three months spent in Ms. Camardese's fridge) the moth finally made her presence known.  Yes, we discovered in our research that it was a female moth.

This beautiful brown, orange and red moth has a very short life span.  Their main goal in life is to find a mate.  We were shocked to learn the moth does not have a mouth or digestive organs.  The children, of course, were very curious about this and came up with some creative solutions about ways to help the moth eat.  Some thought we could use a straw or eye dropper.  Other children thought she might grow up and have a mouth later in life.  They just could not understand there was no need for the moth to eat.  We continued our research, trying to find out as much as we could about the moth.  We learned it is nocturnal, is native in much of the Northeastern United States and only lays about 10 eggs each time.  The caterpillars prefer Maple or Cherry trees as their host plant and the moths can seek each other out over seven miles away.

Realizing the moth's life was so short, we released her this morning.  The family who found her as a caterpillar came in to observe her release.  We were excited to have them there.  The girls in the family had originally named the caterpillar Bob, but when they found out it was a female they renamed her Hazel.  At first she fluttered around the garden, trying to get an understanding of where she was.  We left her in the shade of the chive plant to sort out her plan.  When we returned a half hour later the moth had disappeared.  We can only wish Hazel safe travels at this point!

Checking out Hazel one last time!

unzipping of the container

Ms. Camardese had to help Hazel out and in the right direction

Hiding under the chives from the sunshine

A close up of Hazel in the chives

When she had first emerged some time between Friday night and Saturday evening!

Pendulum Painting

On a Thursday afternoon, with a lower number of children, we decided to invite the toddlers from next door to play.  During our exploration time we were investigating with pendulum painting.  The children have been exploring motion throughout the year, but have not yet had an opportunity to use the pendulums.  We thought, why not combine one of their favorite art materials (paint) with a pendulum exploration.  So our adventure began.

At first the children seemed unsure of what to do with the paint bottle.  They noticed the paint dripping out, but were not sure how to move the bottle.  After a teacher modeled how to push the bottle to make it move the children soon jumped on board.

They were noticing the different lines and splatters the paint made as it moved across the paper.  At first we just used black paint, but later added in a few more colors.  The children then noticed the colors mixing to make new colors.  They were mindful after a few tries about the speed with which they pushed the bottle.  A few ended with splatters on their shoes or on the wall.  Oops J

As more children joined in the play, they had to figure out how to take turns.  Eventually the children began taking turns and passing the bottle across the paper to one another.  Everyone was so careful while working; they were mindful of their feet and no one stepped on the painting.

The children enjoyed collaborating with the younger toddlers.  It gave them a chance to act as a leader and share their knowledge and expertise.  They encouraged the children to engage in conversation and participate.  They were great about sharing and taking turns.  We had a blast during this exploration!

Sadly our finished work ripped (too much paint and not enough time to dry).  So we will be doing this exploration again very, very soon!  We definitely are looking forward to painting and collaborating with our new friends!

Outdoor Play

With the warmer weather we have been spending more time outside. We view the playground as an extension of the classroom environment and use the space for our lessons. One part of the playground we really enjoy is the garden. We have been observing the plants which are growing, using the flowers as inspiration for our art and thinking about which plants to grow in the different sections of the garden. We are also very excited as we will have an intern from the university helping with our garden this summer. She will be tending to the plants, improving the space and doing explorations with the children. This is a new experience for us and we are very excited to be working with more students from the university. Aside from the garden, the rest of our outdoor space is very welcoming for the children. We added sun catchers to the space earlier in the year.  These beautiful pieces catch the light and cast it around the playground. We are also looking to add more materials for our outdoor play. The children enjoy the opportunity for gross motor play. We are becoming more interested in games with our peers and have been playing a lot of catch and hide and seek. We look forward to meeting up with the other classes on the playground as well. The children have started to develop strong bonds with the children in the other toddler classroom. We are collaborating more and have been working on some art projects (see post about pendulum painting). This time to explore and use our imaginations is so important. With the coming months we will be spending more and more of our time outside. Check out some of our pictures below!