Living Things Need Water
Water water everywhere! Living Things Need Water, but not only to drink. Some living things live in water. This week we read about life in a pond, a book about alligators because our class is obsessed with alligators and two books about the water cycle on earth. Some of our students preferred the realistic watercolor paintings of dinosaurs and others loved tracing the patterns of pipes and naming the animals in a maze in the more abstract art. The pond floor puzzle was popular all week with cooperative groups assembling it and using the guide to identify animals. We also read about a baby otters adventures in its first year of life. Many of our students shared stories of aquariums they visited and things they’ve seen.
Introducing watercolor palettes is one of our favorite art lessons every year. Once the students learn how to keep a palette and brush clean, they can experiment with color without frustration. Watercolor painting becomes part of our more complex art projects, but this week we had a daily watercolor station that will also appear throughout the school year. We also made collages with light and dark geometric shapes.
Our Montessori geometric trays continue to fascinate many of our students. Some are moving on to the basic triangle boxes. Other use our many tanagram options to create everything from excavators to alligators. It really is all about the alligators as we now have a special alligator dance for rainy morning play and a small copy of Maurice Sendak’s alligator alphabet surfaced on our library shelves. Seashells small and large were added to our sorting works on our practical life shelves.
Category: Preschool Room 1
