Apples, Apples, and More Apples! This week the kindergarteners learned about apples. We started by learning a few facts about apples. Did you know that there are more than 7,500 different kinds of apples? We found out that apples start as seeds, grow on trees, and are flowers before they are apples.We read several non-fiction books about apples to gather more facts about apples.This week we each brought an apple to school from home. Everyone’s apple was a little different. We counted, measured, and weighed our apples. Finally we made a class book about the apples we brought.After drawing a picture of it, we had to write the color words that matched our picture.
Monday:
No School
Tuesday:
In reading, we were introduced to a new sight word, I. After using our word in a sentence, we completed our first sight word worksheet. Ms. Torborg walked us through each of the different boxes on our paper. We had to read, color, trace, write and glue the word, I.
We spent part of our morning getting ready for our standardized test that starts next week. First we watched a video together about the test. Then we did several different practice tests on the SMARTboard together. Ms. Torborg walked us through how to answer each of the different types of questions and what to do when you get stuck. Next, we were off to the computer room to try for our self. We each got a chance to take a practice reading and math test. Then we spent a little time playing Teach your Monster to Read.
This week we are learning about apples. Today we read a book about different kinds of apples. Did you know that apples can be red, green, yellow, and any combination of those colors? Did you know that each apple has a special name? We also listened to/watched a couple of songs about apples. I Love Apples (Kid’s Song) was cool because it taught us different facts about apples. The Apple Song was fun to hear and watch because it taught about all of the different kinds of apples in the world. Have you ever tried to balance an apple on your head? It's not easy. And if the apple falls, it could be bruised. Today we read the story Ten Apples Up On Top. Throughout the story the characters are balancing apples on their heads. They start with one and work their way up to ten. In the end, everyone has ten apples on their head. Our project today was to create a picture of us balancing ten apples on our head. We started by drawing a picture of our face/head. We tried to get the colors just right. Then we had to glue ten (paper) apples on our head. Next, Ms. Torborg wrote the words. Now they are hanging in the hall. At the end of the day, we each practiced trying to balance and then walk with an apple on our head. Just like they did in the story, 10 Apples Up On Top. It was a fake apple, but it looked and felt real. We decided that it was harder than it looked. Some of us were even able to balance it for a little while with no hands.
In Religion, we talked about how God everything around us including the day and the night. Then we completed our first religion workbook page. We had to decide if the picture was something we would do in the day or at night and then draw either a sun or a moon.
Wednesday:
Wow, what creative "Treasure Boxes"! It was wonderful to see all of the unique designs. (Don't worry if you have not made one yet, you still have time.) Each child took a turn standing in front of the class sharing how they created their box and who helped them. Now we have a spot to keep all of our precious papers and projects.
In reading, we worked on identifying our sight word I. Then we were introduced to our first letter and letter sound, Mm. After watching our letter Mm video, we created a list of words that began with the /m/. Then we completed our letter Mm sorting worksheet. After cutting out all of the letter m’s at the bottom, we had to sort them into capital M’s and Lowercase m’s and glue them in the right category.
After recess, we headed to the computer room again. Today we took a NWEA screening reading assessment. It was like practicing to take our standardized reading test.
In math, we went outside and played a new game, Count & Sit. We started by getting in a circle. The object of the game is to be the last one standing. The first person calls out the number 1. The next person calls out 2 and so on around the circle until you hit the number 10. The person who calls out 10 has to sit down. The next person standing starts again with 1. You continue on until only 1 person is left standing.
In religion, we continued talking about how God created the day and night. After naming a few of the items that we see during the day and a few items we see during the night, we created a little book of praise. On the last page, we had to draw a picture of something we are thankful for.
We finished up our day by reviewing the apple life cycle and a little project. We listened to two stories. They both had the same title, Apples. We figured out that they had different authors, so they were different stories. They both contained information about apples.
For our project, we started by coloring a big apple with a leaf and stem. We had to make sure to use real apple colors. Then we cut the whole thing out. Plus we cut it in half on the dotted line. Next we colored a sheet of paper with the 4 different stages of an apple life cycle on it. Finally, Ms. Torborg helped us fold the stages paper and glue our apple on it. Now when you open the apple, you see the stages of an apple’s life cycle.
Thursday:
We started our morning off with extra recess. Last week at our Marathon rally, we earned 2 prizes. Our first was a gum day which we had on Tuesday. Our second was an extra recess
In reading, we were introduced to a new reading strategy, Identify the Front and Back of books. When we read a book, we want to make sure to start at the beginning of the story. That means we need to identify the difference between the front and the back of a book. Together we were able to identify things we would find on the front of a book such as the title, author, illustrator, etc.
We were also introduced to a new sight word, the. Then we received our first emergent reader book for our reading bin. This is a book we can read all on our own. Before we started reading it, we each received our own reading finger. (This is a monster finger with a long nail.) We use our reading fingers to point to the words as we read them. The first time we read the story together. Then we took sometime to read it by ourselves.
After recess, we headed to the computer room again. Today we took a NWEA screening Early Numeracy math assessment. We had to do things like match, count and identify numbers, identify more and less, and answer questions moving objects.
In the afternoon, we made another class book. Our book is about the apple we brought to school. Each of our apples were different, so each page is different. The first thing we had to do on our page was to draw a picture of our apple. If our apple was green and red, we had to draw a green and red apple. Then at the top of our paper we had to write the color words for our apple.
We also used our apples for a little discovery project. First we used cubes to measure how tall and long our apples were. We recorded our answers on our paper. Then we used a pan balance and cubes to measure how heavy it is. Next we created an AB pattern on the bottom of our paper.
In Religion, we talked about St. Maria Goretti and then colored her picture in our saint book. Her feast day is July 6th. St Maria Goretti is the patron saint of youth. She was attacked by her brutally attacked by her neighbor. Before she died, she forgave him.
Friday:
Our Friday schedule is a little crazy. Our day starts with a ride on the Blue Bus to Mass at church. When we got back, we had snack before we headed outside for recess. When we came in from recess, we had music class with Mrs. McCarney and then we had our first Spanish class with Mrs. Kramer. When we got back to our classroom, we we reviewed our two sight words, I & the, and we read through our emergent reader together, The Farm, using our reading finger before we headed to lunch.
In the afternoon, we completed our calendar binders before moving on to some reading work. First we reviewed the letter M and its sound. Then we watch a short video clip. Next, we worked on identifying words that began with the /m/. Finally we completed a worksheet. We had to color all of the items that started with the /m/. We went through it together putting an X across the items that didn’t start with the /m/. Then we took some time to color it.
We also had our first library class. We each got to pick out a book to bring home. We have to remember to bring it back by next week. There is a bin in Ms. Torborg’s room for us to put our books in when we bring them back.
We ended our day with another Marathon Rally. We found out we raised over $13,000. We started by praying for all of our Marathon intentions. Then we completed a group activity. First the 5th graders put on a few simple skits for us showing the right and wrong way to ask for Marathon donations. Some of the things were pretty silly. Then we gathered in small groups. We each had a paper handprint. Each grade had a different color. Ours was red. On our handprint we had to write or draw something that shows God’s Love. Then we talked about the different things we wrote or drew.