Earlier this week, we moved our butterflies outside to the butterfly tent to share the outdoor space with the butterflies of the other classrooms.
Check out our pictures here!
Friday, June 26, 2015
Butterflies
All of the classrooms at INELC grew butterflies again this year. Our classroom received our tub of baby caterpillars about two weeks ago and watched them form their chrysalises, hatch from the chrysalises and stretch their wings in our butterfly pavilions.
Earlier this week, we moved our butterflies outside to the butterfly tent to share the outdoor space with the butterflies of the other classrooms.
Check out our pictures here!
Earlier this week, we moved our butterflies outside to the butterfly tent to share the outdoor space with the butterflies of the other classrooms.
Check out our pictures here!
Friday, June 19, 2015
Motion
One thing we talked a lot about was motion. The pendulums fascinated
them, but they were making observations about how all sorts of things
moved. We needed to look at all the ways things could move and what
better way than some messy art? This is an activity that you can easily
do at home with a few simple materials. For the activity print out,
click here.
Motion painting is such a simple concept; we decided to spice things up each day this week.
Monday: We just explored how it all worked. Students selected any color paint and either a golf ball or marble (for some interesting patterns).
Tuesday: We used only the primary colors. How did this change the paintings? What colors did they see that they didn't add in the beginning and why?
Wednesday: We talked about how objects can change direction when they collide with something. In our motion painting, we use another ball to demonstrate how things can bounce off each other.
Thursday: We explored using a golf ball and a marble together, one being larger than the other. Unfortunately I forgot the pictures for that one!
Friday: We used a much larger tray; students had to work together to get the ball to roll through the paint. This proved difficult for many. We reminded them that working together can mean talking to each other about what to do.
The next problem to solve was what to do with the paper. There were two artists and only one paper. Who took it home? What if they both wanted to take it home?
See all of the pictures from the activity this week here.
This activity was so popular, we decided to extend it even farther. We will be using non-round objects; what would happen if we put a square in the box? We will paint a picture instead of just dots; how will this change what the paint does and change your picture?
Check back for more pictures!
Motion painting is such a simple concept; we decided to spice things up each day this week.
Monday: We just explored how it all worked. Students selected any color paint and either a golf ball or marble (for some interesting patterns).
Tuesday: We used only the primary colors. How did this change the paintings? What colors did they see that they didn't add in the beginning and why?
Wednesday: We talked about how objects can change direction when they collide with something. In our motion painting, we use another ball to demonstrate how things can bounce off each other.
Thursday: We explored using a golf ball and a marble together, one being larger than the other. Unfortunately I forgot the pictures for that one!
Friday: We used a much larger tray; students had to work together to get the ball to roll through the paint. This proved difficult for many. We reminded them that working together can mean talking to each other about what to do.
See all of the pictures from the activity this week here.
This activity was so popular, we decided to extend it even farther. We will be using non-round objects; what would happen if we put a square in the box? We will paint a picture instead of just dots; how will this change what the paint does and change your picture?
Check back for more pictures!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Pendulums
After a rousing success with our single, wrecking-ball type pendulum in the block center (See the previous post titled "Energy, Light and Motion" for more information and photos), we looked into a pendulum set.
We made observations and predictions about this picture of the pendulums before we watched the video.
"I notice that all the balls are white and they all have strings."
"I notice they're hanging from a thing."
"I notice that some strings are small and some are long."
"I think the balls will hit each other."
Here is a link to the video we watched on pendulum waves. This video was very interesting to the kids and got them thinking; can we make one of those? What would we need? How would we make it?
We looked a little closer at the picture.
We started a list.
We had some interesting answers when Mrs. Scapellati asked, "How are we going to get these things?"
It's a good thing we have string, tape, glue and tools in the classrooms already; I'm not sure what store to go to to buy money.
Update 6.22.2015
We began looking at and touching the materials to build the frame and pendulums. We discussed ways to construct it and how to keep it all together. We are continuing this over the week, check back on Friday for more!
Update 6.25.2015
We started construction of the pendulum set today. Over the last three days, students planned and experimented with how to put the materials together to create the pendulum set. Today we measured, sawed, drilled and glued. We learned how to use a power drill and what hook eyes were.
Some thing the students noticed and said about our materials:
"We have to make the frame first, or the balls won't hang."
"The screws have a twisty bottom to go into the balls"
"The pendulums won't be tall enough if we use the wood like this."
"The wood has a crack here, we should put glue in it."
Update 6.26.2015
We finished our construction today; gluing, hammering, measuring, tying, and drilling. After waiting all day for the glue to (mostly) dry, we were able to tie the strings on the balls and hang them.
The consensus: the pendulum doesn't work exactly like it did in the video, but it's crazy fun to play with and make! And THAT is all that matters to us!
To find all of our pictures, click here. (Newest pictures added at the bottom)
Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards in focus for this project:
We made observations and predictions about this picture of the pendulums before we watched the video.
"I notice that all the balls are white and they all have strings."
"I notice they're hanging from a thing."
"I notice that some strings are small and some are long."
"I think the balls will hit each other."
Here is a link to the video we watched on pendulum waves. This video was very interesting to the kids and got them thinking; can we make one of those? What would we need? How would we make it?
We looked a little closer at the picture.
We started a list.
We had some interesting answers when Mrs. Scapellati asked, "How are we going to get these things?"
It's a good thing we have string, tape, glue and tools in the classrooms already; I'm not sure what store to go to to buy money.
Update 6.22.2015
We began looking at and touching the materials to build the frame and pendulums. We discussed ways to construct it and how to keep it all together. We are continuing this over the week, check back on Friday for more!
Update 6.25.2015
We started construction of the pendulum set today. Over the last three days, students planned and experimented with how to put the materials together to create the pendulum set. Today we measured, sawed, drilled and glued. We learned how to use a power drill and what hook eyes were.
Some thing the students noticed and said about our materials:
"We have to make the frame first, or the balls won't hang."
"The screws have a twisty bottom to go into the balls"
"The pendulums won't be tall enough if we use the wood like this."
"The wood has a crack here, we should put glue in it."
Update 6.26.2015
We finished our construction today; gluing, hammering, measuring, tying, and drilling. After waiting all day for the glue to (mostly) dry, we were able to tie the strings on the balls and hang them.
The consensus: the pendulum doesn't work exactly like it did in the video, but it's crazy fun to play with and make! And THAT is all that matters to us!
To find all of our pictures, click here. (Newest pictures added at the bottom)
Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards in focus for this project:
Cognition: Curiosity and Initiative; Engagement
with Environment, People and Objects; Eagerness to Learn; Cooperation with
Peers in Learning Experiences; Cause and Effect; Problem Solving; Choosing and
Planning; Cognitive Flexibility;
Personal and
Social Development:
Adult Relationships; Play/Friendship; Conflict Resolution
Physical
Development and Health:
Visual Motor Integration; Small Muscle Movement and Coordination
Early Language,
Communication, and Literacy:
Word Comprehension; Language Comprehension; Vocabulary; Expression of Ideas,
Feelings and Needs; Conventions of Conversation; Language for Interaction;
Drawing and Writing
Early
Scientific Inquiry:
Questioning and Defining Problems; Using Evidence; Design Cycle; Energy, Force
and Motion; Matter and Its Properties
Social Studies: Individuals, Groups and
Institutions; Production, Distribution and Consumption
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Energy, Light and Motion
We have begun our unit on Energy, Light and Motion; students know a lot about these topics. A few things they wondered were... what is a pendulum? How strong does air have to be to move something? How do you change the direction of a moving object? How do you make an object move faster or slower? How does sound travel?
We began making mazes on the carpet, we explored different movements and directions the ball could roll. We built loops and problem solved how to make the maze go over itself and make a bridge.
This week we began taking a look at pendulums. What are they? What can they do? How do they move?
A provocation on a wrecking ball type pendulum was set up in the block area. Students built towers and swung the pendulum to knock them down. They quickly learned that the towers had to be tall enough and thin enough; if their buildings were too stable, they wouldn't fall.
Pictures were taken with a multi-shot option on the camera. The camera takes about twenty photos in quick succession and when put together, the images make a short, stop-motion video.
See our entire collection of pendulum pictures here.
Students are very interested in how the pendulum moves and what it can do, have you seen any pendulums at home or in the community? Some common examples are wrecking balls, grandfather clocks and swing sets.
We began making mazes on the carpet, we explored different movements and directions the ball could roll. We built loops and problem solved how to make the maze go over itself and make a bridge.
This week we began taking a look at pendulums. What are they? What can they do? How do they move?
A provocation on a wrecking ball type pendulum was set up in the block area. Students built towers and swung the pendulum to knock them down. They quickly learned that the towers had to be tall enough and thin enough; if their buildings were too stable, they wouldn't fall.
Pictures were taken with a multi-shot option on the camera. The camera takes about twenty photos in quick succession and when put together, the images make a short, stop-motion video.
See our entire collection of pendulum pictures here.
Students are very interested in how the pendulum moves and what it can do, have you seen any pendulums at home or in the community? Some common examples are wrecking balls, grandfather clocks and swing sets.
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