Friday, March 27, 2009

Counting seeds in Zulu



"Math Activity: Counting Seeds in Zulu

Ms. Rebekah cut open a large squash for the children to explore and count the seeds. The children felt the seeds, flesh and skin of the squash, and we tried to count in the Zulu language".

Numbers from 1 to 10 in Zulu: kunye, kubili, kuthathu, kune, isihlanu, isithupha, isikhombisa, isishiyagalombili, isishiyagalolunye, ishumi.

Monday, March 09, 2009

The Cheetahs visit Venezuela

"Science Activity: Tasting Fried Plantain

Gabriel’s mom brought a sample of food from Venezuela to the Cheetah class. The Cheetahs tasted fried plantain. It is a banana fried in oil and some sugar. Some of the Cheetahs really enjoyed this snack others tried it and didn’t like it."

It was just fried plantain ("tajadas"), no sugar...

"Math Activity: Sort / Group Animals

During our language activity the books about Venezuela showed different animals that live in water around Venezuela and the rain forest. The Cheetahs sorted all the different animals from the book and noticed which animals live in Venezuela."

"Art Activities: Mapping South America

Ms. Kelley and the Cheetahs looked at a map of South America. Each Cheetah got there own map to color. We talked about where Venezuela and Brazil were on a map. The Cheetahs kept thinking that the small of South America belonged at the top of the paper and the larger part belonged at the bottom. Ms. Kelley had to show the Cheetahs which way their paper went."

"Language Activity: Venezuela (Picture Books). A mask from Venezuela. Counting in Spanish

Gabriel’s mom brought many things for the Cheetahs to look at today. Gabriel’s mom and dad are both from Venezuela. Ms. Kelley showed the Cheetahs where Venezuela was on a map and explained to them that we live in North America and Venezuela is in South America. Gabriel explained to the Cheetahs what mask from Venezuela was and let each of his friends feel and hold the mask. Then we practiced counting up to ten in Spanish."

The mask was a Dancing Devils of Yare mask (in the picture).

"Group Activities: Dancing. Coloring Brazil and Venezuela Flags

Ms. Kelley and the Cheetahs danced to music from Venezuela. We danced together as a large group by forming a circle and walking together to the music. Then the Cheetahs split up and we pretended that we had guitars and were playing them for our friends or family. Then we danced with a partner however we wanted to."

The music was Serenata Guayanesa.

"As a group we all sat at the tables. Ms. Kelley explained to the Cheetahs what a flag from Venezuela looks like. We counted the stars together in Spanish. Then we looked at the Brazilian flag and noticed the diamond, circle, and square shapes in the flag. Ms. Kelley talked to the Cheetahs about Nicolas being from Brazil and he is visiting family there right now."

"Thank you Barbara, Alfredo, and Gabriel for sharing your culture with us!!!"

Thursday, March 05, 2009