I’m being swallowed by a boa constrictor

Language Activity: Jimmy’s Boa By: Trinka Hakes Noble

“I’m being swallowed by a boa constrictor”

Ms. Kelley and the Cheetahs read The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash. Joshua told us that he had this book and helped predict what was going to happen next. Then Ms. Kelley read Jimmy’s Boa Bounces Back. Both of the books have funny stories about a boa constrictor and how it can ruin thing after thing. The Cheetahs really liked both stories because the books had very detailed pictures.

Ms. Rebekah and the Cheetahs played a great game when we came in from outside. She used the tunnel to pretend like it was the boa constrictor. The boa started out by eating her feet and then moved up to her legs, and then onto her stomach and then up to her neck and then the boa swallowed her whole (this would make Ms. Rebekah vanish into the tunnel). The Cheetahs thought that this was funny so they each took turns getting eaten by the boa constrictor.

Pirates!

Ms. Rebekah and Ms. Carly assisted the children with the creation of their Pirate Boats as the children colored their Jolly Roger Flag and decorated their boats. The children discussed how we should put the boats together and what the Jolly Roger Flag stands for.



The children sailed their boats on the water in the sensory table, with Ms. Rebekah and Ms. Carly assisting with boat repairs when necessary. The children tested the boats and found that they worked really well. They can not wait to bring them home to show them to their Mom’s and Dad’s!!!!

Reading in the kids's classrooms

Yesterday I read to the Cockatoos (David's classroom) and the Cheetahs. Ms. Kelley e-mailed me this picture, and I will try to get one from the Cockatoos also (I am not sure if they took one).

Gabo no salió a la Tía Melissa...

Easter

The Saturday before Easter we all went egg hunting at Roosevelt. Of course, we forgot the camera, but at least Gianna's (a friend of Gabriel's from Cheetahs) mom took some pictures of Gabriel. Here they are.




Gabriel got a few eggs (with some help from Mami), but David was just not interested (he was too busy eating his pretzel), so Gabo gave him one of his eggs... it was so cute! And then Nene got interested, of course. They both got a "prize" at the end. It was fun, although it was a little chilly.

On Easter David woke up with a cold, so Papi stayed with him at home when Mami and Gabo went to Mass ("a la casa del Niño Jesús"). That night Papi prepared some very tasty tacos!

Frog Day

Science Activity: Frog Search

Half of the children examined and hid paper frogs from the other half of the class. The other group of children played "Frog, Frog, where’s your fly?" and looked for the hidden frogs.

While Ms. Rebekah and her group hid the frogs, Ms. Kelley and her group read a few stories and discussed frogs with the children in the next room.

We then switched children and repeated the activities.


Math Activity: Matching Frogs

We worked on matching frogs by size and color with the children and a few of the children sorted the frogs while others created patterns with them. The children enjoyed observing, touching and manipulating the frogs during center time.

Art Activity: Tissue Paper Frogs

Ms. Kelley and Ms. Rebekah assisted the children with the glue as they created frogs with paper towel rolls, tissue paper, and glue. The children created some very interesting frogs, and this afternoon when they are dry the children will be adding the faces, legs and arms to their 3-D frogs!!!


Language Activity: "Froggy’s Baby Sister" by Jonathan London, "Hoptoad" by Jane Yolen

Ms. Kelley read "Froggy’s Baby Sister" and "Hoptoad". We split into two groups this morning one with Ms. Rebekah and the other with Ms. Kelley. The group with Ms. Kelley read the two stories about frogs and talked about where frogs live and when do we see frogs. Ms. Kelley also showed the Cheetahs that there can be many different colored frogs. Each group got to hear the stories. While the group was listening to the stories the other group was hiding frogs so the children listening to the stories could find the frogs.

More pictures from my cell phone

These are a few pictures that have been in my phone for a while.

Trent and Gabriel.

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.

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!!!"

Mr. David