September 21

Types of Webs

Oh, what a tangled web you weave! Such a variety of spider webs!

Orb Web

Orb Spider Webs in Fog

Orb Web Lab

Funnel Web

Sheet Web



Go here to watch this informational book full screen.

Brainstorm why spiders might not stick to their webs before watching. Go here to view full screen.

Go here to watch full screen.

“Kind of spooky”, my students said. An ideal story to teach persuasive writing. To watch full screen, go here.

Another good mentor text for persuasive writing. Go here to view full screen.

For my youngest scientists – Go here to view full screen.

Watch a spider wrap up a meal here. Go here for another past post.

Note: Some spiders (tarantulas, wolf spider, and jumping spiders) don’t spin webs; they hunt their prey.

Spied this tiny spider on my car:

 

September 11

Wild Words

“Vocabulary is not only a tool for communication but also a tool for comprehension and knowledge acquisition.” (Oxford Learning) Considerable research indicates a powerful correlation between the early acquisition of vocabulary and success in school.

I do love picture books, and The Keeper of Wild Words is my new favorite! The author, Brooke Smith, was inspired to write her bock when she discovered that over 100 words from the natural world, such as blackberries, minnows, and acorn, were removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary because the publishers no longer felt the words were relevant for today’s children.

The sweet relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter is celebrated as they search for wild words together.

Let’s help preserve these words! Go for a walk with your family or students and identify the natural things you find or create a scavenger hunt with specific living and nonliving things to identify outdoors. Take photos and assemble a book with labels.

Go here to view this delightful story about the power of words full screen.


Go here to watch a story that addresses the challenges some children encounter with reading.

Reading to your children from a very young age is an important way to introduce new vocabulary. Time for read alouds in classrooms should never be sacrificed for other activities. It is paramount that children hear the rhythm and structure of language.

Related Posts: 

Power Words

Wonder Words

Synonyms

Word Collections from Max’s Words

Our Book of the Month Program: Why it Really Matters | Scholastic
Note: I’ve added some additional literature to several recent posts.

April 12

Seagulls – Friend or Foe?

Before you visit the beach, learn about seagulls. If you are an educator, seabirds are a great addition to an ocean unit too.

A Few facts about Seagulls:

  • There are over 50 species of seagulls, and they make their home on every continent. The average life span in the wild is twelve years, but some live much longer.
  • Seagulls are omnivores and opportunistic feeders or scavengers (natural garbage collectors). This intelligent bird can also drink fresh or salt water. They have an impressive sense of smell and sight which aids in their location of food.
  • Although many seagulls live near coastal areas, they are adaptable and can be found inland. It is not uncommon to see seagulls at landfills or in cities. A group of seagulls is called a colony and they are social animals.
  • These birds mate for life and care for their chicks as a team. The female usually lays three speckled eggs.
  • Seagull droppings (guano) are used for fertilizer because they contain nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium which are essential for thriving plants.

Click here to view full screen.

Many beach visitors can attest that seagulls are aggressive when it comes to finding food which is the theme of the next two videos.

Click here to view full screen.

Click here to view full screen.

Not everyone is a fan of seagulls! Sailors believe they are good luck, but others call them rats of the ocean. Use this difference of opinion as an opportunity to write the pros and cons of seagulls inhabiting an area.

Craft a simple paper plate seagull. After studying the body parts (shape, size, and color), task children to draw, cut out, and attach the gull’s legs, bill, and eyes. How can you design the bill to open and its feet to appear as if the gull is standing?

January 2

Pigeons

I was visiting my daughter in an urban area of Chicago for Christmas. Yes, it was frigid and snowing, but pigeons were still surprisingly active. Before landing on rooftops, synchronized flocks swooped across the sky. Doesn’t this appear to be a black and white photo?  However, it was just a gray day with barely a hint of color. I was drawn to the monochromatic palette.

As I watched the behavior of pigeons, I wondered how they have adapted to life in the city. They are certainly amazing birds and I have a greater respect and interest in them after further study!

Some facts:
There are hundreds of species of pigeons, and they are related to doves.
They historically nested on coastal cliffs which is why feral pigeons have easily adapted to living on city buildings.
Highly social animals, they are often seen in flocks of twenty to thirty birds.
Pigeons mate for life and both sexes care for their two chicks. They average eight broods a year.
Young are fed nutritious crop milk which is regurgitated from their parents.
Pigeons are selectively bred for racing, show, and in some cultures for pets.
They can fly up to 600 to 700 miles in one day at speeds averaging 78 mph.
Pigeons are known to be highly intelligent and can recognize themselves in a mirror.

Do you remember the scene in which the Banks children in Mary Poppins want to feed the pigeons for tuppence a bag?

Integrate history into your study of pigeons by investigating passenger or homing pigeons. There are many theories about how pigeons find their way home. They may use the sun and visual cues or Earth’s magnetic field (magnetoreception). Other studies indicate that infrasound (low frequency sound waves) or olfactory navigation guides them back.

Click here to view full screen.

Click here to view full screen,

To view full screen, click here.

Noah may have been the first to use a homing pigeon. He sent out a dove who returned to the ark:
“He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So, Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.” (Genesis 8:10-11)

Mo Wilhelm has a popular picture book series about pigeons for young children. Teach dialogue and character traits through the series. These humorous tales can also be used to instruct persuasive writing and types of sentences (commands, statements, exclamatory and questions).

Click here to view full screen.

Click here to view full screen.

Search for additional monochromatic examples in nature, in your home, or in clothing. Such a great assignment to teach observational skills! Task your students or children with creating a realistic or abstract monochromatic painting. For additional fun, ask them to dress in a monochromatic scheme.

See the source image


April 19

Dandelion Study

Use dandelions to teach your young scientists about plants! They are safe, plentiful, and move quickly through their life cycle.


The flower’s role is to produce seeds. Because dandelions bloom in the spring, they are one of the first food sources for pollinators.

Can you name the parts of the plant? Dandelions have a tap root, like a carrot. Label the plant parts. Diagrams are found in informational text.

Dandelion seeds disperse by the wind. I am mesmerized by the beauty of these seeds.

A dandelion rapidly changes from a flower to a puffball of seeds. Sequence the life cycle. Click here to watch an animated life cycle. Plant the seeds and journal the growth of the dandelions.

Dandelions are edible. They were brought to America by European settlers and were cultivated for their medicinal qualities and as a food source. After studying dandelions, try a dandelion tea like the one below, or taste dandelion greens. These were at Whole Foods.

These photos were taken after a spring rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take photos of the shadow created by the ball of seeds and draw what you see.

Click here for the Safeshare link.

Click here to listen to the story.

Dandelions: Stars in the Grass - Lerner Publishing Group

Dandelion is a classic children’s book. Click here for the Safeshare link.

See the source image

February 24

Would You Rather?


Learning how to debate and share your position and opinions respectfully, knowledgeably, and convincingly are important skills for children, as well as for adults. Play the game, Would you Rather…?, at home or in the classroom using opposing science statements. For a successful discussion, students will need background information about the topics which could be gained through a science unit, past experiences, or research.
In the classroom:
Present two contrasting ideas. Direct your students to divide into two groups based upon which of the choices they select. Each group is then tasked with discussing reasons that support their choice and then sharing those supporting statements with the opposing group. After each group presents, ask students if there is anyone who wants to switch groups based upon the presentations.
At Home:
Use these as conversation starters with your child.
Would You Rather…
Swim like a fish or fly like a bird?
Hibernate during winter months or migrate south for the winter?
Be a domestic animal or a wild animal?
Be a predator that kills and eats its food or prey that eats plants?
Be an animal that burrows underground or nests in a tree?
Be a deciduous or an evergreen tree?
Be an animal who lives in a beach habitat or a forest habitat?
Be a nocturnal or diurnal animal?
This activity could be used as an introduction to a persuasive writing unit.
Lettering is a new interest. I’m always looking for ways to practice, so I made the title above.
January 31

In Honor of 2.2.22

It’s almost 2.2.22! (Hope you wear a tutu!) Enjoy the Veggie Tale song, Come in Twos, Click here.

LYRICS
The best things in life come in twos
Like salt goes with pepper
And carrots with peas
A sock with its mate
Macaroni and cheese
A cup and a saucer
A pair of shoes
The best things in life come in twos
Its cookies with milk
And ham with eggs
Two birds of a feather
Your arms and your legs
It’s making “wes” out of “mes” and “yous”
The best things in life come in twos
The best things in life come in twos Two o o o o o s

Try to add another verse. My new lines are:  a hamburger with fries, and glasses with eyes

The following activity is a fun and creative way to make a connection between math and language on this unique date. Create a class poster about the number 2 on an anchor chart with multiple answers to the sentence starters below or let your students choose a number and design their own number signs.

First brainstorm words, phrases, or expressions that are associated with each number. For example:

One – Uno, single, unicycle, solo, only child, one of a kind, penny, one in a million, all in one piece, one and only, one of those days

Two – double, tutu, pair, twins, duo, twice, bicycle built for two,

Ten – decade, dime, decimeter, decagon, Tennessee, tennis

The pictures below were made by my students almost twenty years ago!

Note: ‘Also known as’ could be a math expression. For example, four could be known as 2+2, 1/3 of 12, or 8/2.

Reading the entertaining story, 7 Ate 9, would be a perfect way to begin or end this lesson. Humorous puns about numbers fill the pages.

Click here for the Safeshare link.

See the source image

If you miss 2.2.22, there’s always 2.22.22!

Two are better than one, because they can help each other in everything they do.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 NIRV

January 18

Snow People

You don’t see many snow people in Georgia! My neighbor, Daphne, made this snow boy after our rare snowfall.

Click here to watch Snowballs, a favorite story of mine and a great inspiration for the art below.

Use doilies for the body of your snow people (or animals) and then let your children choose from a variety of materials to bring it to life! We dipped sponges in white paint to add the snow. Write stories about your snow people characters.

If you don’t have snow, try stuffing white garbage bags with recycled paper, stack them, and make the snow person’s features with recyclables, clothes, or other art materials.

January 17

Repost: The Perfect Snow Day

My second grade class completed this writing project in 2014. Today’s snow in Georgia motivated me to repost. We haven’t had measurable snow here since 2018!

I’ve added these additional two stories for background information. Click here for an animated version of The Snowy Day. Click here for Snow Day!

Original Post:

We recently completed a project that we took through the writing process-prewriting, rough draft, revise and edit, final draft, and publish. Our final drafts are displayed in the hall, and we have received many compliments!

Prewriting:  We read There’s No Day Like a Snow Day, and afterwards listed activities we could do if we had a snow day.

We wrote our rough drafts using a sticky note graphic organizer. This system allowed us to easily rearrange our sentences during the revising process. I instructed the children to write a paragraph with a main idea, supporting details, and a closing sentence. Then, we listed ways we could make our writing more interesting-varying sentence length, beginning sentences in a variety of ways, including figurative language (alliteration, similes, or onomatopoeia), descriptive words, and greater detail. One of my goals was for them to use transition words, such as first, next, later, afterwards, and finally.

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Then I met individually with each child to help them revise (clarity, language, and sequence) and edit (punctuation, capitalization, and spelling) his/her rough draft. We copied our rough drafts in paragraph form. We are learning to indent the beginning of a paragraph.

Finally, each child made a snow setting and glued a picture of him/her into it. I took these pictures during our blizzard dress down day.



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This was a lot of work, but the final products and the skills the children mastered made it well worth the effort!

January 6

Birds of Many Colors

Just look at the colors of the birds visiting my suet feeders-cardinal, bluebird and goldfinch!

Click here for the story, My Colors Book Early Birds, written for very young scientists. This book introduces the concept of onomatopoeia (a word that suggests the sound that it describes) and simile (a figure of speech that compares two unlike items using connecting words such as like or as).