This week in Aspen we began our lessons involving the continent of North America, focusing on the history of Thanksgiving! Aspen learned all about a group of people known as the Pilgrims. We discovered that the Pilgrims once lived in England, and they decided to leave because they held different beliefs than the king of England. Aspen also learned that a king has absolute power! You didn’t argue with the king of England in the 1600’s! We then researched how the Pilgrims traveled to North America, also known as the “New World” in the1600’s. We discovered that they traveled by boat (The Mayflower), and it took sixty-six days before they arrived in Massachusetts! Aspen also learned that when the Pilgrims arrived in the New World they did not find an Acme, a Giant Eagle, or homes ready to move into. The Pilgrims had to hunt for their own food, grow their own crops, and build their own houses from scratch! They couldn’t even purchase wood for their homes at a Home Depot! We further discovered life was harsh and full of hard work for the Pilgrims. Even the Pilgrim children had to work! We then watched a quick video on YouTube about Pilgrim life! We then found out that arriving in a New World brought uncertainty, and growing food or hunting was very difficult. Thankfully, there was a group of people already living near Plymouth, Massachusetts called the Wampanoag! They helped guide the Pilgrims so that they could survive in the New World. After harvest time, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people gathered together to celebrate and give thanks for the harvest and everything else that they were thankful for! As a group, we then discussed all of the things we are thankful for in our own lives. Check out the bulletin board outside our room to see what our Aspen group gave thanks for!
In Kindergarten Workshop, the kindergarten students began their lessons involving currency. They took a look at different types of currency from around the world, and they learned all about the coins we use in the U.S.A. They then practiced identifying coins with their corresponding amounts. In Readers Workshop, the Cardinals and Chickadees learned how to identify the subject and predicate within a sentence. We learned that the subject is….. and the predicate is…. We then read sentences out loud and located both the subject and predicate within our sentences, practicing our sentence structure and how to form a sentence that makes sense. Then we practiced determining if a sentence made sense by investigating some sample sentences. Being the amazing children they are, the kindergarteners also located sight words within our sample sentences. In Writers Workshop, our kindergarteners focused on putting their entire thought on a paper, creating sentences that make sense.
Next week we will be continuing to talk about North America but we will also be learning about table manners, place setting, and discussing more about what it means to be thankful. Also, as a reminder, there is no school on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday in observance of Thanksgiving.
Learning how to use a baster.
Planting corn like the Native Americans using soil (black river rocks), corn, and fish (Swedish Fish).
Fun with the Geography Puzzle Maps!!
Whisking bubbles is a great indirect preparation for coloring and staying within the lines! You whisk too fast you spill the water! You color to fast , you go out of the lines!!