This week in Aspen all of our students became Nature Explorers! They began the first of many botany lessons learning all about the Parts Of a Tree. Aspen also learned about the functions or job each part of a tree has to keep the tree growing strong and healthy. Therefore, we learned that each part of the tree has a special job. Here is what Aspen discovered. The roots are like the tree’s feet. They grow underground and help the tree stand tall and strong. Roots also drink up water and nutrients from the soil.We then learned that the trunk is the tree’s body. It’s strong and sturdy, holding up all the branches and leaves. The trunk has a special job of carrying water and nutrients from the roots all the way up to the leaves. It’s like a big straw! The Aspen children then had a special opportunity to explore and investigate a cross section of a tree trunk! Aspen even found the holes in the wood that act like straws to transport the water! The students also learned that the branches are like the tree’s arms. They stretch out from the trunk and hold the leaves, flowers, and fruits. The branches help spread out the leaves so they can catch lots of sunlight in order to perform their job. Leaves are the tree’s food factories. They use sunlight to make food for the tree through a process called photosynthesis. It’s like magic! Leaves also help clean the air we breathe! Did you know……that humans and trees help each other? They have a symbiotic relationship! The Aspen students learned that the oxygen that we breathe comes from trees! It the result or the waste the leaves release when engaging in photosynthesis! At the same time, the gas we get rid of when we breathe out called carbon dioxide is needed by trees! This gas is used by the trees to carry out photosynthesis and make food for the tree! Finally, we learned that the bark is the tree’s skin. It protects the tree from getting hurt by bugs, animals, and bad weather. Bark can be smooth or rough, and it comes in many different colors.
As we learned all this amazing information during line time lessons we then applied our knowledge utilizing the tree puzzle to reinforce the vocabulary terms we learned. Then we practiced labeling the tree puzzle, used three part classification cards to explore vocabulary terms in detail, explored each function of the tree in detail, and classified leaves while matching them to tress! Some of our students even traced and labeled the tree puzzle to create their very own tree! Aspen also had the opportunity to go on a Nature Hunt and took our lesson outdoors. Outdoors we were able to observe trees up close! We were able to find and identify each part of the tree and even found leaves to make leaf rubbing pictures using the leaves we found! Some of us even used the bark of trees to make bark rubbing pictures! Our adventures in Aspen this week were so much fun! Ask your child all about what the learned this week!!
In Kindergarten Readers and Writers Workshop we have been focusing on our observational skills in order to practice being a great “Sound Detective “! We have focused on what sounds each letter of the Alphabet makes and even practiced combining sounds to form phonetic words with the Moveable Alphabet. At the same time, the Aspen kindergarteners have also been practicing writing on lined paper focusing on the proper formation of each letter!
Next week we will be learning all about Apples and their Life Cycle! See you Monday!
Fun with the Color Tablets!!
Making a leaf rubbing during our Nature Hunt!
Classifying parts of a tree! Matching pictures and words!
Cultural work with the Europe puzzle map!
Labeling the parts of a tree!!
Tree Puzzle fun! Matching the corners to fit the pieces in while learning about each part of the tree!
