Falling Leaves

In kindergarten this week we read the book Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Rawlinson.   Students loved the story of Fletcher the fox and how he learned about autumn. After we shared this great book, we continued to explore classroom materials with the use of centers. Our new center addition this week was watercolor painting.  Students enjoyed painting and trying to capture some of the images they had viewed in our read aloud book.  

Garden Exploration and Scientific Observation

This week first grade enrichment classes took place in the RES Community Garden.  After we discussed how to respect our garden environment, each class was presented with a scavenger hunt challenge.  As we will be studying plants and scientific observation techniques this year in enrichment, we took this garden opportunity to test our ability to match the leaves of various herbs.  Once students found the herbs on their clue cards they had to cut samples.  We will be drying our cuttings and presenting them to the kindergarten students to use in their five senses unit!  

Students had to use their keen sense of observation to find the correct leaves.  As students looked for their matches, they had a chance to explore the garden!  We had beautiful fall weather as we observed   and  learned in our amazing outside classroom. We also got a chance to taste some veggies!

I am very thankful to the volunteers who helped us  this week!  If you are interested in sharing our learning about plants this year, please let me know...we will be doing a lot more great learning!

Now Trending in Elementary School

As both an elementary school parent and teacher I watch with interest the trends that come and go for my K - 4 students.  I am reminded of my days as a second grader when we collected stickers (that might be odd now when stickers come in bulk for very cheap) and everyone desired  that one gasoline scratch and sniff sticker! (I finally got one after trading my friend a whole set of iridescent unicorn stickers!)  This year I have seen a huge increase in bracelets..made with tiny rubberbands. 

I have had fun making these with my own kids, and I realized that I could use this interest and enjoyment and bring it into the enrichment classroom.  This week students in third grade have selected teams which they will work with over the course of the next six weeks as we 'race around the world' learning geography skills and teamwork! Before students were given their first clue, they had to establish a team name, a team color and a team motto.  This may sounds easy.....but imagine working in a group of four and trying to make decisions that impact everyone----it is hard work! We spend a lot of time discussing how to compromise and how to discuss ideas! Once they had their team established....their next challenge was to design and create team bracelets!

I had hoped that this activity would be engaging.....but what I did not realize is how awesome a tool it would be to support a variety of great learning.  I watched as students offered to teach other students how to make the bracelets.  When one student struggled to make their bracelet I observed another team talking to them about the importance of perseverance....that they too thought it was hard, but now they could do it and they just knew if this student tried that they would figure it out too!  I also saw students who might not have had bracelets before light up when they realized that through our class together they too would be in on the trend! When one team got all of their bracelets made, they didn't move on.....they checked in with others to see how they could be helpful. Students found joy in the activity, but also in helping one another!

If you pass my class and wonder why we are making tiny rubber band bracelets----please know that we are also learning to be student leaders, team players, communicators, and supportive peers while having fun!  I am so grateful that RES gives me the opportunity to take time with students to work on these important skills using student interests. I believe strongly that student engagement and joy is a key component of learning and I am happy to be able to use the latest 'trends' to learn. I wonder what we will be making next?!

We Found Tori's Homebase!

Students in Mrs. Ankerson's third grade class are kicking off their adventure to follow a classmate's cousin's journey around Europe.  After an introduction last week, students spent time diving into maps and resources in the enrichment room to track down Cardiff, Wales in the U.K.  We found it!

Traveling with Tori, Challenge 1

Students in third grade are following Tori as she adventures around Europe.  She is giving us clues and we are using our classroom resources to learn about her travels.  Tori wrote us a poem for our first clue, and included some great pictures!  Here was our clue...can you figure it out?

I light up at night, a beautiful blue

On special occasions I have fireworks too!

I am a Ferris wheel tall and high,

From me you can see the Queens house

Don’t forget to say Hi!

I’m on the River Thames,

You can see the city through a lens.

To see me just look up to the sky…

What and Where am I??

Students had to think about:

What countries have a Queen?

 What does a river look like on a map?

What type of map shows rivers?

What do cities look like on a map?

What clues is the picture giving us?

How can we use what we learned about Tori's home base to determine a starting point for our investigation?

In the end, students were able to narrow the location down to London, England!

We cannot wait for our next clue and are looking forward to exchanging questions that we come up with as we learn more and more geography!

We are so happy that Tori is providing us with this learning opportunity!  Do you have an idea for a mystery location challenge? Please contact me with ideas!

Exploring and Learning in Kindergarten

Students in kindergarten enrichment continue to explore the classroom space as we open up additional learning opportunities each week.  Students are practicing making choices, and learning where materials are and how to use the various areas to learn.  We have opened art easels for chalk drawing, the classroom library, the puppet theater, the fairy house, and more!  I love watching students  make great learning choices and it helps us all to see how we will learn throughout the year!

Enrichment Rocks!

I believe that enrichment rocks! But it always great to get that feedback, unsolicited from students.  This week I had a fourth grader make me this great sign, which now hangs in the enrichment space!  

I was also excited to receive a compliment from some Kindergarteners.  We were in the bus line at the end of school and one of them said "I wish that I could just stay in the enrichment room all day"!  It was great for me to see that our youngest and oldest students are enjoying their learning experience as much as I am!