Circle Up

 

"The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading, writing and arithmetic...music dance, painting and theater are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment."   

William Bennett, Former US Secretary of Education

Our MCP students have learned about the works of Wassily Kandinsky. We have learned Kandinsky was born in Russia and are able to find a Russia on a map or globe.  Kandinsky loved to listen to music and saw his art in the music.  He loved circles and his work is describes as abstract.  

Have some fun at home with Kandinsky!  Easy breezy with crayons and paper!

https://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2016/12/happy-birthday-wassily.html

https://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2017/12/kandinskys-colors-black-lines.html

-Color and add black lines-

Our next Masterpiece Monday artist creates some yummy art!

Can You Say That Word?

Nocturnal, orchard, palette, sketch experiment, observe, abstract, chemistry, globe---your child can say these words.  We introduce new vocabulary all the time in our daily lessons. We use the new vocabulary words in the classroom.  The children use the new vocabulary words in the classroom and hopefully carry it home. 

Why do we do this?  Because building vocabulary is an important part of your child's development and reading readiness skills.  Find out more:

https://notjustcute.com/2017/06/13/language-for-literacy-the-importance-of-building-vocabulary-in-preschool/

Can You Say That Word?

Nocturnal, orchard, auger wagon, palette, sketch, experiment, observe, abstract greatest, least, chemistry, globe, liquids, solids---your child can say these words. We introduce and use these words in our classroom.  Why? Building vocabulary is an important in your child's development and reading readiness skills.  Find out more:

https://notjustcute.com/2017/06/13/language-for-literacy-the-importance-of-building-vocabulary-in-preschool/

What a Wonderful World

Our MWF classes are really enjoying looking at maps and the globe.  This center is a very simple center for our MWF classes.  After they complete their globe they get to press the 'easy button'.

Travelling Man

The traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep.

Margaret Mead

We love 'travelling' with our preK students.  Over the school year, we have 'traveled'  to Canada, England, Australia, Ireland, Japan and our final destination has been Mexico.  What has your child learned?  A lot. 

We talk a lot about children all over the world are going to school, playing in parks, brushing their teeth, that moms & dads are going to work and much more.  The children learn that  there are different languages, about accents and that they have an accent (and their teacher is terrible with accents).  We watch videos of people and places.  The children learn that an island is land surrounded by water. We locate countries on the globe and maps. We look at flags. We have large world maps and the children work in pairs are able to locate many countries on their own. 

This past week we laced a ristra.

Our Morning Meeting asked 'Do you like tacos?'

Morning Class

Afternoon Class

This activity is available during center time---

More information---

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/03/north-america.html

Want to do more with your child?  Pick a country.  Search for information and activities.  Search preschool (name of country) themed activities and that will give you a great start.  You and your child can learn about the people, language, animals, holidays, food, regional art and so much more! Find a recipe and cook a meal.  Look for age appropriate videos that show the people and the culture.  Have a globe and maps for your child to explore. Spark your child's curiosity about the world and the people in it. 

Have fun travelling with your child!  

Parts Unknown

We love working with maps and globes at MCP!

How to---

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/11/globe-trotting.html

A-Apples and America

This week our MWF classes begin their world travels!  Throughout the school year, we will:

• learn the name of our planet, our country, our state and our town. 
• identify the US flag.
• learn the difference between a map and a globe.
• use large maps to find our country and the countries we 'visit'.
• locate oceans on the map.
• introduce the concept of the equator, North Pole and South Pole.
• learn that there are children all over the world going to school, playing with toys, getting ready for bed and more.
• learn that our world has many languages and accents (Mrs. Q is very bad at accents so it's pretty funny).
• create lots of world crafts.

On Friday, we made a house.  Our school crafts help our students become really good listeners.  We also talk about colors, shapes and positional words (top, bottom, inside, etc.)  This project is purposely simple.  A roof, a door and two windows!  Lots of smiles!  Lots of success!  

 

It's going to be a fun Letter A week with America and apples!

G'Day Mate

Has your child been talking like they have been to the Australian outback? U was for Under and the Land Down Under.  Ask your child to find Australia on a map or globe. Can s/he name some Australian animals?  They worked really hard on their Aboriginal art, too!

  

YouTube Aboriginal Painting---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNAryu1aUuQ

 

 

Earth Cam/Sydney, Australia

http://www.earthcam.com/world/australia/sydney/?cam=sydney

 

 

Live surf cams/Australian beaches---

http://www.swellnet.com/surfcams

 

 

Aboriginal art will be displayed in our MCP Art Gallery and sent home soon.

Past posts---

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/01/do-you-come-from-land-down-under.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-land-down-under.html

Global Challenge

 This puzzle is in our Discovery Center and it's hard!  

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2015/01/national-puzzle-day.html

Our preK students continue to discover more and more about the world in this center activity!

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/11/globe-trotting.html

Come Over to My House

Our MWF preK classes are getting ready for an amazing adventure.  During the school year, we will 'travel' to many countries around the world.  We will begin our travels in America.  We introduce many concepts---

*we show students a globe and a map

*we introduce the word sphere

*we will talk about the name of our country, our state and town and also our flag

*we talk about how a map and a globe are the same and how they are different

*we talk about the oceans

*we talk about that there are children all over the world 

*and much much more.

So, today we looked at the globe and the map.  We talked about countries.  We learned the name of our country is the United States of America.  We looked at our flag and talked about the colors, the pattern and counted the stripes. One friend in our morning class had a flag on his shirt!

Well, where do we live?  We live in a house.  Our craft was a house. When we create crafts at MCP, there is a lot of talk about shapes and colors and following directions.  The children glued the roof on the house and then added doors and windows.  

 

 

Come over my house!  Come over and play!

North America

This center is for our MWF preK students. Remember centers in our classroom are a personal choice for the child so not all children will bring this sheet home.  Since the beginning of the school year we have been learning about many different countries around the world.  This is a concept we are introducing to the children.  Planet, continent, country, state and city is a complex concept for the young child.  Some get it and some don't...no worries.  It is a simple introduction to geography and the world around them.

Student Work

Student Work

 

The children LOVE maps and globes.  Look at a globe or map and explore the world with your child!

Global Science

Student Work

Student Work

This center is for our MWF preK classes.  For more information or how to---

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/11/globe-trotting.html

Cinco de Mayo

 

A ristra is a string of jalapenos or chili peppers.  They are usually dried out and used for cooking but often decorate kitchens and doorways as a symbol of welcome or good luck.  This week our MWF classes had some fun with Mexico.  This is the last country of our year long journey around the world!  We located Mexico on the globe and world map and learned about the climate.  I spoke as much Spanish as I could remember from high school (I even sang 'Happy Birthday' in Spanish).  We counted to ten, learned please, thank you and your welcome in Spanish. 

We also always talk about the families and children in each country.  We talk about children going to school, mommy & daddy going to work, families eating meals together, children all around the world have to pick up their toys and probably even go to 'time out'.  :-)   This was a really important aspect of this year long unit!

Each child created a ristra.  I originally saw this idea in Family Fun magazine many years ago and had it saved in a file. Mrs. M cut out lots and lots and lots of fun foam chili peppers in a variety of colors. We used green colored rigatoni for spaces instead of knots.  The children were instructed to create a pattern of pasta/pepper/pasta/pepper.  They could use eight peppers so they continually had to count while they were lacing.  We limited them to eight because of the number of students we have in two classes. 

Teachers looped and knotted the top for hanging! This is an easy craft for Cinco de May. This would also be a great center activity for a classroom.

How to color pasta---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2009/11/colored-rice-and-pasta.html

Family Fun Magazine---http://spoonful.com/crafts/mexico-ristra

TLC w/pattern---http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/paper-art-crafts-for-kids7.htm

 

We've Got Mail, cont'd

This ongoing project has given us so many wonderful teaching opportunities.  We have received over fifty postcards or letters from 27 countries.  Amazing!  The children now look into my basket (whereI keep daily materials) to see if we have mail.

The children are able to locate the United States of America on the map or globe.  Many children recognize the flags of other countries and can locate several countries on the map or globe.  England, Ireland, Hawaii, Australia, Japan and New Zealand provided lessons on islands.  We are learned about the North Pole, the South Pole, the equator and oceans. Last week,when we learned about China and Chinese New Year, several children remembered the postcard from China with the photo of the Great Wall.

The children know our country is led by President Obama and he and his family live in the White House.  They know the First Dog is Bo.

We talk about children all over the world are sleeping, eating breakfast, going to school and playing with their friends.  We talk about families and that mommy and daddies all over the world are going to work, taking children to school and doing many of the same things we do.

We are looking  forward to many more postcards! Send to: METAMORA COMMUNITY PRESCHOOL P. O. BOX 928  METAMORA   ILLINOIS  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 61548

We can't wait to hear from you!  

Previous posts---
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/09/please-write-us-in-us.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/11/weve-got-mail.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/12/1600-pennsylvania-avenue.html

The Land Down Under

Our MWF classes have had a very busy week learning about Australia.  We have received many postcards from Australia so the children were familiar with the location on the globe/map.  We learned Australia is an island, it is called 'The Land Down Under',  introduced the concept of the equator, learned about some Australian animals and much more.

We received this Aboriginal art when we started our world wide adventure.  It was the inspiration for this art project for our Australia unit.  I never know if a new project will be a success or failure.  This art project was time consuming but the pieces the children created are beautiful!

We looked at the original art (we had two pieces) and the children could see all the little dots that made the picture.  I worked with the children in small groups of four during center time.   Each child started with an 8 x 10 piece of tag board with an outline of a kangaroo.

Paint was placed in egg cartons (we love egg cartons. Easy clean up to the trash!)  The dots were made with pencil ends.  The first day I learned the pencils were too long for the kids to manipulate easily so I broke them all in half and filed the ends smooth.  Much better!

The first day each child painted the inside of the kangaroo and we let dry. This went pretty quickly.

Step 1

Step 1

The next class we painted dots from the tail to the edge of the paper, the foot to the edge of paper and the nose and back of the kangaroo to the edge of the paper.  The children really listened and did a great job.  Next, each child chose a different color to place dots around the edge. We let these dry.

Step 2

Step 2

Step 2

Step 2

Step 2

The final step was filling in all the empty spaces with more dots.  Each child chose a color they had not used and did one set of dots.  Then they chose a second color and filled in the empty spaces.  This was the most time consuming step.  I was amazed at the concentration some of the children put into these pieces.

Student Work

Student Work

Student Work

Student Work

Want to do more?  I did a quick search and did not find any kid friendly Aboriginal art websites but you and your child can look at some of the images found.  I searched Aboriginal art and was able to see some pretty amazing pieces.   Students will bring their art home on Monday.