Week of Jan 28th....

Well it was a super short week this week thanks to mother nature.  Hopefully we can get back into our normal routine soon!  

Today Ms. Pam , a naturalist from Brecksville Nature Center, visited the preschool classroom.  She talked to us about how animals stay warm in the winter.  She brought lots of cool animal furs and other animal evidence for us to look, touch, and feel.  She had a turtle shell, a beaver head skeleton, deer fur, coyote fur, squirrel fur, and deer antlers.  

If you are looking for something to do tomorrow....come visit the Land Lab with us.  If you didn't sign up...it's not too late.  We would love to see everyone there!  Most of the the activities will be indoors and we will have a short hike outside for those who are willing to brave the elements.  You may park right along side the Board of Education building so you have a short walk.   We will have hot cocoa and treats for afterwards.  See you there at 9:00 AM!

Green Slime Directions

I posted the green slime directions last week (made without Borax) but here is another set of directions. I have had many requests for it!

Have fun!!

Bartholomew’s Oobleck Recipe

Elmer's Glue and Borax combine to make Oobleck or GAK or is it Flubber?

Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? Just what is this slimy, stringy, rubbery stuff? This variation on slime will probably remind you of a similar substance found in many toy stores. This is the most popular version of "slime" among teachers because it's so easy to make and serves as a great visual tool for introducing students to the properties of polymers.

Materials

Elmer’s Glue® (8 oz bottle of Elmer’s Glue-All)

Borax (a powdered soap found in the grocery store)

Large mixing bowl

Plastic cup (8 oz size works well)

Spoon

Measuring cup

Food coloring

Experiment

Here’s the easiest way to make a big batch Elmer’s Slime. The measurements do not have to be exact but it’s a good idea to start with the proportions below for the first batch. Just vary the quantities of each ingredient to get a new and interesting batch of goo.

This recipe is based on using a brand new 8 ounce bottle of Elmer’s Glue. Empty the entire bottle of glue into a mixing bowl. Fill the empty bottle with warm water and shake (okay, put the lid on first and then shake). Pour the glue-water mixture into the mixing bowl and use the spoon to mix well.

Go ahead… add a drop or two of food coloring. 

Measure 1/2 cup of warm water into the plastic cup and add a teaspoon of Borax powder to the water. Stir the solution – don’t worry if all of the powder dissolves. This Borax solution is the secret linking agent that causes the Elmer’s Glue molecules to turn into slime.

While stirring the glue in the mixing bowl, slowly add a little of the Borax solution. Immediately you’ll feel the long strands of molecules starting to connect. It’s time to abandon the spoon and use your hands to do the serious mixing. Keep adding the Borax solution to the glue mixture (don’t stop mixing) until you get a perfect batch of Elmer’s slime. You might like your slime more stringy while others like firm slime. Hey, you’re the head slime mixologist – do it your way!

When you’re finished playing with your Elmer’s slime, seal it up in a zipper-lock bag for safekeeping.

Ears, Eyes, Hands, Nose, and Mouth

This week we are learning about body parts and the five senses. Along with the song Head, Tummy, Knees, and Toes we will be learning letter Nn for nose. 

Eric Carle is a great author and we will be reading another one of his stories this week: From Head to Toe. Listen and follow along with this video of the story.
Everyone loves the song Head Shoulder Knees and Toes....we will do a version call Head Tummy Knees and Toes.   Try it at home with your child, try the classic way or mix it up and create your own version.  It is  great way to teach your child different body parts. Three year olds should know the basics but try adding shoulders, chin, heel, ankle, elbow, wrists, hips for the older kiddos.  

One of our activities this week is making Oobleck....playing with the green slime is always a hit! Check out how to make it here.
Another fun one is  popsicle painting to make scratch n sniff paintings. This is simple yet lots of fun! You can make your own smelly paint at home. You can also freese the "paint" to make popsicles so you don't have to worry about spills. Check out how to make it here. 

**Happy Birthday to Ellie and Gavin this week!

Looking Ahead:

Info was sent home last week about the Teddy Bear Picnic on Feb 4th.  If you would like to volunteer but were not on the list, please let me know.  Please mark your calendar as a reminder to send you child to school with a teddy bear that day!  I will have extras in anyone needs one but the kids really enjoy bringing in theirs.  It will be a "BEARY" special day!

Family Fun Friday Info

FAMILY FUN FRIDAY #3

ANIMAL TRACKS AT THE LAND LAB

Friday, January 31st, 2014 

9:00-10:30

The Land Lab is located right here in Independence.  It is a temperate deciduous forest with a running stream that the High School Biology Club maintains and uses for educational studies. There is a large classroom behind the Board of Education that is filled with lots of CRITTERS. Some High School students and Mr. Maretka (Biology teacher) will be putting on a special program for our preschoolers.  Students will learn how to investigate the lives of animals through the tracks and other signs they leave behind. Making animal track prints, created a book, and a nature hike to hunt for animal tracks are included in this fun winter event!

IMPORTANT INFO:

•  Arrive no later than 8:50. 
•  Important things to remember:
• Dress for the weather.  The majority of activity is inside but we will go for a hike through the Land Lab to look for animal tracks.
• It’s FREE!

Directions:

Independence Land Lab

located in the Board of Education Building
7733 Stone Road

*  Turn onto Stone Road.  At bottom of big hill, turn left on Tulip Dr.  Continue on Tulip Drive and you will dead end into the Board of Education Building.

Penguins & Polar Bears......

This week our theme is penguins and polar bears.  We have lots of fun activities to learn about these arctic animals and the letter Pp.  On Tuesday we will be doing our centers or "groups" as the kids call it.  There are three stations and the kids rotate groups so they each complete all three activities.  If you are looking to volunteer in the classroom this is a time that I can always use an extra set of hands.   Check the calendar link above to see what dates are open.

This week our centers will include letter Pp vocabulary and for older students writing letter Pp.  Students will also be making a polar bear craft and working making sets for numbers 1-10 as they feed the penguins.  On Wednesday we will be making pizza...yummy!!  Thursday is pajama day.

Happy 1/2 birthday this week to Sullivan!

Welcome Back, Welcome Winter

This week was a short week as winter decided to show how nasty it can be!  No school on Monday/Tuesday due to the cold temperatures.  Our theme of the week is winter so it is very fitting!  Our letter of the week is Ii and due to the missing a few days, I am going to send our Ii paper and vocab pictures home for homework.  If your child completes homework an returns it, they will get to pick a stamp or sticker.  

Happy 1/2 birthday to Jayden!  

Also, looking ahead....
*  No School on Jan 20th, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
*  Report Cards go home on Friday, Jan 24th.
* Family Fun Friday at the Independence Land Lab is Jan 31st  look for info coming home next week.  This is free and if your child likes animals you won't want to miss this event!