Clay Bowls - Fun and Functional

Jose's finished bowl

I got brave with the help of my partner teacher. We tackled a clay project with our kindergarteners. We made bowls. My daughter did this project when she was in first grade. She took a clay class at The Chartreuse Muse. I sat in on her classes and they made it look easy. So I found some small, hard plastic bowls at The Dollar Tree and bought six. We lined them with plastic wrap leaving a generous amount hanging over the sides. Next we cut a slab of clay for each student. Working with six students at a time, my partner and I guided the children in pressing their clay into the bowl, cutting the excess clay from around the rim of the bowl, and smoothing the interior with a damp sponge. We used a thin stick to write the student's name on the inside. My partner and I gently lifted the clay bowls out of the plastic ones using the plastic wrap. We then carefully peeled the plastic wrap off the bowls and set them on the counter to dry for a week. My partner fired them. Finally the kids painted their bowls and they were fired again. They turned out beautifully - the highlight of the class' open house projects.

Our bowls painted and waiting for a second firing

Our Home Grown Chicks

Omelet

Last Thursday was open house and we had timed our incubating eggs just perfectly. They began hatching during class that day. We watched the first little girl emerge from her egg all wet and tired. We left her in the incubator to dry and when we returned for open house at 5, she had 3 friends. The next morning there were 7. We moved the dry chicks to a cage with a heat lamp, food, and water. By the time I took them home on Friday to babysit for the weekend, we had 11. They are so cute! My children named every last one- the yellow one above is named Omelet. We shared our chicks with the rest of the school- everyone had a chance to admire their cuteness- and then I took them back to J&S West today. Boo Hoo! What a great lesson!

The first chick to hatch

Bubbles Teach Science

Today in science we learned about bubbles. No matter what we used to blow the bubbles they always turned out round. We tried shaped cookie cutters, hand made pipe cleaner bubble wands, rubber bands, and screen strainers, among other things. We blew big bubbles, tiny bubbles, and every size in between and they were always round. We also learned how to catch a bubble without popping it. We were even able to stick a finger into a bubble without it popping. The secret is your finger has to be wet. If your finger is dry it breaks the surface tension of the bubble and it pops. Boy, did we have fun!

Tissue Paper Butterflies

Using liquid starch, we glued multicolored 2" tissue paper squares onto wax paper, covering it entirely. Students used one finger to hold down a corner of the tissue square making it is easier to keep it in place and straight while they brushed the liquid starch over it. The tissue should be completely wet but not dripping. Try not to let puddles of starch form. It really lengthens the drying time. I have the children place each square so that it overlaps the previous ones. It is important not to leave any holes if you intend to remove the wax paper later. When it dried, we used white glue and glued a butterfly outline (precut by me for my kindergarteners) onto the tissue paper side of the collage. The following day, we trimmed the excess paper from around the butterfly. Finally, if desired, the wax paper can be carefully pulled off of the back of the butterfly giving it a stained glass look. With kinders, I do this part myself. This last step isn't essential. They look beautiful with the wax paper left on too. We hung them in the window for open house.

Mother's Day Projects

I found this project on Mrs. Picasso's Artroom and loved it. I wish I had had the time to do it justice. I had to change it a little to fit my needs - a mother's day gift with little time. First I squirted three colors of paint into a pie tin making a simple design. Don't mix the paint. Next the kids put one hand into the pie tin, covering the palm and fingers with paint. Then they tapped their hands together gently, transferring the paint to the other hand but not mixing it. They made handprints in the shape of a butterfly onto white cardstock. After making the two butterfly handprints, the kids rubbed their hands together mixing the paint. And made one more print for the flower. Using the side of their fist dipped in red paint, a ladybug print was made. Hands were washed and while we waited for the paint to dry, we worked on the background. We tore green paper for the grass and glued it to a piece of 12" × 18" blue construction paper. Then created stems by gluing strips of green paper onto a different green colored stem. We glued that just under the edge of the grass. Then the kids traced leaves on green and cut them out. These were glued to the stems. To save time I took the butterflies, flowers, and bugs home and cut around them. The following day, my kinders glued them down to complete their collage. Finally, we used black sharpies to add details like the butterfly's body, spots on the ladybug, and lines on the leaves. I typed and copied the mother's Day poem on magenta paper, cut around it, and glued them on to the project. The students signed their name and took their gift home to mom. I really liked the mosaic frames on Mrs. Picasso's project I just didn't have time to add this part. Well, there's always next time.

Science Lab Fun

Using our sense of touch-Alex, Nestor, and Jayden

Using our ears-Jose

It's kindergartens turn in science! Yea! Our first lesson in the lab we explored some of the tools that scientists use. It was fun discovering how to balance the scales. We learned that sometimes things can be big but not weigh much. Our second lesson we explored our five senses. Our favorite center was the taste table. Check out the faces we made while tasting lemon and bittersweet chocolate! Thursdays are becoming our favorite day! We wonder what we get to learn today!

Jayden tasting lemon

Aileen tasting lemon

Fabian smelling cinnamon

Naythan tasting lemon

Eduardo tasting unsweetened chocolate

Alex tasting unsweetened chocolate

Mikkie tasting unsweetened chocolate

Incubating Eggs

Now that our butterflies have emerged from their chrysalides, we have begun a new adventure. We are learning to care for eggs and the chicks that hatch from them. We had a guest teacher give us a lesson on how to act as surrogate mother to our 18 eggs. Thank you, Heather. The eggs need to be kept warm (100°) for 21 days. We have an incubator. At that time, they will begin to crack their shell using a special tooth on their beak called an egg tooth. When they fight their way out the chicks' feathers will be wet. We will move them to a cage with a heat lamp, food, and water. Their feathers will dry quickly and we will have cute fluffy chicks! We can't wait!

Playing with chicks and ducklings