Kindergarten Capers: Space Exploration!

Kindergartners listened to There's No Place Like Space!: All About the Solar System revised edition by Tish Rabe (also a Cat in the Hat book) and The Magic School Bus Blasts into Space after discussing what "space" really means to us. Some said, "The planets!" "Galaxies!" "Outer space!" Another child said, "Space means space..., you know..., sometimes when people are too close to you and you need some space!" We also talked about what "revised" means due to our current status of our now "dwarf planet" Pluto. We are investigating criteria for being called a "planet" and why Pluto no long qualifies according to some scientists. This month, while blow up planets hover overhead, we will be exploring all of these ideas and hopefully many many more!

Our current chapter book selection is The Little Prince written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint Exupery. Ironically, this book also ponders the subject of planets, space travel, and of course the odd and sometimes illogical thoughts of adults from the perspective of a child. Our journal entries during our listening time have been insightful and reflective just like our story. Large flowers, planets, and interesting story lines have been depicted.

(left) Ava's interpretation of "The Flower" from The Little Prince"

Our Math unit is currently Currency (tongue twister!) We are discussing the value of coins, observing images depicted on both the front and back of certain coins, and practicing adding coins. We learned that none of the presidents depicted is President Obama but instead President Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Dwight D. Eisenhower. (Kindergartners are so funny!) After the first lesson the children chanted "More Money Math" over and over! We are also adding "Monticello", and "stove top hat" to our word wall.

(Right) Maia arranges various coins into the shape of "5"

On Wednesday, we attempted to identify mystery solutions then predicted which would be the best solution to use to clean pennies. We then placed our mystery solution selections on trays with lots of dirty pennies and observed the results. We later found out our choices included water, vinegar, dish soap, and coca cola that had contained ice. We later added shaving cream, mouth wash, hand sanitizer, and coca cola straight out of the bottle to our test. Friday will be our reveal day and we will graph our results.