The Human Body

Kindergartners began our Human Body unit with a poem, "Me" by Karla Kuskin then wrote one of our own to the tune of "Aiken Drum."  K's were only given the prompts to 1) Name a part of the head and 2) Name a food.  The end result was a funny delicious piece of prose that we sung together.   We then illustrated our "face" collectively.

There was a man who lived in the moon, 

in the moon, in the moon,

There was a man who lived in the moon 

and his name was Aiken Drum.

"His hair was made of macaroni cheese..."(Lilith)

"His mouth was made of cereal..." (Mason)

"His brain was made out of cotton candy, licka-licka..." (Niccolo)

"His eyes were made of salad..." (Eleanor)

"His nose was made of a lollipop..." (Maia)

His eyelashes were made of  ice cream..." (Olivia)

"His ears were made of broccoli..."  (Alexandre)

"His tongue was made of M & M cookies... " (Ava)

"His teeth were made of chocolate M &M brownies..." (Folu)

His forehead was made of  cucumber..." (Kai)

     and his name was Aiken Drum! 

On last Monday, the Kindergartners learned about standard and non-standard measurements.  We talked about our ruler measurement exercises as "standard" methods (something that is agreed upon universally.)   We used rulers to measure manipulatives, books, our bodies, and toys.  We afterward traced our own hands.  We then predicted whether we would get the same measurements using our various hand measurements versus ruler measures on the same object.    We then traced and cut out our hands and compared them with found items around our room that had the same (non-standard measurement.)  We were later led further into the lesson by Ava.   She showed everyone (step by step) how to change their ordinary hand tracing into something quite extraordinary

We also traced our foot (See upcoming "Weights and Measures" blog for details.)

On Friday, Mr. B. and our new 5th/6th Grade Buddies came back (last time, they gave outstanding presentations on the Human Body)  to share specially selected stories.  They went to the library and hand-picked various books just to read to us!  We listened to fictional tales about pigs and dogs; and non-fictional stories about whales and the tallest woman in the world.   Kindergartners were once again a wonderful and attentive audience!  Before departing, our Buddies even hung our snowflakes (made by Chris' 3rd and 4th Graders)  to decorate our room.  We can't wait for them to return!

We afterward took our own trip to the Mallett's Creek Library for browsing, table toys,  fish gazing, and computer games and stories. 

 12/7  I introduced  the Kindergartners to a tradition my Mother shared with me at the age of about 5-  drawing,  in particular, drawing portraits.  She and my subsequent art instructors would explain to me the many options of facial shapes then approach the rest of the features as if their placement were a math problem.   They said "Divide the head in half horizontally....  Draw features in the lower half only....  Divide the half in half- that's where the nose goes...   Place 2 circles over three circles over four circles over two circles....  Ears are placed between the corner of the eye and bottom of the nose etc."    I treasure the memory of that one- on- one time with my Mom and appreciate her (and others) instilling the love of Art in me!

Kindergartners afterward tried their hand at creating portraits.  Amazing!!!!!

"This one is a human."-Mason

"This one is a pig."- Mason

Masons portrait after applying the portrait drawing lesson (same day) 

12/20 Shan provided an activity right in line with Monday's Circle Time discussion and story, Me and My Amazing Body by Joan Sweeney.    The Kindergartners worked as a team to assemble a "Human Body" floor puzzle and afterward exercised their human bodies with a brisk walk!  

Other literature compared human skulls to animal skulls.

The Kindergartners learned that the word that means to give a human attribute to an inanimate object or animal is called "personification"!  

Asian Lunar New Year with Kai and Mom

Kai's Mom came in on 12/21 (Alexandre called it the "smallest" (shortest) day of the year.)  She explained Kai's family tradition of celebrating the Asian Lunar New Year.  She told of the event being celebrated with a special cake and  (uncut) noodles (long noodles symbolize long life.)  Specially shaped dumplings are also traditional menu items.  Kai's Mom also discussed the use of fireworks which Kai explained to be "cans of gun powder that catches fire and goes phew, phew, phew."

 She also shared some Asian mythology telling of  a problem of a monster eating the villages crops.  The solution was that on the day before the monster's expected arrival, the people would lay out gold and food with the hope that it would leave their harvest alone.  In the meantime, two discoveries were made.   The monster was afraid of the running children's red clothes and the sound of loud noises.  Thus the holiday of wearing red and using firecrackers during the Asian Lunar New Year celebration was born.  We were intrigued by the story and grateful for the oranges (abundance), red envelopes (wealth), beautiful bouquet of flowers and Kai's sharing.  One last thing that Kai's Mom wanted to leave with us, "Don't take advantage of what we have and the importance of family!"  

Well said!

On Wednesday 12/21, Kindergartners took a trip to a Saline Bowling Alley to meet Shan for P.E.!  We were accompanied by our 5th/6th Grade Buddies who assisted with shoe sizes, instructions, and an all around physically good time!   5th/6th Grader's also supplied an abundance of cheers and encouragement to our Kindergarten class.  Thank you Shan and your awesome, user friendly Physical Education program! 

Tradition.....Tradition!

Chelsea, our Project Outreach Volunteer from U of M, came to share her family's tradition with us.  She proudly explained that her family celebrates Hanukkah (and Christmas) and told how Hanukkah actually begins tonight (how appropriate).  She told of how her family has been lighting the same Menorah ( a nine-pronged candle holder) for generations, one candle for each of the eight nights.  She told of the Shammash candle's very important job of lighting the other candles and how the candles are allowed to burn all the way down and are not blown out.  She  further explained how the family says a special prayer before lighting the candle each night.

We practiced saying in Hebrew "The name of me is......... (HA SHEM SHALL LEE)"

Niccolo asked, "Are those pictures you can read like a butterfly or a chrysalis?"  Chelsea explained that those symbols ("gimmel", "shin", "hey", "nun") collectively mean, " A great miracle happened here!"

Kai stated that," the colorful candles on the holder light on fire".

Chelsea read a beautiful story of the history of Hanukkah and the children enthusiastically pointed out the menorah.  She also explained that the Hebrew language in the past was spoken, written, and read each in different ways and then became what is now Hebrew universally.   Lastly she explained  the "dreidel" game (a traditional Hebrew game using a spinning top) complete with chocolate coins for us to take home.  Thanks for sharing your family's tradition, Chelsea!

K Buddies on Thursday's

12/ 8   Mrs. Carpenter began this week's K Buddies with a story that cracked us up ( well, not really, our bodies didn't actually break into pieces....) anyway, entitled Even More Parts  by Tedd Arnold.     Ironically, Kindergartners had also listened to More Parts by the same author at Circle Time earlier in the week.  Both stories interpreted words and phrases (about the human body in particular) in a very literal way.   Kindergarten, First, and Second Graders then selected some of their favorite books to read to the each other seated around the classroom and  under tent structures.

 

         The following Thursday, December 15,  Mrs. Carpenter read a beautiful story about a family tradition that is similar to one she shares called   Night Tree by Eve Bunting.  Mrs. Carpenter explained that her own family desired to extend her family's holiday tradition of buying and decorating a Christmas Tree for weeks into the new year.   Her family, like the one in the story, decorates an outdoor tree (she uses her discarded tree)  for birds and other animals to enjoy.  

Kindergartners were then led through a decorating activity by the, now expert, 1st/2nd graders.  They had been making  decor previously for their "Adopt A Bird"  service project.  We strung cheerios and cranberries;  and slathered shortening on pine cones then rolled them in a generous amount of bird seed.  We them hung them outside of the Kindergarten Classroom for all to see the fruits (and seeds) of our labor.   On Friday, we observed a very plump and apparently grateful squirrel feasting  at the tree.   

 

  

On Wednesday, Kindergartners also heard a similar story to Night Tree entitled A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe.  The latter story's tree, however, was not decorated by humans but by some grateful forest friends.