At the Pond: Week One

The March Tot School theme is (has been) At the Pond (and river!).  Before this month we have been mostly just incorporating learning into our daily routine without any formal circle time or lessons.  But as three is getting closer and closer, I thought we were ready to have a few days with a circle time, and lessons.

Trip to the Pond

To create a framework for our learning, I always like to have an experience.  Before we started the unit we headed over to Forest Hill Park to explore.  I brought mason jars for us to collect items from a nature to add to our nature table we were starting.  We collected some mud, rocks, water, and a jar with water and mud (so we could see what the bottom of the pond looks like with water.

Fundamental Elements of the Earth: Land, Air, Water

We then used the jars we collected to discuss how the fundamental elements of the Earth are Land, Air, Water.
The cards we used for matching are  the Land, Air, and Water Matching Cards from Montessori for Everyone.

When we were done we added the jars to our Nature Box (picture coming soon).

Introducing the Pond

Introduced the the pond theme.  Who lives at the Pond, and read At the Pond.  We put down a blanket and Kodi on his own went upstairs to get the animals that he had that lived at the pond to join us for the fun!

Turtle

We read Turtle Splash!: Countdown at the Pond. Then, we held and investigated the turtle from the Safari Ltd River TOOB and discussed that turtles were reptiles. Reptiles are defines as: spending time on land in water, vertebrates, “cold-blooded,” has scales, and has lungs.

We talked about the parts of the turtle while going through the turtle puzzle. New vocabulary that was introduced was: carapace, and plastron.  The turtle puzzle was then set out to work on as desired.

Snake

We read Lunchtime for a Purple Snake. Went over what is a reptile. And pulled out a turtle and snake from the Safari Ltd River TOOB.  Compared and contrasted the turtle and snake (both reptiles, one has legs, one doesn’t…..).

Art: Mixing Purple.

To tie into the book we read Lunchtime for a Purple Snake. I set out four colors: red (if you use magenta you will get a brighter color but we were out), cyan (a brighter blue, gives brighter colors), blue, and white.  Discuss what happens when the colors are mixed.  Adding white is called a tint and makes colors lighter.  And apparently painting your hand is as much fun than paper!

Sensory Bin: Reptiles

Simple sensory bin with blue and white rice, plastic scoops, and the turtles from the Safari Ltd Frogs and Turtles TOOB (not the sea turtles) and snakes (I got these last summer at the dollar store), logs from our yard and paper rolls.