Apple Overload

Reader Alert! Heavily loaded with pictures. :)

What a fun week (just a bit over) it has been learning about apples.  We have a couple more activities to do to finish up with our apple theme, but with having a field trip last Friday, Applicious Day this past Tuesday, and only have some of my kinder lovelies for half a day, we need the next few days to finish up.

Our week started out like any other...by writing in our Monday Journals about our weekend.  I love as through the year, you can see how each child grows and becomes a better writer, no matter where he or she started.  I have already seen so much growth in just our 39 days together.  I always talk about adding detail (right now emphasis on adding detail to pictures) by using multiple colors and eventually adding a setting so that our pictures aren't floating (like a house or a dog).  Here are a few examples:

We always begin by writing the date and "This weekend I..." some students choose to do their picture first, while others write first, and some write the beginning part, draw their picture and then finish their writing.  I am so proud of my kiddos when someone tries to have someone else spell for them, and they tell them nicely they won't tell them, but then proceed to help them stretch it out; my little teachers.

BOY are we having a blast learning about apples.  Monday we did an apple investigation.  We predicted (tough thing for a kinder to do!) and then we measured and documented what we found.

Tuesday was Applicious Day in Kindergarten. Oh. My. Word. What a whirlwind of a morning it was.  Applicious Day came about last year when our little orchard we go to ran out of apples... Yes. It happens...who knew?!  So we came up with Applicious Day to do something special with our little friends.  This year we decided it would be fun to do both!  So each of the four kinder teachers has an apple activity to do with each of the four classes.

Each child was in front of this for a picture.  Some of my teammates do a memory book for each child, I do a slideshow and share the photos I take.

 In my room, we began by painting a red, green, and yellow apple.  Then students went into the hallway with my fabulous mom helpers and painted trees on big butcher paper.  We will hang all of the trees in the hallway and then students will cut out their apples and glue them to the trees.  Once this happens our hallway is transformed into an apple orchard and such a cool sight to see. (Once all is hung, I will post pictures).

By the time all 4 classes were done, there was a narrow pathway to walk down our hallway.

SO messy but such a blast!

The next rotation, students stamped with apples, made windsocks and a few other activities.  I hung the windsocks in our room, and it just brightens it up! (*pictures to come*)

In the third rotation, students made and labeled an apple.

The last rotation, they made apples to hang from a twine string.  The apples are strung across our hallway and look so cute!

You can see mine and my neighbor's.

Today, we had our apple taste test.  The resources we used were not mine, but at the moment I cannot remember who they belong to.  Once I figure it out, I will link it up and give credit where credit is due.

Students predict what will be their favorite and then color the bottom apples according to "favorite, second favorite and least favorite."

We took a bite (one of my kiddos bit right out of the top as his bite, made me giggle), and then colored an apple our favorite color and added it to our class graph.  We discussed our graph and came up with a title (I must be off today because I thought I took a picture, but did not).  Then we at the other pieces of our apples and as they ate, they called our descriptive words and I wrote them on index cards.  Once they were finished we met on the carpet to sort our words by which of the five senses we used to get to that word. (got the idea from the fabulous Cara Carroll over at The First Grade Parade).

We have a few more things to finish up and then we are done with apples.  Next stop is parent teacher conferences and my favorite... FALL BREAK!  Time to watch some TV and hit the hay.

Apples, Apples, Apples

No matter what we are learning about, we are always pretty busy in kindergarten land.   This past week is no different.  I was not at work Monday, but the kids had a BLAST with their sub (who is a regular at our school and fabulous) and everybody's favorite cat, PETE!  I used Donna Conway's Pete the Cat Emergency Sub Plans Freebie.  We have been busy learning how to read and spell color words, and spending a day with Pete, was perfect.  On a little side note, during centers this week, the kids get to listen to Pete The Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons and they are SO excited.

To prepare for our field trip coming up this Friday to the apple orchard, we have been reading books about apples, completing a tree map and stamping apple prints on bags so they are set for us to put the apples we pick in.  I love kindergarten art.  Each bag is unique, some are very organized and some are, let's call them abstract.  We will continue our apple theme next week, as we did not have time to get to everything this week.  Part of the challenge is having some kids who are half day students and some who are full day.

Apple Stamping

Apple Stamping

Apple Stamping

Apple Stamping

Tree Map.  Students had a paper version and we did this together.

During centers in the afternoon, we have eight centers; seven of which are apple themed.  I created these centers last year, by perusing the internet and recreating the ideas I liked.  I forgot to take pictures while the kiddos were working today, so I will have to share them later.

Next week will include our apple investigation, taste test and graphing, an art project that shows an apple tree through each season, a science experiment on keeping apples from turning brown and APPLICIOUS DAY!  Applicious Day is a fun, apple filled morning.  Each of the kinder teachers hosts a different activity in her room and the kids rotate to each throughout the morning.  This awesome day came about last year when the Monday before our Thursday field trip, we found out the small orchard we go to was cleaned out the week before.


Off to do a few things then bed for this teacher... have to be ready for our first field trip tomorrow!