Week 9, Kindergarten - First Grade

Religion - we read most of Chapter 4, "Waiting for the Savior" in class.  We had a wonderful discussion about this chapter including what Advent is all about, how the people of the Old Testament waited for the Savior from Adam and Eve through the Israelites and up to the Blessed Mother. We talked about the significance of the Advent Wreath and colored a drawing of one - you may see it in the very back cover of your child's binder. We also talked about the tradition (a personal favorite :) of putting a piece of straw (or yellow yarn) in the empty stable for each good deed or small sacrifice made throughout Advent to make a soft, warm place for Baby Jesus to lay on Christmas Day.

English - instead of a Picture Study this week, we did a composition exercise as a review of all Picture Studies (PS) we've done thus far. As the students called them out, I wrote the names of all the animals seen depicted in the PS artwork on a dry-erase board in front of the class.  Some students chose to copy these names onto a page from their writing journals. Mrs. C. and I then asked each child to choose an animal from the list (or two) and think about a sentence they'd like to write about that animal. Each child, in turn, then dictated to us their sentence which we wrote in their journals (a few opted out of this activity).  We decided to tear out this page(s) from their journal so that it could go home with them in their binders and be shared at home (the journals stay at Schola Rosa).

Poetry - we worked on learning the third stanza of "The Frog".  IMPORTANT: The K-1st grade class will perform "The Swing" at the St. Nicholas' Party.  Please review the poem with your child(ren) these next few days so they will be ready to perform all together Thursday night.

History - we began by reviewing our study of the Israelites up to this point. They are now in need of a king!  We read two stories from the Illustrated Catholic Children's Bible: "David & Saul" and "David & Goliath".  To follow up this week, you may choose to read another version of the story of David and Goliath. A family favorite of ours is found in William Bennett's The Children's Book of Heroes - great illustrations as well.  We read a little about the lyre - a small harp - from Old Testament Days: an Activity Guide and then we got to work making our simple lyre from a clothes hanger and rubber bands.

Geography - we had some fun this week with a game for review. Divided in two teams, the students took turns coming to the front of the room, picking a location from "the hat", and trying to find it on the map. We used CCM maps 1 & 3 to review the continents, the country of Egypt, the Red Sea, the Nile River, the Jordan River, Jericho, the Dead Sea, and the land of Canaan (though not all of these were chosen).  Congratulations to Team #2 - they were the winners, correctly finding the most locations on the maps!

Presentation: Congratulations to G.J. for a well-prepared presentation ("Animal Life- experienced first hand - from the Florida Keys"  is my attempt at a title to explain the exciting content!)

Science - the presentation immediately prior took some of our Science time (but it was so interesting! and all about Science, AND a great Q & A session followed), so we did not get as far with our lapbook project as I had planned. Instructions to follow.  We reviewed why scientists classify animals (some children remembered our grocery store demonstration from weeks back), and talked about how the two main groups or divisions are Vertebrates and Invertebrates, and gave examples of each.  We read from Behold and See 3 (p. 110-111) on this subject. The lapbook we began today we will continue in the spring, so please bring it back to co-op in February!

Here's how to complete the first phase of the lapbook:  (see CCM manual p. 102B if this doesn't make sense).  For those who were absent, I'll have these materials for you to work with when we meet again.

• cut & paste title “Vertebrates” on the front cover (we did this IN CLASS)
• cut five rectangles, approx. 4”x2”of different colored construction paper (make a quick cardboard template of this shape & size and the child can trace around the shape & cut themselves)
• fold each rectangle in half; direction does not matter
• cut out and glue image of each vertebrate class to front of each folded rectangle
• glue the “back” of the folded rectangle to the lapbook; arranged as the child wishes
  
  
  Next semester we will fill in the "mini books" of each vertebrate class with characteristics of each group of animals. At home, if you wish, your child can draw or cut and paste pictures of animals around their respective "class name", or alternatively create a simple pocket by stapling an additional piece of construction paper near the "mini book" into which photos or magazine cut-outs can be placed.
  
  
  Happy Lapbook Making.........and see you Thursday (or in the SPRING!)