We pretended to be astronauts and traveled out into our solar system on a journey to learn about each unique planet.

Morah Katie: I am planning a picnic trip to a planet. I think I'll go to Mercury. What should I pack?

Levi: NO! DON"T GO

Morah Katie: Why not?

Dena: It's just a big rock!

Morah Katie: I like rocks, I could go rock climbing when I leave my space shuttle.

Kian: Climb on earth!

Morah Katie: I can rock climb on Earth and Mercury.

Levi: No, you can't breathe on Mercury, there is no air there.

Morah Katie: Are you sure? how do you know?

Levi: There is no atmosphere there.

Morah Katie: What is atmosphere?

Dena: Air!

Morah Katie: OK, I won't go to Mercury, I'll go to Venus!

Noah: NO it's gasey and smelly and hot!

Morah Katie: I can't go to Venus either? Where will I have my picnic?

Dena: Here!

Morah Katie: Here where?

Tori: Earth.

Morah Katie: What makes Earth so special?

Levi: The air, and it's the only planet where things grow.

We are also learning about our up coming holiday.

Rosh Hashanah is the new year.

We eat sweet foods, like apple dipped in honey, honey cake, raisin-filled challah. The sensory experience awakens within us this idea of sweet new beginnings.

Morah Katie: How do the apples taste?

Tori: Sweet.

Morah Katie; How do the apples taste with the honey?

Ben: Very sweet

Morah Katie: What does dipping the apples remind us of?

Dena: Having a sweet new year.

Morah Katie: What are some ways we can make our new year sweet?

Dena: Be nice.

Tori: Help.

We hear the Shofar. The Shofar is the horn of a ram. Its sound pierces the status quo, urging us to take charge of our lives, like an alarm clock reminding us that the new year is here.

Apples apples everywhere!

We are counting them and adding seeds.

We are using apples to make apple prints.

We are using them to measure our height!

M was the letter of the week. We created mail boxes and wrote mail to friends, wishing them a happy new year, Shana Tova!