It has been another busy week at the Gan.  

Funnels were added to the playground, which lead to the creation of a.... 

Kian: It's a monster trap.

Noah: But it is a trick monster trap, they will think it is fake but it is really real and the trick will catch them because it is REAL.

 

The wonder of spiderwebs were admired, and beds for bugs were made.

Tori: Well it would be a nice little place for them to sleep.

We began discussion about the many types of animals.
Morah Katie: What do we and fish have in common?
Levi: We are vertebrates.
Morah Katie: We are, we have backbones and fish have backbones. How are we different?
Ben: Well we don't live in water.
Morah Katie: We definitely do not live in water. What other types of vertebrates are there?
Tori: Snakes.
Morah Katie: Snakes are reptiles, they have backbones.
Dena: A lion.
Morah Katie: A lion is a mammal, it has a backbone.
Kian: A squid..oh no it is not. It doesn't have a backbone.
Morah Katie: What do squid eat?
Noah: FISH and they have backbones.
Morah Katie: Any other vertebrates? (pause) What types of animals might you find living on a tree? beginning with a B..
Levi: Birds!
Morah Katie: Yes! and what was one of the consequences Hashem sent to Pharaoh, he was covered in them and found them...
Dena: Frogs!
Morah Katie: Yes! Frogs are amphibians! How many types of vertebrates did we write on our list?
Levi: 5!

Sorting the vertebrates

We sang a song:

Old Man Noah built an ark, like Hashem told him too,

 and on that ark he took 2 _________, 

like Hashem told him too.

 With a ________ here and a ____________ there.....

The children chose the animals and as we sang we made a list. 

From this list we will choose the animals which we will study and place on an ark we create in class.

 

  In the midst of the vertebrate discussion, there was plenty of writing and counting.

The reading corner was enjoyed,

as well as time with friends.

We have a few new activities in the classroom. These "quiet" jobs help us gather our energy to us and calm our bodies.

Watching the sand drop in the hour glass

Watching the glitter dance and settle

Looking closely at a master painting and trying to replicate it

All of these require our attention, and help us to develop our focus and concentration.

We took a moment to climb back aboard our space shuttle and tour our solar system.

We began at the sun and traveled to (walking across room):

Morah Katie: Which planet is first from the sun?

Kian: Mercury!

Morah Katie: The next planet we will be flying by ...?

Noah: Venus!

Morah Katie: After Venus we will be ...

Tori: EARTH!

Morah Katie: Beyond Earth is the red planet, also called?

Tori: Mars!

Morah Katie: From Mars we must journey far to the largest...

Dena: Jupiter!!

Morah Katie: I hope we have enough gas in our space shuttle because we have a long way to travel to...

Kian: The one with rings.

Noah: Saturn!

Morah Katie: Beyond Saturn we come to lazy on it's side..... Uranus.  Our tour isn't over, past Uranus we come to... Neptune.   

IF we were to continue our tour, we would have to go into the neighboring building to find Pluto! Turn and look back at the sun, we have come very far. Pluto is further still!  Is it a true planet?

Noah: It's a dwarf!

Dena: A dwarf planet!