The last habitat we have been learning about is our very own Pacific Northwest temperate rain forest.

Similar to the Amazonian Rain Forest, our temperate rain forest has layers.

The tall emergent conifers, the canopy of deciduous trees, the shrubs and the forest floor.

Morah Katie: The Pacific Northwest is a habitat with some very cool trees.  Some of the trees we have in our neighborhood are Evergreen trees. They are always green.

Noah: Yeah I've seen some of the those around my house.

Morah Katie: These trees that are ever green have a special name, Coniferous. It is a big word.

Children: Con if er ous.

Morah Katie: Coniferous trees are always growing new leaves or needles, so these trees are always?

Dena: GREEN!

Morah Katie: Do we have any evergreen trees or shrubbery around the Gan?

Kian: Right outside.

Morah Katie: What other trees do we have in the Pacific Northwest, and around the Gan?

Dena: The ones that lose their leaves.

Morah Katie: They have a special name also, they are Deciduous trees. What are the deciduous trees doing right now?

Tori: They are changing colors and falling to get ready for winter.

Morah Katie: Why is the Pacific Northwest a rain forest?

Josiah: It rains a lot.

Morah Katie: Does it rain all the time?

Noah: Not all the time but a lot.

Morah Katie: Our rain forest collects the fall and winter rain, and in the summer the fog brings MORE water and moisture.   

We sang a song about trees; we were Coniferous Fir trees and Deciduous Willow trees.

There are some interesting animals in our temperate rain forest.

We used our binoculars to "hunt" for a bear and a moose!

We dodged trees, splashed across streams and rivers, tiptoed over beaver lodges, squelched in mud and pushed through grasses. 

On our "hunts" and "trail walks' we discovered our forest is home to not only to bears and moose, but also elk, cougars, owls, butterflies, beavers, deer, squirrels, eagles and so many more.

We also:

Enjoyed our lunch while watching a crane deliver construction materials

Greeted Ari's brother.

We continue to play, learn and build friendships.

The first Tuesday of November can be a very big day.
In honor of election day nationwide, we held an election at The Gan.
This particular election determined what fruit we enjoyed at snack.

Morah Katie:  We have been talking about our place in space, in the world. In the universe our place in space is on the planet....?
Dena: Earth.
Morah Katie: On Earth our place is....?
Tori: North America.
Morah Katie: On North America our place is...?
Kian: United States America.
Morah Katie: And in the United States of America, our state is...?
Noah: Washington.
Morah Katie: Today, all over the United States, adults will be voting. We are going to have our own election. An election is an opportunity to express what you want, your opinion.

We had 2 choices, apple or olive.

We tasted the apple; we tasted the olive.

We marked our ballot for which fruit we preferred.

We put our ballot in the box at our voting booth.
We tallied the votes and discovered which fruit was liked the most.















The votes were tallied and it was easy to see early on that Apple would win in a landslide.
Shouts of "Hooray"  "Yay" were heard through out the building.

We continue to develop our grace and courtesy.
Chalk is a wonderful medium for art. When everyone works together to erase the slate, it allows for a new canvas to be used.

It is always kind to hold the door for your friends.

Helping a friend write their name is a kind act and something to feel proud of.

Problem solving to create a solution which benefits the entire class is respectful to the whole community.

Participation in the preparation and offering of snack demonstrates grace and care of others.

It is always kind and gracious to help a friend in need.

We have left the wet South American rain forest, 

and we have traveled to the African savanna.

Morah Katie: Please remind what you will find in every habitat?

Noah: Animals.

Josiah: Oxygen.
Dena: Food
Kian: Water
Morah Katie: Anything else all animals need to be successful?  I can think of 2 more things.
Aaron: Shelter
Tori: Aplacetoraisethieryoung (translation - a place to raise their young)

Morah Katie: Looking at these 2 posters, the rain forest and the savanna, what do they both have in common?
Tori: Oxygen.
Noah: Trees, but the place with the lion doesn't have a lot of trees.
Morah Katie:  Please tell me what is different between a rain forest and a savanna.

Tori: The rain forest is wet and dark.
Dena: The savanna has lots of grass.
Kian: The rain forest is green.
Noah: You see more light sun in the savanna.

A trip to the savanna would not be complete without a safari:

Going on a lion hunt,
I'm not afraid.

Got my canteen.

Got my binoculars. 

Are YOU ready? let's go!

Look! what's that up ahead?

A tree.

Can't go over it, 

can't go under it,

Got to go around it. (side step x2)

Going on a lion hunt,
I'm not afraid.

Got my canteen.

Got my binoculars. 

Are YOU ready? let's go!

Look! what's that up ahead?

Tall tall grass.

Can't go over it.
Can't go under it.
Got to go through it. ( swoosh swoosh x2)

Going on a lion hunt,

I'm not afraid.

Got my canteen.

Got my binoculars. 

Are YOU ready? let's go!

Look! what's that up ahead?

A watering hole. 

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.
Have to swim across it. (splish splash x2)

Going on a lion hunt,

I'm not afraid.

Got my canteen.

Got my binoculars. 

Are YOU ready? let's go!

Look! what's that up ahead?

Mud.

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.
Got to go through it. (squelch squelch x2)

We continue with the chant as we cross a rickety old bridge, enter a cave, find the lion and have to run back to the jeep retracing our steps along the way.

This fun active song helps to reinforce the topography in a savanna.  

We went on a variety of savanna animal hunts.  

We could all agree we would feel better meeting a zebra over a lion or cheetah.

We played Green Light Red Light as savanna animals.
Lions, snakes and monkeys all move very differently.

Games are a helpful tool for learning theme concepts, and learning about sportsmanship.

At The Gan, the environment is set up to embrace and nourish the child, and to help the child develop life skills such as care of self and care of others.

At The Gan we follow the interest of the child.

If a child is intensely interested in cutting, we provide opportunities for that child to cut, increasing in difficulty as the child's skill develops. Allowing the child to engage in what intrigues him, demonstrates to the child that his interests and his point of view have value.  When he feels of value his confidence grows.  A confident child is a happy child. 

Social relationships are becoming a larger part of a child's life. These new relationships develop the manners and choices which can establish how the child interacts with other people. 

We have been learning how to greet someone graciously.  How do we express "welcome", what does that "Hello" sound like? Does it bring a smile to the visitors face?
We say things like:
Tori: Good Morning.
Gracie: Hello.
Dena: Hi
Morah Katie: If a visitor comes to our class what can we do or say?
Noah: We can offer them snacks. We have snacks so we can offer them some to eat.
We have the opportunity to practice this aspect of grace and courtesy when we are visited by the Rabbi.
Every child in the room: HI RABBI!!

Everyday moments of kindness and courtesy are vital to developing positive social interactions.

The Gan provides the child with a place to learn and experience how to ask for help, and how to offer it. 

The children learn how to politely join an activity, and how to graciously decline an invitation.

Gracie: I'll pull you Scout.
Scout: NO GRACIE DON"T PULL.
Morah Katie: Scout, I hear you don't want Gracie to pull you, how can you tell her what you are wanting so she understands.
Scout: Gracie I do not want to be pulled. Please do not pull me.
Gracie, though clearly upset herself, stopped pulling.


Learning in preschool is achieved primarily through play.  Play provides opportunities to help the child create and sustain positive social interactions.

 A particular sequence of play can be observed as the child grows and begins to demonstrate a deeper interest in the world beyond herself.

• Unoccupied Play, during which the child watches but stays in his/her spot.
• Onlooker play, during which the child will move around to watch the other children and ask questions, but refrains from joining in the play.

Scout watches as Gracie explores the rice.

• Solitary Independent Play occurs when the child engages and is active, but plays on his own.

Abigail is quite content to create on her own.

• Parallel Play, during which the child plays independently but is next to other children, often using the same materials or toys.

Anton is playing with the animals side by side with Dena.

• Associative play, during which the child will play with other children using the same materials and toys and talking with them, however, still acting on his own.

Josiah, Ari and Anton explore with collage material .

• Cooperative Play, the child plays in a group with the specific goal of doing a particular thing.

Two pirates who are creating rain forest  treasures.

Guiding the child while respecting his choices fosters the development of appropriate social interactions.

Scout: Noah would you like to be a kitten doctor?
Noah: Well not right now because as you can see I am counting but when I am done with my counting I will be a kitten doctor that would be fun.