The Ocean Habitat

The pre-kindergarten girls transitioned from the Arctic to the ocean to continue exploring animal habitats. They had a wonderful time learning about mollusks and were especially fascinated by shells. After their lessons on mollusks, the girls enjoyed examining different types of shells. They discovered that some mollusks create their own shells, while others find protective shells, and some mollusks don’t have shells at all.

The Arctic Habitat

The prekindergarten girls began their new academic year with an exciting exploration of the Arctic. They immersed themselves in various books and enjoyed singing songs about Arctic animals. The girls also engaged in activities that involved weighing, measuring, and observing winter-themed objects. To conclude their Arctic expedition, each girl sketched her favorite Arctic animal and worked with her peers to create a collaborative mural that showcased their collective creativity and imagination.

STEM Challenge

The prekindergarten girls concluded their exploration of animals that hibernate by sharing their completed books and accepting the STEM challenge of building dens from marshmallows and toothpicks. The girls began by creating simple shapes for the base, including squares and triangles. The engineers progressed from making flat, two-dimensional shapes to combining them into three-dimensional structures. The girls used their knowledge of animal behavior to design dens that would be warm and cozy during the winter months. This artistic and mathematical challenge was the perfect end to the hibernation unit!

Animals in Winter

This month, the prekindergarten girls have been exploring and examining how animals behave in winter. They learned about the processes animals go through to prepare for hibernation and why it is essential. Bears, snakes, hedgehogs, frogs, worms, and even queen bees hibernate! Additionally, they discovered that not all animals hibernate; some migrate or adapt to winter conditions. After reading, singing, and creating books about hibernation, the prekindergarten girls planned, designed, and engineered unique winter shelters for hibernating animals. Great job, scientists!

The Water Cycle and the Lifecycle of a Pumpkin

This month, the prekindergarten girls learned about both the water cycle and the life cycle of a pumpkin. They explored the four stages of the water cycle by reading books, singing songs, and creating a vibrant mural that helped them understand how the water cycle functions. The girls also studied the pumpkin's life cycle through literature, songs, informational texts, and art. The highlight of this unit was publishing their life cycle books! Way to go, scientists!

Apple Investigation

In September, the prekindergarten scientists engaged in activities to predict, explore, observe, test, and examine apples through various experiments and investigations. They compared the weights of different apples using scales and completed anchor charts to label the parts of an apple and illustrate its life cycle. The children enjoyed reading books and singing songs about apples, and they played an apple-matching game.

To conclude their unit on the senses, the prekindergarten girls conducted a hands-on exploration of apples. The children used magnifying glasses to inspect apple slices, smelled the apples, and listened carefully as they bit into them. They particularly enjoyed tasting the apples! During this exploration, the children took scientific notes on their observations. The prekindergarten students learned that scientific observation involves using their senses purposefully. Great job, everyone!

We are Scientists

Welcome to science! This month, the prekindergarten girls gained an understanding of the many jobs that scientists have. Additionally, the girls have been learning about their five senses. We discussed how our sense of smell can keep us safe. Additionally, after listening to The Looking Book by P.K. Hallinan, the girls put on their "lookers" and explored the science room using their sense of sight. After researching and observing, the girls then illustrated their favorite find.