PBL

Butterfly Monarch Unit

Kindergarten is incorporating Eric Carle literature to create an awareness of our environment by following kindergarten standards and using recycled or re-used materials to create a monarch butterfly way station.

Making Butterfly PuDDlers

Butterfly Puddlers

Creating ARtwork with Symmetry

Lifecycle of Monarch Butterflies in STEAM Journal

Kindergarten students studied how lines and shapes could become sculpture as a culminating activity for all of their research on the monarch butterfly. They created wire sculpture mobiles and clay sculpture life cycles of the butterfly after practicing with modeling clay and directed drawings in order to share their new knowledge with other students.

Earth Day Community Collaboration

In an effort to help the endangered monarch butterflies, Kindergarten students at Park Elementary worked collaboratively on Earth Day with parents, PTO, second-grade students, and HC High Schools AG department to prepare their garden for the much anticipated arrival of monarch caterpillars. Parents of Park Kindergarteners got their hands dirty as they helped their children dig, plant, water, and clean the Monarch Butterfly Garden. PTO provided native milkweed plants and other perennial plants. Second-grade students joined to celebrate the on-going project that they began when they were kindergarteners at Park. And, Harris County High School’s AG department provided nectar plants, an essential part of the Monarch Butterfly Garden. Caterpillars will be arriving this week and will be placed in the nursery windows, protected by netting. The students cannot wait to watch their “babies” grow into beautiful monarch butterflies! 4/26/22

Bird Feeders

After a winter walk in the garden, students noticed holes in the tree which caused them to ask what made these holes. Some students remembered that a woodpecker could have made these holes. Students began to listen for bird sounds which led us to an app that can record and give information on the birds making those sounds. During this time students were able to analyze the data of how many and what kind of birds entered our garden. Students showed empathy toward the birds and wanted to feed them as they learned that sometimes in the winter it is hard to find food. Students began to plan and create bird feeders from recycled materials. They knew the bird feeders had to hang, hold food, and allow a bird to sit on a perch. Once trials began, they were able to analyze and evaluate their feeders and decide if and where improvements were needed. After bird feeders were hung in the garden for all to see, students checked bird seed levels and refilled as needed.

Planning Bird Feeders

Hanging Feeders

aNALYZING & eVALUATING

Collaborative Photography Project with the LaGrange Art Museum

A photographer from the LaGrange Art Museum shared with the students about photography. Observing photos helped us determine the emotions of the photograph. Students then were able to use cameras to create photos of peers showing different emotions.

Gardens

Kindergarten added a perennial pollinator garden. A self-seeding wildflower bed has been maintained to attract pollinators. Seasonal crops, such as blueberry bushes, peach trees, and pumpkins, are observed through the life cycles. Kale and herbs are grown throughout the year to be used in classroom activities. The garden is used to problem solve different real world issues as they arise leading to a unique experience for each year's class and maintaining a legacy within Park’s culture.

Music Garden (1).mp4

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Students using recycled materials (pots, pans, and kitchen utensils) to play music.

growing pumpkins

Kindergarteners study the life cycle of a pumpkin. Once their pumpkin seeds grew into larger vines, it was time to transplant them into the outside garden. This group of students went to the garden to plant their pumpkin vines so that they will be able to grow even bigger!

Recycling

Through a schoolwide effort, gently used and new shoes were collected. Kindergarten sorted shoes by their kind, tallied, and graphed them. They also were counted and donated to FOCUS, a local donation center.

Math Mosaic

Kindergarten students turned math into mosaic artwork using data from an apple taste test. Students learned about mosaics while creating apples and pumpkins, using paper as their tesserae. As a bonus, their fine motor skills were put to the test!

Itsy Bitsy Spider Unit

A large garden spider was spotted outside of the kindergarten hallway. This led to many questions and spurred a living organism research unit on spiders. Kindergarten used the poem Itsy Bitsy Spider and the book The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle as part of our phonemic awareness lessons. Students labeled a spider, compared types of spiders by their sizes, colors, and other features. The unit concluded by students creating a spider web with a choice of given materials that would hold a spider and can catch its prey.

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Graphed Responses

Student Created Spider Webs

Kindergarten learned about the life cycles of plants through the apple tree. During this unit, we used our five senses to explore the apple. The taste testing results were graphed according to likes and dislikes. Using apples as a stamp, we created patterns for printmaking as well as mosaics using torn paper. We also took a virtual field trip to an apple orchard to observe fall crops.

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