All of the April showers this week will hopefully be bringing May flowers and green grass soon. The rain cooperated nicely, stopping in time for us to get out for our much needed play yard time every day. The children were so busy doing the obstacle course, building and playing in forts and houses, kicking the soccer balls around, playing T-ball, playing make-believe, digging in the sandbox and mud, and playing tag.
We concluded our study of Australia by learning about the Camel Cup races, held annually in July in Alice Springs, Australia. The children enjoyed watching a short video clip of the 2013 races, seeing some of the crazy costumes, and listening to the Australian accent of the narrator.
Throughout the year we have learned about living and non-living things, plants and animals, and how we work together as a system to keep each other alive. We have talked about the importance of plants and how we breath out carbon dioxide, which they breath in, and how plants breath out oxygen, which we breath in. This week we began to talk about food, which we get from plants and animals. We focused on the protein and dairy groups, which mainly come from animals. We discussed the different types of meat that we get from the different animals, such as ham, pork, and bacon from pigs, beef steaks and hamburger from cows, and chicken from chickens.
At the science table, the classroom doctors continued to familiarize themselves with the medical instruments and hone their skills examining patients.
At the art table we completed our mother’s day gifts, created some lovely paintings, and made many fabulous drawings.
We celebrated a fifth birthday on Tuesday! Happy birthday to our newest five year old! Everyone loved the cupcakes in a cone that she brought to share.
Friday students were once again busy, busy, busy! For science we had fun with dry ice, which we learned is frozen carbon dioxide. We did two experiments with it. First, we put two pieces in a latex glove and tied it closed. As it melted, it turned back into a gas, puffing the glove up like a balloon until finally it popped, which was terribly exciting! We also put some dry ice into the bottom of a glass pitcher and poured hot water over it. This melted the dry ice, which bubbled up through the water. The mix of hot water and the frozen carbon dioxide created a cool mist, which the children had fun swirling and capturing in their hands.
We enjoyed listening to Gerrie Scott read the Book book!