Color Investigations (graphing, documentation, mixing) and Dr. Clifford

Along with learning the color songs red, blue, and purple, this week we continued to talk about shades of color.  I went to my local Home Deport to ask if they would be willing to donate some paint samples for my classroom.  Of course they said "yes", and thankfully they let me have enough to do several activities.  We first looked at how there are so many different shades of colors.  We had several girls wearing pink stand up to look at how some were dark and some were very light.  We looked at some of the paint chips to find that there were very dark colors and very light colors.  We also noticed that it was hard to decided between some colors.  Some of us thought certain colors belonged one place where others thought it should belong somewhere else!

The paint chips were then sorted by color put on separate tables.  The students were to stand by their favorite color and look for the shade they liked best.

They cut a small sample of their favorite shade to document.

We then graphed our favorite color.

 It turns out that we have more students that like the color blue than any other color. 

COLOR DOCUMENTATION!

As we have been learning how to spell the words "red, blue, & purple" we decided we needed to document them in our classroom.  We used the rest of our paint chips, cut them in small pieces and made a color collage with all the different shades.  

                                                                             COLOR MIXING

We did an experiment Friday!  The children were all very excited for this experimented and waited patiently all day.  I bought two large tubs of vanilla yogurt and brought them to school.  I communicated that since we learned how to spell the words "blue" and "red" that we should make blue and red yogurt.  Once I mixed in some food coloring I expressed my sadness that I couldn't have purple yogurt because there was only blue, red, yellow, and green food coloring.  A couple friends piped up telling me all I needed to do was mix the colors together.  I pulled up a short video from Ythe internet and watched a painter mix two colors of paint to make a new color.  If you would like to watch the video, click on the the link below. 

                 Basic Arts & Crafts Tips : How to Mix Purple Paint 

 The red yogurt looks a little pink but we got the idea!

The students thought they should all try and I agreed. 

While practicing, listening, and following directions, each child got their own pallet of"paint", which was really yogurt. 

They began to mix like an artist...

...and their yogurt began to turn purple!

Next week we will continue learning a few new color songs, and learn to mix a couple new colors.  Stay tuned for our upcoming experiments!

On a side note, our superintendent Dr. Clifford dropped by Friday for a visit.  We talked about our mascot the Pirate and our school colors Red and Black.  Together we sang "We Are The Pirates" and at the end we finished it with a big ARRRRGGG!!!!

Have an amazing weekend and take care!

Mrs. Atkin

Environmental Print- Part 2

We have been learning how to picture read! Last week I posted about the environmental print game, and this week we took it to the next level by making a picture word wall.  Thank you for sending in your labels and for cutting logos out of adds.  We had only 3 letters without a label.  I did some searching and printed pictures of an iphone for "Ii", a yield sing for "Yy", and X-men for "Xx".  You would be amazed at all the labels the students were able to read!  

Take a look at our students making their "Picture Word Wall".

These word wall pages will soon be pages in a class book that the students can all read.  

One family sent in the outside of a cheerio box.  I thought it would be a great puzzle to use for our puzzles and games literacy work station.  You have any different cereal boxes that you would like to donate for us to reuse as puzzles, please send them our way!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mrs. Atkin

Costume Party

Our students have been doing GREAT!  Together as a class we have been working towards filling a jar full of seashells.  They earn sea shells for bucket fillers and for having great classroom behavior.  We add a seashell to our bucket when we notice students working hard, taking care of our classroom and materials, walking in the hallway respectfully, helping others, using kind words and much more.  When we get 28 seashells (one for each child) the students get to choose a way to celebrate their behavior.  We made a list, voted for the top two and then voted again.  Some of their ideas were: pajama party, no shoes for a day, dance party, singing party, class snack, and a costume party.  Well you know what they chose...  COSTUME PARTY!  Our school usually has a no costume policy so I had to get the okay from our principal.  We decided that book character and West Carrollton Pirate costumes would be great!  Take a look at the characters we had Monday. 

Blake (left) dressed up as Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk.  

Brady (right) dressed up as a book reader!  I love his tuxedo bow tie!   

 All 5 of these lovely ladies, Autumn, Elizabeth, Grace, Dana, and Maggie dressed up as Pinkalicous. 

Stephanie dressed up as "Lady Bug Girl, Kristen as Cinderella, Makayli was the Pink Chipmunk, and Maesyn was Strawberry Shortcake.

 

In this group we had a dragon, Dracula, and several superheroes.  

 

 These friends ( Ezekiel-Isaiah, Ian, Thalin, Atticus, Kingston, John) 

dressed up as West Carrollton Pirates. 

 

 I look forward to what the students are going to choose next time for their positive behavior.  

Mrs. Atkin

Literacy Lab

This week was our first full week of Literacy Lab.  In Literacy Lab, we continue to practice and learn literacy skills.  Typically we would break up into 5 different groups and rotate throughout the week.  This week (since it was our first full week) we only broke up into 4. We focused on our names this week.  We counted the letters in our names, clapped and snapped the syllables in our names, cut letters out of magazines to make our names, made them with play-dough, used cookie cutters to make our names and traced our names with glue and added fruit loops.  In the upcoming weeks we will begin working on letter sounds, kindergarten sight words and literacy reading skills.

Mrs. Coberly working with a small group.

Mrs. Cox working with students using play-dough and cookie cutters to make their names. 

Looking for letters in magazines to make our names.

As time progresses we will begin guided reading.  We use the DRA (Diagnostic Reading Assessment) to assess the students and their reading levels twice a year (Fall and Spring).   You will get more information about these reading levels at your first quarter fall conference.  Thanks for stopping by to see what we have been doing this week.  Take care and have a great week.

Mrs. Atkin