Each year, Gabby from the Art Farm in the City visits our classroom with animals. Gabby is a great resource for us as an animal expert and early educator on E. 91st St. All of our classes have had their first visit of the year. Gabby brings different animals and presents different topics depending on the developmental levels of our different groups of students. This week, the Parrots even got to see a real parrot!
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Our preschoolers have been using flashlights to explore light. We turn the lights down in the classroom and use the flashlights to create shadows and different colors of light with cellophane. As the cellophane sheets mix, they produce new and interesting colors. We also noticed that the shadows change size as we move our flashlights around the room.
Flashlights also give our students a chance to interact by following each others' lights, flaying "flashlight tag" or exploring each others bodies and clothes. We also get to practice boundaries by remembering not to shine the light in another student's eyes! As part of a study of crayfish, Gillen Brewer's older students are learning how to use compound microscopes. Although these tools require delicacy and persistence, they offer a motivating and engaging experience as they open up a world of scale and detail never before seen. We began by examining the crayfish with magnifying glasses, but decided that more detail and magnification was necessary to continue our study. We began with some direct instruction about the parts of a microscope and how to use it: Next, we practiced with caterpillars and a variety of small creatures and objects to hone our skills. Finally, we placed the crayfish onto our microscopic stages and explored them in detail.
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ProjectsBraque posts photos and resources here to accompany many science units and explorations. Archives
November 2017
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