This week we are doing a 3 day special cooking project based on the Eric Carle book Pancakes, Pancakes. I actually don't really like the book, because once Jack goes to the miller for flour, the chicken for an egg, the cow for some milk, the cellar for some jam, and then churns the butter I feel like I would say it's time to bust out the frozen waffles. But the kids absolutely love this story.
So today, we started by churning butter. It's a fascinating process to watch. Just start out with a jar, add a dash of salt, and some heavy whipping cream and shake that jar until you think your arms are falling off. The liquid passes through several stages, each more gelatinous than the last, until finally a clump of firm, yellow butter is surrounded by some watery excess milk. During this process we opened the jars every now and then to inspect our progress resulting in some great observations about what was happening to the liquid, and questions about whether it could ever go back to be cream again (to each question I simply replied, "what do you think?" or "how could we find out?"). So now we have a mason jar full of delicious, artery-clogging butter.
Tomorrow will be strawberry jam! Most recipes call for a large amount of sugar, but we will be trying a recipe that uses a bit of fruit juice to add some sweetness. Because it requires so much cooking, I want the students to do as much as possible without having to use the stove, so they will be washing, cutting, and smashing the berries, as well as mixing everything together.
Friday will be pancakes! We will do a lot of work measuring the ingredients, mixing, and maybe even flipping. I am very excited for everyone, and I know it will help combat break-time craziness. I think we're all ready for a break!
On an unrelated note, it's time to break out the snow pants! And the hats. And the gloves. And the scarves. And the sweatshirts. Please label EVERYTHING. We try to recognize absolutely as much as we can, but remember, I am keeping track of at least eleven student's things. Gloves are definitely the most tricky, as students tend to have multiple pairs. And school uniforms also must have a label. There are about sixty students with the same shirts and sweatshirts, it is absolutely impossible to keep track of where each sweatshirt goes. Whew, ok.
This blog is quickly becoming something I only write when I want something. BUT, I have a great idea for an almost scrapbooking like activity. I would love any specialty paper or card tops that families may not be using. In addition, any interesting stickers, ribbons, trimming, anything that could be used to make beautiful paper crafts. I will have all of the items available to students, but in order to get them, they will have to trace or write a word/sentence describing what item they would like. So, if a student has an idea to make a snowflake and would like some glitter, she would have to trace or write "glitter." It depends on the child's skill level how he or she would have to request the item.
Yes, I am updating! It has been a long time coming, though in my defense I can assure parents of my students that the lack of blog entries correlates directly with new things in our classroom. It has been a very math centered few weeks, and I have introduced many of the students to the decimal system (1s, 10s, 100s, 1000s) and even more students are working on their 1-1 correspondence past nine. It has been very busy.
We breezed through Halloween and Thanksgiving with very few manic days, which I was extremely thankful for. Now, I am introducing some seasonal works. Which brings me to how I like to handle the holidays in my classroom. I do not tip-toe around the fact that it is the holiday season. Dr. Montessori believed that to engage a child, we must provide learning materials that are relevant to their lives. And let's face it, it does not get much more relevant than family, food, and presents! The Christmas tree dot-to-dot is a popular work because a lot of the students are getting Christmas trees in their home, and it is exciting. The cut and paste Menorah is popular because every night for the next 7 nights some students will be going home to spend some very special evenings with their families. It is an exciting season, and (in my very humble opinion) it does not need to be taboo or awkward. We all have different traditions for this time of year, and if a parent has something they would like us to incorporate beyond Hannakah and Christmas, please PLEASE let me know!
Another special day note, we have a lot of birthdays coming up (mine included, I LOVE Starbucks). In our classroom, we like to make this day very special for our students. So, when a student is having a birthday we have card making available. This includes construction paper, usually stickers, and instructions for writing "Happy Birthday [insert name here]." This activity is always very popular, and our kids get really excited to be able to share in the giving. We have class as normal, then clean up a little early, around 11:00am. Then comes circle time where the birthday boy/girl is able to wear their crown. A helper holds a candle (symbolizing the sun), and the birthday/boy girl holds a globe while walking around the sun once for every year they have been alive. After this is when we will enjoy any treats the parent has been kind enough to provide. If a child's birthday comes in the summer months, we will have their birthday celebration on their half birthday so that they also get to be in on the fun.
I have some great pictures to share, but will be uploading them later (so January?). Another quick note, I have a work specific e-mail that I am able to access at all times, if you would like the address please feel free to ask me or Ms. Tammy.
