Mrs. Ayala's Kinder Fun: YUP! WE LOVE OCTOBER!!

Hello everyone! I sometimes forget how much fun fall is and especially incorporating "October" related materials into our lessons.

It is just October 3rd and we have done and learned so much using pumpkins, leaves, and apples in our lessons. We began our Pumpkin Investigation today during science. We have 4th grade buddies and we teamed up for this special project. Mrs. Alvarado, my fourth grade teacher buddy, found this neat planting project on pinterest! We all usually open up our pumpkin, count the seeds, measure the pumpkin, weigh the pumpkin, and it can go on and on and on. How about Describing the outside, How many lines does it have?, and How about describing the inside? Then, how about leaving the seeds inside the pumpkin and add either top soil or potting soil, add some light, and water and BAM!! You have a plant growing!!
(In two week we will do the measuring, weighing, counting, and cooking of the pumpkin during our science lab time.)

That is exactly what we did today!! Check out the great pictures. If you have never buddied up with an older grade level you should really try it out. The 4th graders really gain and learn so much by helping the little ones. My kinder students love to have an older friend who is caring and wiser. :D

GREAT BOOK ALERT!!! "SOMETIMES" when I have time I try to go and visit our school library during an open slot. I don't like to go through the library catalog online... I will tell you why..I don't think the title of a book, author, or level of a book can tell you if it is a good or appropriate book all of the time. I go shelf by shelf and look at the covers and illustrations of a book. I usually find some great titles that I have never thought of or knew about. WEEEEELLL, Guess what!! I found an awesome book. I saw it on the shelf and I thought the title was interesting so I check it out and read it for the first time today. I LOVED EVERY BIT OF IT!! The illustrations were super cute and the story was really cute. The ending also left it suspenseful and it left the students wondering and saying what if... It is almost very similar to Eric Carle's Tiny Seed. You have to check it out!!

You can surely do so much with this book! Students can:

Build a pumpkin town in your classroom, hall, or school.
Draw a Pumpkin Town
Write and Illustrate a spin off of the book. What would you do? What could happen next?
Carve pumpkins and display them in your classroom. Add a light inside your pumpkins and turn off the classroom lights. :D

I hope what I wrote makes sense. I guess I am just on TEACHER EXCITED mode this afternoon. I love to find new things to add to the traditional activities that we already do every year! :D

Happy October to you!!

HOORAY Day #6 and they are growing!!