Foods That Grow...

Today we began with all kinds of seeds in the Touch and Feel.  Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, beans, and corn seeds.  The kids compared the seeds and used magnifying glasses to study them up close.  We talked about how they were alike and how they were all different from each other. 

 

 

Ms. Michelle came today with some really cool stuff for us to do.  We started by taking turns going through the LONG, blue tunnel!  The material is kinda stretchy so it's hard work to make your way from one side to the other.  They loved it! 

Next we used some mixed up pumpkin parts to decorate a pumpkin.  Eyes, nose, and a mouth.....the tricky part was getting the paper off the back so that the parts would stick.  It was great fine motor practice disguised as fun!!

The last part was the messiest!  Ms. Michelle has a mission to help some of our kiddos overcome their dislike of messiness!  Each child had a plastic tray with shaving cream in it where they could make their own pumpkin.  We gave them stems, eyes, noses, and even hair!  We practiced writing the letters in our names and make zig zag designs.  Then....to cut down on the mess before we could come inside and wash up.....we wiped off in the grass!  The kids agreed that it looked like snow on the ground.  They talked about it the whole time we were on the playground!  Shaving cream was a big hit!

 

The book today was Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayers.  This book describes how plants in the garden all grow differently.  Corn and broccoli grow up, carrots and potatoes grow down, and cucumbers grow all around on a vine.

 

Today's chart helped us recall how the vegetables in our story grow.  First we planted our seeds under the "dirt" and then we each "grew a vegetable.  You had to decide whether your vegetable grew up or down and put it in the right place!

We watched as Sid the Science kid went on a vegetable scavenger hunt around the garden.  The class looked for all sorts of vegetables, but some are hidden.....our kids knew right away....some are hidden UNDERGROUND!  You can watch the video here http://pbskids.org/sid/videoplayer.html.

And the best part of the day......making popcorn for science!  All day the children had been calling our corn seeds, popcorn seeds, and we had been correcting them.  So.....we asked them how we turned corn seeds into popcorn???  They came up with all kinds of answers.....from shaking it to putting it in the microwave.  The air popper is always a big hit and the look on their faces when it actually starts to make popcorn is priceless!!!  Of course after we compared the seeds and the popcorn and talk about the changes......we had a small snack!  I'm not sure all of them believed it was really popcorn until they actually tasted it!