Dear Everybody,
We started our week reading a fifth version of The Gingerbread Boy.
Someone asked why the gingerbread boy talked and the children said
because he’s "pretend". We asked, “Do gingerbread cookies really
talk?” The class chimed, “No!” We examined all our books and made a
list of similarities and differences. The children were able to recall
many details about each story. We looked at the pictures to help.
We read The Three Little Pigs. Many children knew the story. We talked
about what real wolves eat. Someone said chickens. The class added
that some animals eat vegetables and fruit. We talked about who in our
class ate vegetables and/or meat. Two people said they don’t eat meat.
The class did a retelling of The Gingerbread Boy. We wrote it down as
each person added to the story. Everyone chose who they wanted to be
and we went into the big room to act it out. We had nine gingerbread
boys, four old men and old women, one fox, and two audience members.
The gingerbread man went the way of every other gingerbread man who
has gone before him.
The fox, in some books, eats the gingerbread boy in four bites giving
a generous simple math problem of four parts equal a whole. We made a
little gingerbread boy and cut him in fourths to show this.
We reread The Three Little Pigs and used red Mexican clay from the
earth to create sculptures. Inspired by the three pigs' houses we
collected rocks, sticks, and stones from the yard to add to our clay.
The children made cars, monsters, monster friends, a person, an
airplane, a carrot, and more.
Talk of the clay being from the earth, sparked a conversation about
the planets. One person said we live on the biggest planet. Another
said the planets go around the sun. Someone else said the earth is
blue because of the water.
We made Huff and Puff art using the air in our lungs and some straws.
We examined Mr. Bones to see where our lungs are inside our bodies. We
looked at his rib cage and felt ours inside our own bodies, then we
went to work painting. The class worked beautifully in small groups.
It sounded like a small but serious wind storm. The art is hanging in
the classroom.
Friday we read two more Three Little Pig books. We talked about what a
peddler is, played Storefront Bingo, and bought and sold things in the
big room. Two people were selling tricycles, two were selling
beanbags, and three were selling baked goods. The bean bag store
closed down after the sale of one beanbag.
Next week we continue our folk and fairytale unit with more Three
Little Pigs and add The Three Bears.
Have a magical weekend,
Therese