During this project, we have been learning about the season of autumn, as well as the special days part of it : Halloween and Thanksgiving. At the same time, we were able to study apples which is part of our Kindergarten curriculum. The first book that we listened to was It's Fall! by Linda Glazer.
We started of with our study of leaves because the children started noticing them on the tree and in the school yard. They were excited when they found different colored and sized leaves. They started to bring in some that they found at home and on their way to school. Some children wanted to collect the maple seeds that they found on the ground as well. These things became part of our science center so that the children could examine them more closely with magnifying glasses. I also brought in leaves that I had saved from previous leaf projects that my classes had been involved with in the past, along with books about trees and leaves. We created a graph of our favorite color of leaf. The students enjoyed making fall trees with the art teacher which were displayed in the hallway. We made leaf rubbings which were hung in the classroom. We also chose our favorite maple leaf to copy. At the end, we read the book , I Am A Leaf by Jean Marzollo and learned more tree facts. Then we shared what we learned about leaves on a chart.
We started of with our study of leaves because the children started noticing them on the tree and in the school yard. They were excited when they found different colored and sized leaves. They started to bring in some that they found at home and on their way to school. Some children wanted to collect the maple seeds that they found on the ground as well. These things became part of our science center so that the children could examine them more closely with magnifying glasses. I also brought in leaves that I had saved from previous leaf projects that my classes had been involved with in the past, along with books about trees and leaves. We created a graph of our favorite color of leaf. The students enjoyed making fall trees with the art teacher which were displayed in the hallway. We made leaf rubbings which were hung in the classroom. We also chose our favorite maple leaf to copy. At the end, we read the book , I Am A Leaf by Jean Marzollo and learned more tree facts. Then we shared what we learned about leaves on a chart.
At the same time, we started our study of apples. We started with an apple tasting of Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Empire apples. We created a graph and discussed what we noticed. When we made applesauce in a crockpot, we saved and washed the apple seeds. Everyone had a chance to cut up apple pieces and smell the cinnamon. We predicted the number of seeds we would find in the apples and found out that it was different for all the apples. Then we created a chart to see who liked the crockpot applesauce. Later we cut open an apple both ways to see the seeds inside. The students were excited to see a 'star' of seeds inside. Next we created diagrams of the apple parts. We read the big book, The Apple Pie Story by to learn more about apples. We made a list of things that are made from apples.
When Halloween started to approach, we decided to look at pumpkins and how they grew. I carved out a small pumpkin to create a happy jack-o-lantern for them. The children were excited to see all the seeds inside and the stringy insides. We washed and roasted the pumpkin seeds. The children thought they tasted like popcorn. Then we read the book Apples and Pumpkins by to learn about how they grow on a farm.
Various artifacts have been added to the science center: apples, gourds, a mini pumpkin, pinecones, and Indian corn. We are writing and drawing about our favorite artifact as we begin our non-fiction writing journals. As part of our math unit on patterns, we will be making apple- pumpkin patterns with paint.
