Update on January Math Centers, Animals in Winter, Happy New Year!

Well, we tried out our new math centers this week and I was

happy with the end result! 

The only thing that I felt needed to be changed was to add number markers to the Snowflake Sort.  It was too hard for them to just remember how many items were sorted otherwise.  The markers made the number concept much more concrete.  Even though I explained and modeled this game whole group, I sat with each small group as they had their turn with this game to walk them through the process.  The kids were able to manage the other math centers independently while I helped with Snowflake Sort.



I downloaded the Snowman Number Cards from another blog and I honestly can not find it now.  If you happen to know where these cards came from, please let me know!
  I bought the snowflake ornaments (for the mini trees) at the Hob Lob on Christmas clearance for 80% off! 



I also downloaded these number cards from the same mystery blog.
 I wrote the numbers on one side of the clothespin and the number word on the other side.

A practice page for recognizing, counting and graphing shapes.

Our science focus this week was on Animals in Winter. 
What an excellent book to start off this mini unit.

We have already talked a great deal about hibernation and even have our class bear in his den hibernating with a colony of bats!  This was an opportunity to talk about other animals that hibernate.

We charted what we know about animals in winter now.  We divided animals into three groups-animals that hibernate, animals that migrate and animals that hunt for food in winter.

We wrote facts for our Winter Book.

We made a den for our bears to hibernate for the long, cold winter. 
Messy BUT fun!
I used Styrofoam cups with an opening cut out glued onto a small paper plate, brown paper and snowflakes glued onto the cup, raffia on the "floor" of the den, cotton on the outside and the cute little brown bears
(I finally found them at Hobby Lobby in the dollhouse section-$1.49 for a package of four).



A sample of our Animals in Winter page of our Winter Book. 
 I didn't realize that the face of the bear didn't show up very well!



I wanted to show Ms. Potts' New Year's page for our big Kindergarten Scrapbook that will go home at the end of the year. 
She saw a photo of this page on http://thoughtsofesme.blogspot.com/ and decided to try it. 
The goals that the children wrote for themselves were too sweet!

My goal for 2011 is to not fight with my brother!

We are adding a page to our Alphabet Scrapbook every week. 
This is "Flower in the Field".



Dog in the Doghouse!

I'll add more photos as we add pages to our Winter Book. 

This is my first year to make one with my class.  I decided, why not?! 

We make a book for everything else!!! 

I can organize mini lessons better seasonally into a unit book. 

OCD, Type A or just a teacher? 

You be the judge...