My Montessori Journey

Earth Week: Recycling Cut and Paste Activity

One thing we have talked about this week is how to take good care of our Earth.  I brought in examples of items that can be recycled and explained to the children that recycling means taking something used and turning it into something new.  A quick Google search on Sunday afternoon led me to a set of worksheets that I was able to adapt for use in my classroom as a cut and paste project.  As is often the case, I didn't like the layout of these worksheets, especially for preschoolers.  However, a few minutes of copying, cutting, and pasting resulted in an activity that I feel is appropriate for preschool-aged children.  Keep in mind that in a Montessori setting, children would only do this work if THEY choose to do it.

HERE is a link to where I found the pages I adapted.  I used pages 4 and 5 from this link.  The photo below shows the worksheets as they looked when I printed them.  They are too busy and cluttered for my liking.  So...........I chopped off the parts I didn't like and combined the two pages to set up an independent cut and paste activity.

Here you can see how I changed the pages.  I simply cut off the extra words from the "sorting" paper and copied it.  Lots of white space on a page makes it easier for children to visually process what they need to do.  On the left side you can see that I just cut and pasted 4 sets of cutting pictures onto one "master" sheet to conserve paper.  I then cut these apart to place in a basket as you will see further down.

Here is how the activity is set up.  As with many of my science activities, the children will sit at the two white tables to complete this work.  The needed materials are on the shelf above and on the top of the tables.

This tray holds the "sorting" paper.

And the basket holds the cutting pictures.

 

  
To do this work the child takes a sorting paper and a page of cutting pictures.  They use the scissors to cut apart the pictures and sort them onto the sorting page.  Once a teacher has checked their sorting they use their glue sticks and gluing mats to adhere the pictures to the page.  I forgot to take a photo of a completed paper, but I'm sure you get the idea.
 

Paper Plate Bird Art Project

I like to have art projects that correlate with the science topic we are studying.  A few weeks back, Miss Melissa (one of my three assistants) and I were discussing doing a bird art project.  She wondered if we could come up with something using paper plates.  After thinking about it a little while we came up with this project.  I put it out today (Monday) for the first time and MANY children chose to do it.  Below you can see how I set up this project.  I have the supplies on top of a shelf with the samples attached to the back.  Two children at a time may sit at the white tables to make the project.

I prepared some small paper plates with lines draw in black Sharpie and two holes punched at the bottom.  These were placed into a basket.  Next to that is a tray with crayons and markers.

Then a basket with scissors and a bowl with small pieces of brown and black pipecleaners for the legs.  (These were regular length pipecleaners cut into thirds.)

Attached to the shelf is a plate showing the "beak" already colored in so the children would know which part to color with the marker before coloring the entire plate with a crayon.  I gave a group lesson on this project so the children could see each step being executed.  I also attached a sample of the "cardinal" and "blue jay" to the shelf next to a picture of each bird.  I decided since this pattern results in a bird with a wedge-shaped head we would be more scientifically accurate and call our birds either cardinals or blue jays since they are birds we've learned and they both have a crest of feathers on top of their head.

 

 

To complete this project the child first colors the beak with a marker as described above.  Then they color the entire plate with red or blue crayon.  I captured one little girl "in action" coloring her cardinal.  After coloring they cut the plate on the lines.  They have 4 pieces when finished cutting: one for the body, one for the head, one for the tail and one for the wing.  They bring these pieces to a teacher and the teacher staples the bird together.  Then the child returns to their work area and adds an eye to the bird's head using the black marker.  The final step is to add pipe-cleaner legs.  Even with the holes already punched they needed help from a teacher to attach the legs.

Here are two cardinals that were made this morning.

And a blue jay.  Although I didn't realize this when I first thought of the project, I like how the ridges on the paper plate resemble feathers when colored.

 

I think these turned out pretty cute!  What do you think?
 

My Bird Book

We have recently begun our study of birds in the classroom.  I would like the children to learn the names of common birds in our area.  I have a bird matching activity that is out in the classroom.  I'll have to remember to snap some photos and post about it.  I made it using a birds bulletin board set that I bought many years ago.  I just spent WAY too long trying to find a similar set online so I could provide a link.  However, I had no luck! It appears there are not any sets like that available for purchase.)  

Anyway.......to further reinforce our understanding and identification of common birds, I put together some little "bird books" for the children to color.  I do not have a link for the bird outline pictures I used since they are from work I created about 11 years ago.  I have this work set up at the two tables right inside the door to my classroom.  I have attached colored cards for each type of bird to the back of the facing shelf as shown.  The cards are placed in the same order as the pages in the little books.

Here's a close-up of the cardinal and blue jay cards.

A basket holds the "blank" (uncolored) booklets.

And a wooden tray holds the colored pencils needed for the books.

Here is a book that was completed by my son, who is a 2nd year student in my classroom.  He drew his own little bird on the front cover.

And on his own he decided to draw boxes on the pages so he could "check off" when he sees a certain bird.  It looks like he has recently seen and recorded a cardinal.

Here's one more page from the book.

 

I have been so pleased with how nicely my students are completing their booklets.  It is wonderful how much care and concentration they are giving to this work.
 
 
 

Make your own rocket

Last week I put out a rocket project that was VERY popular in the classroom.  To set up this project, I found a rocket printable from Making Learning Fun.  I copied a bunch of the rockets on white cardstock and placed them into a small tray.  To the large work tray I also added a bowl of straws cut into about 2-inch lengths, scissors, red and blue markers, and a pencil.  You can see the whole set-up below.

To do this activity the child first colors the rocket using the markers.  I pointed out that the rocket is a United States rocket and reminded the children that our country's colors are red, white, and blue.  Therefore, we will use those colors for our rocket.  After coloring the next step is to cut out the rocket.  Since there are so many black lines this can be visually challenging for young children as they don't always know which line to cut on.  A modification you can do in this situation is to take another marker in a different color and outline the rocket.  That way the child can easily see where to cut.  After cutting, they use the pencil to write their name on the back.  Then they bring a straw and the rocket to a teacher. 

The teacher uses tape to attach the straw to the back of the rocket as shown below.  The top end of the straw must be squished flat and taped down so air cannot escape from that end.

Once this part is complete the child is given a coffee stirrer cut in half.  This is placed into the open end of the straw as shown here.  We instructed the children to hold the black "straw" and blow through the end.  This propels the rocket into the air (briefly) much to the joy and excitement of the child who has just launched their rocket.  One tip is to not jam the coffee stirrer too far into the other straw.  This can prevent "take-off" from occurring and can be discouraging to your little astronaut. 

Here is a completed rocket. 

 
 
 

Watercolor Planets

This week I put out a watercolor planet art project to go along with our study of the solar system.  Below you can see how I set it up on a table.  Clockwise from top right: a basket of watercolor paper cut into circles, a sponge, vinyl placemat, watercolor paints, jar for water, jar with pencil.

To do this project the child takes a paper "planet" and writes their name on the back.  Then they take the water jar to the sink and fill it with water to the yellow line.  Next, they use the watercolors to paint their planet.  Once finished the planet is placed on the drying rack (just to the right of this photo) and the child dumps their dirty water into the sink.  The final step is to wipe the table and placemat dry to prepare it for the next painter.  Once the planets are dry, they are glued onto a sheet of black construction paper.  I LOVE how these are turning out.  The watercolor paper is perfect for preserving the beautiful, vivid colors of the paint.

And they stand out so much on the stark black backgrounds.

 
 
 

The Family of the Sun

For the past week or so we have been singing a new song during line time called, "The Family of the Sun."  When I was previously teaching in a Montessori classroom about 10 years ago I used this song to teach about the planets in our solar system.  Since Pluto was "demoted" since then, I had to find some different lyrics for the song.  Luckily, I found some adapted lyrics here.

I have a set of laminated planets that are from a TREND bulletin board set I purchased years ago.  They are actual NASA photos of the planets.  Below is a picture of the set I have.......image courtesy of Amazon. 

When we sing the song during group time I pass out a planet to each of 9 children (Pluto is still included in the song, although its status as a "dwarf planet" is acknowledged) and have them stand in a line in sequence.  When we sing about each planet the child holding the planet steps forward and holds up their planet.  With 20 children per session we sing the song two times so everyone has a turn.  If we need to, one child is the sun and wears the sun necklace from our Earth, Moon and Sun song.

 

Earth, Moon & Sun Song

Before our Christmas break, I introduced a song to my students to help them understand the relationship between the earth, moon and sun.  I made up some picture necklaces and we are using these during our line time to sing the song and act it out.  Three children at a time get up and each wears a necklace.  We repeat the song until all children have had a turn to act out a part.  With 20 students per session this means seven repetitions of the song.  Luckily it's a short song!

Below you can see the three necklaces.  If you would like to make your own you can download the Word document here.

Download EarthMoonSun necklaces

The tune of the song is "The Farmer in the Dell."  The first verse goes like this:

"The earth turns around, the earth turns around.  Once a day, every day, the earth turns around."

During this verse the child wearing the "Earth" necklace spins around in a circle.  I have explained to the children that this rotation of the earth is what causes our day and nighttime and have demonstrated that using the globe.

The second verse is:

"The moon goes 'round the earth, the moon goes 'round the earth.  Once a month, every month, the moon goes round the earth."

During this verse the child wearing the moon necklace walks around the child wearing the earth necklace.  I have told the children that the moon does not make its own light, but reflects the light of the sun which is why it looks lit up.

The third verse is:

"The earth goes 'round the sun, the earth goes 'round the sun.  Once a year, every year, the earth goes 'round the sun." 

During this verse the child wearing the earth necklace walks around the child wearing the sun necklace.  Of course Montessori children have a great frame of reference for this verse since we act it out during our birthday celebration.
 
 
 

 

Solar System Project

This month we have been starting our study of the solar system in my classroom.  When I taught in a Montessori preschool about a decade ago, I had purchased the book Exploring Space from Evan-Moor.  This book is a fantastic resource of information, printables and activities.  Although it is intended for first through third graders, I have been able to adapt many things to make them appropriate for younger children.

 One project that has been out for about a week now is this solar system model.  Below you can see how I have it set up.  The materials are on top of the shelf with the sample project attached to the back of the shelf.  Two children at a time may do this activity.  They sit at the two white tables facing the shelf.

The materials shown here are:  copies of the planets printed on white cardstock and a basket of colored pencils.  (NOTE: The printable is from the Evan-Moor book I linked to.  However, Coloring Castle has some similar ones that are free to print, both with and without Pluto.)  I have included Pluto in my project since my sample already had it.  However, I have told the children that scientists no longer consider Pluto to be a planet.

Next on the shelf are: scissors, a bowl with "suns", a pencil, glue sticks and vinyl gluing mats.

To do this work, the child first colors the planets using the colored pencils.  Then they cut out the planets.  After they have colored and cut, they ask a teacher for a long piece of blue paper (two pieces of 6X18 inch paper taped together) and glue the planets in order as shown below, placing the sun at the far left.

The next two photos show close-up views of one child's finished project.

 

 
Once a child has finished this project I help them name all the planets in order.  We have learned a song to help us with that.  It is sung to the tune "Puff the Magic Dragon."  The lyrics are: 

"Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Jupiter,  Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto way out far.

These are all nine planets that revolve around the sun.  They are found in outer space and now our song is done."

If you have a similar version without Pluto, I'd love to hear your lyrics.
 

Pumpkin Life Cycle

During October I like to introduce the children to the concept of life cycles using the book It's Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall.  This book is a great one for introducing children to the various stages of pumpkin growth.  My assistant, Miss Michelle, brought in some pumpkins in various stages for the children to see.  Most of them were very surprised to see the green pumpkin since they've only ever seen the orange ones. 

As a follow-up project I have set up a Pumpkin Life Cycle activity in the classroom.  It is set up on top of a shelf just inside my classroom door.  The children sit at the two white tables to do this work. 
 

On the far right is a basket with paper plates on which I've written "Pumpkin Life Cycle" with a Sharpie marker.  Next is a basket of life cycle sequence pictures and a basket of the colored pencils needed for this work.  I used pictures that I downloaded and printed from here.  I just reduced them on the copy machine and cut and pasted them out of order in a vertical row (I omitted the pumpkin pie picture).  I was able to get 4 vertical rows on a standard-sized sheet of copy paper which really reduced the amount of paper I had to copy.

Next is a basket with scissors for cutting the pictures, a pencil for writing names on the paper plate, a bowl with glue sticks and a tray with gluing mats.

 

When I presented this work I told the children to color their pictures first before cutting them out.  The pictures are pretty tiny when cut.  After cutting the pictures, they lay them out on the plate and have a teacher check their work before gluing the pictures down.  They can refer to my sample as a reference.

When finished they are able to take their "wheel" home and talk to their families about the seed, sprout, vine, flower, green pumpkin, orange pumpkin, and jack-o-lantern........which is filled with seeds which can be planted starting the whole cycle all over again.

 
 

Animal Classification

Our class recently took a field trip to a nearby farm.  It was a wonderful experience.  The farm is affiliated with a local education service agency and we were able to split up into small groups which were led by trained staff members.  This allowed the children to really get a personalized experience of the farm.   Prior to our field trip when I asked the children what animals they thought we would see many of them named zoo animals.  It reminded me once again not to take for granted what young children do and don't know.  Many of them were confusing the farm and the zoo in their minds.  So.....after our field trip I decided to set up an animal sorting activity.  This has been a very popular work in the classroom during the past week with many children wanting to do it.

Usually when I set up something like this I place all the materials on top of a shelf in my cultural area that is just inside the entrance to the classroom.  There are two tables pushed up to the back of the shelf and that is where the children sit to do this activity.  This naturally limits it to only two children at at a time.  Below you can see the set-up.

Now for a closer look at everything.  The far left tray holds the sorting page and the animal pictures are in the basket on the right.

Then a pencil jar with pencils for writing their name, a basket with 2 pair of scissors, a bowl with 2 glue sticks and a tray with 2 gluing mats.

To do this work the child takes one of each page and writes their name on the sorting paper using the pencil.  Then they use the scissors to cut out the animals.  I have found that making dark lines between the items to cut really helps the children to be successful.  After cutting the animals apart the child sorts the animals and has a teacher check their sorting before gluing the pieces to the sorting page.  I am including a free download for the sorting paper I created.  Download Farm Zoo sorting page   I found the animal pictures on the Kidssoup website (members only) in the Farm and Zoo sections.  Since it is a member-only site I am not able to provide a link to download the pictures.  However, I highly encourage you to consider joining the site if you are a homeschool mom or teacher.  The membership fee is very reasonable for what you would be able to use.