It has been a few weeks since we had Friday Fun, so I wanted to go BIG today! Students enjoyed three spider-themed activities! First, students did a spider weaving craft. This was a perfect activity to help build fine motor skills!
Next, students made a spider web pizza. Yummy!
Finally, students made a spider sensory jar. I have been saving this craft activity for a whole month! It came out just as neat as I hoped it would.
Students had an opportunity to see what is inside the October Sensory Table today…
colored pasta!
The children immediately wanted to know how I made the colored pasta. I told them I would share the recipe here on the blog so that they can make it at home.
For our independent activity during reading centers, I hid spiders with pictures on the back in the pasta.
Once students unearthed a spider, they were to say the name of the picture, like “fan”.
Next, students identified the vowel sound in the middle of the word. They then recorded the vowel on their worksheet.
Check back for more sensory table fun soon!
For Friday Fun today we had three dads running the center rotations. What fun they were! We made candy corn parfait, pipe cleaner spiders, and even sewed a squash!
Sewing is such a great way to build fine motor skills. Before beginning to sew, I gave students a tutorial on how to safely use the needle….because we used REAL sewing needles. I was very impressed with how carefully the students were with them and with the seriousness they displayed while sewing. I don’t think there was even one finger poke!
I just love how these turned out!
In the kitchen, students made candy corn parfait….a healthy snack, of course! The chopped pineapple, peeled Cuties, and added them in layers to a clear cup. A dab of whipped cream added a sweet touch to the top!
Yummy!
The final rotation was pipe cleaner spiders. Students added eyes and colorful beads to their spider’s legs. Another great fine motor building activity!
We love Friday Fun!
The creepy, crawly spider unit has officially begun! During Reading Centers today, students bravely searched the sensory table for spiders!
Each spider was labeled with a capital and a lowercase letter.
Students matched the letters.
They then worked to put the letters in alphabetical order.
After reading centers, I brought the students to their sit spots to record information that they already know about spiders. I mentioned that at times we think we know something about a topic, but once we study that topic, we might discover that our prior knowledge was in fact wrong. We call these items “misconceptions.” I went on to record all the information the students knew about spiders…true and false. I then added their prior knowledege to our spider bulletin board.
Read some of the information that students already know about spiders:
There is so much excitment in the air regarding this unit that I decided to suprise the students with some spider decorations….
….spider garland!
The STEM Family Project for October/November was to create a spider or bat from recycled materials. Students recently brought in their creations and recording sheets. I was impressed with how they used their imaginations and created unique inventions. I really wanted the kindergartners to share their projects with our third grade buddies. This was the perfect activity to showcase their creations, practice public speaking, and give appreciations.
The third graders were impressed with the assortment of materials that were used and found the kindergartners ideas innovative and fun.
Here are two of the presentations:
It was a nice way to wrap up the week. Next week we delve into our study of bats!
We are running with the spider theme for our Friday Fun centers! Today students made spider rocks and spider pizzas…yummy!
Can you tell which one is mine?
We started the process of making spider rocks. The students painted their rocks and made eight spider legs. Once the rocks dry, we will glue on the legs and eyes.
We played learning games for the other two activities. First, students enjoyed the game of Avalanche, where they have to collect different colored fruit using tweezers. This is a great game for building fine motor skills.
The second game we played was Candyland…with a twist! Students had to identify the colors in Spanish and repeat the color word as they moved their Candyland piece. This was a great way to reinforce Spanish in the homeroom classroom.
We had busy fingers at Friday Fun this past week. First, it was time to break out the sewing needles and sew a fall squash. Sewing is a fun and active way for students to build their fine motor skills.
These pumpkins are the first of several sewing projects the students will complete this year.
In the kitchen, students made spider sandwiches…yummy! This was the perfect opportunity for students to learn about the number of legs and eyes a spider has. They constructed their spider sandwiches using apple slices, almond butter, fruit leather, and mini chocolate chips. I love how these turned out! Better yet, the students ate almost every bite!
Here is the recipe in case you would like to try it at home. The only difference is that we added eight mini chocolate chips (eyes) as most spiders have up to eight eyes!
Today marks the start of our Spider and Bat unit. The addition of a spider unit is new for me…and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. I am NOT a fan of spiders!
In preparing for this unit, I have been trying to look at spiders from a different point of view. In fact, just this morning, my daughter called my attention to a giant one cruising along our brick walkway. The teacher in me rushed to get a picture, while the regular person in me wanted to scream and run away.
October on our avocado ranch is spider season. The large orchard spiders are out in force….which means there are spider webs EVERYWHERE! When driving on an ATV or crossing between two trees, we must be very aware of impending spider webs. The webs are thick and large. After the rain though, they glistened with water drops and sparkled in the sun. (See I am trying to appreciate spiders!)
So today the unit began. I always enjoy hearing from the students what they already know about the topic at hand. Today was no different. Students shared many facts with me. I write down everything they tell me, even facts that may not be facts. Throughout the unit we add new learning to our Spider Wall as well as reclassify facts that are not true to the “Misconceptions” area of the wall. I love having bulletin boards that are a work in progress!
We also took a survey regarding who likes spiders. Here are the results:
We will see if anyone has a change of heart after this unit!