Pattern Block Templates and Gathering Plants

 On Friday we learned how to use pattern block templates.  The kids had fun making designs and recording patterns.  They practiced identifying shapes as they told us about their patterns.

We have been working to develop our reading "Super Powers" since returning to school.  We have practiced the following Super Powers:  look at the pictures, point to each word, read SNAP words (the sight words we have been working on).  The children are excited to point out any words they can read. They are finding SNAP words inside bigger words, like finding "an" in "animal."

This week we are focussing our science theme around the question, "How do plants and animals help each other in the winter?"  Today the children listened to part of the story Animals in the Winter.
We read about how squirrels gather acorns all fall and bury them.  Then in the winter the squirrels eat the acorns.  The acorns not eaten could grow into trees.  The class talked about the connection between plants and animals based on the squirrel example.  Then we pretended to be squirrels gathering "nuts" or sunflower seeds, since I couldn't find acorns under the snow.  The children used their pincher grasp (thumb and index finger) to fill their "hole" (ziplock bag).  Tomorrow the little squirrels will search for the holes filled with "acorns."