Week 1, Antarctica Expedition
One of the objectives of this unit is to learn that penguins live in Antarctica, the South Pole, and polar bears live in the Arctic, the North Pole. As well as identify other animals that live at either, or both, of those poles. So our first week was everything South Pole.
We had our tent for the scientists with pictures of scientists working in Antarctica. They had notebooks, pencils, maps, binoculars, and magnifying glasses. Outside the tent, they could find animal pictures and toy animals.
Week 2, the tent became a polar bear cave. The pictures and animal toys switched to those that can be found in the Arctic.
The kids loved both centers, and switching up the animals halfway through definitely made the center more exciting the second week.
Blocks
Foam animal ABCs
Bristle blocks
(forgot a pic)
ABC blocks
Fishing poles and numbered fish
We also had different puzzles and surprisingly, they really liked the 2 with world maps on them.
Art
Fake snow and polar animals. They always love watching the snow grow when I add water. This group of kids is not nearly as into sensory experiences as past groups I've taught, where they fought over these 6 spots. Several of the kids wouldn't even touch it, while some felt it, then moved on. I've never taught a group like this! The half that liked it, really liked it, and played here most of the day.
before water
after water
"Snow" paint made from shaving cream, glue, and glitter. It's so fun and fluffy to paint with, and really soft to touch when it dries!
Paint!
Shaving cream and bears. Another hit with past classes, but some kids didn't even dare touch it, and were surprised I'd let them smear it all over the table! After I joined in with a few kids, a few of the reticent ones came over, but some others wouldn't even consider putting their hands in this.
For reference, this is how my sensory-loving kids do shaving cream on a table!
Small Manipulatives
Magnetic writing boards
ABC beads
Bunch-ems
Counting books with magnetic numbers
Listening Center: Polar Animal books
Magnet board: ABCs and beginning sound sorting
Writing
Colored pens
Penguin stickers
Polar animal stickers
Large Group
We learned the word Antarctica the first week, and Arctic the second week. We also learned the song, Penguins on Parade.
Day 1, we read the book, Polar Animals, which is about penguins in Antarctica. It also talked about the scientists who go there. Then, we sorted animal toys by North Pole (Arctic) and South Pole (Antarctica), using an animal map to help us.
Day 2, we read Little Penguin and learned how penguin parents care for their eggs and babies. We tried to be penguin parents by carrying an egg on our feet. The toy eggs rolled off easily, so we did beanbags too. We learned our feet aren't like a penguin so it's hard for us, but we waddled and passed beanbags back and forth with our feet.
Day 3, we read The Three Snow Bears and compared it to the fairy tale The Three Little Bears that we'd read weeks earlier. Then we went fishing for toy fish with numbers on them. We placed the fish in order 1-10. Then they got cards with a number of objects on them to count, and match to the numeral. They liked it so much, it was the block center the next day!
Day 4, we read The Snow Bear. We sorted our polar animals by their beginning sound. They are doing so so well at hearing the beginning sound in words and isolating it!
Small Group
Week 1, my group copied, extended, and made patterns with the pattern bears. Then, they cut out winter pattern pictures to glue on and extend winter patterns.
The other group worked on number puzzles.
Week 2, my group played a number game with dice. Each child had their own die and would roll it, and count the dots, then place an "ice chunk" on the matching numeral on their paper.
The other group made patterns with the counting bears and bear pattern cards.
