Penguins

We are in the process of learning all about penguins!! This is one of my favorite units to teach!! We started out by making a big penguin and listing all of our schema (what we already know about penguins). Each day as we talk about penguins and find something we have learned, we add it to our new information section! They love to add new info!

So far, we have read books, looked at some of the ways they move, and what penguins can, have, and are.  We also made hexagon penguins to bring in a little math!

Today we talked about the 3 layers of protection penguins have to keep them warm. We got to do a couple experiments to help explain it. The first thing we did was to coat the back of our hands in petroleum jelly to simulate the penguins outer, waterproof feathers. This showed them how the water just beads up and runs off instead of soaking in the penguin and making him wet. We then got to see how blubber keeps them warm! I made a blubber glove which is just shortening in a bag. The kids had to stick one hand in icy water and then put the other hand inside the blubber glove inside the water to see which one stayed warmer. It was definitely unanimous that the hand in the blubber glove was much warmer! We can see how important it is for penguins to have that extra fat on them!

Christmas/Flubber

Ok, so again, I have been a HUGE slacker on updating! We didn't get to have our Christmas party before Christmas because of the unforseen school being cancelled, so we ended up having the party in January after we got back. Actually, I thought it went much smoother this way! The kids weren't as hyped up because Christmas itself had already passed, so they were much calmer and had a lot of fun! 

During the second week in January, we talked all about the Letter Ff. So of course, we had to make flubber!! The kids loved it! They each got to make their own individual cup and then they got to play with it. Some of theirs turned out awesome and was very flexible!!