Pre-K Teaching Times VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8 MAY 2010 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: Science Tips from Mentor Teachers Using the Project Approach in Pre-K Classrooms Changes to the Learning Environment Classroom Activities to Explore Weather Travel and Weather Fingerplays We've got places to go! As the school year comes to a close, many of us are preparing to travel. Week-long vacations, holiday weekends away, short trips to neighboring towns; whatever they may be, travel plans provide wonderful opportunities to incorporate your childrens inter- ests and activities into your classroom. This month were combining ideas for travel related activities with ideas for talking with your class about dynamic spring weather. These two topics, travel and weather, can overlap and intertwine as you talk about where you/ your children might travel and what the weather might be like where youre going. We hope you enjoy your last few weeks of Pre-K this year as you talk about your plans for the summer, enjoy the changing weather, and most importantly have fun! Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin A Trip to Hawaii This is a fun end-of-theyear activity that can include Pre-K families in the classroom. You can conduct many activities to set the stage for your students and their family members to take a special trip to Hawaii. Activities can include reading relevant books, looking at maps or a globe, and creating an itinerary for the day of the trip. Children can make and decorate their own "ticket" that they use to board the plane. When the children arrive at school on the day of the trip, they go through airport security, check their luggage (each child brings from home), and board the plane. Simulate an airplane by lining up chairs in rows and having a pilot and flight attendants (parents) on the plane. Show the children an in-flight movie while serving snacks on the way to Hawaii. When they arrive in Hawaii, the children leave the plane and are greeted by hotel staff with leis and fruity drinks. They claim their luggage and check into their hotel. The children then change into their bathing suits and grass skirts and meet outside by the island. There they learn to dance the hula and perform a Hawaiian rhythm stick song and dance. A variety of activities are also available for the children, including; octopus ring toss, pineapple bowling, beach volleyball, limbo, sponge toss, and fish squirt guns. (At some point during the day, snap individual pictures of the children in their Hawaiian costumes.) The children and parents snack on fresh pineapple, papayas, mangos, and coconut. Lunch is BBQ pork served luau style. Children then return to their hotel for a brief rest. After their nap, children pack, re-check their luggage, and board the plane back to Georgia. When the plane lands in Georgia, give each child their picture taken in Hawaii for them to remember their "trip." Then they claim their luggage and depart for home at the end of the day. PAGE 2 Tips from the Top Mentor Teachers This month Mentor Teachers focus on science: PQA Exceeds Indicator: Various resources are used to add information and extend children's learning experiences. Children are born curious, biologically prepared to learn about the world around them. This natural curiosity is the key to learning. Mentor Teachers understand that science presents an opportunity for engaging/hands-on learning experiences for children, allowing a natural way to extend childrens learning. Children want to know how things happen, why they happen, and what will happen next. Being engaged in science development also strengthens childrens language, math, social studies, and socialemotional skills. By extending childrens learning experiences we: Encourage new idea and concept development Address individual needs/ interests of children Deepen understanding of knowledge Create an engaging environment In October, we focus on a Pumpkin Unit and incorporate Christopher Columbus. We visit a pumpkin farm, read pumpkin books, investigate pumpkins, and also read books about Christopher Columbus such as In 1492. One way we tie pumpkins and Christopher Columbus together for science is to do sink/float experiments in small groups. I give the children small pumpkins, toy boats, and other items to see if they sink or float in a tub of water. The children graph which items sink and which items float. As an extension during center time, the children experiment more with the items and tub of water. I also challenge the children to use modeling clay and play dough to make boats that float on water. The children have a lot of fun experimenting with the form of a boat to make it float. Some even use straws and wooden sticks from art to attach sails to their boats. Connie Ellington/Barrow County ELC When we study Rain, I use a large sponge, fill it with water, and hold it over a bucket for all the kids to see as I squeeze out the water. I explain that the sponge is like a cloud, and when it gets full, it must empty out the water. After that I place various sized sponges and water buckets in the science area and encour- age the children to observe and experiment with the sponges and water. Ashley Brim/Lee County Pre-K My children enjoy the Frost Experiment. First I read a book on frost. Then I fill a large tin can with crushed ice and salt. As the children stir with a jumbo craft stick, frost forms on the can. When we do this on a chilly morning, we take a quick field trip outside to observe the frost on the grass. The children use magnifying glasses to observe the frost inside and out. During work time I place these items in the science area and encourage the children to complete their own frost science experiment. Two wonderful science resources I use for my science experiments are The Mailbox Magazine and a book from Scholastic titled Science in a Bag by Sandra Markle. (Continued on page 3) PRE-K TEACHING TIMES VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8 Including Families What Do You See? Invite parents to join their child for a picnic at school. After the picnic read the book It Looked like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw; encourage adults and children to look at the clouds and discuss what they see. Bring clip boards or pads of paper outside so children can draw what they see in the clouds. Use the childrens pictures to create a class book to include in the book area. Use this opportunity to demonstrate to parents how effortless it can be to increase a childrens vocabulary by adding details and extending what children say. PAGE 3 Tips from the Top (Continued) Tina Twardoski/Country Crossing Child Development Center One of my favorite science experiments is placing boiled eggs into containers of different liquids: water, vinegar, cola, and dark-colored Kool-Aid (cherry or strawberry). On the first day, we place the eggs in the liquids and predict what will happen; we graph the childrens predictions. On the second day (usually a few days after placing the eggs in the liquid), we take the eggs out, discuss what actually happened, and graph the results. Then we compare the actual results with the predictions. On the third day, the children use toothpaste and toothbrushes to brush the residue off the eggs while we sing the song "Brush up like a rocket and down like the rain, and round and round like a choo choo train." I leave the eggs and toothbrushes in the science area so that they can explore on their own. We usually follow this up with a guest speaker or a field trip to the dentist office. Another great experiment con- ducted with my class happens when we study pond animals. We discuss what fish need to live and how those needs differ from people. After this, I put real minnows in the sensory table with water and give the kids minnow nets and allow them to catch and observe. This is so much fun with lots of laughs. Karen Carpenter/Children's Friend # 17 Science websites recommended by Georgias Pre-K Mentor Teachers: http:// www.sciencekidsathome.com/ http://www.bushveld.co.za/ http:// kids.nationalgeographic.com/ http:// www.freenaturepictures.com/ http:// apps.exploratorium.edu/10cool/ index.php? cmd=browse&category=11 http://42explore.com/ worms.htm http://42explore.com/pond.htm http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/ jmresources/pond/life.html http://prekinders.com/colorideas/ http:// www.atozteacherstuff.com/ Themes/Magnets/index.shtml http://www.tooter4kids.com/ Space/Spaceindex.htm PAGE 4 Project AIM Interactive Media We hope you have already checked out the fantastic Raising Readers/PBS Kids Island on Georgia Public Broadcastings education website: www.gpb.org/education If you havent, click on the link above and follow these steps: 1. Sign up to log in OR use your e-mail and password (its FREE!) 2. Form a group that includes each child in your class 3. Click "Play Now" after youve entered your students names. Your students can even find their own name on the list (a great name recognition exercise!) 4. Let your students play! 5. On the main home page, click on the "Child Progress Tracker" to see what your students are learning (a great tool for informal assessment!) We want to know what you think about these online resources! Once youve had a chance to play, click here for a survey about your insights. For the upcoming summer months... Be sure to tell your childrens parents about the games and other learning opportunities on Raising Readers/PBS Kids Island! Of course while summer means playing outside or going to camp, it also means rainy days when children will need to spend more time inside that means activity ideas! PBS Kids Island is a great site for families. Activities on the site can help early literacy skills learned in Pre -K stay sharp over the summer as kids get ready for Kindergarten. This month were highlighting vocabulary development that can occur on PBS Kids Island. The Between the Lions Trampolini game helps the user understand comparative words like sad, sadder, and saddest by mixing up the pictures and words that then have to be correctly matched. This game also allows the user to practice text comprehension. According to the Reading Glossary on PBS Kids Island, "text comprehension is the reason for reading: understanding what is read, with readers reading actively (engaging in the complex process of making sense from text) and with purpose (for learning, understanding, and enjoyment)." Understanding what is being read, obviously, is a critical skill to acquire. Also assisting in vocabulary de- velopment on PBS Kids Island and something you can use in you classroom, too is the "Word of the Day" feature. This short, daily video and description can be integrated into a circle time activity or you can suggest that your students and their parents/families look for the new word each day. The example below shows the word, "pail." While seemingly a simple word, it might be a word a child has never heard because it is a synonym (see where the discussion leads!) for the more commonly used word, "bucket." The "Word of the Day" can be found under the Parent Resources tab along with other tips and activity ideas for parents. The site also includes a reading activity calendar that changes daily with wonderful and simple ways to integrate reading skills into everyday life check it out by clicking on the link below: http://pbskids.org/island/parents/ Dont forget! Tell us how you are using PBS Kids Island in your classroom. If you have parents using the website at home, tell us about them! We want to share your ideas with other PreK teachers and maybe showcase your class on the GPB website. Contact Marilyn Stansbury at mstansbury@gpb.org with your experiences and comments. PRE-K TEACHING TIMES VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8 PAGE 5 Changes to the Environment Travel and Weather Reading: Away We Go! by Rebecca Kai Dotlich Boats: Speeding! Sailing! Cruises! by Patricia Hubbell Courtney's First Cruise by Janice Lynne Emma's Vacation by David McPhail I'm Taking a Trip On My Train by Shirley Neitzel Grandma and Grandpa Cruise Alaska's Inside Passage by Bernd Richter, Susan Richter How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris Ship Ahoy! by Peter Ss This Year We Took a Special Trip by Elayne Schulman It Chanced to Rain by Kathleen Bullock Weather/Les Temps by Clare Beaton Ernest and Celestine's Picnic By Gabrielle Vincent Yesterday We Had a Hurricane/Ayer Tuvimos un Huracan by Deirdre McLaughlin Mercier The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer What's the Weather Inside? By Karma Wilson The Boats on the River by Marjorie Flack Jenny Goes to Sea by Esther Averill Oh Say Can You Say, What's the Weather Today? By Tish Rabe Diversity Books: Different Just Like Me by Lori Mitchell Listen For the Bus: David's Story by Patricia McMahon Seeing Things My Way by Alden R. Carter These Hands by Hope Lynne Price To Be a Kid by Maya Ajmera We Are a Rainbow by Nancy Mara Grande Tabor We'll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen Writing: Include materials for making and mailing vacation post cards: blank post cards (poster board cut the size of a postcard), pictures of vacation destinations, glue, stickers, stamps, mail box, etc. Math: How Many Tickets? Fill a container with "travel" tickets (raffle tickets). Ask the children to guess how many are in the container. How high can you count? Can you find the tickets with matching numbers? How many matches can you make? Dramatic Play: Vacation is a word used to describe time away from work or school or a trip to another place. Allow children to make vacation plans, pack, and visit the destination of their choice. Include props for the Pre-K Travel the World Agency - signs, price list for trips (cruise, airplane, train), credit cards, pretend money, phones, writing tablets, pens/ pencils, travel magazines, travel fliers/ brochures, posters of vacation destinations (Disney World, Hawaii, Grand Canyon, etc.), AAA magazines, maps (United States and world), etc. Vacation Resort Props: suitcases, cameras, beach towels, floral shirts, swim suits, flip flops, sunglasses, hats, hotel brochures, small swimming pool, sand toys, etc. Seafood Restaurant: restaurant sign, menus, plastic food related to theme, cash register, credit cards, pretend money, cook books, chefs hat/uniform, waiter/ waitress uniform. Art: 3D Sea Creatures Materials: pre-cut sea creature shapes, tissue paper, googly eyes, yarn, glitter, aluminum foil (for shiny gills), cotton balls, cut-up paper Allow children to decorate the sea creature shapes. Connect two identical shapes and stuff with cotton balls. Use yarn to hang the sea creatures around the room creating an aquarium. Hula Skirts Materials: large paper bags, yarn, paint, and glitter. After cutting the top off the bag, cut strips up the bag leaving enough to fold over at the top. To hold the skirt in place, fold the top of the bag over and place yarn on the inside of the fold. Staple the top to hold the yarn. Allow children to decorate their skirts using art supplies. Where Would You Travel to Find It? Bring nature items into the classroom from different areas of the country - sand, pine cones, snow, hay, flowers, etc. Allow the children to examine the objects and guess where they would have to travel to find them. Block Area: A person can travel to their favorite destination in many ways. Decorate large appliance boxes to create various modes of travel (airplane, train, boat, or car). Include old steering wheels and maps. Science: Ocean in a Bottle Materials: empty jars/bottles, sand, plastic sea creatures, small shells, blue water (with a few drops of liquid soap) Help children fill the jars/bottle with sand (about 2 inches) and a few sea creatures. Add the water. Be sure to glue the lid shut. Notice the waves when you shake the jar. What happens to the sand? Why does the sand settle to the bottom when you quit shaking? Sensory Table Beach Party Pile sand in the middle of the sensory table, and pour blue colored water around the sand to make an island. Add cut up wash cloths (for beach towels), paper umbrellas, small seashells, and multicultural people on island. Add ships or boats to the water around the island. Create an ocean by adding blue food color and a pinch of salt to water. Add sea creatures and boats to the water. Outside: Vacation Relay Pack two suitcases with one "easy to put on and take off" outfit in each. Divide the children into two teams facing each other from a distance. Place a suitcase for each team in the middle. When you say go, a child from each team runs to the suitcase and puts on the outfit. With the outfit on, he/she runs back to their team and puts the outfit on another child. That child then takes it off and puts it on the child standing next to him/her. After each child has worn the outfit, the last child takes it off and puts it back into the suit case. The team that packs the outfit back in their suitcase first wins. PAGE 6 Planning Meaningful Instruction Using the Project Approach The Project Approach refers to teaching strategies that enable teachers to guide students through in-depth studies of real world topics. The activities have a framework but they are flexible and interactive. When successfully implemented, children are highly motivated in their own learning, which leads them to produce high quality work and to learn to collaborate with peers. The study can be carried out with the entire class or small groups of students. Children are presented with possible study topics; choose topics; and determine how to accomplish tasks. May Topics: Weather, Cruise, and Travel Pre-K students may have limited personal experience with the topics of cruise and travel. Experience with weather probably comes from our own Georgia weather, not from cold weather or tropical climates. To begin this study, bring in magazines, books, and travel brochures from a variety of climates. Allow students to review the resources, then begin a discussion to narrow down a topic. Identifying a topic will be best accomplished in a small group of 5-8 students. Conduct a brainstorming session using the travel brochures, books, and magazines. Discuss the weather and modes of transportation used in the different destinations. (Explain that some travel is a part of the trip itself, such as a cruise.) Chart childrens responses. Ask children which part of the discussion they like the most. For example, are they more interested in the places they would go (beaches, mountains, big cities, jungles, deserts) or in how they got there (airplanes, trains, buses, cruise ships, minivans)? Narrow down the interest area and determine one topic to "research" (big word for studying about something you want to know!). Once the topic is determined, create opportunities for children to study the topic. We recommend doing this in small groups. Arrange for children to go to a media center/library to find books on the topic or to watch you use the internet to pull up facts about places or modes of travel. Bring in materials from your own travels especially if accessibility to outside resources is limited. Once the students have researched the topic, create lists of what they have learned and what they could create related to the topic. Creating something to show what they have learned is fun and active! Possible ideas are: create a poster display of an imaginary trip; use a large washing machine box to create a cruise ship or train to travel in (example: Carnival Cruise Ship Pre-K Travel Lines); or develop a list of real materials to create a different Dramatic Play theme and recruit families to bring in materials (example: Our Trip to Bremuda: Striped umbrella, beach towels, sunglasses, sand tools/toys, sunscreen, seashells, etc.) Take pictures as children complete the process. Make an assignment list and divide children into groups to work on specific parts of the task. For example, if a cruise ship is created, what is needed and who works on which part? The project can occur over several weeks. Children can return to the part of the project in which they are most interested. Content Standards: With this multi-faceted project approach, it is hard to imagine one of the content standards not being addressed throughout the process. By the end of the Pre-K year, children have grown and matured to enable collaborative work. If children are shy about volunteering for a task, ask them if they would enjoy a task and assign them something that would interest and engage them (example: Mix the black and white paint to make gray for the cruise ship or train). Resources: www.projectapproach.org www.bestpracticesinc.net/ ProjectApproachResources.html PRE-K TEACHING TIMES VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8 PAGE 7 Classroom Activities Weather Weather Forecaster Materials: Drawing paper Classroom calendar Weather Forecasting by Gail Gibbons What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda DeWitt Crayons, markers Directions: Discuss weather words, such as thunderstorm, rain shower, wind, sun, rainbow, tornado, hurricane, etc. Have the children pick one word and draw a picture of it. During circle time read the weather related books. Tell the children that each day you will ask one child to be the weather forecaster for the class. Have the first forecaster look out a classroom window for a few minutes. When the child rejoins the group, ask what the weather looks like today. Is it rainy, sunny, cloudy, etc.? Have the child put the appropriate weather symbol on the calendar for that day. Math Extension Set out a coffee can to catch the rain. Bring it in at the end of the day and let the children measure the amount of water collected. Record the result. Continue this experiment for several rainy days. Make a graph showing the amount of rain for each day. Related Books 1001 Questions Answered About the Weather by Frank Forrester Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett Good-bye Thunderstorm by Dorothy Marino How the First Rainbow Was Made by Ruth Robbins I Like Weather by Aileen Fisher Nature's Weather Forecasters by Helen Sattler Raindrops and Rainbows by Rose Wyler Windy Day by Janet Palazzo What Makes the Weather by Janet Palazzo What did you wear today? Materials: Set of blocks (all the same size and shape) Markers Two sheets of chart paper or tagboard Basket or bucket Directions: 1. Ahead of time, gather enough blocks for each child to have four or five. Place blocks in the basket or bucket. Have chart paper and markers available. 2. Introduce the activity by asking the children to name different kinds of clothing. List their responses on one sheet of paper positioned so the children can watch as you write each word. Occasionally reread the list and encourage additional responses. 3. Focus the children's attention on the items on the list they were actually wearing. "Did you wear a hat today?" "Who wore a sweatshirt today?" 4. Create a chart on the second piece of paper: select five or six items of clothing from the chil- dren's list and write the names of those items as titles across the top of the chart. Put the chart on an easel ledge or against a cupboard so that blocks can be stacked in front of the chart to form columns under the titles. 5. Reading one title (item) at a time, invite the children wearing that item to place one block under the word, forming a stack. Continue until there are stacks of blocks under each of the titles; the stacks should vary in height. 6. Comment on the number of blocks in each stack. Which stack is the highest? What does that mean? Help the children understand that the stacks show which items of clothing are being worn by the most children. Which stack is the shortest? Are any stacks the same? 7. Count the number of blocks in each stack and record that number under the appropriate title. 8. Leave the chart and blocks in an area available to the children during play time, so they can repeat the activity independently stacking and counting the blocks to match the numbers written in each category. 9. If desired, repeat this activity daily to determine which items of clothing are worn by the most children. The charted items can be changed daily, if desired. Math Extension: This math activity introduces children to the concept of graphing and reinforces their understanding of one-toone representation. Many adaptations are possible. At the end of play time, chart the children's choices of activities that day. How many children painted at the easel today? Who worked at the puzzle table this morning? Who used the slide? Enhance nutrition lessons by using this (Continued on page 8) PAGE 8 Classroom Activities Weather (continued) (Continued from page 7) activity to record children's breakfast menus, favorite snack, or meal choices. Graph favorite colors in the same way. Pictures or simple drawings can be used as titles to reinforce the written words. Related Books: Bear Gets Dressed by Harriet Ziefert Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie dePaola Jesse Bear, What Will Your Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom Max's New Suit by Rosemary Wells You'll Soon Grow Into Them, Titch by Pat Hutchins Bubble and the Wind Materials: Bubbles mixture A bubble blower A breezy day (as a storm approaches is great). However, if the day is too windy, the bubbles will pop quickly A small flag (optional) Directions: 1. Have children guess what direction the wind is coming from. Licking a finger may help your preschooler do this. You can also use a small flag. 2. Blow some large bubbles into the wind. The bubbles should be big enough to be moved easily by the wind but not so big that they pop easily. 3. Have children observe the movement of the bubbles. If the direction of the wind is really unpredictable, its fun for preschoolers to copy the directions of a bubble. Whats going on? Wind is caused when warm air rises. As the warm air rises, the cold air sweeps in to take its place. Buildings and trees block the movement of wind. As your bubbles rise, the buildings or trees dont block the wind, and your bubbles may change directions. The Rain Cycle Materials: An clear, enclosed jar or Tupperware container or a plastic bag A paper towel Water A sunny, warm spot Directions: 1. Dampen the paper towel with your water 2. Place the paper towel inside your jar, Tupperware container, or plastic bag 3. Place the jar in a sunny, warm spot 4. Wait, watch, and record the changes you see What will happen? Over time the water in the paper towel will evaporate. But the water will reform on the inside of the jar or plastic bag. This is called condensation. If shaken, the droplets of water will run back down to the paper towel keeping it damp. If left in the sun, the water in the paper towel will evaporate again and reform on the jar or plastic bag. How does this relate to the rain cycle? The ocean water evaporates and forms clouds. When these clouds cool, the clouds release the moisture in the form of rain. The rain falls to the earth and eventually makes its way (through rivers and streams) back to the ocean. Once again it evaporates, forms clouds and falls back to earth in rain. Sun Painting In this weather experiment, children will learn about the strength of the sun and why their plastic toys tend to fade if left outside. Materials: A dark piece of construction paper such as black, green, blue, purple, or dark red A sunny spot Thin cardboard that can be cut with scissors A pen Decorative supplies such as paints, chalk, crayons and markers, glitter, glue etc. Directions: 1. Have children draw several simple shapes on the thin cardboard. Review the shapes as they do this. 2. Cut the cardboard along the drawings. Depending on the scissors and the thickness of the cardboard, an adult may need to do the cutting. 3. Let children place the cardboard shapes on dark construction paper. 4. Leave the construction paper out in the sun for at least a few hours. The sun will fade the paper not covered by the cardboard, leaving the dark colored shape behind. 5. Allow your children to decorate their sun painting however PRE-K TEACHING TIMES VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8 PAGE 9 Classroom Activities Weather (cont.) they want. Let them use their imagination and any decorative supplies you have to create a special art project. Start this activity as soon as the sun hits your ,,sunny spot. Tissue Paper Wind Materials: Ziploc bag Tissue paper Straws What to do: 1. Put small squares of tissue paper in a Ziploc bag. 2. Put a straw in each bag and zip the bag shut. 3. Let your children blow in the bag and see what happens to the tissue paper. 4. Ask your children what they observed when they blew into the bag. Explain how this is like the wind outside blowing paper. Weather Teddy Make a teddy bear bulletin board. Make changes of clothes for the bear. Change its clothes when the weather changes. Use the following poem on the board: It's hot, hot, hot in the sun, sun, sun. What should teddy wear to play in the sun? It's cold, cold, cold in the snow, snow, snow. What should Teddy wear to play in the snow? It's wet, wet, wet in the rain, rain, rain. What should Teddy wear to play in the rain? It's dark, dark, dark at night, night, night. What should Teddy wear to go to bed at night? Wind Blown Have your children sponge paint strips of construction paper. Attach the multi-colored streamers to a coat hanger and hang it outside your window. Let the children watch the streamers blow in the wind. Colorful Toast Pour milk into bowls and add food coloring to the milk. Give the children paint brushes and cookie cutters. Let them cut out various shapes with the cookie cutters and paint the bread with the colored milk. When they are done, toast the bread and let the children eat their artwork. Gelatin Rainbow Snack Make different colors of Jell-O: cherry, orange, lemon, lime, berry blue, and grape, etc. Spoon one spoonful of each color into a clear plastic cup. Top with a cloud of whip cream, and you have an edible rainbow. Weather Dial Divide a paper plate into four sections and draw a different weather day (sunny, rainy, cloudy, and snowy) in each section. Make an arrow and poke a hole through the center of the plate and arrow. Every day have a child look out the window and change the weather dial to indicate what the weather is like that day. Bag of Rain Put a little soil and grass in the bottom of a Ziploc bag. Pour two tablespoons of water over the grass. Place a straw in the bag and zip the bag shut up to the straw. Using the straw, inflate the bag, quickly remove the straw, and then seal it the rest of the way. Tape the bag to a window that receives a lot of sun. Eventually, drops of water will form at the top of the bag; once a drop gets large enough, it will roll down the sides. Ta Da! Your students can watch a bag of rain! Wind Stick Materials: Paper Towel Roll Tissue paper Paint Directions: Have your children paint a paper towel roll and then attach (staple) multicolored tissue paper strips to the end of the roll. On a windy day let your children take these outside and watch the strips blow in the wind. Songs and Fingerplays I'm a Beach Bunny I'm a little beach bunny, look at me, living on an island by the sea; I like to dive, and I like to swim; the fish and the sea stars are my friends. I'm a little beach bunny, look at me, climbing to the top of a coconut tree; I'll pick a coconut to share with you; kiwis and bananas and pineapples too. I'm a little beach bunny, look at me, dancing the hula, one, two, three; aloha means hello and good-bye, too, so now I'll say aloha...aloha, to you. pinch, All through the day. The octopus in the sea goes wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. The octopus in the sea goes wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, All through the day. The crabs in the sea go click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click. The crabs in the sea go click, click, click, All through the day. Oh We're Goin' On A Vacation (Sing to the tune of She'll Be Coming Oh we're goin' on a vacation in our car (honk honk). Oh we're goin' on a vacation, Oh we're goin' on a vacation, Oh we're goin' on a vacation in our car (honk honk). Get A Ticket Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train. Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train. Don't stand out in the wind and rain. Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train. In additional verses make the following substitutions: Bus; Climb aboard, you can ride with us. Plane; Don't stand out in the wind and rain. Boat; The water's too cold to swim or float. Bike; It's way too far to walk or hike. I'm A Little Fishy (Sing to the tune of I'm a Little Tea Pot) I'm a little fishy, watch me swim; Here is my tail, and here is my fin. When I want to have fun with my friends, I wiggle my tail and dive right in. Fish in the Sea (Sing to the tune of the Wheels on the Bus) The fish in the sea go swim, swim, swim, swim, swim, swim, swim, swim, swim. The fish in the sea go swim, swim, swim, All through the day. The lobsters in the sea go pinch, pinch, pinch, pinch, pinch, pinch, pinch, pinch, pinch. The lobsters in the sea go pinch, pinch, Around The Mountain) Oh we're goin' on a vacation on the plane (zoom zoom); Oh we're goin' on a vacation on the plane (zoom zoom). Oh we're goin' on a vacation, Oh we're goin' on a vacation, Oh we're goin' on a vacation on the plane (zoom zoom). Oh we're goin' on a vacation on the train (chug a chug); Oh we're goin' on a vacation on the train (chug a chug). Oh we're goin' on a vacation, Oh we're goin' on a vacation, Oh we're goin' on a vacation on the train (chug a chug). Oh we're goin' on a vacation in our car (honk honk); Kites Try these two preschool rhymes outside on a windy day. Five little kites flying high in the sky Said, "Hi" to the cloud as it passed by, Said, "Hi" to the bird, said "Hi" to the sun, Said, "Hi" to an airplane, oh what fun! Then whish went the wind, And they all took a dive: One, two, three, four, five.