Category Archives: Uncategorized

Nov6

They Traveled to Space

Posted on November 6, 2016 by jd785

This week we learned about some pioneers of space travel. Ashley, one of our fantastic volunteers, came up with the idea! This compliments the students Unique Curriculum unit for this month. The sensory boxes were related to different astronauts and space travel. The fine motor groups made space related art projects and the language group made a space themed snack.

SENSORY GROUP

Laika was the first dog who went to space! Found in her box were dog and bone shaped cookie cutters to press into some moon sand. Of course, we HAD to use our moon sand somewhere in this unit 🙂

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

Other animals also went into space. Albert II was the first monkey in space. The students had fun finding colorful monkeys hidden in our black “outer space” beans. The monkeys were fun to connect together and also fun to look at under a black light!

Since the monkeys can be counted, the math access point associate quantities with number names can be addressed here.

We learned that the first man and the first woman in space (Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova) were both from the USSR. Our students sorted pompoms and beads in the colors of the Soviet flag. We even discovered that some of the pompoms also glowed in the dark—-how cool is that!

Match objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Alan Shepard (the first american in space), Guy Bluford (the first african american in space), and Mae Jamison (the first african american woman in space) all got close up views of the moon and stars! We gave our students a little of that experience with our “outer space” umbrella. There was a big moon, lots of stars, and a little space shuttle for them to look at.

Recognize a space related object is a science access point.

Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the moon. In this box, we put in a little astronaut that our students could walk on a lunar landscape of grey Floam. They also enjoyed squishing and squeezing the Floam into various shapes!

The science access point recognize a change in an object can be addressed here.

Astronauts eat freeze dried food when they are in space. We thought our red Bubber made a pretty good (although not edible) stand in for some strawberry ice cream that the astronauts might enjoy! Included in this box were a variety of different sized spoons and measuring cups for the students to use for molding the Bubber.

Recognize differences in sizes of objects.

Astronauts cannot feel gravity in space so they experience weightlessness. Stars and glitter looked weightless as they floated around in our discovery bottle.

Track objects in motion is a science access point.

We encouraged our students to make circles—-like the earth and moon in our shaving foam messy play. There was also a foam shoe insert that could be used to make footprints on the moon!

Recognize a full moon as a circle, is a science access point.

After their hands were rinsed, the students used a sifter shovel to scoop glow in the dark stars out of water. These stars looked especially cool under the black light!

Recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape is a math access point.

Since night time is the best time for us to look into space, we thought that the Bath and Body Works midnight lotion worked as our scent this week.

It was a nice light scent that helped our students really liked.

Recognize one or more external body parts is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students took their cue from Neil Armstrong and left their footprints on the lunar surface—-well ok, a piece of grey paper 🙂

We started by discussing the shape of our grey paper and asked out students to identify the shape using communication symbols.

Recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes is a math access point.

Next the students painted the bottom of some rain boots with grey paint.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move, is a science access point.

Then the students put the boots on and stood on a piece of rectangular paper. For students who couldn’t put on the boots, they just pressed down on them. We did discover in this activity that our prints might have turned out better if the boots had been smaller—-we still had fun though!

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

TA DA! Footprints on the moon!

On Wednesday, the students painted moon rocks.

First we counted out the rocks and let the students choose which ones they wanted. Then the students painted their rocks with glue.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move, is a science access point.

Next the students sprinkled glow in the dark chalk crumbles (from Crayola) onto the glue.

They had a lot of fun with this part 🙂

The science access point recognize a change in an object is addressed here.

TA Da—-glowing moon rocks!!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We made a “Midnight Blueberry Blast Smoothie” that was out of this world this week for our language group!

We started by getting out some milk and talking its temperature. We found that it was COLD! We put 1/2 a cup of milk into the blender. Since it didn’t look like enough, we decided to double the amount of each of the ingredients so we put another 1/2 a cup in the blender. We talked about how two 1/2 cups equals 1 cup!

The math access point recognize parts of whole objects is a math access point. The science access point distinguish between hot and cold objects is also addressed.

Next, we measured out a cup of vanilla yogurt. Since we had to use 2 small containers of yogurt, our students had to convey that 1 was not enough and we needed MORE to make a cup. We compared the yogurt and milk and found that they were the SAME color!

The science access point solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions, using language, such as enough, too much, or more, is addressed here.

After that, each of the students got to feel the bag of frozen blueberries. We talked again about how it felt COLD. We added 2 cups of blueberries to the blender.

Recognize when an object is added to a situation is a math access point.

Finally, each of our students got to try a bit of honey. For the most part, our students communicated that they LIKED the taste.

One of our students helped SQUEEZE out 2 teaspoons and we put those into the blender.

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli, is a science access point.

Each of our students got a chance to turn on the blender by pressing a switch. They love being the ones to take control of the blender 🙂

The science access point recognize that electrical systems must be turned on (closed) in order to work, is addressed here.

Once the ingredients were all blended up, we counted out cups for each of the students. But wait! There’s more! What is a smoothie without some whipped cream on top?? Our students got to help PUT some whipped cream on top.

Time to enjoy this galactic drink——-YUM!

We learned a lot about the history of space travel this week, so much fun! Join us again next time for more fun and learning——-Group by Group!

Oct30

The Brothers Grimm

Posted on October 30, 2016 by jd785

The Brothers Grimm

We had a lot of fun with this week’s theme. Our book is just fantastic and we have to thank Ms. Lois, Ms. Jen, and Ms. Kim who were a huge help with costumes for our students. Be sure to check it out!

Our sensory group explored boxes filled with color and texture. The fine motor groups made fairy tale themed art projects and the language group made a snack the Grimm brothers would love!

SENSORY GROUP

We filled this box with play figures and props representing different characters from Grimm Brothers stories. There were lots of things to explore and find but the magic wand with flashing lights was a real favorite!

The social studies access point recognize a person in a story, can be addressed with this activity.

Pink “princess” sand and letter P’s were sifted with a little sieve. The sand is such a pretty color and very enticing to the students. They really enjoyed watching it cascade down!

Track a falling object is a science access point.

Yellow rice, red and black beans, represented the colors of the German flag—-the Grimm brothers came from that country! In addition to letter “G”‘s to find, there was a picture of the actual brothers to find at the bottom of the box.

The science access point track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled, is addressed with this activity.

The students had lots of fun with our Big Bad Wolf box. The wolf mask (from Target) wasn’t TOO scary and the students had fun trying it on. We also included some grandma glasses, a little plush wolf, and some fun fake wolf fur to complete the look.

The science access point recognize one or more external body parts can be addressed with this activity.

Ok, so we had a few more photos that were too cute to leave out!

How could we resist 🙂

In the story, Jack sold his cow for those magic beans he planted.

In our box of mixed beans, there were 3 little cows for our students to find and count.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

We put some colorful confetti in our oobleck this week to make it look like the icing that decorated the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel. As usual, it was gooey, messy fun!

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

There was a little pond for our frog “prince” to play in. We also included a measuring cup for scooping and pouring.

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point.

We scented our water with Snow White approved Bath and Body Works country apple scented lotion. The students really liked the yummy scent of the matching lotion.

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students made some pretty cute Cinderella carriages.

First we discussed the shape our paper punch would cut out and asked our students to identify a circle using communication symbols. The students either used eye gaze or pointed to the circle.

Recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape is a math access point.

The students glued their pumpkins down onto construction paper. Then they glued their photos onto their pumpkins.

The science access point recognize a change in an object is addressed with this activity.

Next the students punched out 2 circles. Our paper punch is a difficult to press, so the students did need help with this step.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

The circle “wheels” were then glued to the bottom of the carriage.

Match one object to a designated space to show one-to-one correspondence is a math access point.

Ta DA!

Let’s go to the ball!

On Wednesday the students made a dwarf forest using tree stamps! The dwarves were made by gluing the photos of the students faces on this: dwarf-template

First we discussed the shape and color of our poster board.

The math access point recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape, and the science access point identify objects by one observable property, such as color are addressed here.

Next we asked the students to identify the number 5 on a number line.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

We glued thread spools onto our tree stamps to make them easier for our students to grasp as each stamped 5 trees onto the poster board. We emphasized stamping UP and DOWN!

Recognize a moment that reflects a spatial relationship, such as up and down, is a math access point.

Then the students picked out their dwarves and put them into the forest. It turned out pretty cute!

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

Ta Da!

So…..kind of like herding cats but we did get a group shot 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

Our language group had fun making “Jack’s Magic Bean Dip” in honor of Jack and the Beanstalk. We used pixon symbols throughout the group to model how our students can use symbols during activities.

We started out by putting a can of cannellini beans that had been drained and rinsed into a food processor. Next, we passed around the 2 cloves of garlic that had been chopped up. Each of our students took turns smelling the garlic.

They had to indicate whether or not they liked it by pointing to the symbol for “I like this” or “I don’t like this”. It turned out to be about half and half for our students.

After we put the garlic in the food processor we let each of our students taste a little bit of lemon juice, which was the next ingredient to put in. We talked about how lemons are SOUR. Again, they got to convey if they liked it or not and again it was split down the middle.

We put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into the food processor.

Next, we added some fresh parsley.

We also used some dried oregano which our students got to smell and tell us if they liked or not.

Finally, our students got to use a switch to activate the food processor so the ingredients could be chopped. Our students used symbols to tell us if we needed to chop up the ingredients MORE or if we were ALL DONE.

The students really liked using the food processor 🙂

Once we were finished, we counted out bowls and put some of the magic bean dip in each of them. We sprinkled a bit of salt and pepper on the dip and added some cut up tortillas.

YUM!

Hope you enjoyed our unit on the Grimm Brothers! Join us again next time for more fun and learning Group by Group!

Oct23

Talk Show Hosts

Posted on October 23, 2016 by jd785

Talk Show Hosts

October 23 is National Talk Show Host day—-yes, there really is a day for everything!! While kind of an unusual theme, we had a lot of fun with it.

Our sensory group explored boxes related to some of our favorite talk show hosts. The fine motor groups made some fun art projects and the language group looked to Rachael Ray to make a tasty treat in less than 30 minutes 🙂

SENSORY GROUP

Oprah is a legendary talk show host. The base of her box was green paper shred—-we learned that green is her favorite color! We added things that we associate with Oprah like books (for her book club), a peace sign, the word FRIENDS (she has lots of them), and some little play people (one in a dress that is the color purple). We also included lots of hearts because of all the love Oprah spreads 🙂

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point.

Harry Connick is not only a talk show host but is also an actor and singer. He starred in the movie Dolphin Tale. Our students got to swim with the dolphins with our underwater umbrella. There were also some dolphin sounds we recorded on the voice output device.

They LOVED this umbrella!

The science access point match common living things with their habitats is addressed here.

Whoopi Goldberg is another talk show host who is also an actor. She starred in the Sister Act movies. We took a cue from the colors of the nun’s habit that she wore in those movies and used white rice and black beans for her box. There were lots of letter W’s as well as a picture to find at the bottom of the box.

The science access point recognize common objects as the same can be addressed here.

Our super cool galaxy play dough would be a sure hit with astrophysicist and host of Star Talk——Neil DeGrasse. We added regular gold glitter in addition to some chunky silver glitter to make the black play dough look out of this world! There were two different sized star shaped cookie cutters for our students to make size comparisons.

Recognize similarities and differences in size of common objects is a math access point.

Lots of people turn to the Dr. Oz show for health advice so his box was filled with “doctor” stuff. There were some gauze bandages, medicine cups, cotton balls, tongue depressors, and a stethoscope.

Of course, we included a little patient for our students to take care of.

Associate an object with a person is a social studies access point.

Conan O’Brien is well known to late night talk show fans. He is also famous for his red hair. We laminated a picture of a bald Conan and our students had a lot of fun re-styling his hair using orange shaving cream. Perhaps he should come to our school for a makeover 🙂

Track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled is a science access point.

Ellen DeGeneres not only has a hit talk show but starred as the voice of Dory in two movies that are huge hits among our students! Ms. Kim found a fun Dory pool toy that, when it’s string was pulled, swam around our little ocean. We didn’t have a Nemo toy but we did include an orange toy fish that resembled him—– and squirted water when squeezed!

The science access point recognize the change in the motion of an object can be addressed with this activity.

Our scent this week is one we are pretty sure Rachel Ray would like—-cucumber melon from Bath and BodyWorks! Our students really liked this aroma.

Recognize one or more external body parts is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students made microphones!

First we discussed that styrofoam balls were spheres and identified their shape using communication symbols. We had pre-painted the balls with silver tempera paint.

This activity addresses the math access points: recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes, and recognize three-dimensional shapes.

Then the students used cutting tools such as paper cutters or switch operated scissors to trim some black construction paper. We noted that the shape of the paper was a rectangle.

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

Next the students used a glue stick to apply glue to the paper and then they rolled it around a toilet paper tube. The styrofoam ball was pushed onto the top for a finishing touch.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

Ta Da—-

—-time for an interview!

On Wednesday the fine motor group made picture frames—to hold a picture of each student with Jimmy Fallon (cleverly made by Power Point whiz Cara).

We started by discussing the shape of the picture frame and asked the students to identify it using communication symbols.

Recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes is a math access point.

Then the students painted the frame with some watered down glue.

The science access point recognize pushing and pulling an object makes it move is addressed here.

Time to add gold or silver glitter—-a celebrity photo needs to be framed in shiny glitter 🙂

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

Ta Da!

We are just a little starstruck!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We channeled Rachael Ray today and made one of her recipes for the language group. We made her recipe Whole Wheat Sweet Cinnamon Chips with Creamy Honey Dip (recipe found here: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipes/whole-wheat-sweet-cinnamon-chips-with-creamy-honey-dip).

Since the tortillas had already been pre-cut, we talked to our students about what shape they were. They had to indicate the triangle out of a field of 2 shapes.

Recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape is a math access point.

Our students got to HELP us spray the tortillas with cooking spray and then SPRINKLE cinnamon and sugar on top. Of course, they got to smell the cinnamon first!

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

While the tortillas were in the oven, our students helped PUT the yogurt and honey in a bowl. We observed how the ingredients MIXED together.

While we were waiting for the tortilla chips to finish, we got out our Dolphin Tale umbrella for them to look at

—–what a fun way to pass the time!

Once the chips were done baking, we counted out bowls for each of our students and put together our snack.

Lots of opportunities to use communication devices with this yummy treat!

Thank you, Rachael Ray, for the wonderful recipe!

We had a great time with our talk show host theme. Join us again next week for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Oct16

Fall Fun

Posted on October 16, 2016 by jd785

Fall Fun

The weather is finally getting a little cooler and we are thinking about all the fun things that happen in the fall! The sensory group explored colorful, eye catching boxes. The fine motor group decorated some fall leaves and the language group made a tasty treat!

SENSORY GROUP

Fall festivals are so much fun with hay rides, pumpkins, decorations, and people in costumes! Our fall festival box had a base of raffia hay and silk leaves. There were lots of fall symbols including pine cones, jack o lanterns, turkeys, and squirrels to explore and discover in the box.

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point.

College football is a big part of fall around here. The students loved the shaker pompoms—-so much fun to cheer for your favorite team! They also had fun filling the game day cups with black and white “referee” paper shred or a little football.

Recognize the change in the motion of an object is a science access point.

We love our orange and black rice box—-it is SO eye catching! The students had fun scooping the rice and beans into the little pumpkin bowl or looking for a jack o lantern picture at the bottom of the box.

The math access point solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions, using language, such as enough, too much, or more, can be addressed with this activity.

The Owl Run is a race our school hosts for all the middle schools in our district. It is a popular event that we all look forward to each year. To represent the race, the students stamped our schools’ initials into yellow moon sand—-yellow is one of our school colors! There was also a t-shirt cookie cutter because you always get a t-shirt after a race 🙂

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

We brought out one of our favorite umbrellas this week. Our fall umbrella is a pretty simple one—- just some fall garland and craft foam leaves attached to a yellow umbrella—but it is completely eye catching! A little hand held fan helped add to the experience by blowing the leaves around with a gentle breeze. Some of the students also loved the feeling of the air blowing on their faces.

The science access point recognize a seasonal change in the appearance of a common plant can be addressed with this activity.

This week our messy play was indeed messy—-we used pumpkin puree! The Dollar Tree stocks cans of pumpkin so this was pretty inexpensive. In addition to an interesting texture, it also has a nice aroma which added to the experience. Most of the students were pretty intrigued by the pumpkin—–others not so much 🙂

Use senses to recognize objects is a science access point.

Some craft foam and plastic symbols of fall (such as leaves, the letter F, and bats) were scooped out of the water. Bath and BodyWorks cinnamon pumpkin scented bath gel in the water made it smell really nice.

The social studies access point associate an object with an event can be addressed here.

The matching lotion was rubbed on various body parts to give our students a yummy reminder of all the fun they had. They were able to communicate whether they “liked” the scent or not—-it was pretty much a universal LIKE!

Recognize one or more external body parts is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

Due to a district holiday, we only had one fine motor group this week—-but it was a fun one! We used this template: leaf-template

First we discussed the color of our leaves and the students used communication symbols to identify the color BROWN.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Then the students squeezed some gold paint onto their leaves and spread it around using paint brushes. They were pretty intrigued with the metallic paint!

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

Ta Da!

Feeling fallish 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

We got back into cooking during our language group and made a fall treat: Pumpkin Fluff Dip! Here is a link to the recipe: lets-make-pumpkin-fluff-dip

We started out by making the pudding. We used the Pixon core 50 communication board throughout the process to model how symbols are used for communication. Our students helped PUT the pudding mix into the bowl. They all took turns feeling how COLD the milk was and then PUT the milk in the bowl as well.

Recognize when an object is added to a situation is a math access point.

Each student had a TURN pressing the switch to activate the mixer. So fun!

Next, we took turns smelling the pumpkin puree. This smell was not a favorite for some of our students but others thought it was pretty yummy!

We PUT the pumpkin puree into a different bowl and added half a container of whipped cream.

Then we added some cinnamon after taking turns smelling it.

We used communication symbols to let the students tell us if they “liked” the scent. For the most part, it was a pretty popular scent 🙂

We mixed the pumpkin and whipped cream and then added the vanilla pudding. We counted out the bowls for our students.

For the ones who are on a puree diet, they ate the Pumpkin Fluff Dip by itself. For our students who eat solid food, we added some crumbled up Nilla Wafers.

YUM!

It looks like we are ready for fall around here! Join us again next time for more fun—–Group by Group!

Oct9

Famous Scientists

Posted on October 9, 2016 by jd785

Famous Scientists

This week we learned about some famous scientists. We chose this theme to compliment the Unique Curriculum unit for some of our grade levels. The sensory groups explored boxes related to individual scientists. The fine motor groups created science themed art projects and the language group performed some fun science experiments!

SENSORY GROUP

Galileo and Neil DeGrasse Tyson are famous for studies in the area of astronomy. Our little astronomers loved our solar system umbrella. With its twinkly stars and hanging planets, it was a real hit.

Recognize a space-related object is a science access point.

Stephen Hawking knows a LOT about black holes. We used black kinetic sand for our “black hole” box and added a star shaped cookie cutter. So much fun and irresistible to both our students and staff 🙂

The science access point apply a push to move an object can be addressed here.

The thermometer was invented by Daniel Fahrenheit. In honor of him we filled a box with some “Insta-Snow”. While not quite as cold as the real thing, it still feels a little chilly!

Distinguish between hot and cold objects is a science access point.

We think our chimpanzee habitat would be a hit with Jane Goodall, she is an anthropologist who studies wild chimpanzees! Included in this box are binoculars, a variety of chimps, play fruit, and a voice output device with monkey sounds we recorded from You Tube. The monkey sounds were a huge hit!

The science access point recognize common objects related to science by name, such as animal or plant, can be addressed here.

Kepler was a famous mathematician. In our box of white cornmeal were numbers 1-9 for our students to find. We haven’t used this cornmeal box for a while and it has a really intriguing texture for our students.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Mary Anning was a famous fossil hunter. The students had fun hunting for dinosaur skeletons buried in our box of moon sand. They also had a lot of fun with the dinosaur molds.

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point.

Since our theme was all about famous scientists, we decided to put pop rocks into our shaving cream to start a “chemical” reaction. Those crackling pop rocks sounded pretty cool!

The science access point recognize and respond to different types of sensory stimuli is addressed with this activity.

Charles Darwin’s boat the HMS Beagle sailed in our little ocean—-passing a giant sea turtle along the way!

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

Since we found out that chimpanzees like all sorts of fruit—not just bananas—-we used Bath and Body Works mango tangerine scent for both our water and lotion this week. The citrusy scent was a real hit with the students!

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR

On Tuesday our students made a galaxy!

We started by discussing the shape of planets found in galaxies and used communication symbols to identify a CIRCLE.

Recognize objects with a 2-dimensional shape is a math access point.

Then we used a circle punch to cut “planets” out of wallpaper scraps. You have to push pretty hard to make the punch work, so the students needed a little help with this. Of course, we counted how many planets each student cut out.

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

Next they painted watered down glue onto black paper and the planets were placed on the glue.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

Sparkly stars were added using chunky silver glitter.

Recognize that the appearance of an object or material has changed is a science access point.

Ta Da!

It’s a galaxy!

On Wednesday the students painted with corn syrup! We have done this before and always love how the syrup retains its “wet” look after it hardens. VERY COOL!

First we discussed the color of our syrup—-we had added some food coloring 🙂

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

The students identified the color using communication symbols.

We poured a little of the syrup onto their science lab beakers, cut from poster board using this:beaker-template

The students used regular paint brushes to spread it around. Yes, this did get a little sticky and messy but it was WAY fun 🙂

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point addressed here.

TA DA!

Let’s do some experiments!

LANGUAGE GROUP

Our students turned into little scientists today! We tried out 2 different experiments today. Here is a breakdown of each experiment: experiments

For our first experiment, our students helped POUR some baking soda into a pan. Then, our students helped fill up some cups HALFWAY with vinegar. They also got to choose what color should be put into each vinegar cup.

Recognize when an object is added to (addition) a situation, is a science access point.

Once everything was ready, each student got a chance to use droppers and SQUEEZE some of the vinegar onto the baking soda.

Our students loved seeing the colorful fizz!

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

For our second experiment, we filled up a measuring cup HALFWAY with vinegar. We added some food coloring as well. Our students got to CHOOSE the color glitter they wanted. They also got to help SQUEEZE some dish soap into the measuring cup. We STIRRED it up.

Finally, we got a big spoonful of baking soda and POURED it into the measuring cup. We gave it another little stir and watched it foam up! It was pretty amazing how much foam came out of our experiment!

What an exciting week! Join us again next time for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Oct2

Opposites

Posted on October 2, 2016 by jd785

Opposites

We had a lot of fun putting this unit together and the students really loved seeing their friends in the book. The sensory group explored boxes filled with opposites. The fine motor groups made art projects that explored texture differences and the language group performed experiments!

SENSORY GROUP

This first box was filled with ROUGH AND SMOOTH textures including plastic spaghetti strands, bath scrubbers, container lids, and beads.

Lots and lots to touch and explore.

Recognize and respond to different types of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

BIG and LITTLE was the theme of this box. A box filled with balls—-what could be more fun than that 🙂

Recognize differences in size of objects is a math access point.

Our discovery bottles were filled with beads that floated UP and DOWN as the bottles were shaken or turned.

The math access point recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship, such as up and down, is addressed here.

LIGHT and DARK were explored with our light box. Our students really love lights, and the colorful ones we put in this shoebox were especially attractive.

Recognize a source of light energy is a science access point.

Our students pushed HARD cookie cutters into the SOFT playdough. As a bonus, the cookie cutters were also opposites—-ANIMAL and PLANT!

The science access point apply a push to move an object is addressed here.

Students practiced scooping IN and OUT in the purple bean box. White beans are really easy to dye using food coloring and they turn out really eye catching!

The math access point solve simple problems involving putting together and taking apart small quantities of objects can be addressed here.

Oobleck kind of IS an opposite—-it is both a LIQUID and a SOLID! We added some confetti to give it some extra visual appeal. Sparkly, floaty, messy, and fun—–he students had an absolute blast:)

The science access point track objects that fall to the ground can be addressed here.

Hands got WET as the oobleck was washed off hands. We added some SINK or FLOAT objects for fun experimentation.

Recognize one way people use water is a science access point that can be addressed here.

After hands were DRY, it was time for lotion. It wasn’t easy coming up with a scent for a theme about opposites! We decided to use Bath and BodyWorks pink lemonade scent since the name has pink but the lotion is yellow—-not exactly opposites but close enough for us 🙂

Recognize one or more external body parts is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our fine motor group used sand to make their SMOOTH paint feel ROUGH!

First we identified the color of our paint—-we used a bright, eye catching PINK!

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Next the students used brushes to spread the paint around their paper. We used black paper so our pink paint would really pop!

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

Then the students shook some pink sand onto the paint to add texture. Our sand was really fine and came out of our spice container quite fast! Suffice to say, the table ended up with plenty of sand too 🙂

The math access point solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions, using language, such as enough, too much, or more, can be addressed here.

The science access point track objects falling to the ground can also be addressed 🙂

Ta DA!

It can’t really be seen in the photo but these did turn out pretty cool.

On Wednesday our fine motor group we made FLAT arrows BUMPY using tissue paper.

We started by discussing the color of the arrow and used communication symbols to identify it.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color is a science access point.

Then the students tore and crumpled tissue paper into little pieces. They dipped the paper balls into glue and pressed them down onto their arrows—-lots of pincer grasp practice here!

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

Next they squeezed glue onto the back of the arrow and patted it down onto a piece of orange paper.

Recognize when an object is added to or taken away from a situation is a math access point.

TA DA—-

we are going in the right direction!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We did 2 different activities that looked at opposites. Our first activity was about things that SINK and things the FLOAT.

We got 6 different objects. Our first job was to make a prediction if we thought the objects would sink or float. We talked about how things that are HEAVY tend to sink while things that are LIGHT tend to float. Each student got a chance to hold an object and predict if it would float or sink.

Our predictions resulted in everyone believing that all of the objects would float!

Observe and recognize a predictable cause-effect relationship related to a science topic, is a science access point.

Now to put them to the test. Each student got to put an object into a tub of water. We looked to see if they sank UNDER the water or if they stayed ON top of the water.

We found that we were 50% correct in our predictions. 3 of the objects did float; however, the other 3 sank.

Our next activity focused on WET and DRY. For this we used “Squand” which is made by RoseArt. Our students got to POUR some of the Squand into a bin of water. They saw that the sand went from being DRY to getting WET in the water.

We found that when we pulled the sand out of the water, it was DRY once again!

Such a cool activity and very impressive to both the students and the adults—we were all completely fascinated! This stuff is the COOLEST!

Join us again next week for more fun and learning———–Group by Group!

Sep25

Extracurricular Activities

Posted on September 25, 2016 by jd785

Extracurricular Activities

What kids do after school, extracurricular activities, is our theme this week. We found out there are LOTS of things to choose from! The sensory groups explored boxes related to specific activities. The fine motor groups made some fun art projects and the language group helped figure out what items are needed for different activities!

SENSORY GROUP

Many extracurricular activities involve sports that use balls. The students molded white foam into different sized balls—-SMALL like golf balls, MEDIUM like baseballs, or BIG like volleyballs.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as size, is a science access point.

Our ballet box was a real hit! We put in some fluffy feather boas, pieces of tulle, and a butterfly headband. Ok, so the goofy headband was a bit of a stretch as a ballet prop, but we did record music from the Swan Lake ballet on a voice output device 🙂

As the ballet props are tried on, the science access point recognize one or more external body parts can be addressed.

Cheerleading is another activity some of our students enjoy. We put in some shaker pompoms and our students totally got their cheer on!

The science access point recognize the change in the motion of an object can be addressed here.

Learning a musical instrument is another popular extracurricular activity. The ever-popular finger drums were found in this box, along with a tambourine, and electronic maraca. Our students totally rocked out!

Recognize and respond to common sounds is a science access point.

Many students, including our own, have fun at their school’s After School programs. We represented ours with a rice box in our school colors and some alphabet letters. There was also a picture of a teacher reading to children to find at the bottom of the box.

Track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled is a science access point.

We went back to sports with our messy play. Since many sports include round balls, we asked the students to make round circles in shaving cream.

Recognize that pulling or pushing an object makes it move, is a science access point.

After the students rinsed their hands they got to go fishing in our little water pond. With rivers, lakes, and the ocean nearby, fishing is a fun extracurricular activity that many of our students enjoy! There were 2 fish to find—–a big one and a little one!

Recognize differences in size of objects is a math access point.

Our scent for our water and lotion was vanilla sugar from Bath and BodyWorks. We thought this scent reminded us of Girl Scout cookies! A delicious reminder of the fun we had exploring different extracurricular activities.

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

Students at our school are always proud to show off their Special Olympics medals so we let our future olympians make some of their own using our go to favorite—paper plates!

We started by discussing the shape of our paper plate and using communication symbols to identify it.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Then the students painted their plates using gold paint and then added glitter for additional sparkle—-we never pass up the opportunity to add a little sparkle to our projects 🙂

Recognize that the appearance of an object or material has changed is a science access point.

Next the students placed a small circle with “1st” printed on it DOWN onto the plate. The paper stuck to the paint easily so glue was not needed.

Recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship, such as up and down is a math access point.

Ta Da!!!

Our students are winners for sure!

Our other fine motor group made art projects related to another fun extracurricular activity—-fishing! We used this:fish-template

First the students used communication symbols to pick the color of the crayon they wanted to use to color their fish. We used Easy Grip crayons for this project and the crayons lived up to their name—–they were easy for the students to grasp!

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Ta DA——

let’s go fishing!

After the students finished coloring their fish, we attached a paper clip to the tail and put them on the table.

Our fishing rod was made from a sturdy cardboard tube with a cute flower magnet attached with yarn. Recognize that objects can stick together is a science access point.

The students were completely intrigued with how the magnet picked up their fish. This activity was a real HIT 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

This week we changed it up a little bit in our language group. We discussed some of the items that people will need if they are participating in extracurricular activities.

The 5 activities we focused on were baseball, basketball, fishing, music, and cheerleading. Each of our students took turns indicating which item fit with which activity.

For each turn, the student was presented with 2 pictures of different items. They were asked, for example, “which one do we need for baseball? A baseball bat or a fishing pole?” They would then have to point to the correct item.

After they chose the item, they would point to the pixon symbols for “we” and “need” and then point to the item to convey “we need baseball bat”.

We used the photos from the book for a visual prompt.

The students finished by gluing down their picture choices.

THEN, since this is the language group and we like our snacks, we each got to eat a Thin Mint in honor of the Girl Scouts 🙂

Well we hope we inspired you to try some new extracurricular activities! Join us again for next time for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Sep18

Video Games

Posted on September 18, 2016 by jd785

Video Games

National Video Game Day is September 12! We thought this would be a really fun theme for our students and totally enjoyed planning all the activities. Our sensory groups explored boxes related to specific video games. The fine motor groups made characters from video games and the language group played games!

SENSORY GROUP

We put lots of different bits and pieces related to the Legend of Zelda game in this box. Since we didn’t have any play figures from the game, we just pulled together some toys that we thought resembled the characters! There were also some objects that were mentioned in the stories such as a compass, hearts, and a boomerang toy. It really came together pretty nicely 🙂

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point.

The students stamped lots of little squares—–like ones seen in the game Minecraft—- in our red moon sand.

The science access point recognize that the appearance of an object or material has changed can be addressed here.

The Mario Brothers wear different colored overalls so we had our students sort GREEN Luigi pompoms and RED Mario pompoms!

Match objects by one observable property, such as size or color is a science access point.

Sonic the Hedgehog and his friend Tails collect rings. The students made rings by joining the ends of large chenille stems to form the CIRCLE shape! So much fun to wave or wear!

Recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes, such as circle or square is a math access point.

Video games often have lots of flashing lights so we included a variety of light toys in this box. Some required button pressing while others simply had to be tapped.

Either way, the students had a blast with them, lights are always a favorite with our students! We also included a voice output device with recorded video game sounds so our students could get the whole “gamer” experience 🙂

The science access point recognize objects that create sounds and the science access point recognize that a common activity can be repeated are addressed with this activity.

Did we mention our students REALLY liked the lights 🙂

Craft foam figures from the game Pac Man chased each other around the oobleck this week! We made the oobleck a little thin so the craft foam really glided over the surface as the students pushed it around.

Recognize that pushing or pulling makes an object move (contact force) is a science access point.

Hands were rinsed in banana scented water (we got the bubble bath at Walmart). The students were able to scoop up a Donkey Kong barrel or just enjoy watching the water spill down out of the scoop!

Recognize different containers that hold liquids is a science access point.

A matching banana scented lotion from World Market left out students smelling quite delicious 🙂

This scent was a real hit!

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students made Pac Man out of a paper plate!

First we asked the students to identify our paint color—-YELLOW—-using communication symbols. Some of our students point to the symbols, others use eye gaze.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as size or color is a science access point.

Then they painted their paper plates. A brush was taped onto a wooden paint stick to make the process easier for some of our students.

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

To finish, a little circle eye was added, then…..

Ta Wakka Wakka Da

On Wednesday the students made Angry Birds using red paper plates!

First they identified the color and shape of the paper plate using communication symbols.

The science access point identify objects by one observable property, is addressed here

Then we identified the TRIANGLE shape of the bird’s beak and how many sides it has using communication symbols.

The math access point recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes, such as circle or square is addressed here and the math access point associate quantities with number names is also addressed.

Paper cutters were used to cut the 3 sides the triangle. Of course, we counted the number of cuts out loud!

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

Then the students glued down the beak and 2 pre-made eyes, made with googlie eyes glued onto larger circles—-we do love those googlie eyes 🙂

The math access point match one object to a designated space to show one-to-one correspondence.

Ta Da!

Some not so angry birds.

LANGUAGE GROUP

We had such a great time in our language group this week! Our students played games that were inspired by real video games. They each had to get through 4 levels.

The first level was Mario Brick-Buster. Our students had to PUSH over a wall of “bricks” in order to complete this level. They had so much fun with this! Our ambulatory students pushed the bricks over while our students in wheelchairs got help from the adults and were pushed into the bricks.

LEVEL 1 COMPLETE!

Level 2 was Angry Birds Pig Knock Out. The object of this game was to THROW an Angry Bird bean bag and knock over the Pigs on the log. Some of our students threw the bean bag while others who have more difficulty grasping and throwing objects used their hand to knock the pigs over. Everyone participated and everyone passed the level. LEVEL 2 COMPLETE!

As in video games, the levels just keep getting more difficult. Level 3 was Sonic Ring Toss. Each of our students had to TOSS a ring and hook it. Although this was challenging, all of our students passed the level.

LEVEL 3 COMPLETE!

In our final level, Legend Of Zelda Map Making, our students got to use our Color Bug wireless controller to MAKE a map. They had to make sure to stay within the paper–a feat that was difficult for even the adults in the room! Our students had to direct it left/right, forward/backward. They had such a great time with this and made a great map.

LEVEL 4 COMPLETE!

Since each level was completed, our students got a fireworks show to celebrate!

Our students got pretty creative with it—SO FUN!

Hope you enjoyed our video game fun this week. Join us next week for more fun and learning—–Group By Group!

Sep11

People of the American Revolution

Posted on September 11, 2016 by jd785

People of the American Revolution

Our students are learning about the American Constitution and Bill of Rights as part of their Unique Curriculum unit this month. To compliment the unit, we decided to learn a little more about the people who helped form our country. Our sensory groups explored boxes related to different patriots. The fine motor group discussed shapes while making their art projects and the language group “invented” a dessert.

Due to the Labor Day weekend and another hurricane day, we had a shortened week and couldn’t do all our groups but we still had lots of fun!

SENSORY GROUP

Paul Revere, who road his horse through the streets sounding the alarm that the “British were coming”, was a silversmith. We filled his box with silver beads and 2 different sized horses. As usual, the students had a blast with the beads—-always a favorite!

Recognize differences in size of objects is a math access point.

Abigail Adams probably drank lots of tea—–that is before her friends dumped it in the Boston Harbor 🙂 There were upper and lower case letter A’s and a picture of Abigail herself to find while sifting through the tea leaves.

The students enjoyed both the feel and the aroma of this box.

Recognize two objects that are identical to each other is a math access point.

The Marquis de Lafayette was a frenchman who came to help with the American Revolution. The colors of the French flag are red, white, and blue like our rice! We put in the numbers 1776 and a picture of the Marquis to find at the bottom.

In addition to visual and tactile discrimination, the science access point: track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled, can be addressed in this activity.

Thomas Jefferson not only wrote the Declaration of Independence but was also an architect.

Our students got to be little architects building their own buildings with blue Floam!

Recognize that the appearance of an object or material has changed is a science access point.

We learned that Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals! For his box we put in Wikki Stix strands that could be shaped into CIRCLES like glasses.

Yeah, we had a little fun with this 🙂

Recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes, such as circle or square is a math access point.

Shaving foam was used to add hair to George Washington’s head. Of course he also ended up with “hair” on his chin, cheeks, and nose!

The science access point recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is addressed here.

Patrick Henry enjoyed hunting and fishing so we had the students go fishing in our little pond. There were 2 fish to catch with a large scoop.

Since the fish could be counted, the math access point associate quantities with number names can be addressed here.

We thought that Bath and BodyWorks country apple scent was perfect this week. After all whats more american than APPLE PIE! This yummy scent was a hit with our students and a great reminder of all the things we learned about the people of the American Revolution.

Recognize one or more body parts is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

This week our students made Ben Franklin kites.

We started by discussing the shape of our kite—–a DIAMOND. We also discussed the TRIANGLE shapes that could be seen as part of the kite—-we thought that was pretty cool!

Recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape is a math access point.

Then they decorated their kites using colorful markers. This was also a great opportunity for our students to practice their communication skills asking for “more” markers or letting us know they were “all done”.

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

After they finished coloring their kites, the students used glue to attach a key made with this: key-template. We love the story of how Ben Franklin attached a key to his kite to study electricity, so of course we had to have keys for our kites! After they students put glue onto their keys they had to turn their key over and pat it DOWN onto their kite.

This activity addresses the math access point: recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship, such as up and down.

TA DA—-

—–lets go fly a kite!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We kind of stretched it a little bit this week to incorporate inventing, one of Ben Franklin’s specialties, into our group. We decided to invent a new recipe—–we’ll call it, Banana Split Pudding!

Here is a link to our recipe: lets-invent-a-banana-split-pudding

We used Pixon picture symbols throughout so that our students could request and inform.

The targeted symbol was presented to each child and they had to locate it on a Pixon board with 50 symbols on it.

We started by making some instant banana cream pudding. When getting the milk out, we passed it around and talked about how it was COLD. We poured 2 cups into a measuring cup and then poured in into a bowl.

Recognize the temperature of items, such as food, as cool or warm is a science access point.

Then we carefully added the pudding mix!

Our students got to use a wireless switch to activate the mixer.

This is always fun for them and everyone got a turn!

Recognize a predictable cause-effect relationship is a science access point.

We then counted out how many cups we needed for each student and found that we needed 6. Everyone helped count!

We put 3 spoonfuls of the banana cream pudding into each cup. Cara had already whipped up some chocolate pudding since we know that time is of the essence 🙂

We scooped in one big spoonful of the chocolate pudding into each cup.

We all know that banana splits have whipped cream and cherries so we topped off each cup with whipped cream and chopped up cherries.

Lastly, and most importantly, we ate our newly invented dessert! In the opinion of our students———YUM!

Thank you for joining us and we hope you enjoyed learning a little about some of the people of the American Revolution! We will see you next week for more fun and learning Group by Group!

May15

Planets

Posted on May 15, 2016 by jd785

Planets

We explored a galaxy closer to home this week—–our own! Each box in the sensory group was related to one of the planets. The fine motor groups made some out of this world art projects and the language group made a yummy “spacey” snack.

Sensory Group

Before we got to our groups we brought out our cool solar system umbrella. It was easily made with some battery operated lights, yellow craft foam, and some super cool hanging planets (thanks Ms. Kim). The students totally LOVED it!

Recognize a space related object is a science access point.

Jupiter is the largest of the planets and Mercury is the smallest. With this box our students sorted BIG shaker balls and SMALL pompoms.

Recognize differences in sizes of objects is a math access point.

They REALLY had fun with the big shaker balls 🙂

One of the most recognizable planets is Saturn with its famous rings. Our students used fluffy chenille stems to make circular shaped rings of their own.

Recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape is a math access point.

Mars is known as the “red planet”. We made used black cherry Koolaid to make the play dough this week and we think the color turned out really well and smelled nice too! A cookie cutter letter M was included.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

We learned that Venus is a very hot planet with lots of volcanic activity. We made an orange and yellow discovery jar that looks like the planet’s surface using a technique that we found at http://mom.com The jar was so much fun to make that we made 2 more with different colors 🙂

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

Since our planet Earth has a moon, we HAD to bring out our MOONSAND this week! The students used a round shape sorter to make circle shaped craters in the sand.

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

Our “deep space” black kinetic sand contained some fun things to find including a blue-green planet—— Saturn!

Recognize a space related object is a science access point.

The planet Neptune is a beautiful blue color like our water this week! Since it is the furthest planet from the sun we figured it would be an ideal place to view other galaxies (lighted swim rings)!

There was also a scoop for pouring—-lots of splashy fun 🙂

The science access point observe and recognize a predictable cause-effect relationship related to a science topic can be addressed here.

There are a lot of pretty noxious odors associated with some of the planets we explored! So rather than go realistic, we decided that midnight by Bath and BodyWorks was a pretty good choice—–after all, midnight is the perfect time for star gazing 🙂

Applied to hands, necks, or arms—–the science access point recognize one or more external body parts can be addressed here.

Fine Motor Group

On Tuesday our students made space shuttles using this template: space shuttle Recycled toilet paper rolls used to complete the project gave us a chance to discuss the Unique Curriculum theme for this month.

This group LOVED our solar system umbrella too!

We started our art project by asking the students to identify red and blue using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

The student used red and blue markers to scribble on their rockets. We used Pipsqueak Markers by Crayola because their size is perfect for our students.

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

To finish off the project, the students added a circle “porthole” with their photo. Nice pincer grasp practice!

Recognize a common object with a two-dimensional shape is a math access point.

We attached the space shuttle to a toilet paper roll to help it stand up and 10, 9, 8, 7,6…..

Ta Da we have lift off!

On Wednesday our students made a solar system!

We started by discussing the shape of our planets and asked our students to identify it using communication symbols.

Recognize an object with a three-dimensional shape is a math access point.

To make our planets we used styrofoam balls cut in half so that they were easier to glue down. The students then painted their planets and sprinkled on some confetti to add a little texture.

This gave us lots of opportunities to work on the math access point solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions using language, such as enough, too much, or more.

Then the students glued their planets around the sun. Stars were added with some glue and glitter!

This activity addresses the math access point match one object to a designated space to show one-to-one correspondence.

TA DA——-welcome to our solar system!

Language Group

In our true language group style, we made a treat for the students this week——– a Saturn Slush! We got special help from one of our other SLPs this week, Judy, who came in and helped with the lesson.

To start off, we checked out the frozen strawberries and blueberries we were going to use for our recipe. We asked the students if the bags felt WARM or COLD!

Recognize objects or materials as warm or cold is a science access point.

We put some frozen strawberries in the blender. Then our students helped POUR some orange juice into the blender. We talked about how the colors of strawberries and the orange juice were different.

Recognize differences in objects is a science access point.

After that, we put in some confectioners sugar. Our students got to have some fun taking turns activating the blender.

The science access point recognize that electrical systems must be turned on in order to work, can be addressed with this activity.

Once the mixture was nice and smooth we POURED it into a bowl.

Then we put some frozen blueberries, more orange juice, and confectioners sugar into the blender and blended again until it was smooth.

We alternated the strawberry and blueberry mixtures into cups for our students (of course, counting the cups out first) so that they could see the different layers—–or at least that was the plan! Our pouring efforts ended up with everything kind of mixing together.

On the bright side the Saturn Slush tasted really YUMMY so no one really minded 🙂

We had so much fun learning about the planets this week! Be sure to join us again next time for more fun and learning——Group by Group!