Category Archives: Uncategorized

May1

We Love Star Wars

Posted on May 1, 2016 by jd785

The Force was with us as we explored a galaxy far, far away——it was all about Star Wars with fantastic galactic fun for all our groups and some special guests who joined us on “bring your child to work” day! The sensory boxes had things to touch, smell, look at, and listen to! Pinterest helped us find ideas for our fine motor groups and language groups!

SENSORY GROUP

Our galaxy umbrella was a HUGE hit with the students. We used some scrap headliner fabric attached to poster board to make our Death Star and were totally pleased with the result! There were some little spaceships attached with fishing wire and with the Star Wars theme recorded on the voice output device this was one super cool umbrella—–the students LOVED it!

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

We put a variety of Star Wars paraphernalia into this box. There were figures and key chains representing of some of the main characters from the movies (thank you Jeannie for the donation). We found a fun “light saber” at the Family Dollar Store and the students had a blast with it—–lights and sounds with the push of a button, how cool is that!

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

Luke Skywalker lived on the planet Tatooine which has a desert landscape. Our homemade “sand” had a little bit of cinnamon in it so it was not only not only fun to touch but it smelled really good too!

We put in a variety of wooden shapes so our students could build some local “structures”.

Recognize common three-dimensional objects such as cylinders or cubes is a math access point.

Of course, we had to include a box dedicated to the ultimate bad guy—–Darth Vader! We put in some accessories from a “Darth Tater” kit in a box with our grey Floam so the students could build their own Vader.

The science access point recognize that the human body is made up of various parts can be addressed with this activity.

Kraft mac and cheese came out with these cool Star Wars pasta shapes. It took a couple of hours to dye but SO worth it! There were black Darth Vaders, yellow CP3Os, blue R2D2s, green Yodas, and red star fighters for sorting fun. The students also loved picking up handfuls of the colorful pasta!

Match objects with similar observable properties, such as size, shape, color, or texture is a science access point.

We made a green jello swamp for our little Yoda—-complete with snakes, spiders, and a cute giant lizard.

Some of the students were a little hesitant to touch the cold, sticky goo but others thought it was pretty fantastic stuff 🙂

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

Those sticky hands were rinsed off in water scented with “Ewok” mahogany woods from Bath and BodyWorks. Ms. Kim donated these fun Star Wars themed diving sticks that were perfect for our water play activity. The students really loved watching the water stream out of the bottom of these sticks!

Track objects in motion is a science access point.

The matching lotion was a hit with almost all of our students.

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our little Jedi turned to the dark side and made paper plate Death Stars. We adapted this idea from http://fun-a-day.com .To prep ours, we drew the lines with glue rather than white crayon.

We started by bringing out our galactic umbrella to give the students inspiration. It was a hit 🙂

After the umbrella was reluctantly put away, we discussed the shape of the paper plate and asked the students to identify the shape using communication symbols.

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

Then the students painted over their plates with watered down grey paint using a sponge brush.

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

Ta Da……..

………looks like Darth Vader is in the house 🙂

We went Wookie on Wednesday! The idea for this project came from http://funfamilycrafts.com

Instead of fun fur used in the original project, we used furry duct tape purchased at Walgreens. The duct tape was adhered to some 6 inch rulers to prep this for our students.

We started by asking the students to count how many eyes a Wookie has and to identify the number using communication symbols.

We did the same thing for the nose.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Next the students cut strips of paper to use for the strap that Chewbacca wears. The paper cutter worked perfectly for this task!

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

Then the students glued googlie eyes, pompom noses, and strap onto their Wookies. To work on one-to-one correspondence we placed target glue dots onto the fur.

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

Ta Da!!!!

The force is strong with these young padawans 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

We made another yummy snack this week—— Galactic Ice Cream Sundaes! Our students got to make choices of what they wanted using picture symbols, gestures, and verbalizations.

The first choice they got was to tell us how many scoops of ice cream they wanted in their bowl. We used big numbers showing “1” and “2” and our students would either point or place their hand on the amount they wanted.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Next, they got to chose which kind of syrup they wanted: chocolate, strawberry, or butterscotch. They were provided with symbols and again, would point or put their hand on the one they wanted.

Adjust body movement or nonverbal expression with prompting as necessary to communicate wants and needs is a language access point.

When asked if they wanted whipped cream, they would either use head shake/nod, verbalize no/yes, or point to a symbol no/yes. If they said yes, they had to show us how many squirts they wanted using the “1” and “2”.

They REALLY like this part 🙂

Finally, we poured some Star Wars cereal on top for a crunchy effect and let them choose which color pretzel/icing “light saber” they wanted: RED or GREEN.

We think we hit this one out of the galaxy!

YUM!!!!!

We hope your May the Fourth festivities are a blast! Be sure and join us again next time……Group by Group!

Apr24

Nursery Rhymes

Posted on April 24, 2016 by jd785

Nursery Rhymes

April is National Poetry Month so we decided to make nursery rhymes our theme this week! Our sensory groups had lots of messy fun exploring boxes related to different characters. Our fine motor groups made some fun animal character art projects and the language group made a yummy treat based on nursery rhyme character.

SENSORY GROUP

There were three number 3’s to find in our Old King Cole black bean “coal”. The students had fun discovering the hidden numbers as they ran their hands through the beans.

They also like picking up handfuls and watching them drop back into the box.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Little Bo Peep’s lost sheep could be found in this box as well as some geese—that perhaps belonged to Mother Goose!

Both sets of animals came in a variety of sizes, shapes, and textures for sorting fun.

Match animals that are the same is a science access point.

Our Jack Be Nimble box contained Wikki Stix which are waxed strings like candles.

We also put a light toy that looked a little like a candle when the button was pushed.

The students really had fun with this.

The science access point recognize a source of light energy and the science access point initiate a change in the motion of an object are addressed with this activity.

Spiders scared Little Miss Muffet away but ours were super cute and not scary at all! We had 2 cute little furry spiders, one that jiggled when it’s string was pulled, and a discovery bottle with spiders that scuttled up and down.

The science access point track objects in motion can be addressed here.

Lots of giggles were heard with this box 🙂

The Queen of Hearts and the baker both love to bake so this box was filled with red velvet cake mix. We put in 2 different size scoops and a heart shaped cookie cutter for our little bakers to play with.

This was pretty messy but LOTS of fun 🙂

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

Speaking of Little Miss Muffet, we learned that curds and whey are kind of like cottage cheese. We added cotton balls to our oobleck to get a lumpy kind of texture and were pretty pleased with the results. The oobleck started out white with each group but hands that had explored the red velvet cake mix tinged it pink!

The science access point demonstrate pushing away (repulsion) and pulling (attraction) is addressed here.

While rinsing their hands, the students had fun playing with Jack and Jill’s pail along with a couple of different size scoops.

The science access point recognize differences in sizes of containers that hold liquids (capacity) is addressed here.

As a nod to our Baker and the Queen of Hearts, both our water and lotion were raspberry scented (from Bath and BodyWorks). It was a really yummy smell that our students loved!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students made handprint sheep!

First we discussed the shape of our paper and asked the students to identify it using communication symbols.

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

Next we painted one of their hands with white paint. The students were pretty intrigued with this step 🙂

Then we helped them press their hands onto our grassy green paper.

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

After their hands were cleaned, the students put 3 cotton balls onto their sheep’s tummy.

Match objects to designated spaces to show one-to-one correspondence is math access point.

Ta Baaaaaaa Da!

Tell Little Bo Peep we found her sheep 🙂

On Wednesday it was all about mice with our Hickory Dickory Dock clock! Our fabulous volunteers did all the set up for this project—-thanks ladies! Here is the template for the mice:mouse template for clock

We started by asking the students to out “mouse heads” using adaptive scissors—-counting how many cuts it took, of course! We also discussed the fact that the shape was a TRIANGLE!

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

After they finished cutting out triangles, the students glued them onto an OVAL shaped body—complete with colorful tail. They added 2 big CIRCLE ears and 1 little circle nose were added.

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

Ta tick tock Da!!!

The students were SO proud!

To finish up, the students glued their mice onto the fabulous clock that our volunteers made. Then we counted them!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

LANGUAGE GROUP

We channeled Humpty Dumpty for our language group and made some egg salad. We had already pre-boiled the eggs and cut them up.

Before we put them in the bowl, we let each of our students smell the eggs——and got some pretty funny faces from some of the students 🙂

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

Once the eggs were put INTO the bowl, our students counted out the spoonfuls of mayo (2) and the squirts of yellow mustard (3) that we put into the bowl as well.

Solve simple problems involving going or separating sets of objects to 5 is a math access point.

Our students helped POUR the cut up green onions and pickles into the bowl and helped SHAKE a little salt and pepper in as well.

We had to STIR the ingredients around until they were all mixed up.

We made 1 sandwich and cut it in HALF to make 2. Then we cut one of the halves in half and counted 3 pieces and then cut the other half and counted 4 pieces. Math with food is always a fun and YUMMY thing!

Partition a rectangle into equal parts with equal area is a math access point that can be addressed with this activity.

Since it was her last day, we also had a surprise for Joy’s practicum student——yummy cupcakes! We are sure going to miss you Ali!

Apr17

India

Posted on April 17, 2016 by jd785

India

Many states in the Republic of India are celebrating the New Year this week so we thought it would be fun to learn a little more about the country.

We are lucky enough to have students whose families are from India so that made it even more special for us as they contributed some of the photos we used in our book. The sensory groups explored boxes related to different facts about India. The fine motor groups made art projects with animals that are symbolic of the country and the language group made a yummy ethnic dish to eat!

SENSORY GROUP

Our rice was orange, green, and white this week because those are the colors of the Indian flag. There were lots of letter I’s to find both upper and lower case, as well as a picture of a Bengal Tiger, which is the national animal, at the bottom of the box.

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

We went with the flag colors, paper shred this time, as the base of this box. It was filled with animals that are symbols of the country such as tigers, peacocks, lions and elephants. We learned India is the only country in the world with both lions and tigers—-how cool is that! Cricket is a favorite sport so we included a picture of that also! There was a little teapot and cup in the box because tea is an important Indian export.

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

The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and is located in Agra. Our students tried their hands at building a replica of the Taj Mahal using our white Floam. Not quite as lovely as the white marble used for the original but our students had fun anyway 🙂

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

Dahl or lentils are a staple food throughout India. Our box of dried lentils felt so cool to run hands through—-the students loved it! There were some King Cobras to find AND match in this box.

The math access point recognize two objects that are identical to each other is addressed with this activity.

There were some interesting discovery bottles for the students to explore. One bottle was filled with sequins—-like those seen on colorful saris. If looked at closely enough, a little elephant could be found floating around too! Our peacock discovery bottle was filled with blue and green sparkly glitter which made it pretty fascinating to watch swirl.

Track objects in motion is a science access point.

The other discovery bottles were had cotton balls with scents associated with India—-sandalwood and curry. These were some pretty interesting aromas and very intriguing to our students.

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli—-in this case smell—-is a science access point.

We put some green and orange glitter into our white oobleck—–once again representing the colors of the Indian flag. It was lots of fun to practice making the vertical and horizontal strokes needed to make a letter I!

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

Hands were rinsed in our Ganges River, complete with an Indian crocodile—-ours a very cute one 🙂 India is known for periods of rain called “monsoons” so we created a little one here using a hand operated water mister fan. When pointed above the students heads it created a mini rainfall—-resulting in lots of giggles.

Our water was scented with coconut bath gel as a nod to the fact that it is an important crop in India.

Recognize weather conditions including hot/cold and raining/not raining during the day is a science access point that can be addressed here.

We finished our group with mango scented lotion. Mangos are the national fruit of India. A perfect scent to remind us of all the things we learned about the wonderful country of India! The students really liked the aroma and as usual they practiced body part identification by indicating where they wanted it applied.

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students painted a Bengal Tiger using marbles. The tigers were cut from orange poster board using this: tiger template

First the students identified the color orange using communication symbols.

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

The tiger was placed in a box, then the students scooped 3 marbles out of black paint and put them in the box.

Recognize when 1 or 2 items have been added to or removed from sets of objects to 3, is a math access point.

Next came the fun part which our students always LOVE—–time to shake, shake, shake!

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

The lid was opened and our tigers had their stripes! Googlie eyes and popsicle stick handles were then added.

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

Ta Da…………….. GRRRRRRR!

On Wednesday, our students made peacocks—–the national bird of India. We used this: peacock template

We started by discussing the shape of the coffee filter and asked the students to identify it using communication symbols

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

They used blue and green markers to scribble on the coffee filters and then…….sprayed their art work with water.

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

The filter was then folded in half and placed on a paper plate (we had cut in half ) to make it a little more stable. The peacocks body was placed on TOP of that then everything was stapled together.

Recognize a half of an object as part of the whole object is a math access point.

Ta DA! What beautiful peacocks!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We made some curry hummus in our language group! This was a neat recipe because there were so many things for our students to SMELL.

We started by putting a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas in our food processor. One student poured HALF of the can in and another student poured the REST of it in.

Recognize when an object or person is added to (addition) or is taken away from (subtraction) a situation is a math access point.

We then measured out some sesame oil and poured that in as well. Our students got to smell the sesame oil——some liked it and others were not so thrilled about it 🙂

We then squirted some lemon juice into the mixture. This time, our students got to TASTE the lemon juice. We talked about how it was SOUR.

They made some pretty funny faces when the lemon juice hit their taste buds!

After that, we shook some curry, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into the food processor. Each of our students had a turn smelling the different spices.

These spices have some strong smells!

With all the ingredients added, the students used a switch to activate the food processor——-they always love that part 🙂

Observe and recognize a predictable cause-effect relationship related to a science topic.

Once all of the ingredients were smooth, each of our students got to taste some of the hummus on a piece of pita bread.

YUM!

Hope you enjoyed our visit to India this week! Join us next time for more fun and learning———–Group by Group!

Apr10

How We Make Money

Posted on April 10, 2016 by jd785

How We Make Money

This week our theme compliments the April Unique Curriculum unit for our students. They are learning about money and what we do with it. Our focus is on how we earn it! The sensory groups explored boxes related to specific jobs. The fine motor groups painted job related art projects and the language group got real time job experience—–they made a dessert 🙂

SENSORY GROUP

Helping people get an education as the President of a University would be a pretty important job to have! If you were the president of FAMU you would cheer on the Rattlers. Our box featured the team colors of ORANGE and GREEN and the little egg shaker we included made rattling sounds when shaken.

The science access point recognize objects that create sounds can be addressed here.

Paleontologists study dinosaur bones—–how cool is that! There were four little bones to find buried in our sand and we included a small scoop so they could be buried again. Of course it was also really fun to watch the sand sift through fingers. This box was lots of fun 🙂

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

Veterinarians take care of our pets. There were lots of “medical” supplies in this box for fun pretend play. There were soft cotton balls and gauze as well as a fun stethoscope to try out. Our little vets took good care of their patient!

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

One really cool way to earn money would be as a Rock Star! In addition to finger drums and a tiny toy guitar, there were some star worthy sunglasses and feather boas in this box.

The science access points recognize objects that create sounds and the science access point recognize one or more external body parts can be addressed with this activity.

Everyone got in on the fun……..

…..looks like we have some future superstars in the making 🙂

We brought out our underwater umbrella for our budding Marine Biologists. To add to the experience there were orca and humpback whale sounds recorded on a voice output device. Everyone found it fascinating!

Match living things with their habitats is a science access point that can be addressed here.

Our little Chefs had fun icing the play food cupcake with whipped (shaving) cream. Great messy fun!

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

Our students got to play Lifeguard by scooping swim rings (made out of water noodle slices) and a little toy figure out of the water. This activity is great for counting and eye hand coordination practice!

Recognize 2 dimensional shapes in the environment is a math access point.

We chose Bath and BodyWorks vanilla sugar scent for our water play and lotion this week because the aroma reminded us of some of the yummy treats that Chefs might make! This is always a popular scent with our students 🙂

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday we talked about Beekeeping and our students made some bees using this: honey bee template We used yellow poster board for the base so it was a little sturdier and just regular white paper for the wings.

We started by discussing the shape of the bees body—-an oval—-and asked the students to identify the color yellow using communication symbols.

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

Next the students painted black stripes on their bee.

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

Then they used a glue stick to apply glue to the wing and put it on their bee. We encouraged them to put the wing DOWN onto the bee’s body.

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

With a little help they added a googlie eye by placing in ON a glue spot.

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

Ta Da!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!

On Wednesday like Paleontologists, we discovered some dinosaur fossils! To prep this an adult traced this: dinosaur bones template Instead of making copies of our template, we took another piece of paper to trace over it with a pencil and made copies of that. By doing it that way the outline was very light. One of our fantastic volunteers then filled in each template with glue—-all 7 of them! She used a paint brush and it actually went really fast!

The students identified the shape of the paper using communication symbols—-they did a really great job and we were SO proud 🙂

Recognize 2-dimensional shapes in the environment is a math access point.

Then they dipped their sponge brushes into VERY watery brown paint. You need your paint to be pretty translucent for this project to turn out correctly. As the students brushed the paint over the paper, their fossils appeared—–this was super cool!!!

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

Ta Dino DA

Fabulous fossil finds!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We tied in a couple of the jobs we talked about in our book because we made an edible treat (chef) with honey (beekeepers)!

We started by going around the room and letting our students look at and smell some real honey comb that Joy brought it. We talked about how it smelled SWEET. We also talked a lot about looking with our eyes and smelling with our noses, not with our hands!

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

Next, we counted out cups for all of our friends. Each of our students got to indicate how many spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt they wanted by pointing to the numbers 3, 4, or 5. When scooping out the yogurt, we counted out loud to make sure that we put in the correct amount.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Our students then got to indicate if they wanted strawberries on top by verbalizing yes/no or by nodding/shaking their heads.

Once the strawberries were in, our students helped SQUEEZE the honey onto their yogurt and strawberries. Finally, we topped the mix with some granola.

We think this job was a successful one for our students!

They thought it was a pretty a delicious one as well 🙂

We had an absolute blast this week! Join us again next time for more fun and learning—–Group by Group!

Apr10

How We Make Money

Posted on April 10, 2016 by jd785

How We Make Money

SENSORY GROUP

The science access point recognize objects that create sounds can be addressed here.

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

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

One really cool way to earn money would be as a Rock Star! In addition to finger drums and a tiny toy guitar, there were some star worthy sunglasses and feather boas in this box.

The science access points recognize objects that create sounds and the science access point recognize one or more external body parts can be addressed with this activity.

Everyone got in on the fun……..

…..looks like we have some future superstars in the making 🙂

Match living things with their habitats is a science access point that can be addressed here.

Our little Chefs had fun icing the play food cupcake with whipped (shaving) cream. Great messy fun!

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

Recognize 2 dimensional shapes in the environment is a math access point.

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

We started by discussing the shape of the bees body—-an oval—-and asked the students to identify the color yellow using communication symbols.

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

Next the students painted black stripes on their bee.

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

Then they used a glue stick to apply glue to the wing and put it on their bee. We encouraged them to put the wing DOWN onto the bee’s body.

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

With a little help they added a googlie eye by placing in ON a glue spot.

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

Ta Da!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!

The students identified the shape of the paper using communication symbols—-they did a really great job and we were SO proud 🙂

Recognize 2-dimensional shapes in the environment is a math access point.

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

Ta Dino DA

Fabulous fossil finds!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We tied in a couple of the jobs we talked about in our book because we made an edible treat (chef) with honey (beekeepers)!

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

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Our students then got to indicate if they wanted strawberries on top by verbalizing yes/no or by nodding/shaking their heads.

Once the strawberries were in, our students helped SQUEEZE the honey onto their yogurt and strawberries. Finally, we topped the mix with some granola.

We think this job was a successful one for our students!

They thought it was a pretty a delicious one as well 🙂

We had an absolute blast this week! Join us again next time for more fun and learning—–Group by Group!

Mar27

March Madness

Posted on March 27, 2016 by jd785

March Madness

It is that time of year——time for March Madness! So we are all about the NCAA basketball tournament this week! Our sensory groups explored basketball themed boxes. The fine motor groups painted their basketball themed art projects. The language group made bouncy balls!

SENSORY GROUP

Lots of college teams compete in the tournament and UCLA has won the most championships! This box contained pompoms and beads in the team’s colors—–blue and gold. In addition to the color, the items can be differentiated by texture.

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

Blue and white rice represented The University of Kentucky which has had the most WINS of any university—–how cool is that! We put in the letters N C A A for our students to find and there was a little picture of a basketball player at the bottom of the box.

Match objects by an observable property, such as size, shape, and color—-in this case the letter A’s—is a science access point that can be addressed here.

Everybody has a favorite team to cheer for so we put a bunch of colorful shaker pompoms into this box. Of course we made sure to include some in the colors of our favorite teams 🙂

We also included a goofy fan hat for the students to wear and our fans had a blast with this box!

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

The students had fun with this bright orange play dough—–very eye catching! We encouraged them to try to roll the play dough into balls or to use the cookie cutter to cut out letter B’s.

Recognize changes in observable properties of materials is a science access point.

This year the final four games will be held in Houston, Texas so we dedicated this box to the state. We used paper shred in the colors of the state flag (red, white, and blue) and put in a big white “lone” star that is also seen on the flag. We also included a cowboy, horses, and cows—-other things we associate with the state.

There was a fun little cowboy hat (thanks Ms. Kim) which our students

—–and teachers :)—–thought was lots of fun.

The science access point recognize a model of a real object can be addressed with this activity.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was founded by President Teddy Roosevelt so we went “all american” with some red and blue glitter sprinkled into our oobleck this week 🙂 As usual the students had a blast with it and those little bits of sparkle made it even more inviting!

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

We went with a “sporty” scent for our water play, hands were rinsed in Old Spice Denali scented water. You may notice we even tied our circle shaped bowl into the theme—-rather clever, if we don’t say so ourselves 🙂 Since getting the highest score is the object of the game, we included some numbers for our students to scoop out and SCORE!

Recognize quantities 1 to 3 using sets of objects, pictures, or number names is a math access point.

Instead of lotion this week we used some Coca Cola scented lip balm. We figured all that cheering would make any fan want a nice cold soda! The students loved the scent which we applied to wrists, ears, or hands—–NOT lips of course!!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students painted paper plate basketballs.

First we discussed the shape of our plate and asked the students to identify a CIRCLE using communication symbols.

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

Then students also used communication symbols to identify the color ORANGE.

The science access point identify objects by one observable property, such as color is addressed here.

We wrapped some bubble wrap around a scrubber sponge and encourage the students to stamp UP and DOWN.

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

Ta DA—–

let’s play some B-Ball!

On Wednesday our students made some basketball jerseys using paper bags.

First the students identified the color of our paint using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property is a science access point.

Then they started painting their “jerseys”.

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

Next they identified their number and placed it on the wet paint.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

TA DA—-

put me in coach——

—–I’m ready to play!

LANGUAGE GROUP

To celebrate March Madness, we made our own bouncy balls! We actually used 2 different recipes so that we could COMPARE them to see which one worked better. These are the 2 recipes that we used: DIY bouncy balls Since both of these recipes contained borax, we VERY closely supervised our students!

We started by asking our students to choose which 2 colors they wanted the balls to be (since we were making 2 different recipes).

After we tallied up all the votes, we discussed which 2 colors had the MOST votes: blue and pink it was!

Compare quantities using language, such as more, less, or the same is a math access point.

We started with the first recipe in the link above. Our students helped us POUR the ingredients into each of the different cups. We observed the white glue change colors when we put in the food coloring. When we poured the glue mixture into the cup with the borax/water, we observed the glue becoming solid—–how cool is that!

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

Once we took the glue mixture out of the water, we had to squeeze the water off and form the ball (this was done by an adult). After the ball had hardened somewhat, everybody got to touch it!

Recognize 3-dimensional objects, such as balls (spheres) is a math access point that can be addressed here.

Then we made the next recipe. We talked about how the amounts of ingredients were smaller and how the steps were DIFFERENT. We also got some good math skills in by discussing how we needed 2 half tablespoons to make 1 whole tablespoon while measuring out the ingredients.

Distinguish half from whole using objects is a math access point.

Once both balls were made, we compared the 2 by bouncing each of them. Before we bounced them, though, we HYPOTHESIZED which one we thought would bounce higher. Although they bounced about the same height, we think the blue one (from the first recipe) went a little bit higher! The students loved this part of the activity 🙂

Distinguish between objects in motion (kinetic energy) and at rest is a science access point.

Thanks for joining us this week for March Madness and we hope your bracket did well 🙂

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

Mar13

Women in History

Posted on March 13, 2016 by jd785

Women in History

To celebrate Women’s History month we decided to learn about some amazing women of the past. Each of the sensory group boxes was dedicated to a different woman and the fine motor groups made art projects that were also dedicated to one of them. The language group became French chefs—-like Julia Child!

So let’s hear it for the girls!!!

SENSORY GROUP

Sacagawea was a member of the Shoshone tribe. We put in lots of beads—–necklaces and a shaker bottle—– in this box because members of the tribe wear clothing decorated with colorful beadwork.

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

Emmeline Pankhurst was a British suffragette. Not only did her box contain a British flag banner, but it also contained a fellow suffragette—–of the teddy bear kind 🙂

Recognize a characteristic of national identity is a social studies access point.

Maria Montessori was born in Italy and developed methods for teaching children with intellectual disabilities. This box contained rice in the colors of the Italian flag red, white, and green.

There were letters and numbers for the students to find as well as a picture of a teacher at the bottom of the box.

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

Edith “Jackie” Ronne was the first women to explore Antarctica. We used shaving cream and cornstarch to make a fun snow box in her honor! The snow could be squished or scooped into little snow balls and the students had so much fun playing in it 🙂

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

Bessie Coleman was the first African American to become a pilot. Not only did she fly planes but she performed stunts with them too—–how cool is that!

We recorded the sounds of a propellor plane on a voice output device and added a hand held fan so the students could get the feel of riding in one of those old planes.

Goggles, toy plane and cute little co-pilot added to the fun. There were LOTS of giggles with this box 🙂

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

Edith Flanigen was a scientist who invented a molecular sieve used to make oil refining cleaner and more efficient. In our water play, the students got to see how sieves work—-what fun!

Recognize a way to stop an object from moving is a science access point.

Rachel Carson started the modern environmental movement when she wrote the book Silent Spring which highlighted the misuse of pesticides. Her box contained leaves, flowers, insects and birds. The box was not so silent though——our little blue bird chirped when squeezed 🙂

Recognize common objects related to science by name, such as ice, animal, and plant.

Our scent this week was cucumber melon from Bath and Body Works. We chose it because we thought Julia Child might have like it’s yummy aroma. The students liked the scent and are really doing a great job of letting us know where they want the scent applied.

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students used watercolors to make a “secret” picture appear. Our secret picture represented the nickname of World War II spy hero Nancy Wake and was made by using a white crayon and this: mouse template

We started by asking the students to identify the shape of the paper we were using—–a rectangle!

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

Then they applied watercolor paint to the paper using paintbrushes or a switch operated vibrating massager.

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

Ta DA

It’s the White Mouse!

On Wednesday our students made their own representations of the flag of Benazir Bhutto’s country of Pakistan. We used this to complete the project:moon and star template

First we talked about the shape of the flag and the students used communication symbols to identify a rectangle.

The math access point recognize objects with 2-dimensional shapes is again addressed here.

Then we talked about the colors used in the flag and used a paper cutter to trim a green rectangle piece of paper into a SQUARE!

The science access point recognize a change in an object is addressed here. Identify objects by one observable property, such a color is also addressed.

Ta DA—–let’s celebrate Benazir Bhutto!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We channeled Julia Child for our language group this week (you know we can’t pass up a time to cook!). Since Julia Child wrote a cookbook bringing French cuisine to America, we decided to try out a (modified) French recipe——we made crescent rolls filled with brie cheese.

We passed around the container of crescent rolls so that our students could FEEL if it was hot or COLD. Then, we passed around small bites of the brie cheese so they could TASTE it. Brie cheese is definitely an acquired taste to some, so there were some funny faces 🙂

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

Cara rolled up the cheese in the crescent rolls and we counted out how many were on the tray. Then we placed them in a toaster oven to cook!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

We read that kids in France drink water or fruit juice, so we decided to combine the 2 and make flavored water!

We brought plastic fruits depicting the different flavors and each of our students indicated the one they wanted.

We ended up with 4 votes for grape and 2 votes for peach. Our students indicated that there were MORE grape votes.

The flavored water was a HIT!

Finally, once our crescent rolls were finished, we cut them up and enjoyed our version of French cuisine!

Delicieux 🙂

We really enjoyed learning about all these amazing women this week! Our spring break is starting so it will be 2 weeks until we are back with more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Mar6

Nevada

Posted on March 6, 2016 by jd785

Nevada

We went west and learned about the awesome state of Nevada this week! We chose this topic to compliment the Unique Curriculum unit our students are studying this month. Our sensory group boxes represented different facts about Nevada. The fine motor groups used paint brushes to complete their art projects and the language group cooked with a solar oven.

SENSORY GROUP

Hay production is one of the key industries of Nevada so we used some hay (well actually raffia but we thought it looked pretty similar) as the base for this box. A puzzle piece cow, Las Vegas magnet, gold and silver beads also represented key industries. There were animals that are symbols of the state (mountain blue bird, tortoise, big horn sheep) or are found there (burro). We even included a camel because camel races are held in Virginia City every year——how fun is that!

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point. Totally rocking the sunglasses from the box is a COOL point 🙂

Turquoise is the official semiprecious gem of Nevada and our box of colored beans looked pretty close to the real thing! The students had lots of fun sifting through the beans and we put in some letter N’s for them to find—–great for tactile and visual discrimination.

The math access point recognize two objects that are identical to each other can be addressed here.

The Hoover Dam provides hydroelectric power for millions of people! Our students experimented with water power in our little Lake Mead (the reservoir formed by the dam). They even got to wear a hard hat——like the ones invented for the men who worked on constructing the dam! Our students had lots of fun with this, as you can tell with these super cute pictures 🙂

Recognize one way people use water is a science access point.

Nevada is our driest state which means the sun shines A LOT! We filled this box with some bright yellow Floam——perfect for squishing and molding it into little round suns!

Recognize three dimensional objects, such as balls (spheres) is a math access point.

With an average rainfall of about 7 inches, Nevada is mostly desert, not a lot of trees grow there! We used some kinetic sand for this box and put in some animals such as snakes and lizards you might find in the desert.

The science access point match animals that are the same can be addressed here.

With all those lights, Las Vegas is one of the brightest cities in the world! There were some fun light producing toys for our students to explore in this box. The students had a blast with them!

Recognize sources of light is a science access point.

The students had fun finding silver glitter in the shaving foam—–not exactly silver “mining” but still lots of fun 🙂

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

The scent we used for our water play and lotion was called pink lemonade fizz (from Bath and Body Works). Since the average temperature is usually pretty hot, we thought sitting by the pool drinking a pink lemonade would be the perfect ending to a day exploring Nevada.

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students made a miniature Hoover Dam art project!

They started by using a paper cutter to cut out a strips of paper printed with the words “Hoover Dam”.

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

Then they glued their strips onto a paper plate cut into a half circle.

Next we discussed the shape of the paper we were going to use to complete our project and asked the students to identify its color using communication symbols.

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

The math access point recognize a common object with a two-dimensional shape is also addressed.

The students painted their paper using corn syrup tinted with blue food coloring. We have used this technique before and it is really super cool because once dry, it has the shiny wet look of real water!

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

Ta DA…….

It’s the Hoover Dam!!!!!

On Wednesday our students decorated colorful sun visors we picked up at the dollar store. They were 3 for a dollar and you know we couldn’t pass up a bargain like that 🙂 It was a quick easy project and the students had a blast!

Since a lot of gold and silver mining takes place in Nevada, we thought it would be fun to paint the visors with those colors.

Recognize a change in an object is the science access point addressed here.

TA DA—–we are ready to visit Nevada!!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We made our own solar oven to demonstrate how the sun’s energy can be used to heat up food. We made the oven, following directions found online, using a pizza box, tin foil, cling wrap, and black construction paper. We put it out in the sun about an hour and a half before our group (thank GOODNESS it was a sunny day!).

We cut 2 slices of bread into 4 pieces each and put some butter on them. Our students observed what the butter looked like (a solid) before we put the bread with butter in the oven.

Recognize parts of whole objects is a math access point.

Then, we broke up graham crackers into small pieces and placed 1 chocolate chip on each piece and placed them in the oven as well. We put both the buttered bread and the chocolate chip graham crackers in so that we could COMPARE which melts faster.

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

Since it takes some time to melt, we got out our plush sun and each of our students got to play with it.

Recognize that the Sun is a source of heat is a science access point.

We found that butter melts faster than chocolate! It was so fun (and delicious) cooking food in the sun——YUM!

Hope you enjoyed learning about Nevada as much as we did! Join us again next time for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Feb28

Colors

Posted on February 28, 2016 by jd785

Colors

We had a pretty colorful week—–literally 🙂 We have been wanting to do a color theme for a while and were inspired by our friend @teachezwell.me who has been posting a series of colorful photos. So with spring on the way, this seemed like the perfect time! Our sensory group boxes were filled with a feast of colors. The fine motor group painted with colorful ice cubes and the language group conducted experiments of the colorful sort.

Let’s explore some of the rainbow of colors that make up our world!

SENSORY GROUP

The BLUE box was filled with a variety of items and textures for our students to explore—–all in a base of bright blue basket filler.

It was a lot of fun to put together and LOTS of fun for the students to explore.

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

Just like the blue box, our ORANGE was filled different objects and textures. Fake “spaghetti” strands made the base of this box then we added pumpkins, balls, —–and a great big shaker pompom that was a totally favorite!

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

The students were fascinated by the PINK sand in this box. It was pretty mesmerizing to watch as it was sifted through the strainer.

Track objects in motion is a science access point.

This PURPLE slime had a pretty weird jello-like texture and while some of the students were a little hesitant to touch it, others dove right in! We made this using a non-borax recipe found on the internet.

Pretty cool stuff!

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

We cut up portfolio covers and other pieces of translucent plastic to make our GREEN light box. Light boxes are always a hit with our students and this one was no exception!

Recognize sources of light is a science access point.

Our giant RED ladybug cushion was a big hit. Not only did it feel soft but when hugged it VIBRATED——how fun is that!

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

Color surprise was theme of our water play this week. Bath tablets (from Crayola) dropped into the water turned it into a different color for each group.

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

We finished with some WHITE lotion—–sea island cotton from Bath and Body Works. The students really liked the aroma and the feeling of the lotion rubbed on their different body parts such as arm or neck.

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

Ms. Maria gave us the idea for this week’s art project—–painting with ice cubes!

We started by discussing the shape of our paper and the students used communication symbols to identify a rectangle.

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

Then we started painting with the colorful ice cube “brushes”. The students really enjoyed this activity.

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

The switch operated massager helped one of our students move his ice cubes around the paper.

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

Ta DA!!!!

Just fabulous!

LANGUGAGE GROUP

We found some cool experiments that used COLOR for our language group this week.

The first one we did was Fireworks in a Jar. Our students helped pour some WARM water into a small vase, filling it up about 3/4 of the way.

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 in this activity.

We put about 2 tablespoons of oil in a small dish and squeezed some different colored drops of food coloring into the oil. We passed it around so our students could see that the food coloring did not spread all around but looked like little dots in the oil—-pretty cool!

Then, we stirred up the oil/food coloring so that the bigger dots broke off into even smaller little dots.

Finally, we poured the oil SLOWLY into the water. After a couple of seconds, the food coloring started to spread down into the water, resembling fireworks!

WOW!

The next experiment we learned how mixing 2 colors creates a new color. For our first try, we put some blue food coloring on one corner of a gallon bag and then squirted some clear hair gel onto it. On the other corner of the bag, we put some red food coloring and gel.

We turned off the lights, taped the bag onto a light box, and our students squished the gel all around. It was pretty fascinating to watch the colors change and even cooler to see it on the light box!

We did the same with yellow and red and our students watched as the colors changed into orange. VERY eye catching!

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

What a fantastic week——–join us again next time for more fun and learning Group by Group!

Jan10

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 10, 2016 by jd785

Happy New Year!

Happy 2016 everyone! To welcome the new year we thought it would be fun to take a look BACK at some things that happened in past “new” years.

Each of the sensory group boxes related to one of the historic events. The fine motor groups made art projects celebrating 2016 and the language group—-well they had a party 🙂

SENSORY GROUP

The marriage of Prince Ferdinand and Queen Isabella united the country of Spain. The red and yellow of this colorful box were a nod to the colors of the Spanish flag. In addition to sorting by color, the students were able to sort by texture since we included soft pompoms and hard beads.

Of course, the beads were also lots of fun to wear or shake 🙂

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

In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed and in celebration of that historic event we made some red, white and blue play dough! We added snipped pieces of an old star garland and some glitter to give the play dough a patriotic sparkle 🙂

The students cut out stars using two different sized cookie cutters.

The science access point recognize differences in size of objects is addressed here.

At the turn of the century, people were thrilled with the construction of the Statue of Liberty. We thought our green Bubber looked pretty similar to the color of the statue as we see it today.

Bubber’s texture is a little like circus peanut candy so it is drier than play dough but it still sticks together really well.

We also included a souvenir hat just for fun——thanks Kira!

While making sculptures with the Bubber, the students addressed the science access point recognize a change in an object.

Trying on the hat addressed the “let’s have fun” access point 🙂

In 1955 the hit song Rock Around the Clock was released. Our students used finger drums and a maraca to rock out to the song we recorded on a voice output device.

The finger drums were a HUGE hit 🙂

The science access points recognize an action as fast or slow and recognize objects that create sounds are addressed here.

The movie Footloose was hugely popular in 1984 and we thought this neon rice perfectly represented the decade!

The little funnel and spoon made for lots of scooping fun and the students were especially fascinated as they watched the grains stream out the bottom. At the bottom of the box was a piece of paper with the numbers 1984—–written with neon markers, of course!

Track a falling object is a science access point.

The psychedelic 1960’s rang out with the Woodstock concert held in the summer of 1969. In homage to the fashion of the day, we made some tie dye oobleck! Watching the colors swirl around was just GROOVY 🙂

We got the tie dye effect by mixing the different colors in separate bowls and then pouring them onto a tray.

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

Another musician made history in 1977 with his concert in Hawaii—–the king himself, Elvis! Since lei’s are made from plumeria flowers we used that scent from Bath and Bodyworks for our water play scent this week. There was a “plumeria” blossom floating in the water and a bulb syringe to “water” it with.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is addressed here.

The students really liked the aroma of the matching lotion rubbed on their arms and hands.

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday the students decorated signs made from paper plates and popsicle sticks.

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

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

Then they painted the plate with GOLD paint—-this looked so cool!!! By having the students hold onto the popsicle stick handle we also addressed bilateral coordination with this activity.

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

We added even more sparkle with some glitter confetti and topped off the sign with a piece of paper with “2016” printed on it.

The paper stuck easily to the paint so we didn’t have to use glue!

Recognize that objects can stick together is a science access point.

TA DA—–Happy 2016!

On Wednesday we used the numbers 2016 again, but this time we put them on a SHIELD—-kind of like the one Henry VIII might have used!

We started by identifying the number 6 on a number line—-the students did a really great job with this!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Then we got out some BIG brushes and painted the shields with silver paint. Some of the students are still learning to use paint brushes but most of them got to work without any help from us!

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

We used the Ellison machine to cut out the numbers 2-0-1-6 and the students placed them on their shields.

To make it easier to hold, a toilet paper roll was hot glued to the back of the shield by an adult, then…….

Time for a 2016 royal TA DA

LANGUAGE GROUP

In our language group this week, we made some yummy cornbread. It is a traditional Southern food eaten for good luck because it’s supposed to resemble gold!

We started by counting out the cupcake liners while placing them in the cupcake tin. We used a visual of the number 6 to help reinforce number recognition.

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

Then, we followed the directions on the Jiffy cornbread mix box and put all of the ingredients in a bowl. We made sure to talk about the COLOR of the cornbread mix and also how it was DRY. When we cracked the egg in, we talked about how the mixture was now WET.

Distinguish between items that are wet and items that are dry is a science access point.

When it was time to pour in the milk, noting that it was a LIQUID, our students got to feel the temperature—-it was COLD!

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

We mixed up the ingredients and counted out how many spoonfuls we needed to put into the cupcake tin. Once finished, we put them in the oven to bake.

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

While we were waiting, we had a small New Years party of our own. We got out party hats, boas, and princess crowns. Our students then got to make some “fireworks” by walking or rolling over bubblewrap- —they had a BLAST!

Finally, we got to eat our “gold”. Cheers to a lucky 2016!!

Well, it was back to school with a blast and we had tons of fun welcoming in the new year! Join us again next week for more fun and learning——Group by Group!