Tag Archives: kids

Paris book

Paris book

Our assistant principal, LaToya, took a trip to Paris recently, so we thought it’d be fun to do a unit on Paris!  Our book covers some facts about Paris and also talks about some of the sights that can be seen.  We even have some personal pictures from LaToya which she took while on her amazing trip!  One of our students is featured on the front enjoying his time at a cafe.  Oui oui!

 

 

 

 

Here is a link to the book: Let_s Learn About Paris

Paris

Paris

Ooh la la we are learning about Paris this week! Ms. Latoya, our AP recently visited the city and her fabulous photos inspired our theme this week. Our sensory groups explored boxes related to Parisian facts. The fine motor groups made art projects with a familiar Paris landmark and the language group made a tasty french treat!

 

 

 

 

SENSORY GROUP

We put some paper shred in the colors of the French flag then added a variety of things associated with a trip to Paris. We included animals you might see there, a toy airplane, a passport, some pictures of Napoleon and Emma Watson (she was born in Paris), and even a squeaky “french pastry”! Lots to find and discover in this box.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Our rice is also in the colors of the French flag—-red, white, and blue. There were letter P’s to find and also a map of France at the bottom of the box.

 

 

 

 

Recognize objects as the same is a science access point.

 

 

 

 

 

The Catacombs of Paris are ancient burial spaces that many tourists like to visit. We made our own spooky catacombs using kinetic sand and some plastic skeletons from the dollar store. As usual, the students were pretty fascinated by the way the sand reacted when pushed, pulled, or allowed to drip off fingers.

 

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

 

 

 

 

After touring around for a while, it would be fun to stop at a cafe for coffee—-a very popular drink in Paris. There was a picture of the Eiffel tower to find at the bottom of the box and a heart shaped measuring cup and small spoon for scooping fun. Unfortunately, we didn’t include any croissants 🙂

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Paris is known as the city of lights. We put lots of lights on our “Paris at night” umbrella and it turned out to be a big hit. The colorful lantern lights were particularly eye catching! We attached some laminated night time photos of famous Parisien landmarks and made sure to point them out to the students.

 

 

The social studies access point recognize a picture with a place can be addressed here.

This umbrella was a real hit with the students…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we had to include some more photos!

 

 

 

 

 

We discovered that plaster of paris actual does come from PARIS—how cool is that. We mixed shaving cream and cornstarch to get a similar texture to crumbly plaster. It had an interesting tactile feel and was VERY messy—–the students weren’t quite sure what to make of it 🙂

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, hands were easily rinsed in water scented with Bath and BodyWorks french lavender bath gel. We put in a couple of colorful ducks to float around in our Seine River. These ducks were pretty cool because they lit up when they touched the water—-how cool is that!

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

The matching lavender lotion had a pretty light scent and made for a nice reminder of a visit to Paris.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students made their art projects using this: Eiffel Tower

First, they identified the color of our paint using communication symbols.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they painted a white piece of paper with red and blue paint.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

They glued a silhouette of the Eiffel Tower (precut from black construction paper) DOWN on to their painting.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TA—- ooh la la—- DA!

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                        We love Paris!

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday the students made another Eiffel Tower inspired project but this time we shrunk the template 50% and cut it out of sparkly gold craft foam.

First the students identified the shape of their paper using communication symbols.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they painted with a mixture of gold paint and a little bit of glue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Time to sing the glitter song and “shake, shake, shake that glitter”!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Next, they squeezed some glue onto the back of the Eiffel Tower and patted it DOWN on to their paper.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TA Da!

 

 

 

 

 

                                                           Paris—–the city of lights!

 

 

 

 

LANGAUGE GROUP

Paris has lots of wonderful cuisine so we decided to try some out this week.  We made some dessert crepes!  Here is the recipe: Let_s Make Strawberries And Cream Crepes

We started out by making some whipped cream.  Our students helped PUT the whipping cream into the bowl.  Then we added some sugar.

Our students indicated that we needed to use tablespoons rather than measuring cups.

 

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

 

 

 

 

Each of our students observed that the mixture in the bowl was a LIQUID.

We had to mix the ingredients up, so each of our students took turns activating the switch to turn the mixer on.  It took a while for the whipped cream to set, so some students had a couple of turns.

Once it was done, our students observed that the mixture was now a SOLID.

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

 

 

 

 

Time to make the crepes!  We put some dollops of the whipped cream into each crepe and added some strawberries to it.  For our students who are on a puree diet, we smashed up the strawberries and mixed them into the whipped cream.

We folded up the crepes for the other students.  They had to request that they WANTED some the crepes to eat. YUM!

 

 

Join us again next time for more fun and learning

                                                                          Group by Group!

2018 Winter Olympics book

2018 Winter Olympics book

We are so excited about the Winter Olympics!  We are talking all about it this week during our groups.  The book features some pictures of some of the events that you might see while watching the Olympics.  These pictures are special, however, because they feature our students participating in the events!

 

You really need to check it out to see the fun 🙂  Enjoy the Olympics and the book!

 

Here is a link to the book: Let_s Watch The Winter Olympics!

2018 Winter Olympics

2018 Winter Olympics

We stayed in a sports mode this week with our Winter Olympics theme. Our sensory groups explored boxes filled with wintery sports fun. The fine motor groups made olympic themed art projects and the language group hosted our own Winter Olympics!

It was a super fun week and we hope you enjoy seeing all that we did!

 

 

 

 

SENSORY GROUP

Paper shred at the bottom of this box was in the colors of the Korean Flag. We filled it with a variety of winter and olympic themed items including medals and a medal stand. The olympic fanfare was recorded on a voice output device and we even had a mask of the olympic mascot—-a white tiger!

 

 

The science access point recognize a model of a real object can be addressed here.

 

 

 

 

 

This box contained chenille stems in the colors of the olympic flag. The students loved the soft texture of the rings and loved bending them into a variety of shapes—-including circles.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

We put some gold glitter in our yellow play dough this week. The students used a circle cookie cutter to make their own olympic gold medals!

 

 

 

 

Again, the math access point recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape is addressed.

 

 

 

 

 

Colorful costumes are a feature of the ice skating competitions. The students loved wrapping themselves in the sparkly sequin fabric. They also found the three glittery discovery bottles to be very eye catching!

 

 

 

Track objects moving up and down is a science access point.

 

Did we mention how much they loved the fabric 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The winter olympics is all about snow so of course we had to have some! Insta Snow is great and really feels pretty close to the real thing! There were 2 different sized scoops—-perfect for making snowmen or snowballs 🙂

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Red and yellow food coloring was added to shaving cream to make olympic torch flames. The students had fun mixing the colors  and seeing them change to orange as the colors combined!

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Bath and BodyWorks peppermint scented the water this week. That icy aroma seemed the perfect choice for a wintery unit. There were some pool noodle olympic rings to match, count, or stack!

 

 

 

Recognize two objects that are the same size or color is a math access point.

 

 

 

 

Matching peppermint lotion was very popular with the students—-whether applied to hands, arms or behind ears 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday, the students made an ice skating themed project using this: ice skaters

First, using communication symbols, they identified the shape of the paper.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Next, they used blue markers to make skate tracks on the “ice”.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They also got to make some skate tracks using our switch operated writing tool—-always fun 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Distinguish between objects in motion and at rest is a science access point.

 

 

 

 

Then the students glued their ice skater DOWN on the paper—-pat, pat, pat!

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ta DA!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perfect scores!

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday, the students made their own gold medals using paper plates.

First, they identified the shape of plate the using communication symbols.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they painted their paper plates with gold paint.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Pincer grasps were practiced as the students pulled ribbon through a hole in the plate.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

TA DA!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our gold medalists!

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE GROUP

We had lots of fun this week in the language group!  We had our own school Winter Olympics (although the weather made it feel more like it should’ve been the Summer Olympics). All of the elementary classes participated in the events.

We started with a parade led by our very own torch bearer and the host country carrying their flag!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other classrooms created their own flags and had a flag bearer parade with it through the hall to represent the class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were some very colorful flags!

 

 

 

 

 

Our first event was ice skating with ice skaters on switch toys! We had pairs skating, so 2 students got to activate the switches at the same time.

 

 

 

 

We used the ice skater templates from our fine motor group glued  on to pieces of cardboard then attached to the switch toys with velcro.

 

The skaters danced to music from Beauty and the Beast which was recorded on a voice output device.

The switch we used for the boy skater was wireless so we got some super cool twirls which the students (and adults) found quite exciting!

 

 

 

 

 

We had another student who was the score keeper.

He used an All-Turn-It spinner with numbers around it so whatever number it landed on was the score that was received.

There was some controversy with scoring—-not everyone agreed with the judge 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we had the curling event.  We had 2 students from different classes compete with each other.

They had to push/sweep the ball through the cones to win the game.

 

 

 

They needed a little bit of guidance, but overall they did really well.

 

 

 

 

 

From that event, we went outside for the bobsledding.  The OT’s created some really cool bobsleds out of cardboard boxes that fit over wheelchairs.  We had 2 man bobsled teams: a student and a teacher.

 

 

 

 

Our races consisted of 2 teams at a time.  The teams had to wait to hear “GO” before running to the finish.

 

This event was lots of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like the dragon boat races we had a few weeks ago, we found out just how competitive our teachers are 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

The final event was the luge.  Our students had to follow directions to keep their bodies on the sleds in order to “luge” down the hill.

 

 

 

 

Although it was a short ride, they had so much fun!

 

 

 

Everybody got to take a turn…..

 

 

…..or two or three 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, everyone came together for the medals.  Each student received a medal for participating.

 

 

 

 

We took team photos.

 

 

 

 

Everyone agreed…….

 

 

 

 

 

…………. it was a Winter Olympics hit!

 

 

 

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

 

The Super Bowl book

The Super Bowl book

We’re celebrating the Super Bowl, albeit a week late.  The book talks about what the Super Bowl is, when it first started, and some fun facts about the event.  It also talks about the 2 teams that were playing as well as who the entertainer was for halftime.  We have a couple of students featured on the front and back dressed as a football player and a cheerleader.

Take a look and find out about the Super Bowl!

 

 

 

Here is a link to the book: We Watched The Super Bowl

The Super Bowl

The Super Bowl

Like everyone else we were very excited to watch the Super Bowl last Sunday—-and if we had planned a little better this unit would have been last week 🙂 However, it turned out to be a nice review for our students and we had a lot of fun! Our sensory boxes were related to the different teams. The fine motor groups made some group art projects and the language group made a Super Snack!

 

 

 

 

SENSORY GROUP

We based this box around some basic football facts. Since the color of the ball is BROWN we used some brown beans that kind of, sort of , maybe were football shaped 🙂 The beans were fun for the students to scoop up or push hands into while looking for number 2’s that were buried beneath.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

 

 

 

 

 

This box was filled with beads in the colors of the Philadelphia Eagles. The beads were very eye catching and great for either sorting, wearing,………. or shaking.

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

 

 

 

 

Patriotic pasta was used for the New England Patriots box. There were some fun shapes such as bells and stars to find and scoop with the different sized measuring cups we included.

The box also sounded pretty cool when the dry pasta was shaken.

Match objects by one observable property, such as shape, is a science access point and can be addressed here.

 

 

 

 

Bank Stadium (where the game took place) has purple seats, we used PURPLE basket filler for the stadiums colors. We added a variety of football related items including minature balls, a plush eagle, football player figures, and some fun cheerleader shaker pompoms. We also recorded a song by half time show headliner  Justin Timberlake.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you watch the game at home or in the stadium, there are always some yummy snacks to be had! We used colorful popcorn as a base for our box, then put in a play food hamburger, hotdog, and soda bottle. To add to the fun some of the play food made noise when squeezed!

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Patriots play in the Gillette Stadium so we didn’t have to think hard to come up with our messy play this week—–shaving cream of course 🙂

The students were encouraged to make oval “football” shapes or draw straight “yard lines”.

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

 

 

 

 

 

For our water play we used Old Spice Denali body wash—-we figured that was something those football players might use to wash up after the game. It was a pretty strong scent that really wafted around the room!

Since this was Super Bowl 57, we put foam numbers 5 and 7 in the water.

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

 

 

 

 

 

We couldn’t find any Denali lotion but decided to use Bath and BodyWorks amber for men. It was another strong scent that was popular with the students. As usual, we asked them to indicate where they wanted the lotion.

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

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday the students made a football poster using this: football player

First the students identified the paint color we planned to use.

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

 

 

 

 

 

The students took turns painting the “grass” on our poster board field.

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

 

 

 

 

Then they glued their players DOWN onto the field.

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

Ta DA! Are you ready for some football?!!

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday the students turned themselves into football players. We got this idea from the Cornerstone School—–great idea guys!

First the students  identified the color they were going to use on their jersey. We had one table color an Eagles jersey and the other table colored a Patriots jersey.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they used crayons and markers to color their jerseys. Since this was a big piece, we encouraged big strokes!

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

 

 

 

 

 

TA DA!

                                                                        Put me in coach!

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE GROUP

Since the Super Bowl is the 2nd largest food consumption day in the U.S., we HAD to make a snack fit for the game.  Here is the recipe that we used for this week: Let_s Make Buffalo Chicken Dip

We started out by putting the softened cream cheese into the bowl.  Our students had to inform that they wanted to help by raising their hand and/or by indicating “help” on their communication board.

Next, we added some chicken to the bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We put some ranch dressing in the bowl next.  Our students helped by squeezing the bottle to pour the ranch into the measuring cup and then pouring the ranch into the bowl.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we added some buffalo sauce.  We used just a little bit of mild sauce so you might find that your students can tolerate a little bit more.  We just didn’t want it to be too spicy!

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stirred all of the ingredients up and popped it into the microwave for 2 minutes.  We talked about the microwave making the ingredients WARM.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once our recipe was finished, we passed out some dip with some chips.  Our students had to request that they wanted “more” chips since we only gave them 3 to start with.

Indicate desire for more of an action or object is a math access point.

We’re ready to watch the game—–again!

 

 

 

 

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

Ancient Myths and Legends book

Ancient Myths and Legends book

This week, we are learning all about some of the different characters that are read about in ancient myths.  Our book covers some different characters such as Apollo, Thor, and Osiris, to name just a few.  We have our students dressed as each of the different characters and they look really spectacular!  Check out the book to see all of the characters that we learned about and find out a neat fact about each of them.

 

 

 

Here is a link to the book: Who Are The Characters In Ancient Myths?

Ancient Myths and Legends

Ancient Myths and Legends

This week we decided to take a look at some of the characters of ancient myths and legends around the world. The sensory groups explored boxes dedicated to different characters. The fine motor groups made some inspired headdresses and the language group made a not so mythical snack!

 

 

 

 

SENSORY GROUP

Our starry night umbrella was very eye catching and worthy of Nott the Norse goddess of the night! With some twinkle lights, a moon,  and silver stars this really captured the students interest.

 

 

 

The science access points recognize that there are many stars in the sky and recognize a full moon as a circle can be addressed here.

 

 

 

 

Zeus is associated with weather—-especially thunderstorms. In this box, we put a fan for wind, a fiber optic toy for lighting, a rainstick, and a SUPER COOL thunder tube! This is the first time we got to use the thunder tube and it really did sound like the rumbling sounds of thunder. This box was a hit!

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

With glitter and sequins which made our play dough even more eye catching, the students used a butterfly shaped cookie cutter to make colorful wings like those of Egyptian goddess Isis.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

In addition to a couple of ancient Egyptian figures, there were some pyramids, a rake, and 2 giant carrots in our play dirt box dedicated to Osiris who supposedly taught the world about farming. The play dirt feels similar to kinetic sand and the students had lots of fun with it.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

We think Venus would be tickled with all the hearts and valentines to discover in this box. There was red and white paper shred,  heart beads, red bows, a valentine bear, and lots of other heart shaped items. Lots to explore and discover!

 

 

The math access point recognize similarities and differences in the size of objects is a math access point.

 

 

 

 

Yellow food coloring and gold glitter made our oobleck dedicated to Apollo pretty “sunny” this week.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Since Sedna was an Inuit sea goddess, we put some animals that might be seen around the arctic ocean regions. The students were able to scoop out toy animals such as a whale and walrus.

We also included a measuring cup for scooping fun.

 

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

 

 

 

 

Thor was associated with lots of different things including the oak tree so we used Bath and BodyWorks oak scent for our water this week. Since we didn’t have a matching lotion, we used their mahogany scent which we figured was close enough—-both truly heroic scents 🙂

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

On Tuesday we made headdresses inspired by Venus. We found the supplies on the give away table—–one man’s trash is another’s treasure 🙂

We started by identifying the color of supplies using communication symbols.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we cut pieces of bulletin board trim using switch operated scissors or paper trimmers.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Then the students glued a large heart on to their paper strip.

 

 

 

 

 

The math access point recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape can be addressed here.

 

 

 

 

 

Ta DA!

We are spreading the love!

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday we made headdresses inspired by those worn by the ancient greeks and romans.

First the students identified the color of the leaves using communication symbols.

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

Then they also chose how many leaves they were going to put on their headdress.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

 

 

 

 

 

The students twisted paper to make “grapevines”. Some of them could do this independently but most needed a little help. It was a great activity for bilateral coordination!

The science access point recognize the appearance of an object has changed is addressed here.

 

 

 

 

 

The students squeezed glue on to their leaves and then glued them DOWN on their grapevines.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Ta—- toga—- DA!

 

 

 

 

 

Our students are legendary!

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE GROUP

Since Osiris was a god who helped man learn to farm, we decided to make a smoothie made with ingredients that need to be farmed.  Here is the recipe we used: Let_s Make A Blueberry Spinach Smoothie.  Don’t let the ingredients trick you into thinking this isn’t going to be good!

We started out by putting some frozen blueberries into a blender.  Each of our students got to touch the bag.  They communicated that the bag felt COLD.  We talked about how we needed to use a measuring cup in order to measure out the blueberries.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we added some frozen bananas to the blender.  Our students had to request if they wanted to help by raising their hand or indicating “help” on their communication board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We added some baby spinach to the blender next.  This got a few funny looks, both from the students as well as the staff!

Milk and vanilla Greek yogurt were also added to the mix.

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

 

 

 

 

Finally, we added some honey.  Each of our students got to taste test the honey before we put it in the blender.  We talked about how it tastes SWEET.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our students took turns pressing the switch to activate the blender so we could blend all of the ingredients up.  We counted out how many cups we needed (thank you to grandma for showing the kiddos how many cups we needed!) and poured some for each student.

 

 

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point. Solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions using language, such as enough, too much, or more is another math access point addressed here.

 

 

 

 

All the students and adults thought this smoothie was pretty delicious, despite the ingredients being so deceiving 🙂

YUM!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

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

Taiwan book

Taiwan book

We are taking a trip and learning about Taiwan this week.  Earlier this year, we had some visitors from Taiwan come to our school and perform for us.  It was SO COOL so we thought it would be neat to learn some things about our visitors’ home.  Our book shares some information, such as the national animal, bird, and flower.  It even has some fun facts about a famous director who was born in Taiwan as well as a really interesting fact about their garbage trucks.  Take a look to find out more about this amazing country!

 

 

 

 

Here is a link to the book: Let_s Learn About Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan

We were lucky enough to be visited by an acrobatic school group from Taiwan. They were absolutely amazing and made us want to find out more about their country. Our sensory groups explored boxes related to facts about the country. The fine motor groups decorated dragons to use in dragon boat races hosted by the language group.

 

 

 

SENSORY GROUP

Red, white, and blue are the colors found in the Taiwanese flag so we had our students sort pompoms in those colors. We included a laminated flag for reference.

 

 

 

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

The math access point recognize three-dimensional, such as balls (spheres), can also be addressed here.

 

 

 

 

We used a bird shaped cookie cutter in blue moon sand to represent the Blue Magpie which is the national bird of Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Tea is a popular drink in Taiwan. Our box of tea contained the letters T-E-A for our students to find as well as a map at the bottom of the box. There were also 2 different sized spoons which made for lots of scooping fun.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

The Formosan Black Bear is the national animal of Taiwan. The students really liked the feel of the black bear “fur” and cuddling with the cute plush black bear cub.

 

 

 

Recognize objects related to science by name, such as ice, animal, and plant, is a science access point.

 

 

 

 

 

Ang Li, who is from Taiwan, directed the movie The Hulk.  Our green kinetic sand was definitely the right pick for this box. Since we didn’t have a Hulk action figure on hand, we made our own laminated one and the students seemed pretty happy with what we came up with.

 

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

 

 

 

 

We practiced making the letter T for Taiwan and had lots of fun scribbling in the shaving cream this week.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Taiwan is made up of lots of islands so fishing is an important part of the economy. We put different sized scoops and two cute little squirting fish in the water play this week.

This turned out to be a really fun activity and the students had a blast.

 

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

 

 

 

 

Plum blossoms are a symbol of Taiwan so we used Victoria’s Secret plum scented bath gel and lotion this week. The light floral scent was really popular with the students.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR GROUP

Joy drew these dragons on poster board and gave each of the classes one to decorate. Two of our classes decorated theirs during Fine Motor group time.

 

On Tuesday the students decorated their dragon in their team color—-PURPLE.

First the students identified the color purple using communication symbols.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Then we stamped UP and DOWN with a bubble wrapped stamper. Most of the students needed a little assistance with this but they were all very engaged in the activity!

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

We sprinkled on some confetti for a little added sparkle.

 

 

 

 

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point that can be addressed here.

 

 

 

 

 

TA DA!!

 

 

 

 

 

The Purple Dragons are ready to rumble!

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday the Pink team decorated their dragons.

First, we identified the color of our markers using communication symbols.

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

We also identified the number 3 because each student was asked to draw 3 lines on the dragon.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

 

 

 

 

 

A variety of PINK markers were used for this activity and the students were encouraged to draw straight lines but, of course, any effort was applauded 🙂

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

We sang our glitter song while adding some PINK glitter.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We used both regular and adaptive scissors to cut some Pink paper streamers and attached them to the dragon.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

TA DA!

 

 

 

 

 

Hear those Pink Dragons ROAR!!!

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE GROUP

We had LOTS of fun in the language group this week.  We learned that each year, Taiwan has a big Dragon Boat race so we thought it’d be fun to have our OWN dragon race. Each elementary classroom chose their team color.

 

 

 

 

Before we began racing, we talked to the students about going FAST in the race.

Recognize a motion as FAST or SLOW is a science access point.

 

 

 

 

Everyone had to wait until they saw the signal to GO (we used the Pixon communication symbol for “go”)

 

 

 

 

…………..and they were off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the students and teachers ran down until they got to the red ribbon finish line.

 

 

 

 

 

We have some really fast teachers and students!

 

 

 

 

The competition was fierce…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

…..and there were some close finishes!

 

 

 

 

We talked about who was the fastest and won the race.  The top 2 fastest classes won trophies and the other classes each won medals.

 

 

 

 

The pictures can’t begin to capture all of the fun we had at the race lol!  We might have to make this an annual event as well 🙂

 

 

Join us again next week for more fun and learning

                               Group by Group!