We learned about Nobel Prize winners this week. This complements our student’s Unique Curriculum unit this month. The sensory group explored boxes with a variety of themes. The fine motor group made peace symbols and the language group made Peace Pizza!

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENSORY GROUP

The Nobel Prize is made out of gold. A circle cookie cutter matched the shape of the medal and our gold kinetic sand moves like molten gold!

 

 

 

 

Our students love this stuff—-and so do we!

Math access point: recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes, such as a circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students loved twisting chenille stems into rainbows, peace symbols, or their own original designs.

 

 

 

 

 

Soft, bendable, bright, colorful—-a definite hit!

Science access point: recognize that pushing or pulling an object makes it move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow rice represented the Rainbow Nation of Nelson Mandela. The colorful rice was very eye catching and there were different sized spoons and cups for scooping fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Math access point: recognize similarities and differences in size of objects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malala, the youngest prize winner, is from the country of Pakistan. We learned that they drink green tea there, so we filled her box with some green tea leaves.

 

 

 

 

This was the first time we have used this tea and our students found the aroma and texture of the tea very interesting. There was a scoop, small pot, and a picture of Malala in the box.

Math access point: recognize when an object is added to or taken away from a situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students sorted red and white pompoms—–the colors of the Polish flag. Lech Walesa, another Nobel Prize winner, came from Poland.

 

 

 

 

Math access point: identify items that belong together to form a set.

 

 

 

 

The students were encouraged to draw circles—like a peace sign or Nobel Prize medal—in shaving cream.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, most of them simply enjoyed the experience!

Science access point: apply a push to move an object.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then again, some of them were a little more tentative 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were foam letters forming the word P E A C E in this week’s water play.

 

 

 

 

 

There were also a selection of funnels and scoops for pouring

Math access point: recognize differences in sizes of containers that hold liquids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin Luther King came from our neighboring state of Georgia. We chose Georgia peach as our scent and the students really liked the sweet aroma.

 

 

 

 

Science access point: recognize one or more external body parts.

 

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Wednesday we made a Claddagh picture in honor of Irish Nobel Prize winner Betty Williams.

First, we discussed the shape of our paper and identified it using communication symbols.

Math access point: recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The students glued a heart in the MIDDLE of the paper.

Next, they glued a crown at the TOP of the heart.

 

 

 

 

Math access point: recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

Then, the students got to pick what paint they wanted to use.

Science access point: identify objects by one observable property, such as color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We squeezed a little paint into the students’ hands and asked them to rub them together to spread the paint around. Ms. Michelle and Ms. Joi came up with the idea of putting paint in old soap containers—-brilliant!

Science access point: recognize one or more external body parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their picture was taped to an old oatmeal container which we handed to them, asking them to “squeeze it tight”.

 

 

 

 

Science access point: apply a push to move an object.

 

 

 

 

TA DA!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Irish symbol of peace,

loyalty, and love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Thursday, the students made a peace sign symbol using this template: peace sign

First, the students identified the color of their background paper. We chose this color because we had a lot of it and wanted to use it up 🙂

 

 

 

 

Science access point: identify objects by one observable property, such as color.

 

 

 

 

Then, the students chose a marker and began decorating their peace sign.

Science access point: recognize a change in the appearance of an object.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They also used craft foam stamps and ink to decorate the peace sign. We attached the stamps to plastic thread spools to make them easier to grasp.

 

 

 

Math access point: recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship, such as up and down.

 

 

 

 

The peace signs were glued to the background paper and——–TA DA!!

 

 

 

 

 

We thank the PEACEKEEPERS!

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE GROUP

We made a yummy peace pizza for this week’s language group.  Here is the recipe that we used: Let’s Make A Peace Pizza

We started by talking about the shape of the pizza pan.  We observed that the pan we were using was a circle and the pan in the picture on the book was a rectangle.  Those shapes are DIFFERENT.

Math access point: recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes, such as a circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a student HELP open the Boboli pizza crust and PUT it on the pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, a couple of our students HELPed PUT pizza sauce on top.  We had to SPREAD it out so that it covered the top of the pizza crust.

 

 

 

 

 

Science access point: apply a push to move an object.

 

 

 

 

 

Our students got to HELP SPRINKLE some cheese, making sure that it also covered the top.

Math access point: solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions using language, such as enough, too much, or more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we had one of our students HELP PUT the pepperoni into the shape of a peace symbol.

He did a great job!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the pizza was ready, we talked about where we would PUT it so that it could heat up.  Students located OVEN on their boards. After the pizza was done cooking, we talked about how it was HOT.

After it cooled off a bit it was time to EAT!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We cut the pizza and everyone shared it, just like peacekeepers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yum!!!

 

 

 

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

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