Tag Archives: special needs

Apr10

How We Make Money

Posted on April 10, 2016 by jd785

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!

Apr3

At the Hoedown

Posted on April 3, 2016 by jd785

At the Hoedown

One of the most fun activities our PE department does is hold a annual “hoedown”. At the hoedown, each class performs an original square dance they practiced during PE. It is always so much fun that we decided it would be this week’s theme! The sensory group explored boxes with textures and symbols associated with hoedowns. The fine motor groups made colorful art projects and the language group invited their friends to a hoedown.

SENSORY GROUP

We put some sawdust at the bottom of this box to give it that “barn like” feel. The sawdust was not super fine so no dust was kicked up when little fingers ran through it. It really had an interesting texture that our students found enticing. There were some barn animals and square dancers to find as well as the word FRIENDS.

The science access point select an object or picture to represent observed events.

It wouldn’t be a hoedown without music! We recorded some appropriate music on a voice output device and our students rocked along with a bean bottle shaker. Needless to say, fun was had!

Recognize objects that create sounds is a science access point.

So did we mention how much fun the students had—–and how totally cute they looked 🙂

There were lots of colorful bandanas and a bandana garland in this box. The students had fun waving and shaking the items. There was also an opportunity to compare the SOFT cotton of the bandanas with the ROUGH feel of the burlap on the banner.

Recognize differences in objects or pictures is a science access point.

We included 2 cookie cutters—-a boot and hat—- with the blue moonsand in this box.

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

Each classroom decides the kinds of patterns they form in their square dance. The students practiced making some of those same kind of lines—– such as straight, curved, or zigzag—- in our Goo Bag (made with hair gel and confetti stars).

We found that double bagging the gel and taping all four sides down onto the tray helped make it a little more durable.

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

There were both upper and lower case letter H’s to find in our rice, dyed blue and yellow which are our school colors.

There was a cute cowboy hat to find at the bottom of the box.

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

Country apple scent from Bath and BodyWorks seemed the perfect scent for our hoedown unit! We put some of the bath gel in our water play and it really was a nice aroma. There were 2 different size scoops to add to the fun.

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

The matching lotion was very popular with our students. As usual, after we asked them to smell the lotion, we asked them to show us where they wanted it applied.

The science access point recognize one or more external body parts can be addressed here.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students used markers and stickers to decorate a cowboy boot using this: boot template.

We started by asking the students to choose a marker and identify it’s color using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as size or color.

Our students did a great job coloring within the designated area!

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

Applying stickers was great for practicing pincer grasp skills. The students were able to brush up on their math skills by counting the stickers as they were placed on the boots!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Ta yeehaw Da!

Ready for the hoedown!

On Wednesday the students made a poster and used this: hoedown girl and boy template to decorate it.

First we asked the students to use communication symbols to identify our paint color—–they did an awesome job!

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

Then they stamped “hay” on the poster using UP and DOWN movements. Our stamper was made using a piece of fringed craft foam folded in half and held together with rubber bands.

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

Next it was time to add dancers—–we have our fantastic volunteers to thank for getting them ready for us. We asked the students to find the one with their picture on it, apply glue, and attach it to the poster.

The math access point recognize when an object is added (addition) or is taken away from (subtraction) a situation.

Ta Da—-swing your partner round and round!

LANGUAGE GROUP

So since we were talking about hoedowns this week we HAD to have one! After we read the book, 2 of our little cowpokes moseyed on down to the other elementary classrooms to invite their friends to join the fun.

We had some cider and vittles—-otherwise known as apple juice, ice cream, and chips 🙂

It was pretty TASTY!

YUM!

There was a fun photo booth….

Say “round ’em up cowboy”!

Of course we did some square dancing—-you can’t have a hoedown without dancing!

We pulled up a bunch of different bluegrass videos from YouTube on the Smart Board and took a turn around the dance floor.

Yeehaw!

A good time was had by all 🙂

Join us again next week 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!

Dec13

We’re FROZEN!

Posted on December 13, 2015 by jd785

We’re FROZEN!

The movie Frozen is SO popular with our students that we decided it was the perfect unit to end our semester! We had so much fun putting this unit together, collaborating with both the PE and Art departments made it even more special!

The sensory groups explored boxes with lots of different textures. The fine motor groups used markers and glue to make fabulous art projects and the language group conducted some frosty experiments.

Of course, our book was extra special for this unit so be sure to check it out also!

SENSORY GROUP

Aqua, blue and purple basket filler was the base of this box—-so pretty! The students had lots of fun discovering all things we had hidden in it. Well, perhaps the 3 giant snowflakes weren’t that hard to discover 🙂

Also hidden in the colorful filler were snowmen, “snowball” beads, and some cute little Frozen play figures.

The math access points differences in size of objects and associate quantities with number names can be addressed here.
We had 2 fascinating discovery bottles. One turned into a glittery snow flurry when turned or shaken. The other bottle was filled with some glass beads which looked like little chunks of ice.

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

The students were pretty intrigued with our “reindeer fur” Sven box. This fake fur was long and a little coarse which we thought was a pretty good stand in for the real thing. A cute little plush reindeer was included for cuddling fun 🙂

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

Do you want to build a snowman? Our students did! We put some potato head pieces and fake food carrot into our box of white Floam. It was fun to see the different creations the students made.

Recognize that the human—-and snowman :)—-body is made up of various parts is a science access point.

We brought back our snowflake umbrella yet again and as usual, it was a huge hit. It really is so pretty!

Because no one has heard the song “Let it Go” enough 🙂 we recorded a verse on our voice output device. Needless to say, none of the students passed on their turn to hit the button lol.

Recognize objects that create sounds is a science access point.

This box was filled with some Insta-snow, since we don’t have much access to the real stuff here in Florida! It had an interesting texture that wasn’t a hit with everyone, but most of the students had fun with it. They used their hands or the melon-baller to make snowballs.

The science access point identify different types of precipitation, including rain and snow can be addressed in this activity.

Hands were rinsed in water scented with Bath and Bodyworks juniper breeze scented water. There were a variety of foam snowflakes scattered in the water and a measuring cup was included so the students could scoop them out.

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

The matching lotion was used as a sweet remembrance of all the fun we had today. We chose this particular scent because we figured that junipers MIGHT grow in the cold climes of Arundelle!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday we used markers to color a Frozen picture. We found this PERFECT free printable at http://yourtherapysource.com

We started by discussing the shape of our paper and asking the students to identify a “rectangle” using communication symbols.

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

Then they used purple and blue markers to make fabulous scribbles and swirls on their paper.

The students did a really great job with this and had such great concentration!

Since they had to share the markers with their friends, the science access point share objects with a partner is addressed with this activity.

After they were finished coloring, they got to add some snowflakes to their pictures. We applied glue to work on 1:1 correspondence. Of course, it was a great opportunity to practice pincer grasp skills as well (and the OT really likes that!!!).

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

Ta Da…….

…..let it go, let it go, let it go………

On Wednesday we continued talking about shapes while making Olaf!

We started by discussing the shape of the boxes we were going to use (cereal boxes covered with white paper) and used communication symbols to identify their shape.

The math access point recognize a common three-dimensional shape was addressed here.

Then the students used adaptive scissors to cut out another shape——this time a TRIANGLE—–out of orange paper and used glue sticks to attach it to their box.

The science access point recognize a change in an object and the math access point recognize a common object with a two-dimensional shape are addressed in this activity.

Next they added 2 eyes and identified the number 2 using communication symbols.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

The students used a black marker to draw a mouth to the face, then added a small RECTANGLE tooth that they cut out using the adaptive scissors.

It was fun to see the different expressions they came up with for their snowman 🙂

The science access point recognize one or more external body parts can be addressed here.

A brown chenille stem was added to the top of the box and the cutest Olaf you have ever seen!

TA DA!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

Since we are experiencing 70+ degree weather in the middle of December, snow—-or even cold weather—-seems like a distant dream, we decided to make some snowy experiments! Here are the experiments we did: Let’s Make Snowy Experiments.

We started out making a snowstorm in a jar. First, we poured baby oil in a cleaned out peanut butter jar. Our students got to take turns smelling the baby oil first and they all seemed to like the clean smell of it!

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

Next, we put water and white paint into a bowl. Our students had to mix it all up until the water was nice and white. Then we poured it into the jar and added some glitter—-we never pass up the opportunity to add glitter to a project 🙂

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

Not much of a snowstorm UNTIL we put half of an Alka Seltzer into the jar. Once it started going, we had our version of a Florida snowstorm!

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

Pretty darn cool!!!!

After we were done oohing and ahhing, we started on our second experiment, homemade snow. This one was pretty easy. We used a WHOLE box of baking soda and about HALF a canister of shaving cream and stirred it all together. We divvied up our mixture into a couple of small bowls and our students got to feel our “snow”.

Very cool feeling—–literally 🙂

The science access point recognize parts of whole objects and parts of sets of objects can be addressed in this activity.

We used our homemade snow for our final experiment, EXPLODING snow.!!!!! We put the bowls with the homemade snow onto a tray, sprinkled some glitter, and then poured some vinegar into each bowl. Tada! Exploding snow!!!!!!

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

THE FUN CONTINUES….

Our PE department has a fabulous winter wonderland unit going on this month and this coordinated perfectly with our Frozen theme! The students were having so much fun, we had to include some photos.

They got to experience some blizzard conditions (the teachers used a hairdryer and some fake snow to create this).

There were LOTS of giggles 🙂

There was an Aurora Borealis area activated with switches!

And finally ICE SKATING in shaving cream—–how fun is that!

Well that wraps up our first semester. Apart from an After Party post, we will be gone for a few weeks, enjoying our winter break.

From all of us here, we wish you Happy Holidays and be sure to come join us in 2016 for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Dec6

December

Posted on December 6, 2015 by jd785

December

We learned a lot of fun facts about the month of December this week. There is actually more to the month besides holidays! Our sensory groups explored boxes related to symbols and events related to the month. The fine motor groups painted fabulous art projects and the language group made delicious hot chocolate—-YUM!

SENSORY GROUP

Each month has a special “birthstone” and the one for December is turquoise. The students searched for both upper and lower case “D”s in our box of turquoise beans. Beans are always a hit with our students but when they are this beautiful color they are even more enticing 🙂

The science access point match objects with similar observable properties, such as shape, can be addressed here.

The flower for the month is the narcissus. In this box we mixed green holly with white silk “narcissus” petals—–actually, they’re white poinsettias from the dollar store, but we think they totally worked! In addition to sorting by color, there were textures to compare.

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

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded during the month of December—–how cool is that! In honor of everyone’s hope for peace around the world we added a big peace symbol to our blue and green rice. Underneath there was a picture of our world as viewed from space.

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point addressed in this activity.

This box contained lots of different symbols of December. There were a variety of items representing the holidays of Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. A mountain goat was included to represent capricorn—-one of the zodiac signs that fall during the month. Since many people visit FRIENDS and FAMILY during this month, we added those words to the box as well.

Some of the toys made noise and these were a HUGE hit!

Recognize an object related to an event is a social studies access point.

There were also some fun Christmas tree glasses and as usual, our students totally rocked them 🙂

Too cute!

National Chocolate Candy Day falls during this month—-how sweet is that, LITERALLY 🙂 We made some delicious smelling chocolate play dough that could be cut into little candy pieces with a cookie cutter.

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

The Wright brothers made their first flight on December 17, 1903. While they didn’t quite make it up into the clouds that day, our little plane is flying around some shaving cream clouds in celebration of that historic day!

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

Hands were rinsed in water scented with Bath and Bodyworks winter candy apple scent. There were 2 different size scoops and a giant foam “D”.

Recognize differences in sizes of containers that hold liquids.

The students really liked the matching lotion! Asking if they “liked” the scent and “where” they wanted it was a great opportunity to practice communication skills.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday the students made a poinsettia craft in celebration of national poinsettia day which occurs on December 12. We used this:pointsettia template

We started by discussing the color of the paint we were going to use and the students used communication symbols to show us the color RED!

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

Bubble wrap was tied with a rubber band around a kitchen scrubber and the students used that to apply the paint to their flowers. We emphasized that we were stamping “up” and “down”. Of course, they all had their own techniques 🙂

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

After the students finished painting we taped their flowers to a large craft stick and TA DA——

——-pretty poinsettias!

On Wednesday the students painted a peace symbol in honor of the Nobel Peace Prize. We found this idea at kiwicrate.com

We started by discussing the paint colors we were going to use—–BLUE and GREEN. Again the students used communication symbols to identify the colors.

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

Before we started painting, we also discussed the shape of our plates and that the painters tape that had been placed on the paint was called a “peace symbol”. Then we squirted paint onto their plates and the students got to work!

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

After they had finished painting, they got to peel the tape off their plates—–they really had fun with this part 🙂 It was also a great way to practice pincer grasps.

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

Sending wishes for…….

…….PEACE!!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

Our language group made a tasty December treat—–hot chocolate!

We started by opening 2 packages of hot chocolate mix, making sure that we counted each package, and pouring them INTO a bowl. This was a great activity for practicing pincer grasps!

Then we added 2 cups of water and began stirring it into the chocolate powder. After each student took their turn we would ask them if we needed to stir MORE or if we were ALL DONE.

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

We set the microwave for 1 minute. After we took it out we asked the students to touch the bowl—it was WARM!

To make the hot chocolate even yummier we gave the students a choice between toppings—–marshmallows or whipped cream!

Time to drink up——-YUM 🙂

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

Nov22

London

Posted on November 22, 2015 by jd785

London

Our students are learning about transportation in their Unique Curriculum units this month and we thought a virtual trip would go perfectly with this unit. Soooo many choices, but for this trip we decided London would be a perfect destination!

Our sensory groups had fun exploring boxes with lots of British flair. The fine motor groups made colorful art projects and the language group “traveled” on a scavenger hunt.

SENSORY GROUP

Time to get on the plane! We recorded the phrase “fasten your seat belts” and the sound of a jet taking off on our voice output device. Our vibrating tube added to the feeling of being on a plane and was a huge hit with our students.

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

——–did we mention how much fun the vibrating tube was 🙂

This British flag banner made for lots of fun draping and waving! We also included a little souvenir teddy bear, wearing his own little British flag vest—-super cute and huggable!

Associate an object, picture, or symbol with a location is a social studies access point.

Filled with red, white, and blue paper shred this box included things tourists might see while visiting London. There were play figure people, some “crown jewels”, and London souvenirs such as a GIANT pencil!

We included some transportation vehicles like a plane, cars, and of course the ultimate symbol of London transportation—-the double decker bus!

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

Trains are another great way to travel around London. There were 3 letter “L”s to find and a little train to chug through this box of tea. There was also a map of the London Underground to find at the bottom of the box.

Recognize a method of transportation is a social studies access point.

The Tower of London is a must for any tourist. Our students made their own replica’s using our grey Floam. They really had fun with this. Since we didn’t have a British flag, we laminated a picture of one and used an unsharpened pencil as the flag pole—-it worked pretty well!

The social studies access point associate an object, picture, or symbol with a location is again addressed with this activity.

Red and blue glitter made for some pretty colorful oobleck—-and represented the colors of the British Flag.

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

Hands were rinsed in our Calgon “english garden” scented river Thames. Roses are a symbol of Britain and lots of rose bushes can be found all over London! There was a little river boat for cruising down the river. We also included a little teapot and cup—–for tea time, of course!

Recognize differences in sizes of containers that hold liquids (capacity) is a math access point.

We used Crabtree and Evelyn rose scented lotion to finish our group and leave our students with a great olfactory memory of our trip! This lotion had a strong aroma that really got the students attention and as usual, we asked them to show us where they wanted the lotion.

Recognize external body parts is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students made their own Crown Jewels! We used these pre-made crown shapes purchased at the thrift store.

We started by asking the students to pick a crown and then identify it’s color using communication symbols.

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

Then they used a large brush to spread some glitter glue over their crown. The glitter glue didn’t add as much sparkle as we had hoped but still worked as glue 🙂

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

Those crowns needed some jewels and a few old spice jars worked pretty well as confetti and sequin shakers.

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

Ta DA—-

their royal majesties!

On Wednesday our students made a fabulous travel poster! It was a pretty quick and easy project but it turned out really cute.

They started by using the adaptive tabletop scissors to cut squares from black paper.

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

After they glued their photo to a square we told them it was time to “get on the bus” and glue themselves onto the double-decker bus!

Placing their photos on the squares addresses the math access point match one object to a designated space to show one-to-one correspondence.

TA DA—-Lets visit London!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

Since Unique was all about traveling, we decided to do a “travel” scavenger hunt with our language group using all of the different locations that were in our book.

Before our group, we went around and put pictures of the different London sights from the book all around school, making sure that they were located in places that were familiar to our students. We took a picture of each of the locations as well.

In order to travel to each London sight, our students had to look at the picture of the location in the school and help us find WHERE it was. Our students could use gestures to point to where we should go or they could use verbalizations to tell us where it was (library, clinic, etc.).

When our students found each London sight, they had to verbalize the word LOOK in order to get the attention of the class…..

……or indicate LOOK using a picture symbol provided.

It was so much fun and we found that some of our students have a great ability to navigate around our school!

We had such a great time traveling to London this week! We will be out next week for Thanksgiving but come back in December for more fun and learning——Group by Group!