Tag Archives: trolls

Jan27

Movies We Love

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Movies We Love

January 19 was National Popcorn Day so we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to do another movie theme—they are just so much fun! Our sensory groups explored colorful movie themed boxes. The fine motor groups made cartoon character art projects and the language group got to be movie critics!

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENSORY GROUP

Students searched for letter M’s to find in this box of popcorn kernels.

The students loved the feel of the kernels running through their hands!

Math access point: associate quantities with number names.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of fun movie themed items could be found in this box. There were some plastic and plush characters from movies in this box including Winnie the Pooh and Toy Story.

Since it is fun to eat a snack during movies, we put in a popcorn box and some play food.

 

Science access point: recognize a model of a real object.

 

 

 

 

 

For our Peter Pan box, we put in a Captain Hook figure and a crocodile cookie cutter.

 

 

 

 

 

The green kinetic sand was especially eye catching and so much fun to explore!

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We thought these potato flakes resembled the look and feel of sawdust. They are soft but have a crunch quality—-very intriguing!

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to the various circus figures, there was a spoon for scooping fun.

Science access point: recognize and respond to different types of sensory stimuli.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow the Yellowbrick Road was recorded on a voice output device to go along with Wizard of Oz discovery bottles.

The students had fun finding “ruby slippers” and “witchy shoes” in one of the bottles.

 

 

Glittery swirls in both bottles were mesmerizing and a huge hit with all the students this week!

Science access point: track objects in motion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insta-Snow filled our Frozen box. The students were intrigued with the snow, not only is it fun to sift through fingers but actually FEELS cool—-just like the real thing!

 

 

 

 

Of course, we included some fun figures and a little scoop!

Science access point: recognize objects or materials as warm or cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both Dory and Nemo could be found swimming around our little ocean this week. Not only were the colorful fish very eye catching but, they wiggled when strings were pulled!

 

 

 

Lots of fun with this splashy box!

Math access point: recognize differences in size of objects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We used Bath and Body Works “be enchanted” scent this week….. because doesn’t everyone want to be enchanted when they go the movies!

The students are encouraged to use the Pixon communication boards to indicate WHERE they want the lotion.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Wednesday, the students made Troll wigs using these templates: boy troll  girl troll

First, the students identified the color of their paper wig. We used PURPLE paper for the girl wigs and BLUE for the boy’s.

Science access point: match objects by one observable property, such as size or color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they used textured paint rollers to apply glue to the wigs. The rollers didn’t work quite as well as we had hoped, but the students still enjoyed using them.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

The students used either BLACK or PURPLE glitter on their wigs. Everybody sang the glitter song of course! In case you are new to the blog, we sing “shake, shake, shake that glitter” to the tune of that old KC and the Sunshine band song 🙂

 

 

Math access point: recognize when an object is added to a situation.

 

 

 

 

 

TA DA!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                              Such cute hair!

Such cute Trolls!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Thursday the students made Dalmatians using this template: dalmatian

First, they identified the color of the ink and the shape of the stamp they were using.

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

Next, the students stamped UP and DOWN to make spots on their Dalmatians. We made the stamps by adhering sticky back craft foam circles to sewing thread spools. The size of the spools makes them easy to grip for our students.

 

 

 

Math access point: recognize when an object is added to a situation.

 

 

 

 

Then they glued their Dalmatians DOWN on to a piece of red construction paper.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

TA—-spotty—–DA!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have 101 Dalmatians!

Well, almost 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE GROUP

We changed things up a little bit this week.  Although we still had food (we HAD to have some popcorn), our students didn’t participate in the making of any food.

Instead, our students acted as movie critics.  Each student had a chance to request to watch a movie clip from one of the movies from our book.

 

 

 

 

They had to use the sentence strip that was provided to say “I want to watch” and then they had to point to the movie they wanted to see.

 

 

 

 

The movie clips weren’t longer then about 2 1/2 minutes.  After the clip ended, each student had a chance to indicate that they thought the movie was good and they liked it, or they thought the movie was bad and they didn’t like it.

 

 

 

We used a voice output device that the students used to indicate if it was good or bad.

 

 

 

 

 

After watching the movies, our critics’ outcome was that the best movie out of all of the movies was Sherlock Gnomes, but there were 2 close seconds–Toy Story and Finding Dory.

We noticed that once we were all done, the room looked a little bit like a movie theatre with all the popcorn on the ground 🙂

 

 

 

 

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

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May20

Norway

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Norway

This week we headed to the land of trolls and vikings—–Norway! Joy got to travel there last summer and shared some photos as well as a few goodies to put in the sensory boxes!

Since May 17 is Norway’s National Constitution Day, it was the perfect time for this unit. The sensory groups explored boxes related to facts about Norway. The fine motor groups made Nordic inspired crafts and the language group made a treat with fruit found in Norway.

 

 

 

 

SENSORY GROUP

Red, white, and blue rice represented the colors of the Norwegian flag. There were letter N’s and a map of Norway to find in this box.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The base of this box was red, white, and blue paper shred. Items associated with Norway filled the box including an actual flag, a viking ship, a troll, an elk, and a voice output device with music from Edvard Grieg—-a famous Norwegian composer!

 

 

The social studies access point associate an object, picture, or symbol with a location can be addressed here.

 

The hat was pretty popular 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The national flower of Norway is the purple heather. Since we didn’t have a heather shaped cookie cutter we used a generic one for the students to use to make their own bouquets out of purple Bubber.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Trolls are another symbol of Norway. There were 3 different  laminated trolls to hide in our grey Floam mountain.

 

 

 

 

 

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

 

 

 

 

We used our green light box to represent the northern lights which are visible in parts of Norway! Some of the lights we used faded in and out which added to the effect—-while not as amazing as the real thing, we thought it looked pretty cool!

 

 

Recognize sources of light is a science access point.

 

 

 

 

Winter brings lots of snow to Norway—-so time for an Insta Snow box 🙂

We love this stuff!

 

 

 

 

We put in a couple of different sized scoops, so the students could build their own snowballs.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our water play had lots of fun things this week! The students made their own waterfalls using the water wheel we placed here. We also included a little fishing boat and cute little whale to swim about.

 

 

 

The science access point track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled can be addressed here.

 

 

 

 

We learned that aspen trees grow in Norway and since we had a Bath and Body Works products called caramel aspen, we decided to use that as our scent this week. Not sure it smelled like a tree but its sweet smell was popular with the students 🙂

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday the students made trolls using this: troll template

First, they identified the color of their troll using communication symbols.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They squeezed glue on to their troll.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they spread the glue with a sponge brush.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

We touched the yarn that we were going to use for the troll’s hair—-it felt SOFT!

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they sprinkled pieces of purple yarn on to the glue. Some of our students had fun watching the yarn as it was drifted down on to the glue!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Ta Da!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trolls!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday the students made a Viking ship using this: viking ship

We also used this stamper we cut from a household sponge and attached to this acrylic freebie (we aren’t really sure what its original use was!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, the students identified the shape of the sail using communication symbols.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

We also identified the color of our paint.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The students stamped their sail one time and then we asked them if we needed to do it MORE.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Then the students applied glue to the sides of their boats and glued them to a paper towel roll.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

The sail was added by slipping the mast (we used a straw) into a precut hole in the paper towel tube and TA DA…….

 

 

 

 

 

The Vikings are coming!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGE GROUP

We celebrated Norwegian Constitution Day during our language group this week since it fell right on the day that it’s celebrated in Norway!  We read that during this day, Norwegians eat a lot of ice cream, so we decided to make some of our own.  Here is our (very easy!) ice cream recipe: Let_s Make Strawberry Ice Cream

We started out by PUTTING French vanilla coffee creamer into the food processor.  Since there are only 2 (!) ingredients in this recipe, we only put in 1 cup of each ingredient at a time so that more of our students could help with the process.  Of course, if they wanted to help, they had to indicate HELP on their board as well as hold up their hand.

 

 

 

 

 

Then we added some frozen strawberries.  Each student got to feel the bag of strawberries first and had to locate COLD on their board.  We talked about how the strawberries were in the freezer and that was why they were so cold.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Four different students got to HELP PUT the strawberries in the food processor since it called for 4 cups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

After that, we put the top on the food processor and each student HELPED press the wireless switch to turn on the food processor.  Each time a student was ALL DONE with their turn, other students would have to indicate that the food processor needed to be turned on MORE.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Finally, we counted out how many friends we had so that we could get the same amount of bowls out.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each student had to request the ice cream by indicating WANT and/or EAT.

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe was enjoyed by all!!  We were surprised by how easy it was…and delicious!

 

 

 

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

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