Sandhill Cranes

We do a number of projects in kindergarten and one of them is about migration and the needs of birds.  We chose to take a closer look at the Sandhill Cranes.  I put together a Power Point slideshow that we use to learn about these cool birds.  We will also be watching the Crane Cam from Nebraska.

We are in the path of their migration, so keep your eyes and ears open as they have a distinctive look and sound.  We will watch for them during the day while we are here, but you may see them while you are out and about. 

Here is a photo of a Sandhill Crane taken by photographer Doug Backlund.  Also I've added a link to hear their unusual sound.  If you see them on the ground, watch their unusual behavior.  They are an interesting bird that is as big as a kindergartener!  Good luck finding some!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLtMlOcvXMg

 

http://sdakotabirds.com/species/sandhill_crane_info.htm

  Length: 36"- 48"    Wingspan:  70"-90"

New Class Photos

Jazz and Blues Assembly

Our K-12 students were very lucky to be exposed to some awesome jazz and blues music!  A member of this group explained how this music started and how it affected the history of music.  The kids were very interested!  The kindergarteners sat very well and even a band member commented about it afterwards.  The children made "thank-you cards" the next day to send to them.  It was a great experience for the students!

Hallway Owls

I had the k-kids decide what they would like to teach others about owls and then they wrote up some captions {with my help}.  Then we made a display in the hallway for others to see.  I included their drawings and some photos of owls by Doug Backlund a SD nature photographer.

Is it snowing?

It isn't snowing yet!  I brought in a cattail one day and as the days went on the students started to notice that it was getting fluffy.  I took the kids outside and explained that the inside of the cattail had many seeds and when the wind would blow it, the seeds would spread and someday, some seeds would sprout into more cattail plants if the conditions were right.  On this windy morning, I swatted the cattail against the building and the seeds started to fly.  You can see the kids trying to catch them.  They thought it was great!  It was a fun way to learn about seed dispersal.

Owl Art

Today we did a step-by-step drawing lesson on owls.  The k-kids did a great job of following directions and they were so happy with their creation.

Owl Pellets

Today the little kindergarten scientists learned about owl pellets.  They learned that owls swallow their prey and when they can't digest all of it, they cough up a pellet of fur and bones.  The students each had their own pellet to take apart and look for bones.  They found skull bones of birds and rodents, other bones, and teeth.  It was so quiet and they were so interested in it.  I was surprised!  Then they begged me to keep them, so they glued them to a sheet of paper.  They wanted to show their family!

South Dakota Bird Books

I am very interested in birds and throughout the year I teach my students about birds.  I am amazed at how quickly kindergarteners catch on to birds or anything that has to do with nature.  Here is a photo of two boys with their very own "Backyard Birds of South Dakota" books.  Thanks to the SD Game, Fish and Parks Wildlife division for these free booklets. 

We keep them in school all year and they look at them often.  Soon they are quite good at drawing the birds in there as well as naming them.  I think it is important for children to be aware of and stay connected to nature.

Fire Safety Month

October is Fire Safety Month and the firemen came and showed a DVD of fire safety, let the kids try on their gear and then they gave them a ride in the fire truck.  The kids loved that!

Homecoming Float

Here is the kindergarten float for this year's homecoming parade.  The kids had a great time that day! 

Painting Pumpkins

One of the boy's grandparents gave each child a small pumpkin from their garden.  The children enjoyed painting faces on them!  A big "thank you" to them!

Halloween Art

Here is some Halloween art that the students enjoyed creating.  The ghosts are their white footprints and the skeletons are made of paper plates.  They got a lot of cutting practice working on those and they did quite well!

Hat Day!

It is homecoming week and along with that comes the dress-up days.  Today was "Hat Day" and here are the kids in their hats as well as them looking a little crazy in their hats!