In the weeks just before vacation, children were introduced to opinion writing.  We discussed what an opinion is (what someone thinks, there is no right or wrong answer) and compared opinions to facts (true, can be right or wrong).  We spent time sharing opinions as a class and orally supporting them with appropriate reasons.  Children then had an opportunity to write opinion pieces on several topics, using words and illustrations to support their ideas.  Some of the topics we wrote about included school lunch versus home lunch, winter versus spring, and recess versus choice.  We also wrote opinions in response to several books including "Hey Little Ant" by Hannah and Phillip Hoose and "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems.

Last week we switched gears and began working on informational writing, using our nature name animals as a focus.  We began by talking about an imaginary animal, the snufflewump.  I told the class I had recently seen a snufflewump in my yard, which of course sparked lots of curiosity.  Using this imaginary animal that we knew nothing about we brainstormed a list of questions to help us learn about it.  Some of the questions students came up with included

• Does it have fur?
• Where does it live?
• Does it live in Vermont?
• What does it look like?
• Is it a predator?
• Do people eat it?
• What does it eat?
• Does it live in a cave?
• Is it eaten by other animals?
• What noise does it make?
• Does it hibernate?
• Does it have sharp teeth?

We used this list to make categories for research that could encompass all of these questions.   These include description, habitat, food, winter survival, special features for protection, and other interesting facts.  We have been using actual books and several apps with online books to research each animal.  So far children have completed pages for what their animal eats and where it lives, using words as well as thoughtful illustrations to share the information.  We will continue to gather information and work on pages in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday morning the rain held off, other than a few stray drops, temperatures were mild and we had a fantastic ECO session.  After hearing the story "Those Darn Squirrels" by Adam Rubin (your child can tell you about it!) children were challenged to create a squirrel carnival or playground.  Groups of 3 children were each given several small containers, rope, a pulley, and a couple of carabiners.  They were also encouraged to use natural materials from the forest.  Some of their creations included squirrel zip lines, swings, elevators, and trapezes.  Many students requested more time for exploring with these materials so we will bring them with us in the coming weeks.

During our reading buddy time for the last couple of weeks children worked on making game boards with their partners.  They began by planning and designing using a rough sketch of ideas.  These ideas were then transferred to larger paper.  Many chose to use their nature name animals as a theme.  While the games all involve moving players from a starting point to a finish, they are all very creative and unique.   Once the boards were complete kindergarteners had a chance to play the games with their partners and also spent time playing with classmates.  This was a fun alternative to our usual reading routine.

We have had an abundance of wiggly teeth in our classroom the last few weeks and suddenly at least half the class has a little gap in their grins!  It's interesting to see which children are persistent wigglers or yankers and which children patiently wait until a tooth is hanging by a thread.  While Clayton is always happy to see kindergarteners, I'm sure that seeing them for lost teeth (he provides special cases so the teeth won't be lost) is far more pleasurable than visits for illness or injury.

Many of us now have a gap in our grins...

and some of us are just starting to get wiggly teeth!