The Rambling Retirees

My parents worked hard all their lives and are now retired.  Part of their retirement plan was to travel the country in an RV.  As they live their dream, I asked them to send postcards of the places they traveled to our class. (I bought the stamps.) Each time we get a post card, we add it to their journey across the United States, learning a bit about maps, states and landmarks as we go.  I keep the cards and act as though they "just arrived".  We get mail and keep our learning going all year!

The Rambling Retirees start their journey in California!

A giant map of the U.S. that we use to track the journey.

 

If you have feelings and you know it...

Dr. Jean does her own version of the song "If Your Happy and You Know It".

During a recent unit about feelings we did that song and I modified it a bit to include more feelings.  You don't need Dr. Jean's versions if you know the tune of "If Your Happy and You Know It."

Here are the modified verses:

If your scared and you know it hug yourself.

If your proud and you know it kiss your brain.

If your silly and you know it wiggle all over.

If your excited and you know it shout "Hooray!"

If you have feeling and you know it do them all.

We also have a song for the feeling angry to the same tune.

If your angry and you know it count to 10.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10! (repeat)

If your angry and you know it,  

It's okay, you can control it!

If your angry and you know it count to 10.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10!

Additional verses:

If your angry and you know it, walk away. (pantomime walking away)

If your angry and you know it take a break.  (rest head on hands)

Enjoy your feelings!

Our neighborhoods

This week we celebrated Earth Week in Kindergarten.  I have some favorite books to read and one is The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton.  We read about the little houses move from the country to the city and back again.





This year we tied this book into a geography lesson.  Each student created his/her own house and glued it to a huge piece of paper, along with table mates.  Then, created a yard and garden area.  I folded the neighborhoods in half and added them to our block area.  (They stand up when folded)  Now students can add buildings and roads to the neighborhoods and show each other where they "live".