What Do We Do All Day?

Good Question!  This will be a first in a series of posts about how we are spending our days.  

One part of our day is titled Read/Write/Explore.  During this time the children are engaged in many learning activities of their choice while I teach guided reading.  

The most popular spot so far this year seems to be the Science area.  I have been gathering materials for this explore center for many weeks now and I continue to gather while on my walks around my neighborhood.  Some of the articles they are studying are different species of leaves, plants, rocks and shells. And since our Voyage I've added some stream water with algae floating in it. 

I've included books for them to reference and as well they can use an I-pad to search for information.
They gather in this area with their spiral notebooks.  They draw what they see, add labels once they discover what they are looking at, and teach each other about what they know.  This week we tried an I-pad app called Leafsnap, a way to try to identify trees.  Come in any time you are looking for a reason to smile...because these little scientists are really fun to be around!

 Kaden is so engaged in his specimen!

 Hey!  We discovered what a sycamore tree is!

 The boys are checking for living organisms!

 The magnifying glass makes us feel so scientific!