Butterfly Extentions....

Alright so the other day I was here telling you all about our Discovery Center!

We still have caterpillars but all of our beautiful monarchs have been released into the great wide open.

Yesterday fantastic things happened in our world! The kids are really getting into this whole bug thing.

It started when one little girl found a classroom critter. We caught it very gently, in a bug container and put it on display in the discovery center.

Soon enough-kids were gravitating towards it. We had ourselves a cricket!

 

This child sat in a chair staring at the cricket for about 5 minutes before she picked up this blue "diamond" we had sitting near discovery in our hands on thinking center (math). The kids have been sorting the diamonds, and rocks and other materials. But she grabbed the diamond and was pointing it at the cricket. When I asked her what she was doing she said "seeing if he can see the blue one."

 

She then picked up a red diamond and pointed both diamonds at the cricket and exclaimed "Look! Now he's a shiny purple one!"

 

 

Cue the epic background music. She sat down at a center. Without being persuaded to do so, and made her own observations! The discovery center is right by a window so the light reflecting off the two diamonds and back onto the crickets home-made the cricket look kind of purple!

 

 

This cricket led to fantastic conversation.

 

 

After recess the cricket was placed on the production (art) table, and supplies were left at the table. Children sat down, and drew the cricket! Some of them drew a cricket and a dog. Some of them drew their dad. But still-some of them drew a cricket!!!

 



 

Above is the process, and then the product. Have I told you yet that I love my job?

 

 

While sitting with the small groups that came and went to the production center, they asked many questions. I started this conversation by saying "I wonder if the cricket likes it in there?" This was followed by amazing inquiry. Such as, but not limited to:

 

"I wonder if he drinks coffee?"

"I wonder if he eats animal food?"

"I wonder if he walks?" and then was followed by a shrieking "He does walk!!!!!" when he moved.

 

"I wonder how he gets away from predators?" (Yes, I'm serious. First week of school and some of our kinders are using the word predators!!) :)

 

"I wonder if he is sad?"

"I wonder if he likes cookies?"

 

And my favourite statement: "He's cricketing!!!!!!!!" upon hearing him make his cricket noises!

 

 

The kids are seriously interested in discovery.

We also had a guest speaker today. Our vice principal brought in part of his butterfly collection to show our class.

 



Beautiful. The kids learned some new vocabulary from our speaker. He taught them the words camouflage and metamorphosis, as they pertain to butterflies! :)