What do you see?
Introducing new topics and artifacts is
always fun in a preschool room, especially when children are seemingly seeing
something for the first time. I put an object on a table and asked, what do
you see? When you look at it, what do you think/wonder? And of course
followed with, what makes you think so? Based on what you read
below, what do you think it is?
- “It looks like an up-side-down
rainbow. I wonder if it is a necklace.” C
- “I think it’s a splat holder, (what
makes you think so?) because of the splats (wax drippings) on it.”
L
- “I wonder if it’s a candle, (what
makes you say that?) because of the holes.” L
- “It looks like a statue. It looks
like a trophy.” (What makes you say that?) “Because the lines of it
are bent.” H
- “It looks different from the paper”
H
- I think …“It
represents something on December 11” E
- “It kind of has teeth.” L
- “In the middle there is like a
fairy. When the holes pop out, they pop out like fire.” J
If you thought menorah, you are
correct! I started with one Hanukkah Menorah on the table then I added another
one, as well as adding a symmetrical cutout menorah we made in the classroom.
Then we noticed:
- “It’s like math, (what makes you
say that?) because it has 1, 2, 3, 4, … 9 holes. Now there are three
menorahs and they all of 9 holes – there are 27 holes altogether. Wait, I
made a mistake! The paper one doesn’t have holes! I fooled my brain!,” he
said laughing. E
- “I see fractions!” J
Following the last observation, a
collection of children started to count by 3s and others chimed in.
We learned that not all menorahs are
symmetrical but many are, and the holes are generally equally spaced.
After exploring and learning a bit more
about Hanukkah and the Hanukkah Menorah, we learned…
- “It’s for lighting candles.” E
- “Remembrance of ancestors.” C
- “Candles represent one day.” L
- “The candles burn low.” L
- “Every night you burn the candle(s)
at night.” H
- “You light the candles after day.”
C
We discussed Hanukkah
lasting eight nights, lighting the menorah after sundown, adding candles left
to right and lighting them from right to left, adding one candle per night and
lighting the other candles with the shammash (the helper candle).
Enjoy lighting the lights!
Here are some bonus shots of fraction, graphing, and sewing projects and art class from our week - enjoy!
Oh, this class! One got it started and the rest joined in!
