Skip to main content

Emergent Layer

This week we finished learning about the fourth and final layer of the rainforest, the Emergent Layer. This is also our fourth and final week of learning about the rainforest with Mother Goose Time before venturing into the Arctic next month. We learned about Blue Morpho Butterflies, Kapok Trees, Hummingbirds, Mangos, and Strangler Fig Trees. We have learned so much about each layer and how it all works together to make an ecosystem. I loved the Rainforest Friends game that was included this week. It was supposed to be a matching game but when I saw the cards and the little strip that labeled the four layers I decided to use it a little differently.


We used it as a review of all we have learned this month about the different layers of the rainforest and the animals that live there. First I took down the topic poster and we pointed out the four layers and recalled any information that we had learned. My son knew all the bugs lived on the forest floor, and my daughter remembered that the canopy was the most active layer of the rainforest. After having a chance to remember facts about each layer I set out the long thin card that labeled each layer and put the animal cards under that. Then I had them take each card and discuss where they thought it should go and why. They then agreed on which layer to place the card. They worked together so well on this project. It was fun to see how much they remembered. My daughter who is older remembered a lot and it helped my son to hear it and discuss it with her. I was able to see that they retained a lot of information about the rainforest by doing this activity like this and I also really liked how it encouraged working together and remembering facts. 

Another fun project this week was the Mango color blending Invitation to create activity. I really wanted to make sure that we got to this one because I haven't done much color mixing with my son. He is usually not to into painting but I have noticed that he has been enjoying it a little more lately. I set out the inspiration photo along with some red, yellow, and green paint. He made the mango similar to the one in the picture and really got excited when he found out how to make orange by mixing the red and yellow. He also tried other colors on some paper I gave him and quickly found out that not every color that is mixed together produces pretty colors, and he was not happy when he made brown several times. It was good for him to see what happens with those colors though, and I made sure to guide him to try other colors that I knew would work. 




We also had another would you rather game. We love this activity and again it provides us with great conversation starters and a way to gage how much they have retained by the answers they give. This activity is always fun and gives us lots of laughs. 


As we are nearing the end of November we are leaving the warm rainforest behind and getting ready to learn about the cold Arctic Tundra next month. We are also getting ready to take a trip soon and I'm pretty sure Mother Goose Time will be going on the plane with us!



*Mother Goose Time has generously provided this curriculum to us in exchange for our stories and honest opinions*







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Very Cold Week of Preschool

Its been a very cold week here in Washington as well as in our home classroom, we are finishing up week 2 of Mother Goose Times  Winter in the Woods and I would have to say that this so far has been one of our favorite months. We are having so much fun learning about all things winter and everyday there is a new theme packed with exciting activities. This week was all about the forest and how it changes in the winter. We learned about pine trees, pine cones, snowflakes, icicles, and snowmen. The cold weather is making us want to stay snuggled up in our beds, but once we are up and my kids hear about what fun things are planned for the day with Mother Goose Time they are ready to go. Even though my daughter is in second grade I still include her in some of the activities. We usually start the day by doing the calendar and weather together. Then I introduce the daily topic poster and have a brief discussion about it using the discussion ideas that are pro...

Mother Goose Time Our Way

When I first started homeschooling I wrote out schedules and times for when we would do certain subjects and activities. I pretty much drove myself crazy trying to keep up with our strict schedule. I felt stressed and most of all I felt like I was failing. I've come a long way since then. Our homeschool is so much more relaxed and homey feeling. I think the biggest change I made is going by a routine instead of a schedule. A schedule is so rigid and gives you this feeling that you can't stray from the schedule. A routine, for me anyway, is so much more flexible, and  Mother Goose Time has fit in so seamlessly with our routine. In fact I will be a little sad when my kids are to old for this program because I love the way Mother Goose Time enhances what we do each day. Our morning routine pretty much starts off the same each day. We start with what I like to call Breakfast and books. This is the time that I introduce the Daily Topic for the day. Mother Goose Time provides a Da...

Measurement and Estimation

Ever since we started receiving the More Math and More Literacy workbooks from  Mother Goose Time as an add on to our normal monthly curriculum I have noticed such a difference in my sons learning. He loves these workbooks. He likes having workbooks to do while his older sister is doing her work and I like that they provide extra practice in the skills he is developing. Earlier this week we worked on estimation and measurement. He started off by cutting out the different sized moths and a ruler. I let him cut them out so he could get better at his cutting skills, he still has a little trouble with this but did a very good job cutting out the moths. After cutting them out we spread them out on the table and I asked him to put them in order from largest to smallest. I asked him to guess by looking at them which was the largest and once he picked the biggest one out we used the ruler to measure it. Then I asked him to pick out the next biggest moth and we measured that...