Earth Day!

I love Earth Day.  I think it may be one of my favorite things to teach.  I love opening students’ eyes to the word around them, they so often have such a limited view.  Also, it comes at a really great time of year, when the flowers start to bloom and the weather warms up, it just makes me want to be outside all the time.  Classic April Behavior!  And it is only logical to teach Earth Day outside! 

I’m not ashamed to say that there have been times when I’m so fed up with my class that I have actually had them take their journals outside and just write down all the things they notice.  For way longer than is appropriate.  Also classic April Behavior. 

However crazy I may feel at the end of April with a roomful of kids who are crazier than I am, Earth Day always gives me a little pick-me-up.  Which is why I tend to turn Earth Day into about Earth Two Weeks.  There are so many great ideas out there, and my head is always full of Earth Day ideas (not classic April Behavior).  So this year, I put together some of the things I’ve done and share it with you all!  Check out my Earth Day Mini-Unit here.

The new thing I’ve added this year is the word problems.  My kindergartners have a really great grasp of number concepts (for being kindergartners!) and are ALWAYS just dying for a challenge.  Sometimes they think they know more than they actually do.  So I’ve been making word problems like a mad woman.  My kiddos feel more challenged and engaged, but they are still practicing those basic “solve the problem and prove to me you did it correctly” skills. 

I also have a group of kiddos who are working through 1^st and 2^nd grade skills (number sense-wise), so I wrote some problems on that higher level for them.  

I'm also interested to see how this group handles antonyms/opposites.  I did this with my 2nd graders all the time, but it's technically a kindergarten language skill (CCSS K.L.5b). Sooooo...I think they can do it.  I'll have to read the words to most of them, but they'll get the concept.  

Is it appropriate to start Earth Two Weeks on Monday?!  I really can’t wait!

Jodie