Hatching Chicks

Our class joined Mrs. Witkin's class to observe hatching chickens in an incubator.  The eggs were turned each day and when the time came, we watched them peck out of their shells.  It took the eggs about 21 days to hatch.

The incubator kept the temperature at 99.5 degrees and a bowl of water helped to keep the air moist. 

The eggs were marked with an X on one side so we could keep track of turning the eggs each day. 

Here are some pictures of this investigation.

We placed the eggs over a spot light to see if there was a chick growing inside.  If the egg glowed, there was no chick growing.  If the egg was dark, we knew there was a chick inside.

A chick was growing in this egg.

 There was no chick growing in this egg.

Ahoy, me Hearties!

Our class enjoyed reading Tough Boris by Mem Fox

Isopod Investigations

Isopods were fun animals to investigate in kindergarten.  They are easy to find in our environment.  Students were able to learn about Pill Bugs and Sow Bugs. 

Sow bugs are land crustaceans which look very similar to pill bugs, at least at first glance. Sowbugs are small crustaceans with oval bodies when viewed from above. They have 7 pairs of legs, and antennae which reach about half the body length. Most are slate gray in color.

The pill bug on the other hand has a rounder back, from side to side, and a deeper body, from back to legs. When disturbed, it frequently rolls into a tight ball, with its legs tucked inside.

Sow bugs have gills which need constant moisture, so they tend to live in moister northwest climates. They are primarily nocturnal, and eat decaying leaf litter and vegetable matter. They may also feed on the tips of young plants, so can be considered pests, but they also help the environment by breaking up decaying plant matter and help speed up the recycling of the nutrients they contain.

Iso=equal   pod=legs

 Here are some pictures of our investigations.  

This Sow Bug has a pouch with babies in it.  

This is a Pill Bug.  It is sometimes referred to as a rollie-pollie bug.

Non-Fiction Text Features

Our class has learned about non-fiction text features.  We learned how each feature helps us as readers.

• Table of Contents: We know that in non-fiction books, we do not need to read the entire book. We can use the Table of Contents to show us where to turn so we can read about specific topics.
• Captions: Words found under a picture are called captions.  They help us to understand what the picture is about.
• Bold Words: Sometimes there are words that are darker and bigger on a page.  These words are bold because they are important words for us to know.
• Questions: Many non-fiction texts have questions. These questions make us want to search for more information.
• Fun Facts: There are times when we may find a boxed section on a page which provide fun facts.  These are interesting facts pertaining to a specific topic.
• Headings: The title of a page is the heading.  It reveals what information can be found on the page.

Our class has been so excited about the animals we have studied in science.  Students were able to apply the non-fiction text features in their own writing.  They each created their own non-fiction text and wrote about one animal they learned about in science this year.  It was a chance for students to apply what they have learned in their independent work.  We have some amazing authors!  

Reading Strategies

Kindergarten students have learned how to help themselves when reading by using these specific reading strategies. 

When students get to a tricky word they:

• Look at the picture
• Reread and think...
• Does it look right?
• Does it sound right?
• Does it make sense?
• Get ready and go back and reread
• Break words into parts