Today, we discovered a Commotion in our Ocean.
This delightful book had us wiggling and giggling as it taught us some fun facts about ocean animals all in a wonderful rhyming style we enjoyed immensely.
One of the concepts introduced in this book was camouflage.
We talked about how the octopus can change their skin color and texture to blend in with their surroundings.
We brain~stormed why it might be helpful for an animal to use camouflage.
"Because we can hide."
"Because it's fun."
"So our enemies can't find us."
"So our mommies can't find us when we are in trouble."
They got quite creative.
I wanted them to better understand and see with their own eyes how camouflage works so I took animal shapes cut from red paper and placed them on blue paper and asked the kids to find the different animals, which they did quite easily.
I got the kids busy with another project, and while they were distracted, moved the animals around the paper and painted over them with blue paint.
I called the children, one at a time, back to the art table and had them finish painting their paper with blue and white paint.
I re-asked them to find each animal. It was a little bit harder this time.
I explained that was how camouflage works.
They really enjoyed the learning experience. So did I.
I took the paper I had used to cut the animal shapes from and let the kids use them as stencils to create an ocean.
They really liked painting and lifting to find the animal on their page.
I let them continue stenciling animals on other pieces of paper until they grew weary and were ready to move on to another activity.
The children wrote the names of their animals and glued them onto the paper by each animal they had painted. Wiggle eyes made the project complete.
I think this turned out to be their favorite art so far.
I must admit, I was taken by surprise at their enthusiasm for this art project~pleasantly so, but still surprised.
Next we talked about all the different animals we had met in our book.
I let the children color sea animals from Commotion in the Ocean, cut them out then glue them to a paper plate they had painted blue and I had cut in a spiral.
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Just before lunch a package came for us.
Oh the excitement that box created. They could not wait to see what was inside our box from Oriental Trading Company.
Sea animal stamps, sand dollars, and a basket full of shells.
Lunch was corn dogs, french fries, apple slices, green beans, and milk.
When the children awoke from nap they found this waiting for them.
They spent an hour, happily sorting through the different sea shells and starfish, and sand dollars.
S noticed the raised darker spot where the clam shells join and asked what it was for.
I was happy to explain it was where two shells joined together.
I then showed him a picture of a clam on the internet, put two shells together and showed him how the clams would open their shells to come out to look around, move, and eat, and how they would SNAP them shut.
I then asked him why he thought the clam would snap their shells shut.
He got it on the very first try.
"To hide from their enemies?"
I love what happens when you let children explore nature.
We practiced writing our names and then we did this fun writing sheet.
See you tomorrow
Ms. P
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