Ocean activities!

 One unit we in in my preschool class at the end of the year was a water unit. We spent some time focusing on the ocean since we live so close to the water. While I was out for a meeting I had the students work with the substitute to make jelly fish. I just love the way they came out. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the process, but I do have a picture of the final product. To make them we simply cut a paper plate in half and colored half. Next the students counted out 10 tentacles from crepe paper. The students then glued the tentacles on. I retrospect I probably would have had the kids cut the plates themselves and use a stapler to add the tentacles. That way we could add some extra fine motor practice in.

 Also as part of our ocean studies we looked at seashells. I put them on a teacher's cafeteria tray (Shhh!! Don't tell!)and the kids used oversized magnifying glasses to explore them. This activity was a HIT! I left it out for a few the remainder of the week so that they could continue to explore during free time.

 Another activity we did that the kids really enjoyed was pretend to be turtles. We did this by crawling around on all fours while having a "shell" balanced on our backs. Our check was a carpet sample that I use to make places to sit in the class room.

My Fish Tank!

I have been wanting to apply for a Pets in the Classroom Grant for awhile now. So this summer I finally took that leap. This was one of the easiest grant applications that I have ever filled out. I decided to go for the grant for glow fish (there are a few different options depending on what pet you want) since I feel that this will be a good first pet for our classroom. Also they glow when under a black light which I just thought was cool. I was notified the next day that my application was under review, and then.... I came home one day and there was box on my porch. I freaked out a little bit because the outside said live animals and I did not have a fish tank yet, but thank goodness it was just the tank. The tank is fantastic. It came with the gravel, plants, water purifier, a small packet of food and extra filters. The light on it has a variety of settings so you can have just the black light, no light, ect. It also has a little drawer on the bottom so you can keep extra supplies in it. The fish arrived via FedEx a week later and now are happily living in my classroom. So if you have ever wanted a pet in the classroom, but did not have the funds, Pets in the Classroom is a great way to go. You can even apply each year for a sustaining grant to help keep your pet healthy and provide food, new items, etc. If you do decide to get the Glow Fish I suggest having your fish delivered to your school. Mine were delivered to my house and I am not sure how long they were on my porch.