THIS ISSUE'S THEME: Seeds and Such

WELCOME! to Education World's Early Childhood Education Newsletter. Every other week, we'll bring you activities and suggestions to give your teaching themes a boost. You'll find some new ideas -- or perhaps a new spin on an activity you've used in the past. We're happy to be a part of your teaching and hope your school year is filled with wonder, creativity, and fun-filled learning.

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This week's newsletter is sponsored by Crayola.

Wake up your whiteboard! Crayola Dry-Erase markers deliver bold colors and low odor. They won't squeak and erase easily. Crayola Dry-Erase is perfect for classroom use by teachers and students. The extended ventilated cap is designed for the safety of young children. See all Crayola Dry-Erase products at Crayola.com/DryErase.

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Volume 7, Issue 10
May 11, 2009
Theme: Seeds and Such

Seeds are nature's perfect little packages! It's no wonder kids are fascinated by them. Not only can you plant seeds, you can do lots of other fun things with them too. So get growin! "Dig into" our activity suggestions for some super seed fun.

Susan LaBella
Editor, Early Childhood Education Newsletter

FIVE FINGER SEEDS
Gather for each child a plastic (see-through, not latex) glove -- the kind usually used by food-service workers. Give each child five different kinds of seeds and five cotton balls. Help children moisten the cotton balls and place a seed on each one. Next, have students place one cotton ball and seed into each finger of the glove. Tape each glove to a child's desk or table and let kids watch the growing go.

WHAT'S INSIDE?
Help children understand that a seed is like a little package that holds a plant that will grow. Gather lima beans or other beans. Soak them in water overnight. Give one to each child and let them experiment with peeling off the outer covering. Explain that this is the seed's coat, which protects it. Next, help children split their seeds in half. Point out the various parts and name them: seed coat, root, food, leaves, and the baby plant. Let children draw what the inside of their seed halves look like.

TRAVELING SEEDS
Read to children The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. Discuss how seeds travel and grow. Let groups of children illustrate a different stage of a seed's growth as shown in the book. Later mix up the pictures and invite children to place them in the correct order.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Gather a small box for each child. Line it with plastic and add some potting soil. Show children grass seed, pointing out how tiny those seeds are. Next, let children use their fingers to scratch out their names in the soil. Children can then sprinkle grass seed into their names and gently cover the seed with additional soil. Invite children to watch for their names to grow!

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH SEEDS?

Seed Hunt. Place a variety of cut fruits and vegetables out for children to view. Include fruits like cherries and peaches. Ask them which have seeds inside? Outside? (strawberries) Or which do not have seeds at all? Let children group them by seeds/no seeds. Be sure to point out that both peach and cherry pits are seeds. Let children eat the fruit and enjoy.

SUGGESTED SEED LITERATURE
Cardinal and Sunflower by James Preller
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Elhert
The Surprise Garden by Zoe Hall

 

Check out the following Web sites for additional background and activities.

Little Brown Seeds
Here you will find a cute poem to share.
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/thematicunits/brown.htm

Dottie's Garden
Let children view this adorable online seed story.
http://www.primarygames.com/storybooks/plant/start.htm

Garden Music & Songs
Jump into this great assortment of seed and planting songs. Give them a try!
http://www.preschooleducation.com/sgarden.shtml

How Do Seeds Move?
Let children try this preschool dance activity.
http://preschool.suite101.com/article.cfm/kinesthetic_learning_preschool_spring_activities

More Fun Garden Activities for Preschoolers
Some fun suggestions for gardens and planting.
http://freepreschoolactivities.net/?cat=17

 

Plan ahead for our next issue's theme:
Mister Yellow Sun

 

Each week, Education World spotlights books of interest to educators. This week, read a brief summary of two more of our "top 50 books for educators."

Teaching Outside the Box
Subtitled, "How to grab your students by their brains," this paperback edition of LouAnne Johnson's well-reviewed book promises a lot of practical guidance for today's classroom teacher. Including a step-by-step plan to make the first week of school a success, the book's advice ranges across classroom management and motivational topics to strategies for teaching the reluctant reader. This is a book not only to read, but also to share with colleagues.
Click to learn more or to purchase this book.

Education: The Practice and Profession of Teaching
Yes, this is a textbook, costing $100 in paperback, not counting a companion book you can get by adding $20 and a package of online resources you can get from www.mylabschool.com. However, the book's fans claim its comprehensiveness and readability make it a worthwhile investment even outside the context of education courses. Case studies that start each chapter, a feature called "teachers and the law," and a guide to certification, are all special features of this most recent edition.
Click to learn more or to purchase this book.

Click the icon to the right to see more books and many other products that are available in the Education World MarketPlace.

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The Best of the WRITING BUG

If you enjoy Education World's weekly WRITING BUG feature, you'll love this book! Education World and the National Education Association (NEA) have joined forces to create a handy, pocket-size booklet with 44 of the most popular Writing Bug story starters. Use these Writing Bug activities to engage your students in effective writing. Each writing prompt will spark students' imaginations, tickle their funny bones, and motivate their pencils.

Included: In this booklet you'll find these Writing Bug titles and many more:

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MORE FEATURES OF INTEREST
Reader’s Theater More than two dozen scripts, perfect for the classroom.
Best Books for Teaching About… Booklists for 30 popular teaching themes.
Sign Up for Our Newsletters Ten free newsletters full of practical ideas.
Special Education Center Tools for the special education community.
Techtorials Tutorials take the terror out of tech.

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LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING
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Fair Play

One morning I was called to pick up my son at the school nurse's office. When I walked through the main entrance, I noticed a woman, curlers in her hair, wearing pajamas.

"Why are you dressed like that?" I asked her.

"I told my son," she explained, "that if he ever did anything to embarrass me, I would embarrass him back. He was caught cutting school. So now I've come to spend the day with him!"

Car Trip to Canada

Friends took their first-grader on a car trip to Canada. To help pass the time, the boy practiced his new reading skills by calling out road signs. He fell asleep just before they entered Quebec. When he awoke he saw the French highway signs and said in a worried tone, "I think I forgot how to read while I was asleep."

Dividing 8

Math Teacher: How much is half of 8?
Student: Up and down or across?
Teacher: What do you mean?
Student: Well, up and down makes a 3 and across the middle leaves a 0!

Little Johnny Strikes Again

Father: How do you like going to school?
Little Johnny: The going is fine. So is the coming home. I'm just not too excited about the time in between!

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