I thought I would try preparing all my trays ahead of time, photographing them, and posting about them before Bear works on them. I'm hoping then I can put the camera away and not worry about "getting a photo for the blog."
Science and Language
Frog Life Cycle
These cards are from Montessori Print Shop. (I won the zoology nomenclature CD during their 12 Days of Christmas giveaways.) I love that these are photographs rather than a drawing.
I did find free ones too.
This is the blank copy for Bear to color and print the labels. They came with the Montessori Print Shop file. She loves this type of work.
Frog and Toad comparison
The book is Frogs by Gail Gibbons. The cards are ones I made from Google Images.
Venn diagram from Enchanted Learning.
Parts of a Frog
This work is free from Montessori Print Shop.
Of course, Blogger has decided to rotate my photos
Nomenclature booklet (above) and cards (below). The booklet is for us to read together.
Using some of the blank labeling cards, I cut one apart to make a parts of the frog puzzle. I've been asking Bear endlessly to please pick this puzzle (the true Montessori version) at school, but I don't know if she has or not:)
Practical Life:
Using chopsticks to transfer frogs to the log.
Sifting frogs out of blue rice
I'll be setting this one up later this weekend as I need to get more rice to dye.
Frog Play dough (green peppermint play dough with a frog stamp).
Frog Sensory Bin
- blue and aqua aquarium rocks to represent water (thanks Mari-Ann for the aquarium rocks idea)
- blue flat marbles to represent water
- clear flat marbles with black dots in middle (drawn in with Sharpie) to represent frog eggs
- foam packing peanuts with one end squished flat to represent tadpoles (a couple of these packing peanuts I add bread twist ties to to be the tadpoles hind legs)
- green building blocks to represent lilypads
- frogs (from dollar section of Target over the summer)
- rubber pompoms (from Walmart at Christmas)
- an empty baby food jar and a spoon for spooning and pouring out
Math to come as a separate post.
Great unit! I love how you are using the Enchanted Learning website for Montessori activities.
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm impressed! You came up with a ton of great ideas.
ReplyDeleteWow, you prepare your themes so very thoroughly! I am sure Bear will enjoy this unit.
ReplyDeleteLove all your stuff! I got my 3 year old a "grow your own frog kit" for Christmas. It comes with a little aquarium and a certificate to mail order a tadpole. We just sent for our frog and don't have it yet, but my little guy is super excited! You can find them on amazon.com if you are interested. Thanks so much for sharing all your great ideas! :o)
ReplyDeletePhotographing ahead of time has been the way to go for me as well. I don't like to interrupt James during schooltime for a photo.
ReplyDeleteI smiled when I saw your sensory bin because it's almost exactly what I had in mind for one of our upcoming tubs. Great minds!
What a bunch of fun creative ideas. And so smart to photograph ahead. Being a blogger, I know how the camera can become tiresome to the kids and can cause me not to be in the moment because I am so busy photographing the moment. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLong ago, I started a Frog and Toad Unit folder where I put ideas. I'm going to print this off and use your ideas, too. I like putting the frogs on the log idea. I need to get busy on our unit.
ReplyDeleteDid you read the Frog and Toad are Friends books too? I love them. Everything you did is top notch. The frog to log transfer looks like fun. The sensory bin is great. You are so right about the photos. They look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to Read.Explore.Learn. I Stumbled this post.
Oh I love the frog to log transfer activity. Wonderful ideas here!
ReplyDeleteLove the frogs on a log
ReplyDeleteTotally appreciate your photograph ahead idea. Frogs and their logs look like fun!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a very well designed unit.
ReplyDeleteAs we were identifying bird parts, I was thinking about Montessori print shop's nomenclature parts, and how that would be so helpful right then.
What a beautiful unit. Very inspiring, and the frogs on the log are soo cute!
ReplyDeleteGreat job! Thanks for sharing :-)
ReplyDeleteI love all these ideas!! LOVELY!! We started the Fish unit this week...., but by the time of the frog, you gave such wonderful ideas!!! Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful unit, Julie! I love your combination of more academic topics with fun, practical life activities like transferring frogs with chopsticks. I've added your post link and photo to http://livingmontessorinow.com/2011/07/14/montessori-inspired-pond-unit/
ReplyDeleteI just featured your post and frog sensory bin photo in my Montessori-Inspired Frog Activities for Leap Year or Anytime at http://livingmontessorinow.com/2012/02/27/montessori-monday-montessori-inspired-frog-activities-for-leap-year-or-anytime/
ReplyDelete