Joy School - Summer

As we rolled into October, our theme for Joy School changed. This month we are studying the seasons. I got to teach this week, and my season was summer.

Lesson: Using this diagram and our own globe, I tried to help the children understand that the world is actually tilted on an axis, and not straight up and down. Then I showed them how the light from the sun hits the earth differently during different parts of the year because of this.

Thing I learned this week: We in the northern hemisphere are actually closer to the sun in the winter, but the angle of the earth means we get hit by the sun's rays less directly. In the summer, we are furthest away, but the sun hits us square on, so it is hotter. Interesting, eh?

Then we figured out when summer was by singing our 'months of the year' song while I pointed to the different sheets of a calender. Then we circled the 21st of June, the solstice, the first day of summer. Then repeated with the 21st of September, the last day of summer.

We talked about what we like to do in the summer and how we needed to protect ourselves from the sun, (slip, slap slop). Then I taught them that dark clothing would soak up the sun's heat, and light coloured clothing would heat up more slowly.

Science Time: To test the theory about dark and light clothes, I got out a sheet of black paper, and a sheet of white paper, and placed a large ice cube in the center of each. Then we put them in the sunlight coming in the window, and in less than a minute, we saw that the ice cube on the dark paper was already forming a puddle. After a couple of minutes, it had gotten larger, and then we saw that the one on the white paper was just starting to melt. It was neat for them to get to see this. (I was really glad it worked!)

Art Time: We finger painted some sunshines.

Craft Time: We made these sun catchers.

Snack Time: I cut up watermelon into large slices and served it with lemonade for a nice summery- snack.
Story Time: I read two books this week. The first was Peter Spit a Seed at Sue, by Jackie French Koller. Some kids are bored on a hot summer day, and when they have watermelon for a snack, chaos ensues. I thought it was a funny book.

We also read this book by Tomie De Paola about four friends who all grow gardens in the summer. Not as entertaining, but fine.

Singing Time: We sang, 'O What Do You Do In The Summertime?', ' Swimming, Swimming, in the Swimming Pool,' and 'Mr. Sun.' The kids each got one of those sunshines to hold and play with as they sang, then when the song line was 'hiding behind a tree' the kids hid their faces.

Wiggle Time: I wanted to do things that you would do for fun in the summer, so I was so happy we had a nice day. You never know when it is October in Alberta! We played a game where they had to transfer all the water from one bucket to the other by pouring it from cup to cup down the line of kids. This was so fun to watch, and I took so many pictures of it because they were so happy and smiley while they played.

We also spent time trying out all kinds of bubble wands and getting some great bubbles.

And last was a little time for sidewalk chalk.

All too soon, it was time to sing our goodbye song and close off the day so that we could get our big kids home for lunch.