A MOLDY BUT A GOODY

Sarah with Bread, Bread, Bread and moldy breads

Gan Daled read the book Bread, Bread, Bread by Ann Morris. The children were eager to learn about various types of bread from around the world. We continued to develop our geography skills by locating some of the countries on a world map.

We left samples of the bread  on a ledge and predicted what would happen to them. We anxiously checked the bread for any changes.

As we observed changes we referred back to our predictions and found that some of them were correct. Mold, which began as fuzzy and white with blue spots, has become a bluish green color and is beginning to overcome most of the breads.

The children learned that mold is not a plant or an animal but rather a fungus and needs moisture to grow. Some mold such as that used in the production of antibiotics can be helpful.

BREAKING BREAD WITH GAN DALED

Gan Daled read the book Bread, Bread, Bread by Ann Morris. The children were eager to learn about various types of bread from around the world. We continued to develop our geography skills by locating the countries represented in the book on a world map. After examining different shapes, colors and sizes of bread, came the best part - tasting the bread.

We left samples of the bread on our Discovery Table. The class predicted what would happen to them. We anxiously check the bread every day for any changes.

What is your favorite type of bread?

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS FLAT STANLEY?

He has been sighted at the Kotel in Yerushalayim, at Disneyland in California with Mickey and Minnie, in front of the houses of Parliament in London, in the snows of Minnesota, as well as in an ice castle in Winnepeg, Canada.

Gan Daled enjoyed reading Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. This book is about a young boy named Stanley who is accidentally squished "as flat as a pancake" when a bulletin board falls on him. Stanley is very, very flat but otherwise fine. He can slide under doors, go down into sidewalk grates, and even fold himself up small enough to fit into an envelope and be mailed to California for an exciting vacation.

Each child created his/her own Flat Stanley and included him in the letters we sent to relatives and friends all over the world asking about weather and living conditions at their locations. Flat Stanley may be a paper doll but he is no couch potato! He has visited many parts of the globe and our class has been posting the results on a bulletin board with a map of the world. Flat Stanley has helped us learn geography and how weather affects our lives.

We can't wait to read the other installments of Flat Stanley's adventures!

Gan Aleph on the Map!

In conjunction with Parshat Lech Lecha, we began the week discussing all of the various ways to find directions should we get lost. The children discussed the functionality of a GPS, compass, map and even how important it is to ask for help when we need it. This week, we focused on maps and how and why they are so important. We read the book Me on the Map, by Joann Sweeney.
We followed up this book with an interactive geography activity. The children were presented with stacking blocks that had pictures of the universe, the earth, United States, New Jersey, names of our towns etc. We discussed that the biggest place out of all of these is the Universe since it is all inclusive of the rest of the blocks. We then stacked the earth on top of the Universe and North America on top of the earth. Each block got smaller and smaller until we ended with a big tower and a funny picture of Morah Aviva up on top. This activity allowed the children to really conceptualize and visualize our place on the map. We are a part of a family in a house which is a part of a street, which is a part of a town etc. The tower was left on the science table for the children to manipulate and play with on their own.