November Study: Leaves + Turkeys

November Study: Leaves + Turkeys

After all the sugar and excitement of Halloween, we needed to come back down to earth and spend some time outside! Early November is peak season for leaves changing color in North Carolina and it was the perfect study for the few weeks we had between Halloween and Thanksgiving. 

As we start most our studies, we had students notice what was changing outside. We talked about the different kinds of leaves we saw and sorted them by the kind of tree they belonged to. We asked questions about why the leaves were falling or why they changed color and investigated by watching videos from scientists and watching time lapse videos of trees changing from spring to winter. These conversations led us to talk a little bit about seasons and the changes that we see in each one. We talked about clothes that we wear in each season as well as how the weather dictates what activities we can do in each season. 

As the month went on, we started talking about Thanksgiving. We set up our our dramatic play center as our local Walmart with real boxes and containers that we might see in the store. Students could make their own grocery lists, use a shopping cart to go to the store, and then use the kitchen equipment to make a Thanksgiving meal. We had students practice sorting the items by dry goods, fruits & vegetables, household items (such as soap and light bulbs) and things that need to be refrigerated, such as milk and yogurt. 

We couldn't talk about Thanksgiving without talking about turkeys! This meant we learned what turkeys looked like, sounded like, and acted like instead of the cartoon version we see everywhere this time of year. We had fun playing a game where we listened to different animal sounds and had to guess them. We looked at each part of the turkey and were able to name the parts of its body and why they were important. 

Lastly, November was a great time to talk about what we are thankful for. We learned what the word meant and watched some great clips from PBS Kids that helped us understand this big concept a little bit better. The kids were so quick to say that they are thankful for those in their lives and the ways they show up for them each day. I for one, am very thankful for each of your children and you! This job may not be easy, but it is so rewarding and heart-warming to get to know each of their unique personalities and to watch them grow. 

We used giant push pins to practice fine motor skills

We used shaving cream and pretended it was whipped cream and practiced writing our letters on a pumpkin pie

The children took turns rolling a dice and adding feathers to our 'turkey'. 

During our leaves study, we used fall manipulatives to outline a shape and then practiced drawing it ourselves

We used watercolors and eyedroppers to make these beautiful fall leaves

And in the midst of all this, we still managed to learn a few letters! The kids have really been enjoying our Letterland lessons and all that they entail. I think they love our Friday letter bags the most. Remember, your child will learn their letters and sounds so much more quickly and effectively when the lessons are mimicked at home! You can watch the videos below, have your child practice writing the letter, or just work on finding items around the house that start with that letter.