May 27, 2024
J is for JEEP Day!
In kindergarten, we love to celebrate in style! Each year we countdown to the last day of school along with the alphabet - but, we go backwards! From Z to A we have themed days for the kids planned and so far it's been such a great time and it's something that helps keep the kids engaged right up to the last day.
Today, we're celebrating with the letter J and it's a JEEP drive-in! The idea took a minute to come to fruition, but I'm so glad my teammate suggested JEEPs for this day. Here's what we're up to!
Planning for JEEP Day
A few weeks after sharing the Countdown to Summer calendar with families (it outlines all of the themed days for the final 26 days of school), I sent home a separate flyer that gave student families the directions to creating their cardboard Jeeps along with ideas to get them started. Giving families enough of a heads up is vital and helps with participation.
This is our first year doing this and I have to say how impressed I am with the JEEPs that came in!
JEEP Day
To start, I designated an area of the classroom a "Parking Lot" where the JEEPs can be stored and kept safe. When it was time for our movie, I arranged the JEEPs so the kids could see without being blocked. I decided
JEEP Duckies
The phenomenon that is "getting ducked" by JEEP enthusiasts is something I shared with the class. I wanted to give them some background knowledge about the duckies and where it started. I found this news segment that explains the ducks and keeps the explanation short and sweet for my students.
We chatted a little afterward about the significance of the ducks and how the act of "ducking" is out of kindness to strangers - and how it took off to be a global movement!
Next, I gave students a blank duckie template where they designed their own JEEP duckie. When they finished coloring, they cut them out and glued them to their JEEPs.
It ended up being such an easy way to take part in the fun that is being a JEEP owner!
Fun Jeep Read-Alouds
Of course we can't have JEEP Day without fun read alouds! Here are a few of my favorite titles to read:
Sheep in a Jeep
My Daddy's Jeep
This is a fun story that explores vintage Jeeps all the way to more modern models through storytelling from around the world. The reader gets to see how Jeeps have evolved over time and enjoy seeing them go on different adventures!
The Little Jeep Who Couldn't Beep
This is a special story inspired by real US Army Jeeps that were driven during the war in Vietnam. After the war, and the Jeep's job was done, it was left to rust in a cold, dark shed....that' is until someone rescued him. It's such an endearing story and one I enjoyed sharing with my students.
There are so many cute ways to bring JEEP Day to life and I'm so happy with how it turned out! Here's to just 7 days left of school!
May 25, 2024
Graduation Directed Drawings
As I prepare for our end-of-year kindergarten graduation, I begin to prep all of the things students will be presenting to their parents on the big day. There's a writing portfolio I assemble using work samples from throughout the year, their monthly self-portraits and name writing, and other fun pieces from the year.
In addition, students create watercolor self-portraits of them in their caps and gowns. This is an activity where I direct them (no YouTube required) and each year they come out so well! I display them in the hallway for a couple of weeks before I laminate them and present them during our class party.
Why Directed Drawings?
All year long I guide my students to become familiar with themselves. Call it a little SEL mixed with identity. The reason why I incorporate this activity each year is because of a moment in time when students would draw themselves, but not the way they actually looked. Everyone's skin would be "peach" regardless of their actual skin color. Hair would be drawn straight even if they had big curls. Or students would omit things like their glasses.
Flashback: While teaching kindergarten at the French school a few years ago, I was enamored with how my French colleagues (from preschool through elementary) emphasized drawing human forms (known has "bonhomme"). This showed me just how capable students were when given opportunities and direction.
Since then, self-portraits and directed drawings have become a mainstay all year and eventually become something the students present to their families on graduation day.
BOY Directed Drawings
Since the beginning of the year is all about welcoming students and beginning those classroom community lessons, self-portraits are a great way to get students to begin seeing themselves as they are. In kindergarten social studies, students even learn the concept: "I am alike, I am different." This lends so much to what I love to build within my students!
I use personal handheld mirrors (provided initially for phonics/sound wall time) for students to observe their features. During various lessons we use them to focus on things about ourselves that make us alike and different. For example, we all have eyes...that's what makes us alike. But, our eyes can be different shapes or colors...that's what makes us different. We continue with this for a few lessons and then begin practicing self-portraits.
Graduation Directed Drawings
For this activity I model for students each step to creating their directed drawing. We all begin with the same features, then I tell them to add their own to make their pictures reflect what they look like.
General Guide:
- Draw a large oval for the face
- Add straight lines for the neck, a curved line connecting the sides of the neck
- Add diagonal lines to shape the shoulders to the end of the page. Add additional lines to make it look like a graduation gown
- Add facial features such as: eyes, nose, mouth, ears, eyebrows etc.
- Draw a triangle shape at the top of the head. This will be part of the cap
- Guide students to drawing a slanted square as the top of the cap. Add an optional tassel to the side
From there, I guide students to think about how they would draw their own personal features such as hair. Are they wearing earrings or glasses? They are to add these things to their own pictures.
Then I have them use skin-colored crayons to color their face and neck. Crayons also help keep the watercolors from bleeding onto the areas of their skin. When ready, students will finish off their drawings by coloring with watercolors. I tell them their cap and gown has to be blue, but they are to color everything else how they want. Finally, they are to pick a background color and done!
Each year our class receives so many compliments on their graduation drawings. They also make for such a cute keepsake for families. It's fun to see how students incorporate the different illustration skills they've picked up from various directed drawings throughout the year (those "cute" eyes!). I'm always so impressed in how they've all grown as illustrators and it's my hope they'll continue this growth throughout their educational journeys.
I hope this was a helpful and fun idea for your own end-of-the-year celebrations!
May 20, 2024
End of the Year Reflections
It's almost time to say goodbye to this year's group of kinders! I can't believe how much time has just flown by, but I'm very excited for the summer ahead (and so are they!). So, to get in the summer spirit in these last couple of weeks we spent a moment thinking about what we're most excited for.
I found this cute sunglasses template online and created a quick worksheet. After reading our story (see below), we brainstormed the various things we're excited to do over summer break. Many students thought about the traveling they'd do or simply being able to sleep in. From there, they drew pictures in the frames reflecting those ideas.
I did a quick modeling of how to turn the body template into features of myself. Luckily we've done a ton of self-portraits this year, so students were very familiar with how to do this.
And Then Comes Summer
The read-aloud I chose for this activity was the story And Then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner. It is such a beautiful story about a group of kids and their experiences during the summer break. Simple things like enjoying popcicles from the ice cream man, playing tag, or going to the beach. It was a great way to help students visualize their summer plans and make connections.
This was such a simple activity and perfect for those end of the year days with students. I hope this inspires you as you enjoy your last moments with your own class!
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