In December the children have been cruising right along with the theme of Transportation.

We started the month by introducing the automobile. We explained a brief history of the automobile and the children viewed pictures of how it has changed throughout the years. We talked about old-fashioned cars, modern cars, and futuristic cars.

In Language, the children were presented sight word colors. In this work, the students matched different color Volkswagen Beetles to the correct color word. The children loved viewing the wide variety of colors this vehicle came in! In science, the children were asked to view a collection of vehicles from different time eras and to distinguish if the car was old fashioned or modern. It was so refreshing to see the children fall in love with the older cars! We then learned the importance of the engine and why vehicles need fuel to run. We learned about various parts of the car such as tires, wheel guards, hubcaps, bumpers, lights, steering wheel, doors and windows. We used a picture of a Volkswagen Beetle as a model. The children cut out the parts of the car and then labeled the picture.

In our second week, our focus moved to airplanes and flying machines. We started with a brief history and viewed photos of how the airplane has evolved throughout time. We spoke of various planes and in Art the children designed their own jets from popsicle sticks. They truly loved this activity, especially flying their jets afterward! We then talked about pilots and the importance of their job. We mentioned some of the training that pilots are required to do before flying a plane on their own. Next, we learned about Amelia Earhart. We mentioned Amelia's love of flying at a young age and how uncommon it was for a woman to become a pilot during her time. Amelia had made many great accomplishments in her short life and taught many people including children about the wonder of flying! The children loved practicing her name by pointing to their ears and then making a beating signal with their hands over their hearts. In Math, children counted and sorted various toy airplanes by style, size, and color. They were also asked to make patterns using the airplanes.

Next, we spoke about hot air balloons, blimps and kites. The children were read "Curious George Rides a Hot Air Balloon." After the story, the children were asked to draw a picture of what their trip on a balloon might be like. For Math, they were asked to name and match shapes that were displayed on a paper balloon. Last, but not least, we spoke of the Wright Brothers. We explained how the brothers loved building things and understanding how things work. The children were excited to learn that the brothers lived in Ohio and even ran a bike shop in this state! The children were informed that in 1903, the Wright brothers flew the first powered, controlled (and heavier than air) airplane. Before this could be accomplished, the brothers worked on many kites and experimented with many gliders. Their motivation, hard work, dedication, and attention to detail really paid off! They successfully flew their Wright "Flyer" in December of 1903 on the shores of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The children were asked to point out North Carolina on the U.S map.

In the third week of December, we learned about trains. We started with a brief history of trains and explained the importance of them in Early America. We noted that trains were a critical mode of transportation in the 1800's. They also supplied jobs and aided in exporting and importing of goods. Next, the students learned about different types of trains. We mentioned passenger trains, trolleys, rapids, freight, commuter, inner city, and bullet trains. We also learned the different modes of fueling railway systems such as electric, steam, and diesel. In the art area, the students made paper trains and attached cotton balls for smoke. We also touched on the parts of a train and the different jobs that people can have on a train. The children really enjoyed the Train Station game. We set the classroom up to resemble a train station. The children picked a job out of a basket and played that part during the game. We had ticket collectors, security guards, passengers, luggage carriers, an engineer, and a train attendant. It was great to see the children using their imaginations during this game and having such a blast! In Language, we introduced a work where the children were asked to match pictures of various trains to the names of the trains. The last day before the break, we made conductor hats that the children wore for different activities throughout the day. On this day, our focus was the Polar Express. This charming holiday adventure was the mystery story for the day. We hid various items in the classroom and asked the children to look out for clues to the story throughout the day. The students loved wearing their hats and listening to the book at the end of the day!

All of the students did an exceptional job performing in the Winter Program! They worked very hard especially the last few weeks prior to the performance. All of their efforts surely paid off. We hope all of you enjoy this time with your children.