Start of a salad

While gardens in other parts of the country are blanketed with early snows, it's finally cool enough here to nestle fragile young plants in the ground! 

After clearing the soil, we are working on an edible garden, filled with herbs,

including dill,
















fennel (rub the leaves--or chew on the seeds--to release a powerfully sweet licorice),

















lemon balm,

parsley,

rosemary,

















and Mexican mint marigold (a favorite for Dia de los Muertos!).

The children also planted a few salad starters:

Swiss chard,

Mesclun lettuce,
















and broccoli,

along with some seeds:

tricolor beans

and more lettuce.

Special thanks to Kay for working with small groups of children in the garden!

There's a Book for That!

Walking the World in Wonder: A Children's Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman

And the Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson

Dirt by Steve Tomecek

Kids Discover Soil

Strega Nona's Harvest by Tomie dePaola

Not yet published: Secrets of the Garden by Kathleen Zoehfeld  (I can't wait to see this book!  I heard about it when Kathy was developing the ideas for the book, and I understand there's a hawk predator!)

Which came first

--the chicken or the egg?
   (the dinosaur)

In our case, the chicken coop.  It arrived a little over a week ago. 













Now, it has chicken residents!  Children arrived at the classroom this morning very excited to tell me, "The chickens are here!"

More specifically, a rooster

and a hen. 

Life should get very interesting around here . . .

Already there's been some hypothesizing in our class about what having both a rooster and a hen could mean for the eggs and a discussion of fertilized eggs with chick potential versus the unfertilized eggs available in the grocery store.






One of the children commented, "I hope a raccoon doesn't open the gate and let them out.  They have fingers like ours, and they can do things like our hands do."  Another child hypothesized, "I think that if there was chicken poop in the coop then it would attract flies." 

Personally, I'm wondering if someone tipped off the hawk (or maybe The Big Snake) about the impending arrival of chickens. 

The hawk did seem to be casing the joint.  I've now spied it four or five times.  I assumed it was after our plentiful supply of squirrels, but perhaps the hawk has prior chicken coop experience?  I recently watched a fascinating PBS documentary on the amazing intelligence (memory, communication, tool use, and problem-solving skills) of crows.  We could have some very real predator/prey drama unfolding right before our eyes . . .

November Family Fun

Through Nov. 5: Dia de los Muertos Retablo Exhibition at Lawndale Art Center; www.lawndaleartcenter.org

Sat., Nov. 5, 10am-noon: Dino Days at the Houston Museum of Natural Science; Discover how to make a bone model, learn what it takes to be a paleontologist, dig deep into a Fossil Dig Pit, and meet some living dino relatives; Say, “Hi,” to Dr. Bakker & tell him you’re in Ms. S’s class; Free with museum admission; (713) 639-4629; www.hmns.org

Sat., Nov. 5, 10am: Trees T’s at Jesse Jones Park; Bring your own plain white T-shirt and use fallen leaves and fabric paints to make an artistic autumn T-shirt; All ages; Reservations required 281-446-8588; FREE; www.hcp4.net/jones/

Sat., Nov. 5, 11am-3pm: Hands-On Houston—a FREE craft-activity open house for the whole family on the first Saturday of every month at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft; www.crafthouston.org

Sat., Nov. 5, 7:30pm: Sing-Along Movies at Miller: “Grease” at Miller Outdoor Theatre; FREE; www.milleroutdoortheatre.com

Sun., Nov. 6, 1-4pm: Art Improv at the Museum of Fine Arts— Choose a work of art anywhere in the museum and make friends with it—spend time sketching it, writing about it, and talking about it together. Then, visit the studio where you'll find an assortment of materials to create a work of art inspired by the art and your own imagination; “A Book and A Look” storybook checkout program; Sketching in the Galleries; FREE with admission; www.mfah.org

Fri., Nov. 11, 7-9pm: Owl Prowl at Edith Moore Sanctuary; Begin with a lively program on owls including a rare opportunity to meet live, rehabilitated owls; Then take recordings of screech owl calls out onto the Sanctuary's wooded trails in hopes of attracting the attention of resident screech owls; Ages 6+; Dress for walking in the woods & bring a flashlight; Park in the Memorial Methodist west parking lot (12955 Memorial Drive) ; $10 adults, $6 children; Reserve in advance 713-464-4900; www.houstonaudubon.org

Fri.-Sat., Nov. 11-12, 7:30pm: Cirque Mechanics “Boom Town” at Miller Outdoor Theatre; Cirque Mechanics performers, formerly with Moscow Circus, Cirque du Soleil and other world-renowned companies, strike it rich by setting their newest creation in an 1865 mining town; FREE; www.milleroutdoortheatre.com

Sat., Nov. 12, 9am-6pm & Sun., Nov. 13, 10am-5pm: Houston Gem & Mineral Society Annual Show; Humble Civic Center; $1 Off Coupon; www.hgms.org

Sat., Nov. 12, 10am-4pm: Pioneer Day at Jesse Jones Park; Take a living history look at the 1830s Texas settler and American Indian lifestyles; Witness a 21-gun salute at noon and a skirmish for Texas independence at 2 p.m. Demonstrations also planned for the day include woodworking, blacksmithing, cooking and more. Folk music and hayrides are provided; All ages; FREE; www.hcp4.net/jones/

Sat.-Sun., Nov. 12-13, 10am-4pm: Martyn Farm Harvest Celebration at Armand Bayou Nature Center; Volunteers in period costume help you step back in time to the early 1900's and celebrate old-fashioned farm life with This year's event emphasizes the harvest season. Harvest time was hard work but a time for family and community fun. Local artisans with spinning, weaving, wood carving and other nearly forgotten crafts; 8500 Bay Area Blvd.; Free parking & shuttle from Lot D at UH-CL; www.abnc.org

Sun., Nov. 13, 1-4pm: Family Zone & Studio “Oui! Oui! Oudry!” at the Museum of Fine Arts—Creation station studio with materials for creating your own art; Gallery Investigations; Sketching in the Galleries; Storytime (1:30pm) FREE with admission; www.mfah.org

Sun., Nov. 13, 2-4pm: Second Sunday Pickers at Jesse Jones Park; Visitors are welcome to bring an instrument to join in the fun, or sit on the sidelines and enjoy the fall folk music. All ages. FREE; www.hcp4.net/jones/

Sun., Nov. 13, 7pm: “Art Car: The Movie” at Miller Outdoor Theatre; FREE; www.milleroutdoortheatre.com

Tues., Nov. 15, 6-8pm: Chemotion Chemistry Festival at Houston Museum of Natural Science; Myth Buster Science in Movies film festival, Chemistry in Minerals tour, Wacky Chemistry Live show (Tell Carolyn that Ms. S. says, “Hi!”), and more; FREE; (713) 639-4629; http://www.hmns.org/

Sat., Nov. 19, 9am: Bird Tracks & Signs at Jesse Jones Park; Join a park naturalist to learn about identifying local birds by the unique tracks and signs they leave behind, followed by a walk in the park using those methods; Ages 8; Reservations required 281-446-8588; FREE; www.hcp4.net/jones

Sat. & Sun., Nov. 19 & 20, 10am-5pm: Houston Via Colori Street Painting Festival at Sam Houston Park (Downtown, near Allen Parkway & Bagby); 200 artists create unique street paintings using pastel chalks - street paintings that you will only be able to view for two days; Activities for all ages; Admission is FREE; http://www.centerhearingandspeech.org/via-colori

Sat., Nov. 19, 6:30pm: Pioneer Campfire at Jesse Jones Park; Enjoy an evening around a campfire with hot cider and roasted marshmallows.; All ages; Reservations required 281-446-8588; FREE; www.hcp4.net/jones

Sun., Nov. 20, 1-5pm: Bayou Bend Family Day “The First Americans”; Discover the customs and traditions of America's earliest settlers, from the European explorers to the native peoples. Experience the way they lived through art activities, historical re-creations, and more; FREE; 6003 Memorial Dr.; www.mfah.org

Sun., Nov. 20, 1-4pm: Family Zone & Studio “Oui! Oui! Oudry!” at the Museum of Fine Arts—Creation station studio with materials for creating your own art; Gallery Investigations; Sketching in the Galleries; Storytime (1:30pm) FREE with admission; www.mfah.org

Tuesdays after 2pm: Houston Museum of Natural Science permanent exhibit halls; FREE; Stop by the Gem & Mineral Hall; www.hmns.org

Daily, 7am-dusk: Houston Arboretum trails open (gates close at 8pm); 155 acre nature sanctuary with 5 miles of walking trails and an interpretive center which includes a Discovery Room with hands-on activities and exhibits (Discovery Room building closed Nov. 24-25, Trails open ); 4501 Woodway Drive; FREE; www.houstonarboretum.org

Wed., Nov. 23 (Gates open 5:30pm): “Happy Feet Two” & “Puss in Boots” at the Showboat Drive-in; Double-feature Adults $5, Kids 3-12 $4; 22422 FM2920, Hockley, TX; www.theshowboatdrivein.com

Thurs., Nov. 24 (through Jan. 22): Ice skating at Discovery Green; Outdoor holiday skating on Kinder Lake (7,200 square-foot skating surface) in downtown Houston; All ages $10 for 1½ hour skate session + skate rental; www.discoverygreen.com/ice/

Thurs., Nov. 24: Uptown Holiday Lighting (on Post Oak Boulevard); Includes fireworks, a tree-lighting of 80 trees lining the boulevard, and appearances by a host of holiday characters; Look for Principal P.!  She'll be singing; Music begins at 4pm; Santa lights the boulevard with a fireworks display at 7pm; FREE; www.uptown-houston.com/news/page/holiday-lighting

Fri., Nov. 25, 5-7pm: Candlelight Evening at Bayou Bend; Tour the holiday-themed Yuletide display on the first floor of the house. Outside, relax with a cup of hot cider, music, and holiday cheer.  No reservations are required; $7.50 adults, FREE for children 17 & under;  713-639-7758; 6003 Memorial Dr.; www.mfah.org  

Fri., Nov. 25 (through Dec. 27): “The Nutcracker” presented by the Houston Ballet; www.houstonballet.org/TheNutcracker/

Sat., Nov. 26, 3-4pm: Thanksgiving Family Yoga at NiaMoves Studio; 508 Pecore Street; Ages 2-8; $15 per child/adult pair ($5 per additional child or adult); www.niamoves.com

Sun., Nov. 27, 1-4pm: Family Zone & Studio “Oui! Oui! Oudry!” at the Museum of Fine Arts—Creation station studio with materials for creating your own art; Gallery Investigations; Sketching in the Galleries; Storytime (1:30pm) FREE with admission; www.mfah.org 

Pencil Amnesty!

Happy Pencil Amnesty Day!









Pencil Amnesty Day is the day when your pencil slate is wiped clean.  Out go all the grungy pencils, and you are free to start anew.

Did you put your pencil in your pocket and take it home?  Have you employed two desks as a vice into which you wedged your pencil in order to pry off the eraser?  Have you broken more than one pencil in half?  Did you sit on it?  Did you step on it?  Did you place it in the to-be-sharpened cup every day until it was a tiny stub, requiring a Captain Hook hook-hand grip?  Have you erased your eraser down to a non-existent nub?

Today, every child, regardless of any past pencil transgressions, is presented with a small but promising bouquet of new personalized pencils.  A pencil do-over day!

Happy Halloween!

Ms. S. was unable to make it to school today.  Today's guest post comes to you from Ms. Valerie Frizzle, elementary teacher extraordinaire and driver/pilot of the Magic School Bus. 



You know, it's funny that as much as my friend Ms. S. loves Halloween, somehow she always manages to miss school on Halloween for some reason or another.  It's becoming a pattern.  So I wasn't surprised to get the call last night that she was looking for a substitute to cover her class. 

This presented a serious dilemma: what to wear?  Of course, I couldn't wear the same old thing I wore the last time I substituted for Ms. S.  Children remember these things . . . and they ask probing questions like, "Why do you always wear that same dress?"  That would never do.

Of course, it is also important to match the dress to the lesson.  I hear the children have been learning about the bones in the human skeleton and also that they have been making calaveras in preparation for El Dia de Los Muertos.  Fortunately, I have recently updated my wardrobe,



but as everyone knows, it's the accessories that make the outfit. 





Clackity, clack.  Don't talk back!

I always get some strange looks when I arrive at Ms. S's school.  Some look longer than is really polite, and then I see them giggling behind their hands--especially adults.  I think they just get a little over-excited by my fabulous fashion sense.















Seatbelts, everyone!  It's going to be an exciting day!

Of course, a visit from me is never without learning!  We began by reading The Skeleton Inside Me, and then we learned the names of the bones in the skeleton.

Then we played Skeleton Simon Says.

Simon says, "Touch your cranium."

Simon says, "Touch your radius and ulna."
(Simon didn't say, "Fracture your radius and ulna!")

Bus, do your stuff!











There's a Book for That!
The Skeleton Inside Me by Philip Balestrino
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole
Bones by Seymour Simon
Bones by Steve Jenkins
Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler
The Skull Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
Skeleton (DK Eyewitness Books)
Calavera Abecedario by Jeanette Winter

One block, two blocks

red blocks, blue blocks

As usual, we began this lesson with a picture storybook: Mouse Paint.  As the mice dipped and danced into paint, we, too, mixed primary colors into secondary colors, discovering green, orange, and purple. 


On the shelf, the children have the opportunity to do the same, using acrylics to create their own color wheels.

Our Finished Work Files are growing fat with work--a sign of a productive classroom, but it's time to address the mess.  We need beautiful Take-Home Envelopes with which to shepherd home some of our work.  This year, we examined images of some of Piet Mondrian's work with primary colors.  Since then, we've been up to our elbows in acrylic paint. 



We began by coating manilla envelopes in black paint. 



Each child approaches this task in a different way.  Some start at one end and work toward the other.

Others start in the middle and then do the edges. 












After the black paint dried, the children arranged strips of masking tape to create quadrilaterals. 

Before applying the tape, we pressed each strip onto our clothing to prevent it from being so sticky that paint is removed when we pull off the tape.











Supplies Note:

Visits to four local stores, including Office Depot, Home Depot, Office Max, and Walgreens, yielded zero rolls of skinny masking tape.  Narrow-width masking tape can be purchased on-line.  Unless you can recruit a brave parent volunteer--as I did--to engage in somewhat questionable tape surgery, you may wish to order in advance.

Next, each block was filled with a palette of red, yellow, blue, or white.  It is always a treat to watch children’s art unfold--and to see how unique their artwork became, despite the constraints of using primary-colored rectangles on a grid of black lines.  Piet Mondrian similarly challenged himself as an artist, eliminating “non-essentials” and focusing his work on the “basic forms of beauty.” 

Some of our color blocks required repeated coats of paint in order to make them opaque, inviting lessons on opaque and translucent colors. 

It was great fun to watch the children peel the tape from their artwork to reveal the stark contrast between black lines and bold blocks of color!   




More of Piet Mondrian's work
Composition with Red, Blue, Black, Yellow, and Gray (1921)
Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue







There's a Book for That!
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Calaveras Count-Down

Look what's popping up along our classroom Art Gallery clothesline!
Calaveras in preparation for Dia de Los Muertos!

 

Materials on the shelf:

* cardboard skull template

* oil pastels

* scissors

* black construction paper

There's a Book for That!

Calavera Abecedario by Jeanette Winter

Day of the Dead by Tony Johnston

The Spirit of Tio Fernando by Janice Levy

Gift for Abuelita by Nancy Luenn