It looked like spilt milk.

I'm not sure if it's Common Core or Essential Standards {is anyone else confused switching back and forth?!} or just the fact that we've hired a full-time Science Lab teacher this year {who is amazing!} but our science concepts have changed immensely this year.  Technically we are only teaching 4 concepts, 1 per quarter...weather, measurement, animals & tools.  Well, that leaves a lot to be desired so while we're continue to explore those concepts in the Science Lab, we're definitely pulling out some of the oldies-but-goodies to teach more in the classroom.

For our quarter one objective of weather, we combined our knowledge of clouds and rain to make this little display in the hallway:

After reading It looked like spilt milk by Charles G. Shaw, we tore up pieces of white paper to create our own cloud pictures.  In the past when I've read this book, our follow-up has been to squirt some white paint on the blue paper, fold it in half, smooth the paper around and open it to find a symmetrical white shape but my kinders had a hard time {year after year} trying to figure out what that white blob looked like.  I'm super happy about how the paper tearing worked out this year.  I modeled by gluing my pieces down in a high heel shape {which, of course, they recognized!} and then made their own.  I will definitely be using this follow-up from now on.

I typed a sentence structure into a cloud modeled after the story so the students could tell me what their cloud picture was and I extended it to add somewhat of a pre-assessment piece when I asked students to predict what clouds are made of.  The next week when we learned more about clouds and rain, we wrote various facts and students chose on to write on their raindrop.  Complete with blue glitter...of course.  ;)

Here's two examples:

If you'd like my cloud outline, click the pic below!

{yes, it's just a speech bubble and I didn't cut out the thinking parts}

We're now taking a break from weather to introduce {my favorite!} all things fall...coming soon!!!