Fall leaves and fire safety

 This week we investigated fall leaves.  The children are getting very proficient  making observations and recording what they see.

We visited our neighborhood fire station this week.  The children had a wonderful time exploring the fire truck and the aid car.  They even had a turn spraying the fire hose!   They learned about fire safety and how fire fighters do their jobs. This was a wonderful, hands on experience for the kids.   Before our visit, we asked the children what they already knew about the fire station (prior knowledge, "I think . . .").  We followed that with asking what they would like to know (inquiry, "I wonder. . .").   After our visit, we reviewed the "I think" and and the "I wonder" charts; now we recorded the their new observations, "I discovered. . .".  This is one way of reinforcing and documenting learning in our class.