Last week, I wrote about the Pre-K unit on architecture and building.  Lest you think that the art of building ends at Pre-K, all you have to do is wander through the hallway or into the classrooms and you will see other forms of building as it becomes more sophisticated throughout the grades.

This week, I shall feature the Kindergarten rooms and some of their fine building feats.  

In Kindergarten when the children study a letter of the alphabet, they don't just learn its name and sound.  They study in-depth topics that begin with that letter.  In that way, the teachers are able to tie science, math, social studies and health into the letter being examined.

I noticed a perfect example of this when the children were studying the letter "v."  They had a very scientific discussion of the difference between fruits and vegetables, and ended up categorizing a variety of foods under these two headings.  Then construction became the theme once again, but this time the children were building cars.  Cars made out of vegetables!  That's correct.  The students were put in pairs and given only vegetables with which to build a car.  No fruits allowed on these cars.  What a memorable way to differentiate between vegetables and fruits. 

The Titantic, on the other hand, erupted from the letter "T."  Numerous books were read on the subject and soon the children decided to construct their own version of the Titantic.  Out came the large wooden blocks and soon everyone was involved with the creation.  Next, captains were appointed and costumes donned.  Once all were aboard, the ship began to sail and it was decided that a "T"ea party was an important part of the cruise.  

The pictures validate the creativity and fun that our Kindergartners have as their horizons are extended each day.  The construction unit that is introduced in Pre-K is revisited in many different ways as the children grow and mature, but we can always be assured that experiential learning is at the heart of the MPA curriculum.