Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Autumn Season: Exploring Trees and Leaves and the Colors of Fall!

The kids have started noticing signs of fall!  They had started bringing me leaves, so I knew it was time to start investigating Fall! I started out by asking what they wondered about Fall.  They came up with some very good questions!

We posted the questions on our inquiry wall. This wall will grow as they wonder new things and answer the questions!

I set out some provacations about Fall to see what they would notice.  On our look closer table, I set out fall leaves and colored water to see what they would do.  I layed leaves that were from the same color scheme next to the color mixing tools and provided resources about leaves for them to look at. 

They started out mixing the colors and observing what happened.  

Then they started trying to create the colors of the leaves! This took a lot of thought and trials to figure out how much of each primary color was needed to match the shades of the leaves!

"I'm trying to make the color of this leaf."

We took them outside to observe our Ash trees in the playground. They noticed that the tree's bark was rough, had moss on it, and the leaves were red, orange, yellow, green, and purple! After looking closely, they began to document through observational drawings.

After looking closer, they began documenting fall trees in other ways! Through paint,

and clay!

The friend who created the sculpture above was using the tree across the parking lot as a model. He even noticed the little branch sticking out on the bottom! Now that is noticing and documenting with detail!

I set out a provacation of pressed leaves they had brought in, watercolors and sharpie markers! I was curious where they would take this! They blew me away with the observational drawings they created! They truly looked close, used the sharpies to show the lines and detail, and used the water colors to record the colors in such beautiful detail! More beautiful documentation through art!

We have a few more questions to answer before we are finished, but the autumn season has provided some great opportunities for the kids to notice things about the world around them, ask questions and show their learning!

Here are some other things that have been going on in our room!

Experimenting with color mixing and painting corks with the colors they create.  We will use these to create a collaborative art piece for our room showing the spectrum of colors. 

Exploring patterns with different materials and noticing patterns in our environment!

Materials have been provided to explore numbers, counting, shapes, and measurement.

Our friend below is figuring out how 12 inches is equal to 30 centimeters. 

Making plans, as you can see from the photo below is serious business!

Authentic use of writing as they create "Do not touch" signs for works in progress. 

Letter review and learning our first three reading stratagies for when you get to a hard word: 1) Look at the picture. 2) Use your pointer finger. 3) Look at the first letter and get your mouth ready. 

Using materials in our room to practice literacy skills. 

So much goes on in our class every single day!  The kids have come up with an idea for a project! It will take a lot of problem solving, but I think this wonderful group will be able to pull it off! I can't wait to let you know how it goes! Stay tuned!


  1. Thank you so much for your detailed and beautiful posts! I am a brand new kindergarten teacher. After having taught a first/second grade multi age for 20 years I was ready for a new challenge and a change. Oh my goodness, what a change it has been! I am completely humbled by what I don't know and am being taught by my 24 students every day! I never believed it would be easy, and I am grateful in a brand new way for all of the tender work our previous k teacher did to prepare students for my first and second grade classroom. That said, there are days when I feel as if I have no idea what I'm doing!!!!! So, I appreciate your blog as a touchstone for creative, child centered, authentic inspiration. I just want to say that the service you are providing matters and thank you.

    1. Thank you so much! I am so excited for you as you start your kindergarten adventure! Your kind words keep me going and let me know that it is all worth it!

  2. This is precious! Love it. If your real trees are struggling, look into tree trimming queens

  3. Thank you so much for sharing this. I have gotten many great ideas that I am excited to try.
    I am very much curious as to the author of the book "TREES" that fans out!

  4. Hello Darla, I am a K-3 art teacher and I was just doing some research for my classes - I just discovered your blog and all I can say is WOW! I wish my son could've been a student in your class! I was just wondering, what kind of clay did your students use to make their colorful tree sculptures?
    Thanks, Hillary

    1. Thank you!!!! It is called Nara Modeling clay but sometimes I use plasticine. Here is the link to the Nara. I usually get them at Hobby Lobby.