Zz is for zoo!

This week we are learning about zoos and the letter Zz.

Table activities include making block cages for our zoo animals, zoo animal cookie cutter prints, zoo animal pattern blocks and playdough invitation to create.

Small group activities include drawing our favorite animal, cutting it out and "sewing" them in a cage and adding a Zz is for zoo page to our journal.

This week we are going to the zoo on Wednesday! Hope for great weather! We'll meet in the watertower parking lot if you are not a member, just inside the gates if you are a member. We'll each be given a zoo scavenger hunt and map and go and find at your own pace.

KDIs of the week-
Problem solving: Children solve problems encountered in play.- Children work to find a way to build cages, include and sort animals by which ones would get along, sharing space and animals with each other.

Natural and physical world: Children gather knowledge about the natural and physical world.- Seeing each animal in their habitat and their behavior is great learning! 

Jesus Time- This week we hear about Jesus' too short follower. Jesus had come into Jericho to preach and teach and a man named Zaccheus was very interested. Zaccheus was a tax collector and a dishonest tax collector. He had cheated people out of money and was disliked strongly in his town. But he heard that this Jesus actually ate with other tax collectors, what was different about him. Zaccheus wanted to hear him speak and see for himself, but he was too short. Crowds lined the streets and Zaccheus was blocked everywhere. Finally, he climbed a tree to see above the crowd. When Jesus got to the tree, he stopped, looked up and pointed to Zaccheus- "I'm coming to your house today." Zaccheus scrambled down that tree, invited his friends and heard what Jesus had to say. Zaccheus repented and gave back four times as much as he had stolen as well as giving half his wealth to the poor. The Holy Spirit had worked faith in his heart. Others grumbled that Jesus was going into the house of sinners, but Jesus didn't listen to them. How often do we realize that Jesus doesn't love us because we are good, he loves us because HE is good. We are no better or worse than anyone else and no one deserves God's love, but he freely gives it anyway. How humbling and comforting and how powerful! We have His love to share with others also!

Books for the week- "When We Went to the Zoo" by Jan Ormerod, "Put Me in the Zoo" by Robert Lopshire, "Goodnight Gorilla" by Peggy Rathman and "Inside a Zoo in the City" by Alyssa Satin Capucilli.

See you at the zoo Wednesday and school on Friday!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Schneck