Meshing Writing with Science – Enchanted Kinder Garden

Science. I love science in kindergarten. Everything is NEW and fresh and exciting to them. I want to show you how I like meshing writing with science and reading.

Choose a Science Topic

Let’s take the theme or topic of insects. The first thing I do is pull some of my favorite books. We usually learn about a different insect each day. It keeps them interested, but still on the same topic. Insects is one of my favorite units to cover even though I truly do not like insects.

Create Anchor Charts for Science Topic

We make anchor charts for each and every insect each day as well. I change up the type of anchor chart so they don’t get bored with the same format. These are always a lot of fun! Depending on the time of the year, depends on how much I help facilitate what goes on the anchor charts. Earlier in the year, they need more help with getting things out. Later in the school year, most of the information, if not all, is from them with no help from me. I just pose the question and they give me a whole chart worth of information.

For charts with KWLs, schema, misconceptions, and similar, we add to them before reading, during reading and after reading. There are things they may think are true and I add that to misconceptions. I’ll usually look up something I’m not sure about after we’ve finished reading the book.

Create a Craft for Topic

We make a craft or something fun with each insect as well. These butterflies were A LOT of fun to make and so simple. Have them to start in the center with a circle. Change the color and go directly around the circle. Continue changing the colors until the plate is finished. Cut in half with a wavy cute. Let them cut out three circle to make the body. Add some antennas and you have yourself a butterfly.

These bee hives were EVERYTHING. So much fun to make and so simple. I cut the template and the entrance beforehand since it was easier. They had to tell me a fact or two that they learned about bees. They cut their own bees out, decorated them, and cut coffee filters up for wings. SUPER cute and easy idea to tie in writing with their bee learning. If you’re interested, we have a Bee themed read aloud in The Literacy Diner. You can check it out here.

Read Books on the Topic

This is one of my favorite books about bees. The pictures are AMAZING!

The National Geographic books are always really great for pulling out facts about each. I got these all from Amazon.

Interactive Notebooks

After teaching about insects, I always like to go into living and nonliving things. We then break down the classifications of animals (mammals, amphibians, insects, reptiles, and fish) and add all our learning to our interactive notebooks. Again, I make sure to incorporate their writing together. It is always so difficult to separate a time for writing, so anytime I can incorporate true writing, I try to.

Here’s a look into a few of our interactive notebooks.