Lessons from a Turkey Prince

Agriculture/Health - Today, the class learned about stress.  We discussed that stress can be positive or negative, and can help us to do better or cause us problems!  Sure, a test or recital can cause stress, but our body has the same reaction to those stressors (or changes around us) as it does to an upcoming birthday party or bring next in line to a huge roller coaster!  The students learned about adrenaline, and how stress causes physical reactions in our bodies: hearts race, tummies hurt, sweat pours, etc.  Finally, we discussed ways that we can deal with our stress.  Having healthy stress management techniques is very important for children and adults, alike!  After our lesson, I read the story, "The Turkey Prince" by Izzi Tooinsky.  I love this book!  The class listened intently to the story, and then broke up into groups.  Each group had to think about the lessons that were integrated into the book, which were all rooted in lessons from our health class.  There were awesome lessons mention dealing with stress, self-esteem, conflict resolution, patience, friendship, responsibility, and more.  There were even lessons that the children discovered that I had not even thought of!  This was a great way to get the kids to review what they had learned in class.

Spanish- Ms. Cindy was not able to teach today due to her child being sick.  Because I cannot speak Spanish, I improvised!  The class grabbed a snack and watched a movie they all knew, Frozen, in Spanish.  They were able to listen to the Spanish audio while reading the English subtitles.  One of our very generous students even brought churros to share with the class!  They all seemed to enjoy the class, and were excited to recognize words they knew!



In art class, the kids integrated agriculture class with art and patterns.  We talked about pastures, fences, hedgerows, and how the different crops in each field create a patchwork quilt effect from the air.  The kids first drew out their designs in pencil, then traced them in marker.  By the end of class, they had begun coloring in some of the designs.  We will be adding watercolor to the backgrounds before they are completed.