Theme for the Day:
Until the late nineteenth century, it wasn't possible to record sound. The telegraph and telephone only transmitted sound. Thomas Edison invented a solution to this problem with his phonograph. The phonegraph captured sound waves and transferred them to cylinders that could then be played back. Edison along with William Kennedy Laurie Dickson also invented a way to record movements using the kinetoscope.

Early Morning Explorations:

A Listening Device
The phonograph designed by Thomas Edison used a large cone shaped part to capture sound waves and direct them to the wax cylinder where they were recorded. Provide the children with large heavy pieces of paper to make megaphones with. The children can decorate a piece of paper. When the children are finished with their drawing, help them roll the paper into the shape of a megaphone. Help the children trim the pointed ends off. The children can use their megaphones to experiment with sound inside.

• heavy paper
• crayons and markers
• scissors
• tape

Exploring Sounds
Children learn best using their senses. The Sound Boxes give children an opportunity to develop their auditory skills. Each colored set of wooden cylinders can be shaken to hear a different sound. The children can then work to match the sounds heard. Each red cylinder has a match among the blue cyliners. A great way to master auditory distinction.

• Sound Boxes

Food for Thought:
Let the children watch as you use an air popper to pop popcorn. The children will love to watch the corn kernels pop and fall out of the popper.

• popcorn
• air popcorn popper

The following questions in addition to information taken from the Theme of the Day should be used to stimulate discussion with the children while they are having their snack.

• What is a phonograph?
• What is a movie made of?
• What is your favorite movie?
• What was the first movie probably like?

Exploring Grace and Courtesy:
Continue to help the children develop strong problem solving skills. Help the children identify the root of the problem when a situation arises. The children will readily help to think of a better solution given the opportunity. Make sure to acknowledge the children's feelings. For example, "I see that you are angry. What is an appropriate way to express your angry feelings? Try using your words. Tell the other child you are angry, Ask them to stop the behavior making you angry. If this doesn't help move away from the child or come talk to me." Making the children a part of the solution will help them to learn how to problem solve on their own.

Yoga: Relaxed Tummy Breath
As a part of encouraging problem solving, show the children an easy way to relax and calm themselves. Explain to the children that this is one technique they can use when they feel upset. If a child chooses to use this technique for self calming, they should not be interrupted until they come out of the pose.

1. Lie down on your back on your mat.
2. Place a small toy on your tummy near your navel.
3. Inhale, fill your belly with air so that your toy rises.
4. Exhale, draw your navel in toward your spine so that your toy sinks down again.
5. Imagine that the movements of your tummy are the waves of the ocean.
6. Continue breathing in and out for ten breaths.
7. from Kid Yoga Fun with a Twist ISBN 1402715064 Sterling Publishing

Reading Adventure:

• Georges Seurat ISBN: 0516278134 Scholastic Library Publishing
• Sunday with Seurat ISBN: 0811847586 Chronicle Books LLC
• Seurat and la Grande Jatte: Connecting the Dots ISBN: 0810948117 Harry Abrams Inc

Imagination Station Addition:
Put a small record player in the Tree of Knowledge. The children can choose from a small assortment of records. The children will discover this "new" way to listen to recorded music.

Morning Primary Exploration:
The Post Impressionists were interested in colors and the nature of colors. The three primary colors, that are created in nature, are red, blue, and yellow. Mixing these colors together creates secondary colors - purple, green, and orange. The Post Impressionists studied colors and invented new ways of painting and mixing colors. George Seurat discovered that if two primary colors were painted side by side the eye will mix the colors and see the secondary color. He called this discovery optical mix.

Show the children the Secondary Color Tablets. Help the children to identify and match the color tablets. Explain to the children that the secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors together. Can the children identify the three primary colors? Use food coloring and water to fill three clear containers, each with one of the primary colors. Provide several small bowls, sponges, and napkins. Allow the children to experiment with mixing the primary colors together to produce the secondary colors. Have the children choose a secondary color tablet from the box. Challenge the child to then mix that color using the colored water.

Supplies you will need:

• Secondary Color Tablets
• three clear containers
• food coloring
• water
• sponges
• napkins
• eye droppers

George Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte

Morning Art Exploration:
George Seurat was another Post Impressionist painter. Seurat was interested in science and all the new things scientists were discovering. He used what scientists learned about color when he created his painting. He created huge paintings using tiny dots of paint. He learned about optical mix. Through optical mix a yellow dot placed by a red dot will look like an orange dot. Seurat embraced this new knowledge and began painting with these small dots of color. His painting technique came to be called pointillism. Seurat's painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, covers a whole wall it is so big. The whole painting was created using tiny pointillist dots.

Let the children paint using pointillism. Have the children practice painting tiny dots of color on their paper. Provide paint in the primary colors only to start with. After the children have experimented this way, provide secondary paint colors. The youngest children can paint with Q-tips. This allows them to get the motion down with a somewhat consistent result. Older children, however, should use small paintbrushes. They will learn a new way to manipulate the paintbrush. The children will realize that they must control how much pressure they apply. Encourage the children to put dots of different colors next to each other, particularly the primary colors. Ask the children to look at their paintings and describe the colors they see in comparison to the colors they painted. This could also be done by switching paintings with another child. Challenge preschool children to paint shapes or a picture using pointillism. Imagine filling a canvas as big as the wall with tiny dots.

Supplies you will need:
paint (start with only the primary colors and after a few minutes add containers with other colors), paint cups, small brushes, Q-tips, paper

• washable tempera paint in red, yellow, blue, orange, purple, and green
• painting paper
• Q-tips
• small paintbrushes
• smocks
• image of A Sunday on La Grande Jatte

Morning Outdoor Adventure: Can You Hear Me?
Gather the megaphones constructed by the children this morning. Take the megaphones outside. Have the children experiment with them to see how their shape affects how well sound waves travel and are collected.

Supplies you will need:

• megaphones made in Early Morning Exploration

Afternoon Primary Exploration: Moving Pictures
The kinetoscope was originally thought of by Thomas Edison. It was his employee, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson who actually built the apparatus. The kinetoscope showed a reel of sequential images rapidly enough to give the illusion of movement. The "movie" was seen by looking in the kinetoscope cabinet's window.

Help the children create flip books. Start by giving the children several pieces of paper all the same size. Help the children staple the paper together on one side to create a book. Now starting with the top page begin drawing a picture. Each page should have a picture slightly different than the first. Movement is achieved by flip through the pages quickly. The eye will pick up the small differences as movement. Help the children to choose how the next drawing should change as they create their flip books. When the drawings are all finished flip through the books to watch the children's original moving pictures.

Supplies you will need:

• small pieces of paper
• stapler
• drawing materials

Afternoon Secondary Exploration:



Supplies you will need:

Afternoon Outdoor Exploration: Little Dribblers
When James Naismith invented basketball he decided that points would be scored by throwing or shooting a ball at a goal. This goal started as a peach basket. However, the goal progressed to the open bottom net mounted on a tall back board that we use today.

Encourage the children to continue practicing their dribbling skills. Dribble takes great hand eye coordination as well as both large and small motor skills. Have the children try "shooting" the basketball also. If you don't have a basketball goal on your playground, use a bushel style basket. Another great way to develop motor skills.

Supplies you will need:

• basketballs
• basketball hoop or basket

Teacher Resources: