Smart Apples

This week we continued learning about the human body. We learned that veins are thin, flexible tubes in your body that act as return highways, carrying blood back to the heart after it has delivered oxygen to the body. The lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system, responsible for bringing oxygen into the body (inhalation) and removing waste carbon dioxide (exhalation). Humans have two spongy lungs located in the chest within the rib cage that inflate and deflate to help us breathe. At the art table, the children played with small mannequins, drew pictures, made representations of veins, and used shapes to create Mat Man. During science, the children tasted flavored milk and created a graph, then exercised their lungs by inflating balloons together. At the block area, they used blocks to build structures and assemble a skeleton. In dramatic play, the children continued to engage in play schemes representing hospital visits. At the manipulatives center, they practiced one-to-o...

This week, our young scientists explored the amazing human body! We learned that the skeleton is a strong framework made up of 206 bones (though babies start with around 300 before some fuse together as they grow). Our bones give us shape, protect important organs, and help us move. The children were fascinated to discover that: The skull keeps our brain safe. The ribs protect our heart and lungs. The spine helps us stand tall and bend. We also learned that bones are living tissue that need calcium to stay healthy and strong. At the Art Center, creativity was flowing! The children made skeletons using Q-tips and pasta and assembled puzzles of their faces. At the Manipulative Table, they practiced counting bones one-to-one, followed patterns, and used pattern blocks and magnetic numbers to explore early addition. In Science, we discovered what an X-ray is and learned that sometimes bones can break—but doctors help them heal with casts or splints. The children made their own “splints” us...