January is Cold!

With Christmas far behind us, we are immersed in the real cold of a typical Michigan winter.  Never fear, though, Mrs. Morris's class is staying warm inside and keeping busy with activities that reflect the cold weather outside. We have read stories with winter themes, such as Ezra Jack Keats, The Snowy Day, I Am Snow by Jean Marzollo, and The Snow Child, retold by Freya Littledale.  Snowmen (or snowchildren) are recurring themes in many of these stories, and our students created their own Snowpeople using cotton balls and adding their own finishing touches.

January is also the time we learn about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and how he helped change unfair laws in our country.  There are many good children's biographies about this great figure in American History.  Two of the students' favorites are Happy Birthday Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo, and A Picture Book of Martin Luther King Jr. by David A. Adler.  We also learned an old folk song from Post-Civil War times called Oh Freedom, which was sung on the morning of Martin Luther King Jr. famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington D.C.  The students put their artistic skills to the test by drawing fantastic portraits of Martin Luther King Jr.  We certainly have some very talented artists in this class, as you can see here!

January is also the time we begin learning the Fifty Nifty United States song by Ray Charles.  No doubt you have been already hearing your child singing this song at home!  We're learning how to locate each state on the map as we learn a new one each day--in alphabetical order!  This is the version we're learning.  Feel free to sing along with your child!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_HeLofy7IE