The Explorers of Intown Jewish Preschool

Columbus Day was introduced in KDH with a question, "What is an explorer?" Maddy answered, An explorer looks for clues." Gabi added, "He is looking for things." Menny and Eli Sollish went on, "He wants to find things." Christopher Columbus was then brought into the conversation. Avraham Chaim told us that Columbus sailed, looking for things. 

In 1492, a rhyming adaptation by Jean Marzollo, of this famous verse, added rhythm to our discussion, as the children gave us the rhyming word for each line and examined the vibrant pictures. The people in Columbus' time went exploring for new lands and places to find gold, spices and precious stones. Columbus' plan was to travel west to Asia but he actually came to the Bahamas. We followed Columbus' route on our globe.

Columbus was an explorer. Are there still explorers today? What is explored? We read a Scholastic magazine about explorations into the rain forest, outer space, Antarctica and the ocean.

That made us think. Are we explorers too?!  There was a class consensus that we are explorers! We like to experiment, experience and discover too.

What have some of our explorations been?

A visit with a bee keeper.

 Beading with colorful beads and the letters of our names and then measuring.

Drawing a Torah for a Simchat Torah flag. What shapes did we draw?

  Using Wikki sticks to make animals and to build.

  Gardening. Will we grow more tomatoes? What else can we plant?

Experiencing the Succah

 Hammering in nails for a rain stick.

 What was created each day?

Reading and exploring together.

Separating white light into rainbows

 Eli Lipskier took the  discussion a step further by telling us that he likes to explore penguins, ducks, and rainbows.

 That prompted everyone to contribute what they would like to explore. 

Avraham Chaim would like to know about pirates and their treasures.

Eli Sollish wants to explore firemen.

Gabi would like to find out more about light of all kinds.

Logan thinks we should explore outer space.

Rafi wants to look into jaguars and cheetahs.

Shayan loves building.

Menny and Sylvia are very interested in the treasures buried in the ocean.

Emmett's interest is in wild animals.

Eliza would like to study flowers.

Leah wants to study the Torah of Hashem. 

Dalia is interested in sticks, leaves, trees and rainbows. 

Annabel wants to explore the ocean. 

Maddy liked all the ideas expressed. 

This is a wide range of interests. Yet.... 

A few children had mentioned the oceans and treasures. Rafi said the best way to go deep is in a submarine. How about scuba diving?We had a model of a scuba diver with equipment and asked Morah Gail to tell us about scuba diving. The children were spellbound as Morah Gail held up the scuba diver miniature and explained the purpose of the gear he was wearing. Emmett said that scuba divers wear fins to swim faster. 

The children wanted to know about the tube that went into his mouth. Morah Gail explained how the oxygen entered his mouth and is regulated. Menny noticed that he was not wearing the mask that covers his face and allows him to see under water. What did Morah Gail see when she went scuba diving? She described the very colorful parrot fish with a parrot shaped mouth, the moray eel that looks like a big snake and the sea horses swimming around.

It is obvious that the children are explorers, excited to learn and experience new things. The class voted on giving ourselves a new name, The Explorers. Most of the children voted, "Yes!" Gabi suggested that we call ourselves,
The Explorers of IJP.

With that it was time to go outside and experiment with our imaginary ocean in a large plastic bin, and the sailboats. Could we make them move by blowing wind through straws? Would they sink or float? What would cause them to capsize?

Treasures are not just in far away places. Annabel found a beautiful treasure right in our backyard!

There are so many areas to explore with KDH. Thank goodness it is only October!

Morah Ruth

Morah Yael

Morah Gail

Morah Shoshi