Love Elementary School kindergartners showed off their farm projects: Elias Pokoj (farm animals make from his hands), Tajiah McBride (replica of a farm), Ezzabella Walz (made Ezzabella Farmer and a song), Robert Alexander Torres (paper folded farm animals), Ey’mir Bishop (farm animals made with feathers, cotton balls, tubes) and Danika Rushing (replica of a farm).

Love Elementary School kindergarten students discovered more about farming and where food comes from through their English Language Arts and Literacy unit entitled “Farms” in Beth Strong’s, Molly Anderson’s, Amanda Tuggle’s and Adriana Cammarata’s kindergarten classrooms.

The unit introduced students to several farm animals as well as crops that farmers grow. The students learn how the farmers meet the needs of their farm animals as well as the needs of the students and their families. The teachers discussed how food comes from the hard work of farmers and their helpers. The unit comes after the kindergarteners’ plant unit so that students can make the connection that animals need food, water and space to live and grow – just as plants do. Students also read multiple stories like, The Little Red Hen, Rosie’s Walk, and sang songs such as BINGO and Old McDonald. The unit also features informational text.

The Love Elementary School kindergarten teachers also included a family engagement piece by having the students complete a “homework” assignment at the end of each unit.

“The assignments have been a wonderful way for the families to work along side their child to create a simple and wonderful project,” said Love Elementary School teacher Beth Strong. “We supply the families with some examples, and then the students and families have a week to complete. The projects ranged from posters to puppets to elaborate dioramas. The students then need to be able to tell their classmates what they made and the purpose behind their thinking. The family engagement piece that we added this year has brought the students closer to the content being taught and allowed parents and families a larger glimpse into the classroom as to what their child has been learning.”