I am wanting to work up a unit on trains for Jack (3 years old) and I am so out of practice at this (and tired from our long week) that I am at a standstill before starting! :lol: I have TONS of books and some good websites, but I need to come up with our questions. So far I am thinking of: What kinds of trains are there? What kinds of train cars are there? What do trains carry? Where could we go on a train? So what else could we do? I have fiction and nonfiction train books, so let your imagination run wild for me! :lol: ETA: This is the first time I have ever made a list on a post. I feel so cool!:lol:
This has lots of train activities based on The Little Engine that Could. There are so car printable towards the bottom. http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/little_engine_that_could.html
How about letting him finish the unit with a visit to the Thomas the Tank Engine website (if he likes the computer). My son LOVED Thomas at that age (still does but also loves castles and knights more right now). Do you have a railroad museum near you? We have visited several and my son always enjoys that too. Not much help on the questions....but those ideas popped in my head....I'll ponder the questions and try to post again later. Rhonda C.
Hmmm...Can you fill me in on that one? :lol: I am not engine-minded! Thanks for the ideas, guys. I am going to drag out the books in a bit. I need to check on the train museum because I think we may have something like that. We went to the day with Thomas thing last fall and he loved that!
You could use math by making a number line. Make a bunch of different cars, each with a number on it, on tagboard (ie: poster board, cardstock!). Then he can put them in order. Or the same with the ABC's on them. There's also a book.... I think Phillip has it in his room, but maybe it came from the library. I'll look for it tomorrow morning after he wakes up!
www.thomasandfriends.com they also have a travelling show... http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/news_tours.asp I used the trains backdrop to teach alphabet, and simple words like cat, etc. put the letters on boxcars. The beginning letter, then the "at" blend shows them that words are "built" and can be decoded. Hot wheels works for this, too. you could do a board game with it, putting a train together when they learn or recognize something you're teaching them... I'll think about it as my 2 yo DS watches Thomas ad nauseum tomorrow!!
I second the thought of a train museum. Ours has a great section on the basics of a how a train works. Maybe you could look for an experiment or two online about steam. I seem to remember doing something in school with a tea kettle and tin can. Somehow using the steam to propel the can. But I don't remember the details at all. Free stuff: http://homeschooling.about.com/od/unitssubjhol/qt/jan7e.htm $3.95 full unit study: http://www.hln-store.com/servlet/Detail?no=457
Well, it took us a couple of weeks in between being gone and being sick, but we finally got our trains lapbook finished!
That is really great! I have never done a lapbook, had never even heard of them until a couple months ago, LOL, but I love looking at the ones people make, especially those with young kids. I may have to try some with my boys.
Isn't that the best cat you have ever seen? :lol: Oh wait, I think he's nibbling on something from my half cleaned craft closet as I type...
