Alaska!

 

This week we are looking at Alaska and its diversity! From mountains and oceans to tundra and sand dunes, Alaska has diverse terrain and diverse peoples! We'll take a look at the many animals of Alaska and the ways people get around, car, train, boat and dog sled! The Iditarod begins this week!

Our KDI of the week is diversity- children understand that people and places have diverse characteristics, interests and abilities. We will contrast and compare Michigan and Alaska and learn to be grateful for this beautiful world that God created!

Table Activities-This week we will build igloos, stack inukshuks (a stone landmark), color and make totem poles, play in an Alaska sensory bin, Alaska coloring pages, button art, ice fishing and playing in an Arctic habitat.

Small Group- This week we will paint a polar bear, chalk some Aurora Borealis, add Alaska to our journal and do some Tlingit paper piece art.

Large Group- We will play with the parachute/blanket toss, catch some salmon, and roll the Arctic animal die.

Books of the Week- We will read different Alaska themed books each day- 

Bible Story- This week's Bible story talks about another amazing miracle that Jesus did, but we are going to concentrate on the reaction to that miracle.

As Jesus was walking to Jerusalem, he walked along the Galilean-Samarian border. When he came close to a small town, ten men came towards him. They were all lepers. They shouted to Jesus, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"  Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest and on the way they were cleansed. Of those 10 men, only one returned to say thank you to Jesus. And that man was a Samaritan. Samaritans were on the outs with the Jewish people, not seen as equals. He came back to thank the one who had made him clean. 

Jesus asked him, "Weren't there ten men cleansed? Where are the other nine? Rise and go, your faith has healed you!"

All were healed, one says thank you! How often to we say thank you? Do we teach our children to say thank you for gifts received, meals provided, clothes washed? How often do we thank God for the warm bed we sleep in, the car that works, the indoor plumbing? We have so much to be grateful for and living with an attitude of gratitude really changes our perspective on life! To know and count everything a blessing that God provides!