Popcorn Parachute

Large Group Activity Plan #          6          Your Name    Dianne Watts

Ages of Children Participating     3- 4 years old          

Activity Name

Popcorn Parachute

Goal

The goal is to help the children increase communication and physical skills.   through working as a group to accomplish a task.

Objectives (Learner Outcomes)

The students will verbalize ways that they can work as a team.  The students will predict what will happen when they move the parachute different ways.

Domains (highlight all addressed)

Cognitive : The child will increase in knowledge as we work with the parachute in a variety of ways.

Social : The children will be communicating with team members to move the balls around.

Emotional: The children will be working together.

Physical : The children will be moving around doing many different parachute activities.

Creative: The children can be creative in the way they move with their bodies, the parachute and the balls.

Content Areas (highlight all addressed)

Science : The children will be learning about motion and speed.

Math  : The children will be counting how many people they need to perform a task and how many balls they need.

Language/literacy : The children will be communicating with one another over a new skill.

Physical  : This activity is highly physical\ with a lot of movement.

Social-emotional : The children are learning teamwork skills other

Materials Needed

Parachute

A variety of balls, different sizes and weight

Opening

I will begin by showing the children the parachute and balls. I will then ask them what they think we can do with it. We will hold onto the edges of the parachute and move it up and down in the air. We will then start talking about how we can work as a team to keep balls on the parachute and step it up from there.

Body/Procedure

We will begin by playing with the parachute. We will lift it into the air and back down again. I will ask them how the air feels under the parachute. Does it cause the parachute to feel heavy or light? Is it easy or hard? How many people do we need? What will happen if we put light balls on it? What will happen if we put heavy balls on it? What would happen if we all stood on one side? What would happen if only two people were playing?  We will try all different scenarios and talk about what happens.

Closing

To end the play we will put the parachute up high in the air and climb under it and sit on the edge. We will hold the air in it and talk about the fun things we did with the parachute. We will then clean up.

Transition

We will transition to the next activity by putting away the balls and parachute we will then put our hands up in the air and down into our laps like we did the parachute. We will then be going onto the next activity.

Differentiation

This activity can be used by all children of different ages. Children in wheel chairs will need to be close to children their own size so the parachute does not get pulled out of their hands. For smaller children, you can set the parachute on the ground and have them lift it from there. Children with less coordination might benefit if you use small toys instead of balls (which will stay on the parachute better.

           

Evaluation

Through questions and observation, I will determine what the children learned.  They will predict which way balls will go.  They will work together to accomplish goals.  They will talk with each other about ways to manipulate the parachute. I will watch to see how much each child participates and observe their performance.

Post Office

Interest Area/Invitation Activity Plan # 5                        Your Name    Dianne Watts

Ages of Children Participating  3 & 4

Activity Name

Post Office

Goal

The goal is to increase the children’s literacy, imagination, and math skills by learning about letters, mail, and mail carrier jobs

Objectives (Learner Outcomes)

Children will demonstrate number recognition by sorting letters into P.O. Boxes with corresponding numbers.  Children will increase literacy skills by writing (or drawing) letters to mail.    

Domains (highlight all addressed)

cognitive  :The children will practice letter and number recognition. 

social  :The children will write letters to friends and interact through dramatic play. emotional  : The children will express themselves through pictures and words. 

physical  :  Children will carry mail in bags around the playground on tricycles.

creative:  The children will create mail with the various materials provided.

Content Areas (highlight all addressed)

dramatic play  :  Children will pretend to be postal workers and customers. 

science  : 

math  :  Children will match numbers with P.O. Boxes

language/literacy  : Circle time will include books about post offices, postal workers, etc., and children will write letters and learn words associated with postal work. 

art  :  Children will draw pictures for their letters and make envelopes.    

music  : 

physical  : Children will ride tricycles around the playground to carry the mail. 

social studies Children will learn about jobs people do. 

/anti-bias  : 

social-emotional  :  The children will interact with each other in dramatic play.

Materials Needed

Pictures of post office and mail carriers

Assorted pre-labeled mail boxes with P.O. Box numbers and/or names

Assorted envelopes and paper as well as pre-addressed letters and envelopes they can sort into boxes.

Plenty of writing and art supplies

Mail shirt and hat

Mail carrier bags

Post office sign

Tape            

Set-up Description

Cover the walls with pictures of post office and mail carriers and put up a Post Office sign in the dramatic play area.  Hang up mail shirts and hats, mail carrier bags.   The area will also have pre-labeled mail boxes, envelopes and paper, tape and glue, as well as pre-addressed letters and envelopes they can sort into boxes.  The pre-labeled boxes and supplies will lend themselves to immediate use of the post office.  Leave a good supply of writing and art supplies on the tables.  As time goes on the children will write their own pictures and letters and make their own envelopes.  They may wish to write their own names and decorate their own mail boxes (be sure to keep P.O. Box numbers on the boxes for their address).    

                                   

Opportunities for Teachable Moments

Watch for moments to help the children learn about matching letters and numbers and writing their own mail. Say things like, “Does this match?”  Look for ways to help the children learn about letters, numbers, and mail.

Differentiation

For a child in a wheel chair you could decorate their chair like a mail car by securing a box around it and have the children have draw windows and doors.    

           

Evaluation

I will use observation to evaluate what the children have learned.  I will also ask questions to assess their knowledge of their new skills as well as have a check list to see what numbers and letters they know.

Cars on the Move

Interest Area/Invitation Activity Plan # 4                        Your Name     Dianne Watts

Ages of Children Participating 3 &4

Activity Name

Cars on the Move

Goal

Children will explore speed, texture, grade, gravity, and building materials and how they affect speed and progress of rolling vehicles.

Objectives (Learner Outcomes)

Children will experiment with a variety of materials to make roads for their cars.  Children will observe the effectiveness of various grades and building materials (smooth, bumpy, flat, etc) on speed and progress.   

Domains (highlight all addressed)

Cognitive  :  they will have opportunities to explore, hypothesize, observe and analyze. Social/emotional  :  they will work with their friends and talk about their experiments.                               

Physical  : 

Creative:  they will use various materials to build their roads.

Content Areas (highlight all addressed)

dramatic play  : 

science  : this activity addresses speed, soft, bumpy, smooth, gravity, size.   

math  : They will be adding road or taking away pieces. 

language/literacy  :  they will learn words associated with building roads & using cars.   art  :  music  :  physical  :

social studies/anti-bias  : 

social-emotional  :  they will involve others in their activity. 

other

Materials Needed

Pictures of different bridges and roads

Many pre-made car tracks that snap together

Table to play on and build tracks over

Container at the end of track to catch cars

Assorted cars and trucks

Assorted smooth wooden blocks

Assorted plastic blocks

Strips of rough sand paper (glue or tape sand paper down on some of the tracks)

Small container of sand

Strips of cloth (glue or tape cloth down on some of the tracks)

Tape

Set-up Description

Hang up pictures of different hills, bridges and roads for the children to see.

Make sure the table is has plenty of space for children to move around and for extensions of track to hang from. 

Have a few roads pre-built that are short and smooth and a small hill.                             

Have some sand to drive through in a container on the table.

Have tape to help bridges that are built hanging off the table to stay in place.

Put all blocks and road pieces on the table including the ones coated with sand paper and cloth.

Opportunities for Teachable Moments

Watch for moments to help the children learn about sending the cars on straight roads verses hills and other surfaces. Say things like: “What would happen if we made this higher?  Look for ways to help the children learn about how the cars move on different surfaces.

Differentiation

Because this activity has several tactile elements to it, blind children will enjoy feeling the materials to appreciate its effect on speed (they can hear the speed of the cars and the sound of its obstacles).  Autistic children may be drawn into the activity because it is hands on. 

           

Evaluation

I will use observation to evaluate what the children have learned. I will be watching to see what they build, and listen to the language they are using to determine whether they notice difference in efficiency of building materials and placement of the materials. I will also ask questions to assess their knowledge.

Pretend Soup

Small Group Activity Plan # 2                   Your Name    Dianne Watts

Ages of Children Participating 3 & 4

Activity Name

Pretend Soup

Goal: 

Children will understand that books are read left to right and top to bottom.  They will see that sequence of events can be numbered in order.  They will understand that mixing elements changes the appearance (composition) of things.  They will discover that smaller measuring cups are fractions of larger cups.

Objectives (Learner Outcomes)

Following a recipe, children will sequence numbered activities, “reading” the recipe from left to right and top to bottom. 

Upon stirring liquid ingredients together, children will describe a change that takes place in composition and appearance.

Upon examining different size measuring cups, children will describe them as bigger and smaller.  Using measuring cups they will divide one cup of fruit into four ¼ cup portions.

Domains (highlight all addressed)

cognitive  :  social  :  emotional  :  physical  :  creative

Content Areas (highlight all addressed)

dramatic play  :  science  :  math  :  language/literacy  :  art  :  music  :  physical  :

social studies/anti-bias  :  social-emotional  :  other

Materials Needed

2 cups orange juice, ½ cup plain yogurt, 1 T honey, 2 t lemon juice, 2 bananas, 1 cup berries, large bowl, whisk, small pitcher, pie pan , ½ cup measure, 1 cup measure, tablespoon, teaspoon, serrated dinner knife, ladle, soup bowls and spoons.

The children will stand by the table with the above materials ready.

Procedure

1.      Ask the children if they would like to make pretend soup.

2.      Look for the page number in the table of contents

3.      Find page 34 in the book and turn to the picture instructions.

4.      Ask a child to point to number 1, and ask what the first step in making pretend soup is.

5.      Demonstrate measuring 2 cups into the pitcher. (Count the cups as you measure them)

6.      Have a child pour the OJ into the bowl.

7.      Ask someone to point to number 2, and ask what the 2^nd step is.

8.      Have a child measure the yogurt and add it.

9.      Continue through the number sequence of ingredients, and stirring

10.  Show the children the unused orange juice and ask them to describe it.

11.  Show them the yogurt and ask them to describe it.

12.  Show them the honey and ask them to describe it.

13.  Ask them to examine the mixed ingredients and tell if it looks like the original ingredients.  Point out that the appearance changes when you mix them together.

14.  Have the children slice 5 bananas slices into their own bowl.

15.  Show them stacked measuring cups and have them explain the difference in size (bigger, smaller). 

16.  Measure 1 cup berries and pour them into a small bowl.  Given a ¼ cup measure, the children should be able to measure 1 cup of berries into 4 bowls.  Count with them.

17.  Let each child ladle the liquid into their bowl of berries and bananas.

18.  Eat.

Differentiation

Some children may need the ingredients already measured into the spoons and cups and they only pour it into the bowl. 

If children aren’t crazy about their soup, you can put it into a blender and make a drink out of it.

Extension (Future Activities):   Children will be given opportunities to use water or sand to review how fractions of a cup fit into a full cup.

           

Evaluation

1.      In review, children will point to the recipe and describe, in order, what they did to create Pretend Soup. 

2.      Children will describe color and texture of the orange juice, honey, lemon juice, and yogurt before they stir it, and how it appears after they stir it.

3.      Children will name the big cup “one cup” and the little cup “one fourth cup”.

4.      Children will tell how many ¼ cup measures they took out of the 1 cup measure to dish into each bowl.