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Develop a lesson that introduces the concept of summarizing
Choose a book and have the children retell the story through the use of a graphic organizer
include five extension activities
Modifications for a child with a hearing impairment
Complete a bridge-to-home activity
Literacy Development in the Early Years – 180 Day Option, 8th Edition
Lesley Mandel Morrow
Read Morrow – chapter 9
Read – Chapter 2: Phonological Awareness from COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY RESOURCE FOR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS
here is Example
Student Name Number of Students: 15
Subject/Area: Science Structure: Whole Group
Grade Level/Age: Preschool, 4 years old Length of Lesson: 15 minutes
Activity Title: Pumpkin Exploration
Standards:
Science Strand: Early learning experiences will support children to apply
scientific practices.
S.60.2 Engage in collaborate investigations to describe phenomena or to
explore cause and effect relationships
S.60.3 Give evidence from observations or investigations
Language and Literacy: Early Learning experiences will support children to use
language for social interaction.
L.60.9 Use language to share idea and gain information.
Taken from the CT Early Learning Standards found at:
http://www.ctearlychildhood.org/early-learning-standards.html
Identify Key Objectives:
· The students will explore and contrast pumpkins.
· The students will listen to a story and describe the stages of a pumpkin when
prompted with questions.
· The students will recite a poem and participate in creative movement.
Identify Materials Needed:
· Several pumpkins of various sizes
· Large chart paper prepared for word web with the word “pumpkin” written in a
circle in the middle.
· Marker
· Book: Levenson, G. (2002). Pumpkin circle: The story of a garden. Berkely, CA:
Tricycle Press.
· Finger Play/Song: Five Little Pumpkins. (Original Author Unkown.)
· Science Center: One large pumpkin, halved, magnifying glasses, pumpkin
scrapers, spoons of various sizes, trays and bowls
Fine Motor/Manipulative Center: Orange Playdough (recipe follows) Playdough
tools: rolling pins, cookie cutters, plastic utensils
· Art Center: Small pumpkin or gourds halved, plates with colored tempera paint,
paper
· Block Center: Wooden unit blocks, farm themed accessories: toy tractors, small
people, paper and crayons for creating signs, orange paper to make pumpkins,
etc.
· Dramatic Play Center: Large paper for background of market and crayons and
markers, shopping baskets, play pumpkins and other harvest vegetables, play
money, cash registers, and aprons or other “fall clothing”
Identify Vocabulary:
• Pumpkin
• Pumpkin patch
• Seed
• Pulp or membrane
· Harvest
Instructional Procedures: Initiation
1. Place several pumpkins in the center of the circle of children gathered in
the meeting area of the room.
2. Let children touch and feel the pumpkins.
3. Ask children to describe the pumpkin. Prompt their responses by asking
open ended questions such as:
How does it feel?
What do you notice about the pumpkin?
What do you think is inside?
4. Record their findings by writing their words on a large piece of paper by
creating a word web. The word “pumpkin” should be in the middle.
· Lesson
1. Show the children the book Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden written
by George Levenson and photographed by Shmuel Thaler. Explain that
there is not an illustrator who makes the pictures; the pictures are taken
with a camera by a photographer.
2. Ask the children, “What do you think this book could be about?”
3. Read the book. Stop periodically to ask questions, such as:
What do you think will happen next?
What changes do you see?
4. After reading the book, ask the children additional open-ended questions
about pumpkins, such as:
What did you learn about pumpkins?
How do pumpkins grow?
What happens first? Second? Next?
What can we find inside of pumpkins?
5. Add any new vocabulary or language to the word web.
· Closure
Have the children stand and spread out. Using simple movements to coordinate
with the poem, share “Five Little Pumpkins” with the students. Encourage them to
participate. Suggested movements are provided in parentheses.
“Five Little Pumpkins”
Author Unknown
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. (Hold up five fingers.)
The first one said,(Hold up 1 finger.) “Oh, my, it’s getting late.” (Put hands
on head as if to say “oh my.”)
The second one said, (Hold up 2 fingers.) “Look, there are bats in the air.”
(Point to the sky.)
The third one said,(Hold up 3 fingers.) “Well, I really don’t care!” (Push
hands away as if to say “I don’t care.)
The fourth one said, (Hold up 4 fingers.) “I think we’d better run, run, run.”
(Run in place.)
The fifth one said, (Hold up five fingers.) “I’m ready to have some fun.”
(Throw hands up in air.)
Whoo-ooo! went the wind, (Make a wind motion with hands and arms.)
And out went the light. (Clap on “out.”)
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight. (Roll hands around each
other.)
Modifications: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Some of the main characteristics include, but are not limited to:
· Inattentiveness
· High level distractibility
· Impatience or disability to wait for turn
· Physical
· Verbal
· Inability to sit still/large amount of fidgeting
(Taken from: Deiner, P. (2013). Inclusive early childhood education: Development,
resources and practice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.)
Modifications will include:
To support the child’s ability to be attentive and reduce his level of distractibility I
will seat him so that physical and visual reinforcement can be maintained. I will vprovide a designated “spot” on the carpet (marked with an “X” so that he knows
where he must remain) away from visual/auditory distractions. For example, I will
place him close to me, surround him with peers who exhibit developmentally
appropriate behavior and away from the hallway door. I will also allow him to
stand off the carpet in a designated area, should he prefer, at any time during the
lesson to move. He (and any other children) will also be allowed to hold a stress
ball during the lesson. These strategies will also address his inability to sit still
and/or fidget.
I will encourage patience for turn taking, whether it is for exploring a pumpkin or
sharing observations, by providing clear instructions and enforcing the classroom
rules consistently. For example, I will use a visual reminder for whose turn it is to
share. I will choose one pumpkin to be the “talking pumpkin;” whoever is holding
the pumpkin will share his/her observation. I will provide frequent feedback using
verbal, visual or tactile methods during all portions of the lesson. Examples of
such are using positive praise, a “reminding” look, a hand symbol for “wait” and a
light touch on the child’s back. These methods allow me to modify behavior
without disrupting the flow of the lesson. I will use whichever strategy seems to
be most effective for the child.
I will redirect behaviors that are not safe or cannot be ignored into more
purposeful actions. For example, if the child is moving about and at risk of hurting
another student, I will ask him to assist with a portion of the lesson. Perhaps, he
could help with the word web, turn the pages of the story, or assist with the
recitation. In the event that he cannot be redirected, I will have pre-established
consequences for behavior, remain calm at all times and, when necessary,
administer consequences immediately.
In addition, I will utilize any behavior plan that is already in effect in the
classroom, with the family or specialists to encourage appropriate behaviors. The
behavior plan will focus on the child’s positive behaviors and reward him for
making good choices.
Related Center-Based Activities:
1. Science Center – A large pumpkin that has been cut in half f will be placed in the
center. The children will be provided with tools for investigation which include
magnifying glasses, pumpkin scrapers, large and small spoons, trays and bowls
for collecting and sorting.
2. Creative Art Center – Small pumpkins or gourds will be halved for pumpkin
painting. Paper and plates with different colored tempera paints will be provided.
3. Fine Motor/Manipulative Center – Pumpkin playdough and tools for rolling,
cutting and shapingBlock Center – In addition to wooden unit blocks, farm themed accessories will
be provided so that the children can build their own pumpkin patch.
5. Dramatic Play – Pumpkin Farm. The dramatic play center will be set up to
represent a farm stand. I will use large blank paper as a background on which
the children can draw and crayons and markers to do so. I will provide: shopping
baskets, play pumpkins and other harvest vegetables, play money, cash
registers, and aprons or other “fall dress up clothing.”
Home-School Connection:
The children will engage in a scavenger hunt with their family members to find foods
with seeds. With their families, children can take photos, create a collage or a drawing.
Families will help children write a few sentences about their findings and send in their
written experiences. The families’ stories will be read to the class by the children with
their family members and/or teachers. Children, parents and teachers will work together
to create a class book titled “Pumpkin Exploration” using the children’s creations, stories
and class experiences.
Community-School Connections:
There is a community garden located within walking distance of the school. I have
invited the organizers to come to the school and share photographs and the history of
the garden. Some of the harvest from this garden is donated to a local homeless
shelter. The organizers are willing to help the school create a small garden at the school
for spring planting; the students will also take a walk to the community garden to
explore. Might there be some opportunity for the center to also support the local
homeless shelter? Write letters including pictures of their small garden? Donate some
of their harvest?
Assessment of Objectives:
During the initiation phase of the lesson I will assess the children as they explore and
describe the pumpkins. I will utilize the word wall to document each child’s observations.
I will record this data into the assessment checklist I have created.
During both the story reading and poem recitation/creative movement activities I will
carefully observe the children and use a checklist to record the data I collect. The chart
will include all three objectives. A check mark will be used to indicate whether the
objective has been met. An additional column has been included for any necessary
notes or comments. Please see the attached page for my checklist.
Reflection:
Guideline 1- Creating a caring community of learners
During the initial phase of this lesson the children are encouraged to explore pumpkins
and share their findings. Each member of the class “respect(s) and is accountable to the
others to behave in a way that is conducive to the learning and well-being of all” (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). As teacher, I will be responsible to create an environment which
promotes self-regulation and the development of responsibility. Setting clear behavioral
expectations and applying them consistently is one means I can employ. In addition, I
can model respect and acceptance of others by listening to and acknowledging the
students’ individual contributions. Documenting the words of each student on the web,
is one way to do this. Every child’s input will be accepted and represented, both orally
and in written form.
Guideline 2 – Teaching to enhance development and learning
Section D states that “teachers plan for learning experiences …so that children attain
key goals across the domains (physical, social, emotional, cognitive) and across the
disciplines…” (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). This lesson incorporates both a variety of
the domains and disciplines. The students will be participating in a creative movement
activity, as well as, practicing social skills (such as, taking turns and actively listening)
and learning about the growth cycle of the pumpkin. These experiences include the
disciplines of literacy, science, mathematics and creative arts.
According to the text there are several strategies that can be utilized to effectively
promote children’s learning and development; several of those strategies are
represented in this activity. This plan allows the educator to: acknowledge (word web,)
model (appropriate behavior/respect,) provide information (through the reading of the
book,) and stimulate children’s thinking through the use of open-ended questions.
These are several of the skills mentioned in Section F (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009).mplementation Reflection:
Overall, I was very pleased with the success of my lesson. The children were engaged
and seemed to delight in all phases of the lesson. I think that they really enjoyed
exploring the pumpkins during the initiation section. I made sure to provide pumpkins of
varying sizes and even colors. The children were amazed to see a white pumpkin! The
vocabulary that resulted was also impressive. The children used words to describe not
only the physical appearance, but the texture, weight and size. The children used words
like: heavy, bumpy, light, tiny, and even “prinkly.” I made sure to include all of their
observations on the word wall.
I also think that the music and movement activity was very successful. Almost all of the
children participated eagerly and enjoyed acting out the poem. It provided a much
needed “movement break” after listening to the story. They asked to do the poem over
and over and over! I intend on creating a large visual of the poem on chart paper and
hanging it in the literacy center for the children to “point and read.”
In retrospect, I wish that I had included the visual clues for the vocabulary. Because we
had only whole pumpkins to explore, it would have been helpful to have a photograph of
the inside of the pumpkin. Some of the children expressed curiosity about this and
wanted to “see inside.” I did tell them that the Science Center would allow them to do
so, but having a visual would have been good. The book also talks about seeds and
pulp and provides pictures, so I did tell them that our book today would give them “a
peek inside.”
Next time I do this activity, I will also provide a large copy of the poem on chart paper.
As some of my children are at the beginning stages of reading, they would be able to
follow along. I could also have the students who weren’t so eager to do the movements,
use the pointer to point to the words as we recited and moved.