EDUC 2220 Lesson Plan Template.docx

Lesson PlanWinterMarilyn Walbom4 year olds

Ohio Early Learning and Development Standards:Domain: Social Emotional

Strand: Relationships

Topic: Empathy

Standard Statement: Express concern for the needs of others and people in distress

Domain: Cognition and General Knowledge

Strand: Earth and Space Science

Topic: Explorations of the natural world

Standard Statement: With modeling and support, recognize familiar elements of the natural environment and understand that these may change over time (e.g., soil, weather, sun and moon.)

Domain: Physical Well-Being and Motor Development

Strand: Motor Development

Topic: Large Muscle, Balance and Coordination

Standard Statement: Demonstrate spatial awareness in physical activity or movement

Domain: Approaches Toward Learning

Strand: Engagement and Persistence

Topic: Attention

Standard Statement: Focus on an activity with deliberate concentration despite distractions

Domain: Language and Literacy

Strand: Reading

Topic: Reading ComprehensionStandard Statement: Identify characters and major events in a storyLesson Summary: Based on the childrens recent interest in the season change to winter and the anticipation of snow, this lesson will focus on winter. Recently the class has been discussing helping others so the book was chosen with the idea of helping in mind. The children will listen to a story and get to review it telling how each character helped each other in the story. They will work together to build a paper snowman and work on other cold season related activities. Classroom technology will be incorporated by use of sheppardssoftware.com; a website that contains winter games such as snowman building, animal winter homes, and dressing for winter. A digital camera will be used to document and share winter homes built in the block area containing counting bears. In addition, the Ipads will be put to use incorporating the app Little Story Maker in which we will create a story using our photos from our snow day on the playground. A premade story will be loaded into the Little Story Maker app to show the children at group time. Winter-time books will also be available to listen to on tape with headphones. The fact that young children learn best through play will be kept in mind throughout this lesson plan.

Estimated Duration: This lesson will take about 210 minutes. The plan will be spread out over two days, with the bulk of the activities occurring in the morning before lunch and nap.Commentary: The students have recently discussed helping others and also have shown a great interest in winter and the anticipation of the first snow fall. My approach to the lesson is to show that there are many opportunities to help one another; even when doing a fun activity such as building a snowman. I hope to teach them about the change in weather by giving them hands on activities to experience the characteristics of winter using Ohios Earl Learning Content Standards as a guide.. One challenge to this plan is to create enough time for all to have access to the computer and Ipads. To help eliminate this issue, I will create a sign-up sheet for the computer. I will monitor to be sure that all children are receiving ample time and that all children are getting a turn. For the Ipads, six children will have the opportunity to work on the Ipads while the other children are involved in another winter-time activity.

Instructional Procedures: Day 1:

Times are approximate and based on childrens interests

Arrival 9:15 (Could be up to an hour for some children based on drop off time) - Free choice. During this time the teachers will be available for guidance and encouragement.*Photos from the classroom playground snow day will be set up on a large board for the children to view and discuss.

*The sign-sheet for the computer will be followed. The children will log onto www.sheppardsoftware.com/scienceforkids/seasons/winter.htm. Each child will have fifteen minutes to explore the site. Once everyone gets a turn with this activity, the children can sign up for a second turn. Guidance will be given as needed. This site includes many winter themed games to explore utilizing cognitive and fine motor skills.

*The block area will be available with counting bears. The children will be able to build homes for the bears. The digital camera will be used to document the structures the children build.

*Snow dough will be available in the sensory table for the children to explore.

*The book shelf will be stocked with winter books for children to investigate.

9:15 9:45 The children will be called to group time by singing the Good Morning Song. The outdoor snow day playground pictures will be observed at this time. Questions will be asked such as What do you see? What were you doing? Do you remember how it felt outside that day? Who do you see helping another person?

Children will be reminded of the online learning game they played. You helped children get dressed for cold weather and even helped animals find their winter homes when you explored the computer games this morning. Now lets read a book about winter snow friends.Read the book Snow Friends by M. Christina Butler. Once finished ask What were the friends working together to do in the story? Thats right they were cooperating with each other to build a snowman. Go back through the story and review the characters and how these friends were helping one another. Show the children the Little Story Maker app loaded with the premade story regarding winter. Explain that they will each be creating a story using the app from the pictures on the board taken on the outside snow day photos. Share the story using the Ipad. Discuss questions and reactions of the children.9:45 - 1045

The children can be sent to activity time where the following choices will be available. During this time the teacher will send the children to use the bathroom one by one.*A teacher will be available with the photos. The children will be sent to this area one by one. Each child will be asked to pick 2 or three pictures. The teacher will explain that we are making a story just like the one we read on the Ipad, but this time we will be using our own pictures. The teacher will ask the children what they are seeing and what they would like to say. The teacher will add the pictures to the Little Story Maker app on the Ipad that the children choose. She will also type in the words as the children begin to create the story.*Winter-time books will be available for students to listen to on CD using headphones.

*The snow dough will be available as a choice.

*Blocks and bears will be open. A teacher will continue to use the digital camera to document.

Children will go outside after this activity and then prepare for lunch and nap.Day 2:9:15 9:45 Free choice. Activities include winter-time books on tape using headphones. White circles with letters written on them (snowballs), children will be encouraged to spell their names. The Ipads will be available for the children to use the Little Story Maker app to explore the many stories available. Blocks and bears will be out and the digital camera will be used by a teacher to document the structures.

9:45 10:45

After cleaning up, the children will be called to group time by singing the Good Morning song. The children will be asked to name things that they like to do in the snow. After this discussion, the teacher will say, We have been working hard reviewing the pictures that we took on our playground snow day. You have all chosen pictures and added words as to what you thought was happening in the book. Guess what? I have put all those together using the Little Story Maker app on this Ipad. Would you like to read our story? Me too. I am very excited! Now put on your listening ears.

Read the story the children have created using the Ipad app. After it has been read, wait for questions and comments. Let the children know this story will be loaded on all the Ipads for the children to explore later. (Load the pictures of the block and bear structures on the Ipads as well for the children to explore).

Use the laminated pieces of the snowman. Tell the children we will now be building our own snowman in the classroom. Let them know you will be calling on children to tell them in what order to put the pieces together to build the snowman. (The pieces include 3 snowballs, hat, scarf, mittens, arms, eyes, nose, mouth, boots, 3 buttons). Repeat this activity as long as the children seem interested.

End group time by singing Five Little Snowmen. Children will be sent to activities and will also use the bathroom at this time.

*Ipads will be available for the children to review the classroom story as well as look at the block and bear winter home activity pictures.

*Winter-time stories will be available on CD using head phones.

*Well supervised ice skating will be available in the large space in the classroom using sheets of wax paper on the floor. The children will be encouraged to put the paper under their feet and skate around the area.

*The computer will be available for use of sheppardsoftware.com and the winter-time games.

*Cut out paper mittens will be on a table with a printed number on them. Several cut out snowflakes will be available. The children will be encouraged to put the appropriate number of snowflakes on the corresponding numbered mitten.

Children will go outside after this activity and then prepare for lunch and nap.

Pre-Assessment:Read several books prior to this lesson. Ask questions regarding the characters and the plot of the book to see what children retain.

Practice talking about seasons in the room. See if the children can identify the characteristics of each season (winter cold, fall leaves change color, etc)

Introduce the children to simple apps on the Ipads; perhaps ones appropriate for age three. This will determine their understanding at this level before moving to a more complex level such as the Little Story Maker.

Scoring Guidelines:

Scoring guidelines will be done through observation and documentation. For instance, when using the Ipads, children will be monitored. Some may have no issues and may be able to pick up on the programs easily, where others may have not even used an Ipad before. This will be noted and during the lesson a teacher will be available to assist those who need it.It will be noticed as to whether the children are able to see those in need of help or if they are willing to help by classroom observation.Post-Assessment:Assessment will be done again through observation in the preschool classroom. It will be assessed as to whether the children were able to achieve the goals set forth as this lesson began. Can ways of helping and showing empathy be observed, do the children understand that there are changes in the season, can they coordinate their body in successful movement, can they identify the main characters of a story, and are they able to focus on an activity.

Scoring Guidelines:If there are areas that the child is challenged with, other activities relating to the standard will be introduced. If after trying to attain the goal for an allotted amount of time (perhaps 2 months) and no progress is seen; it will be brought to the parents attention if it falls out of typical developmental patterns for a preschooler.

Differentiated Instructional SupportFor those who are in need of more challenge, they will be encouraged to go to www.learninggamesforkids.com/weather_games.html. Here additional learning games will be found that may provide more of a challenge for them.

For those who are struggling with the learning activities, a teacher will be available to coach them and provide assistance as needed with all of the learning activities.

Extensionwww.learninggamesforkids.com/weather_games.html is a website the children can go to. Here they can find extensions on weather games. The website itself has other topics as well that could be beneficial to the children.

Homework Options and Home ConnectionsA classroom website will be created and parents will be encouraged to visit it with their children. This website will contain an explanation of the learning activity. Photos from the winter animal homes and photos from the winter playground day will be posted. The story the children created will be available as well. A suggestion will be made for parents to notice and document the weather for two weeks. They will be encouraged to bring in this information into share.

Interdisciplinary ConnectionsThe snow dough activity can be a sensory activity, but it also exercises fine motor skills as the children knead, pull and pinch the dough.

The building of a paper snowman using the childrens directions can be a language activity as well as a cognitive activity as the children work to plan how shapes fit together to create a final object.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers

Photos from playground snow day, poster board, sign in sheet, computer, counting bears, blocks, digital camera, snow dough, winter books, Snow Friends by M. Christina Butler, Little Story Maker app, 5 Ipads, CD player with headphones and books, snowball letters, laminated snowman parts, 30 wax paper sheets, cut out paper mittens with snowflakes.

For students

A computer with keyboard and mouse, digital camera, CD player with headphones, five Ipads, Little Story Maker app, access to www.sheppardsoftware.com/scienceforkids/seasons/winter.htm

Key VocabularyIpad, app, digital camera, seasons, empathy, cooperating, winter, spring, summer, fall

Additional NotesWorking in early childhood, I feel it is important to limit the exposure to an overuse of technology. We know that children learn through play and discovery and that should take most of their time. However, exposing them in reasonable amounts is a very good idea. The technology I chose for this plan will allow the children to be successful and to view their finished product. All children will be able to use the Ipad; in some context. They can listen to books on CD and will be able to explore the computer. Most of them already know how to use these items better than adults anyway!