(B) Materials to Enhance Children’s Play Blocks Dramatic Play Toys and Games Add: Photos of insect habitats (beehives, ant hills, cocoons, etc) Photos of spider webs Keep: Materials from last week that children are still engaged with. Add: Materials to re-enact The Very Lonely Firefly: e.g., flashlight, dog, cat, owl, and copy of book. Add: Pictures of insects to sort or examine with magnifying glass Art Library/Writing Discovery/Science Add: Tissue paint; pieces of clean, unused carpet or sponges to add different textures. See Eric Carle Collage small-group activities. Keep: Read-aloud books for this week, last week; other insect books or Eric Carle books Eric Author Study Poster Props for retelling The Very Hungry Caterpillar Add: Live insects (if possible) – in viewing tank or containers with air holes Clipboards & paper to record observations Insect chart: children can sort pictures or plastic figures by whether they are insects or not. Sand and Water Music and Movement Computers Consider swapping instruments or movement materials with another classroom to give students exposure to unfamiliar items. Outdoors Cooking Magnifying glasses – encourage children to look for insects, insect etc. If possible, take a nature walk to search for insects. Bring magnifying glasses, research journals, camera, etc. Look carefully to decide if you have found an insect or an insect’s home. (C) Group Experiences Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Arrival Arrival: Attendance graph Morning Circle: Arrival: Attendance graph Morning Circle: Arrival: Attendance graph Morning Circle: Arrival: Attendance graph Morning Circle:
Opening Circle Movement Relaxation Transitions Closing Circle Welcome song & one other SS Puppet Script Review daily schedule and rules now and throughout the day Transition: QOTD: “Which insect do you like the best?” (cricket / butterfly/ firefly) Provide visuals, e.g. from Eric Carle books, to illustrate choices. Have children charting with whiteboard/ pocket chart/etc Music/Movement: SS Song & Poem: “Little Black Bug”Little black bug, Little black bug Where have you been? I've been under the rug, Said little black bug. Bug-ug-ug-ug. Little green fly, Little green fly, Where have you been? I've been way up high, Said little green fly. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Relaxation: Transition: Closing Circle: Review QOTD with the full group, counting each column and writing the Welcome song & one other KWL: Revisit KWL chart and talk with children about what they have learned about insects. (E.g., What do insects have in common? What do you know about different insects? How do ants help each other? What do we get from bees? Etc.) Is there anything else they still want to learn? Review daily schedule and rules now and throughout the day Transition: Music/Movement: Freeze Dance (see below) & one other Relaxation: Transition: SS Brain Builder- Closing Circle: Goodbye song Welcome song & one other QOTD: “Which insect do you like the least?” (bees / ants/ mosquitoes – or other options children might relate to) Provide visuals to illustrate choices Review daily schedule and rules now and throughout the day Transition: Music/Movement: Choose 2 Relaxation: Transition: Closing Circle: Goodbye song Welcome song & one other Vote on which Eric Carle book they enjoyed the most by having them put a cube in front of the book. Ask children to estimate which got more votes; then count cubes. Review daily schedule and rules now and throughout the day Transition: QOTD: “Have you ever been stung or bitten by an insect?” (Yes/No) Respond individually to children, talking about what happened, where, what it felt like, etc. Music/Movement: SS Song & one other Relaxation: SS Skill Activity Transition: SS Brain Builder- Closing Circle: Goodbye song
numeral; then discuss results (what do you notice? which answer has the most? etc.). Goodbye song Group 1: The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle Group 2: The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle Group 1: The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle Group 2: The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle Group 1: SS Book- Group 2: Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (recall from “Growing” unit; point out the heaviest/longest insect) 1: Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (recall from “Growing” unit; out the heaviest/longest insect) 2: SS Book- Activity Group 1: Measuring Insects Group 2: Eric Carle Collages, part 1 Group 1: Eric Carle Collages, part 1 Group 2: Measuring Insects Group 1: SS Skill Practice Activity- Group 2: Eric Carle Collages, part 2 Group 1: Eric Carle Collages, part 2 2: : SS Skill Practice Activity- Special Activities Tangible Acknowledgement System: Play music for children to dance to. When the music stops, hold up a shape and have children “freeze” in that shape – working together if possible. Pompom Patterns *see activity guide ( during free choice time) Working Like Ants: In advance, hide food around the room (e.g., plastic food from Dramatic Play area, or use pictures). Have children try to find it and collect it in a basket for the “queen ant.” Point out how fast children were able to do this, working together – and how much longer it would take to collect all of that food by yourself. Talk about how ants work together. Insect Mouths: Using a straw and needle, illustrate the different types of “mouthparts” that insects have. Some insects have a mouthpiece that helps them suck nectar; some have a mouthpiece that is sharp and pointy to pierce skin; and some have a mouthpart to bite/chew. Show pictures or models of several different insects and ask if children know which bite/sting vs. which do not. Outside Inclement Weather Plan:
Individual Child Planning Form Center/Classroom: Teachers: Week of: Focus Date Child’s Name School Readiness Goal Focus Domain(s) Focus TS GOLD Objective(s) Why Chosen? (IFSP, TS Gold Report, family input, conference goal, etc.) Strategy/Activity NOTE: Children with similar needs may benefit from differentiated instruction (e.g. during small-group activity). You can use the “Small Group” column at right to make notes about possible groupings. Example: 1. Routine – activity, state how you are individualizing for this child. Possible small-group? CHECK when implemented Soc-Emotional Approaches to Learning Language & Literacy Cogn./ Gen. Knowledge Physical Tuesday 1. 2. 3. Tuesday 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2.