Shirley G. Moore Lab School

Large Group

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Weekly Lesson Plan for Ross' Class
Week of: May 21 - June 1, 2012
Lead teaching this week: Ross

Overview: It's hard to believe, but we've completed 28 weeks of school! It seems like we just came back from spring break and it's already time to start wrapping things up for year. That's what the next two weeks will involve - bringing closure to our activities and investigations. Small groups will be finishing up this week: culminating with the production of storybooks, a raised garden box, and plants to go in the box. Activities and investigations within the classroom will also be wrapping up with utilization activities that will challenge the children's newly acquired knowledge about shapes, plants, and life-cycles. Finally, we hope to "sell" some really sweet-treats at the Best Candy Ever store! If you get a chance, do try to stop in and join us in the room/on the playground, as we would love to have you visit one last time before the year comes to a close!

Expressive Arts (paint, collage, clay)
• Materials: At the art table: "sugar sand," glass gems, oyster shells, seed pods
At the clay table: small animal toys, glass gems, seeds, rocks, various lengths of wire,
• Rationale: The sugar sand has revitalized the interest in the creating interesting and beautiful patterns in with the gems, rocks, and shells. Not only does it feel great and offer a therapeutic sensory experience, it allows for a strong contrast between the materials being used and the sand - bringing the focus to the gems rather than sand itself. We have also reintroduced the clipboards and colored pencils to invite the children to represent their creations on paper.
• Skills: artistic expression, symbolic representation, persistence, creativity, connections/expressions of the observed world, fine motor strength/endurance, conversations about "abstract art" vs. "representational art"

Sensory (water table)
• Materials: bubbles, water, scooping nets, various toy animals that live in/near water, glass gems, rocks,
• Rationale: We will reintroduce a favorite classroom material/activity at the water table this week: BUBBLES! The other water animals and nets will continue to be available, however we anticipate the games will revolving "finding" various items in the water. Next week, we hope to capitalize on the bubbles and use them to wash the toys in the room - as it is another one of the children's favorite activities.
• Skills: symbolic representation, storytelling/dramatic play, familiarity with materials, upper-body/hand strength, opportunities for cooperation/collaboration/negotiation, support of new peer friendships/connections

Science
• Materials: wheatgrass seeds, pots, spray bottles, science journals
• Rationale: We will begin wrapping up our conversations/investigations of the caterpillars, as they are started to form the cocoons outside. We will think about what they will turn into, and use some helpful resources (books and science websites) to help us see what the final leg of their life-cycle looks like. We will also continue to care for the recently planted soybeans, hopefully bringing home some decent sized sprouts next week!
• Skills: exploring/revisiting life cycles, scientific/higher-level thinking skills, observing and interpreting information about the natural world, data collection/recording, hypothesizing

Math and Manipulatives
• Materials: Perfection shape-matching game, parquetry blocks (another multi-shape puzzle set) and pattern cards, large "home-made" geo-boards, fractional shape puzzles
• Rationale: We will wrap about our investigation of shapes with some new puzzles...however these puzzles will hopefully be made by the children! Using their new knowledge of different shapes and how they can come together to create an image, we will ask the children to create their own puzzles and add them to the table.
• Skills: concepts related to geometry/shape/symmetry, part-to-whole relationships, one-to-one correspondence, counting, opportunities for collaborative problem solving.

Language and Literacy
• Materials: alphabet stamps, ink pads, paper, envelopes, pencils, blank books, magnetic alphabet letters and boards, books on CD/easy-reader books (in the nook)
• Rationale: To utilize the pre-/early-literacy skills we have focused on this year, the children will be asked to write in all areas of the room - hopefully working towards creating a little memory book of their year. With help from the teachers, the children will work writing/illustrating the pages for a "My Year At Preschool" book.
• Skills: pre-/early-literacy skills, letter recognition, phonemic awareness, fine-motor strength/endurance, social interactions

Dramatic Play
• Materials: Dress-up materials (i.e. dresses, shoes, boots, fabric, costumes), play phones, jewelry, sunglasses, dramatic playhouse props, various loose parts
• Rationale: There is no slowing down the activity in the candy store! Everyday there are cooks working hard to come up with the tasty delicacy for their classmates. One goal the teachers have for the end of the year is to "sell" some real candy from the store during the day. If any parents would like to come and be a part of that (making and/or selling of healthier candy options), please talk to Ross!
• Skills: ownership/responsibility of play area, community building with the afternoon class, imaginative/creative play, supporting opportunities for relationships and using various social skills, symbolic representation, memory skills

Blocks
• Materials: large hollow blocks, small multi-shaped unit blocks, peg people, tray of "loose parts"
• Rationale: The building is non-stop! Building new rockets, castles, and cat-houses continues to fuel the building themes in the back. The level of discussion and planning taking place is really exciting to listen to - with many thoughtful inclusions of other's ideas (as well as additional classmates). I have a feeling these themes will carry us out to the end of the year!
• Skills: large-/fine-motor skills, symbolic representation, concepts related to balance, supporting social relationships/interactions, opportunities for endless dramatic play

Large-motor
• In the gym: The bridge and monkey bars continue to offer plenty of challenges for the children, as they are figuring out how to cross them backwards and "upside-down." This week we will add the scooter boards for more cooperative games as well as a chance to play "Blast Off!" (going next to the wall and "blasting off" by pushing your feet!).
• On the playground: The playground is in full bloom and we will be spending plenty of time out there enjoying all that it has to offer. With the added time, please be sure to put sunscreen on before coming to school. We want to make sure everyone stays healthy out there!
• Skills: Upper-body strength, propulsion skills, grip strength/endurance, large-motor/locomotor skills, static and dynamic balance, lower leg strength/coordination, jumping/landing skills, opportunities for big-body/rough-and-tumble play

Announcements/Special Interest
• With our increased time outside, it would be very helpful to send a water bottle with your child each day. We will have cups and water always available, however having your own child's bottle reduces the day-to-day waste, as well as helps them get their water anytime on the playground. If you don't already have a bottle, that's perfectly fine, just let the teachers know and we will be sure to bring a cup outside for them.
• Pizza Party - Tuesday - 6-to-7.30p! If you haven't RSVP'd yet, please let Ross or Sheila know as soon as you can. Take a look at the website for details.
• End of the Year Party - Thursday, May 31 - starting at 10.30a in the classroom - followed by a picnic lunch and playground time starting at 11.30a. We hope you can come!

Snack
Monday - Apples & Graham crackers
Tuesday - Applesauce and granola
Wednesday - Fruit & yogurt smoothies
Thursday - Pretzels & pickles
Friday- Kettlecorn & raisins
* All snacks served with milk and water, unless otherwise noted *

Overview: It is hard to believe that the school year is almost over! However, when I think of all of the amazing learning and growing that have happened in our classroom, it is also hard to imagine that it all could happen over just a few months. This week, we will continue to offer new learning experiences to support and encourage the children's exploration. Bubbles as well as bubble-making tools (egg beaters, whisks) are added to the sensory table to provide a novel sensory experience as well as create a challenging extension of the children's "fish catching" play from last week. Additionally, the eagle's nest is removed from the nook area to provide extra room for the children's recent interest in castle building. Both collage materials as well as block-building sets are added to extend the imaginitve constructive play.

Sensory (water table)

• Materials: water, aquatic animal figurines, glass gems, aquarium nets, bubble solution, egg beaters, whisks

• Rationale: To extend symbolic play with plastic fish by creating a "hunt" in bubbles.

• Skills: symbolic representation, storytelling/dramatic play,
upper-body/hand strength, opportunities for
cooperation/collaboration/negotiation



Math and Manipulatives

•Materials: puzzles, alphabet puzzles, Extra large Geo-Boards (rubber band boards), Problem-Solving Triangle Brain Teaser, "Perfection" shape matching game.

•Rationale: To encourage children to begin exploring with different shapes, and allow them to create their own shapes using rubber bands on the geo-boards. To facilitate discussion of the properties of different shapes (including angles and sides). Extra large geo-boards are added this week to expand children's shape-making.

•Skills: letter recognition, shape identification, part-whole relationships, one-to-one correspondence, counting, fine motor development, problem solving, geometry vocabulary (sides, angles).

Blocks


•Materials: Large hollow blocks, small multi-shaped unit blocks, peg people, Castle-related picture books, crowns, capes, dresses, tunics. Nook Area: Cardboard boxes, collage materials, "No-Ends" building set.
•Rationale: In addition to children's ongoing interest in creating vehicles and homes, items and books support the building of "Castle" structures. To support children's interest in fantasy castle play and encorporate dramatic play and construction activities.

•Skills: Large motor development, creative expression, symbolic representation, cooperative play, creative problem-solving, reflecting on and interpreting previous experiences, social problem-solving, and fine motor development

Dramatic Play

•Materials: Loose parts (to represent candy), paper, pencils, tickets (pretend money), aprons, chef hats, oven mits, various cooking utensils, chalkboard sign, chalk.

•Rationale: To encourage exploration with a variety of roles, to explore familiar experiences (i.e. going to the store), To explore jobs in the community and what it takes to perform them. To use creativity and imagination to transform loose parts into different objects.

•Skills: Gross- and fine-motor skills, creative role-play, peer interaction, imagination, social problem solving, and symbolic representation, creative story-telling, knowledge of jobs in the community, literacy and numeracy experience.

Expressive Art

•Materials: Sand, trays, collage materials.

•Rationale: to explore with hands and tools to promote sensory awareness, increase fine motor skills, foster social relationships as children observe and work together with their peers, to create artistic images using new materials, to bring together the children's interests in both 2-D art and collage using sand trays.

•Skills: fine motor development (strength, coordination), creativity, symbolic representation, sensory input, creative storytelling, hand-eye coordination, creative problem solving.

Science

•Materials: cockroaches, beetles, mealworms, salamander, Rat, paper for recording.

•Rationale: to support children's curiosity of the natural world around us and to encourage the investigation of nature. To encourage deeper thought about living things and care-taking by interacting with our classroom rat through feeding, handling, and observing

•Skills: observation, scientific investigation and inquiry, outdoor/indoor connection, making comparisons, recording change over time, making predictions.



Language and Literacy

•Materials: the writing center has a variety of writing utensils, paper, envelopes, staplers, tape, pictures of children in our classroom, alphabet chart, dictionary, samples of written words, a book of the children's names and pictures. Magnetic upper- and lower-case letters and magnet boards, Blank paper books, Rubber alphabet stamps and ink pads, computer and keyboard 

•Rationale: To continue to support children as they engage in letter and note writing. To provide opportunities to become familiar with combining letters in different and novel ways. To encourage peer collaboration and communication through creating words together and writing the names of peers. To emphasize a variety of purposes for writing, including storytelling (fiction and nonfiction). To encorporate use of technology into the writing experience by offering word processing software.

•Skills: fine motor, pre-writing, and letter recognition, phonological awareness, using texts in a variety of ways, use of technology in a variety of ways

•Materials: The library continues to offer fiction and nonfiction texts, including those that support our continued discussion of feelings and emotions, plants, and creative storytelling.
•Rationale: to encourage reading time with friends and teachers, encourage exploration of fiction and nonfiction texts. To encourage the use of books as a source of information. To become familiar with a variety of stories and genres.
•Skills: receptive language, early literacy, predicting, listening, phonological awareness, and community building.

Large Motor
Materials: stepping pyramid, climb and jump, balance beam, monkey bars, slide, rope climb up the bumpy ramp, wall ladder, scooters
Rationale: To support and develop upper body strength and core muscles. To provide challenging activities that foster their muscular and cardiovascular endurance. 
Skills: upper body strength, motor coordination, hand eye coordination, propulsion skills, balance, depth perception, visual perception, lower body strength, turn taking, dynamic balance

Weekly Plan for 5.21-5.25
Kelsey Lead Teaching
Overview:
With the school year nearing its end, this week we will focus on supporting the children in making this transition. We will support the children's quantifying and number skills by counting down the number of school days left using the calendar and a number chart. We will encourage the children to begin thinking about what they will be doing this summer. We will discuss their plans, special occasions, and potential trips. We will also support the children's recent interest in storytelling and wind from the science area by introducing The Three Little Pigs and integrating role-play of this story into the curriculum. As the children finished building the garden bed on the playground, we will begin planting and putting a variety of seeds in the dirt and water them.

Expressive Arts:
Materials: Art easel, three colors of tempera paint, paint brushes, paper
Rationale: To continue to allow the children to explore the cause and effect of shading. To provide opportunities for the children the children to investigate what happens when primary and secondary colors are mixed with white.
Skills: cause and effect, creative expression, fine motor skills, investigation, observation

Materials: clear art easel, wooden art easel, tempera paint, watercolor pain, paint brushes, and paper
Rationale: To expand on the children's interest in painting on easels. To continue to encourage collaboration and socialization using the clear easel. To encourage the children to compare and contrast between the different types of easels and how they are used.
Skills: cause and effect, creative expression, fine motor skills, investigation, observation, compare and contrast.

Sensory:
Materials: Sand table, wet sand, scoops and shovels, rakes, plastic bugs, bug catchers, and magnifying glasses
Rationale: To expand on the children's interest in finding bugs outside. To encourage the children to apply their knowledge of looking for bugs in a new context. To continue to foster symbolic representation.
Skills: symbolic representation, observation, fine motor skills, cause and effect, collaboration, cooperation, sensory input and exploration, pre-math skills - counting, grouping, ordering.

Materials: Red, green, and orange play dough, rolling pins, garlic presses, slicers, cutting boards, baking pans, and cupcake pans
Rationale: To continue to expand the children's interest in baking and cooking by using the play dough to symbolically represent food and tools in the kitchen. 
To encourage the children to create their own recipes using the play dough.

Skills: sensory input and exploration, storytelling, creative symbolic representation, fine motor skills, creative expression and imagination, and turn taking

Science:
Materials: small wind mills, ribbons, various small materials such as feathers, cotton balls, beads, and rollers, air pumps, paper fans, small electric fan, wind chime, and video on computer of wind and wind sounds
Rationale: To continue to expand on the children's interest in storms and weather. To explore the different aspects of wind. To provide opportunities for the children to create wind using different materials and notice the effect it has on different objects. To allow the children to compare and contrast between various materials to see what is easier and harder to blow. To provide opportunities for the children to observe wind by placing ribbons near an open window.
Skills: observation, investigation, compare and contrast, cause and effect, collaboration, prediction, conversation, explanation

Materials: light table, various x-rays of different animals
Rationale: To expand on the children's interest in veterinarians. To provide opportunities for the children to begin to explore x-rays, and the different parts of the animals bodies such as bones.

Skills: observation, investigation, collaboration, symbolic representation, explanation, creative expression

Dramatic Play:
Materials: Stuffed animal dogs, cats, and rabbits, pet carriers, pet dishes and leashes, veterinarian uniforms, syringes, medicine bottles, table, bandage wraps, stethoscopes, and x-rays
Rationale: To continue to expand the children's interest in veterinarians and different animals that veterinarians care for. To continue to encourage children to engage in symbolic play. To continue to take care of sick/injured animals using doctor materials. To provide opportunities for the children to collaborate and help the animals.
Skills: collaboration, social skills, cooperation, turn taking, communication, symbolic representation, creative expression, symbolic play, fine-motor skills, role-play, observation

Materials: kitchen furniture, food, utensils, mixing bowls, play dough, picnic table, picnic baskets, flowers, several picnic blankets

Rationale: To expand on the children's interest in picnics and baking. To continue to make and bake food using play dough as a representational tool. To continue to promote beginning literacy by making recipes and posting children's favorite foods. To further support symbolic play and collaboration. To allow the children to act out what they experience during snack when we have picnics.
Skills: social skills, collaboration, symbolic representation, cooperation, communication, creative expression, role-play, early literacy skills, fine motor skills

Materials: grocery baskets, various food items, grocery lists, calculators, credit cards, and credit card swipe
Rationale: To expand on children's interest in grocery shopping. To provide opportunities for children to go grocery shopping and buy various food items to cook with in the kitchen. To encourage the children to make grocery lists of what they need to buy. To promote symbolic representation.
Skills: symbolic representation, collaboration, cooperation, turn-taking, creative expression, early literacy skills, role play, decision making, communication

Materials: Three Little Pigs storyboard, Three little pigs book, vests, coats, and other dress up fabrics
Rationale: To support the children's interest in storytelling. To make connections and comparisons between blowing the house down in The Three Little Pigs and the wind curriculum. To encourage the children to role-play and symbolically represent a story.
Skills: collaboration, cooperation, role-play, symbolic representation, creative expression, communication, beginning literacy

Math and Manipulatives:
Materials: sorting by 2 categories (color and shape), zippers and buttons, nesting cups, and matching materials (photos to line drawings)
Rationale: To support cognitive development through the use of math and manipulatives. To provide new ways for the children to practice seriation, matching, and grouping. To continue to develop the children's self-help skills by practicing buttoning and zipping. To strengthen the children's fine motor skills.
Skills: fine-motor, turn taking, counting, matching, problem solving, risk-taking, seriation, sorting, trial and error, and persistence

Language and Literacy:

Materials: recipes in the kitchen area, grocery lists, paper and pencils available (in kitchen and grocery store), name cards and letters available in art area, new books about topics related to classroom activities

Rationale: To continue to use symbolic representation and imagination by creating their own recipes and grocery lists. To continue to encourage the children to learn the different letters in their name. To encourage the children to use books to expand their understanding of the different classroom topics.
Skills: listening, speaking, observing, spelling, letter identification, conversation, turn taking, symbolic representation, creative expression, fine-motor development, early literacy skills such as comprehension and left-right reading

Music:
Materials: accordions, harp, triangles, tone-bells, piano, and cds of classical music

Rationale: To continue to explore and learn about different musical instruments related to classical music. To further encourage the children's use of rhythm and temporal awareness. To allow the children to creatively express themselves through sound. To encourage the children to incorporate music into their symbolic play.
Skills: sensory input and exploration, hand eye coordination, creative expression, listening, turn taking, auditory discrimination, fine and large motor skills

Blocks: 

Materials: Hollow blocks, wooden blocks, foam blocks, and The Three Little Pigs visuals
Rationale: To continue to support the children in assuming different roles in fantasy play. To encourage the children to build different structures that represent the houses in The Three Little Pigs storybook.
Skills: Storytelling, beginning literacy, collaboration, communication, role-playing, symbolic representation, turn-taking, cooperation, creative expression, and large motor

Large Motor:
Outdoor Materials: scoops, shovels, buckets, bug catchers, tricycles, basketball hoop, target throw, balls, seeds for the garden, and watering cans 

Rationale: To continue looking for worms, caterpillars, and various insects. To continue role-playing through the use of various kitchen materials available. To encourage the children to begin throwing balls to a target. To continue to build our new garden and care for the seeds that we plant.


Skills: turn taking, large motor skills, motor coordination, searching, scanning, muscular endurance, hand eye coordination, balance, cardiovascular endurance, role-taking, fine-motor skills, target practice, throwing and catching

Indoor Materials: monkey bars, rope climb up the bumpy ramp, aim and jump, aim and throw, wall ladder, and bridge

Rationale: To support and develop upper body strength and core muscles. To provide challenging activities that foster the children's muscular and cardiovascular endurance.
Skills: upper body strength, motor coordination, hand eye coordination, propulsion skills, balance, depth perception, visual perception, lower body strength, turn taking, dynamic balance

Large Group:
Materials: Songs and welcome activities led by the teacher, calendar, and end of the year count down, children's pictures on floor, The Three Little Pigs book and story board
Rationale: To support the children in making the transition from the end of the school year into summer. To support their understanding of moving to the multiage classrooms next year. To continue to encourage the children to sit on the circle tape, similar to what they will experience in the multiage classrooms. To encourage the children's interest in storytelling and support storytelling as a play theme in the classroom.
Skills: Attention span, listening, receptive skills, speaking, taking turns, communication, social skills, literacy, trying new things, impulse control, group membership, collaboration

Weekly Plan for 5.21-5.25
Kelsey Lead Teaching
Overview:

With the school year nearing its end, this week we will focus on supporting the children in making this transition. We will support the children's quantifying and number skills by counting down the number of school days left using the calendar and a number chart. We will encourage the children to begin thinking about what they will be doing this summer. We will discuss their plans, special occasions, and potential trips. As the children finished building the garden bed on the playground, we will begin planting and putting a variety of seeds in the dirt and water them.

Expressive Arts:
Materials: Art easel, three colors of tempera paint, paint brushes, paper
Rationale: To continue to allow the children to explore the cause and effect of shading. To provide opportunities for the children the children to investigate what happens when primary and secondary colors are mixed with white.
Skills: cause and effect, creative expression, fine motor skills, investigation, observation
Materials: clear art easel, wooden art easel, tempera paint, watercolor pain, paint brushes, and paper
Rationale: To expand on the children's interest in painting on easels. To continue to encourage collaboration and socialization using the clear easel. To encourage the children to compare and contrast between the different types of easels and how they are used.
Skills: cause and effect, creative expression, fine motor skills, investigation, observation, compare and contrast.

Sensory:
Materials: Sand table, wet sand, scoops and shovels, rakes, plastic bugs, bug catchers, and magnifying glasses
Rationale: To expand on the children's interest in finding bugs outside. To encourage the children to apply their knowledge of looking for bugs in a new context. To continue to foster symbolic representation.
Skills: symbolic representation, observation, fine motor skills, cause and effect, collaboration, cooperation, sensory input and exploration, pre-math skills - counting, grouping, ordering.
Materials: Red, green, and orange play dough, rolling pins, garlic presses, slicers, cutting boards, baking pans, and cupcake pans
Rationale: To continue to expand the children's interest in baking and cooking by using the play dough to symbolically represent food and tools in the kitchen. 
To encourage the children to create their own recipes using the play dough.

Skills: sensory input and exploration, storytelling, creative symbolic representation, fine motor skills, creative expression and imagination, and turn taking

Science:
Materials: small wind mills, ribbons, various small materials such as feathers, cotton balls, beads, and rollers, air pumps, paper fans, small electric fan, wind chime, and video on computer of wind and wind sounds
Rationale: To continue to expand on the children's interest in storms and weather. To explore the different aspects of wind. To provide opportunities for the children to create wind using different materials and notice the effect it has on different objects. To allow the children to compare and contrast between various materials to see what is easier and harder to blow. To provide opportunities for the children to observe wind by placing ribbons near an open window.
Skills: observation, investigation, compare and contrast, cause and effect, collaboration, prediction, conversation, explanation
Materials: light table, various x-rays of different animals
Rationale: To expand on the children's interest in veterinarians. To provide opportunities for the children to begin to explore x-rays, and the different parts of the animals bodies such as bones.

Skills: observation, investigation, collaboration, symbolic representation, explanation, creative expression

Dramatic Play:
Materials: Stuffed animal dogs, cats, and rabbits, pet carriers, pet dishes and leashes, veterinarian uniforms, syringes, medicine bottles, table, bandage wraps, stethoscopes, and x-rays
Rationale: To continue to expand the children's interest in veterinarians and different animals that veterinarians care for. To continue to encourage children to engage in symbolic play. To continue to take care of sick/injured animals using doctor materials. To provide opportunities for the children to collaborate and help the animals.
Skills: collaboration, social skills, cooperation, turn taking, communication, symbolic representation, creative expression, symbolic play, fine-motor skills, role-play, observation

Materials: kitchen furniture, food, utensils, mixing bowls, play dough, picnic table, picnic baskets, flowers, several picnic blankets

Rationale: To expand on the children's interest in picnics and baking. To continue to make and bake food using play dough as a representational tool. To continue to promote beginning literacy by making recipes and posting children's favorite foods. To further support symbolic play and collaboration. To allow the children to act out what they experience during snack when we have picnics.
Skills: social skills, collaboration, symbolic representation, cooperation, communication, creative expression, role-play, early literacy skills, fine motor skills

Materials: grocery baskets, various food items, grocery lists, calculators, credit cards, and credit card swipe
Rationale: To expand on children's interest in grocery shopping. To provide opportunities for children to go grocery shopping and buy various food items to cook with in the kitchen. To encourage the children to make grocery lists of what they need to buy. To promote symbolic representation.
Skills: symbolic representation, collaboration, cooperation, turn-taking, creative expression, early literacy skills, role play, decision making, communication

Materials: tutus and skirts, capes, paper strips and various colorful art materials

Rationale: To continue to expand on the children's interest in castle play. To allow the children to create their own crown using the art materials available. To promote symbolic representation of what it means to live in a castle.
Skills: collaboration, cooperation, role-play, symbolic representation, creative expression, fine motor skills, communication

Math and Manipulatives:
Materials: sorting by 2 categories (color and shape), zippers and buttons, nesting cups, and matching materials (photos to line drawings)
Rationale: To support cognitive development through the use of math and manipulatives. To provide new ways for the children to practice seriation, matching, and grouping. To continue to develop the children's self-help skills by practicing buttoning and zipping. To strengthen the children's fine motor skills.
Skills: fine-motor, turn taking, counting, matching, problem solving, risk-taking, seriation, sorting, trial and error, and persistence

Language and Literacy:

Materials: recipes in the kitchen area, grocery lists, paper and pencils available (in kitchen and grocery store), name cards and letters available in art area, new books about topics related to classroom activities

Rationale: To continue to use symbolic representation and imagination by creating their own recipes and grocery lists. To continue to encourage the children to learn the different letters in their name. To encourage the children to use books to expand their understanding of the different classroom topics.
Skills: listening, speaking, observing, spelling, letter identification, conversation, turn taking, symbolic representation, creative expression, fine-motor development, early literacy skills such as comprehension and left-right reading

Music:
Materials: accordions, harp, triangles, tone-bells, piano, and cds of classical music

Rationale: To continue to explore and learn about different musical instruments related to classical music. To further encourage the children's use of rhythm and temporal awareness. To allow the children to creatively express themselves through sound. To encourage the children to incorporate music into their symbolic play.
Skills: sensory input and exploration, hand eye coordination, creative expression, listening, turn taking, auditory discrimination, fine and large motor skills

Blocks: 

Materials: Hollow blocks, wooden blocks, foam blocks, planks, castle visuals, triangle cones

Rationale: To continue to support the children assuming different roles in fantasy play. To encourage the children to build various castles and structures by using visuals as models. To continue to encourage meaningful building and problem solving.
Skills: Communication, collaboration, problem solving, role-taking, symbolic representation, turn-taking, spatial concepts, fine and large motor skills, cooperation, creative expression

Large Motor:
Outdoor Materials: scoops, shovels, buckets, bug catchers, tricycles, basketball hoop, target throw, balls, seeds for the garden, and watering cans 

Rationale: To continue looking for worms, caterpillars, and various insects. To continue role-playing through the use of various kitchen materials available. To encourage the children to begin throwing balls to a target. To continue to build our new garden and care for the seeds that we plant.


Skills: turn taking, large motor skills, motor coordination, searching, scanning, muscular endurance, hand eye coordination, balance, cardiovascular endurance, role-taking, fine-motor skills, target practice, throwing and catching

Indoor Materials: monkey bars, rope climb up the bumpy ramp, aim and jump, aim and throw, wall ladder, and bridge

Rationale: To support and develop upper body strength and core muscles. To provide challenging activities that foster the children's muscular and cardiovascular endurance.
Skills: upper body strength, motor coordination, hand eye coordination, propulsion skills, balance, depth perception, visual perception, lower body strength, turn taking, dynamic balance

Large Group:
Materials: Songs and welcome activities led by the teacher, calendar, and end of the year count down, children's pictures on floor,
Rationale: To support the children in making the transition from the end of the school year into summer. To support their understanding of moving to the multiage classrooms next year. To continue to encourage the children to sit on the circle tape, similar to what they will experience in the multiage classrooms.
Skills: Attention span, listening, receptive skills, speaking, taking turns, communication, social skills, literacy, trying new things, impulse control, group membership, collaboration

Overview and goals
We will spend the next two weeks wrapping up the year! Small groups will meet for the last time on Monday and we will dedicate time to discuss the learning that took place and share this with the whole class. Our field trip was the perfect way to bring together all the topics we visited and revisited this session and we will use this last experience to support the children in tying everything together and seeing the big picture; "Healthy Living" is connected to everything we do! We await the hatching this week!
Expressive Arts
~Materials: Clay, paints, large paint brushes, paper, colored pencils, markers, oil pastels, staplers, tape. The top of the loft holds paper, scissors, markers, staplers, and tape.
~Rationale: Clay has been very popular the past couple of weeks and we want to offer the children the opportunity to create and express themselves through this media one more week. Children are especially excited to have the opportunity to work on their pieces over time, and paint them. Clay offers opportunities to include detail and strengthen fingers, wrists, and hands.
~Skills: Creative expression, creative risk taking, hand-eye coordination, fine motor strength and development.
Science
~Materials: Chicken eggs, incubator, insects found in the playground, mealworms and beetles, glass-coated insects, plants, rulers, pencils, paper, and magnifying glasses.
~Rationale: Life continues to manifest itself in the science area. This week, our long-anticipated baby chicks will hatch and we will be able to watch the miracle of life!
~Skills: Observation, scientific inquiry, comparison, reasoning, descriptive and scientific language, self-expression, and communication.
Math Manipulative and Games
~Materials: Legos, Lego bases, puzzles.
~Rationale: The children continue to pursue creative building and Legos continue to be their favorite material. ~Skills: Creative building, hand-eye coordination, fine motor development and finger strength.
Dramatic and Symbolic Play
~Materials: A few materials from the flower shop remain on top of the loft: baskets, flowers. The dramatic play area is focusing its attention on a kindergarten like set up with a chalkboard, desk, and school supplies. In the animal cave: small plastic turtles and frogs, wooden disks, stuffed squirrels, beavers and hedgehogs, and fabric pieces.
~Rationale: The kindergarten set up offers those who are going to kindergarten next year a little snapshot of what they might find in their classroom. For the children who have one more year at the Lab School it gives a little taste of what is to come ☺.
~Skills: Perspective taking, communication, sharing, social interactions, imaginary play, collaboration, and symbolic play.
Blocks
~Materials: Hollow blocks, unit blocks, and ramps.
~Rationale: Blocks will be available for children to extend and expand their dramatic play scenarios and symbolic play.
~Skills: Large motor development, fine motor development, creating, number concepts, spatial relationships, measurement, communication, and cooperation.
Language and Literacy
~Materials: Bound dictionary, blank papers, alphabetical dividers, books; pencils, thin markers, paper, envelopes, folded paper, stamp-sized paper, glue sticks, staplers, tape, cards with children's photos and names. Books related to: insects/bugs, spring, plants, flowers, and baby chicks.
~Rationale: Each area in the classroom holds special books connected to the topics explored and the teachers encourage the children to use these as sources of information. Writing materials encourage children to write letters to family and friends; teachers are always available to help with spelling and letter recognition.
~Skills: Pre-/ early-literacy skills, community, symbolic representation, vocabulary expansion, speaking, and self-expression.
Large Motor
Playground
~Materials: Balance beam, bikes, playground equipment, swings, shovels, rakes, buckets, scoops, hill, path, basketball hoop, basketballs, monkey bars, climbing structure, and swinging rope.
~Rationale: To encourage children to use their bodies in a variety to ways and strengthen skills already available to them and develop new ones.
~Skills: Cardiovascular endurance, balance, coordination, grasping, climbing, jumping, upper body and lower body strength, core strength, flexibility, coordination, communication, large motor development, and cooperation.
Gym
~Materials: Steps platform, tetherball, climber, metal bridge, raised monkey bars, bumpy rolling slide with climbing rope, trampoline, beanbag toss.
~Rationale: The gym offers opportunities to strengthen very specific skills and for the teachers to notice change and development of previous skills.
~Skills: Upper body and lower body strength, core strength, coordination, balance, risk taking, grasping, climbing, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, eye-arm coordination, propulsion skills, dynamic balance, and turn taking.

End of the Year Celebration of Learning will take place on Thursday, May 31 at 2:15!

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