Lab #1

Nature
Sneak Peek
Monday, March 23, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
(Miss Jessica)
(Miss Jessica)
Nature (living vs. non-living)
Nature
Ideas to be Emphasized:
Ideas to be Emphasized:
1. Nature is the material world
1. Plants need food, water, and
around us that includes the
sunlight in order to grow.
plants, mountains,
2. Plants grow from seeds that are
landscapes, rocks, dirt, etc.
planted.
2.There are living and non-living
things that are a part of
nature.
3. Living things need food,
water, and energy in order to
survive.
Self-Selected Activities:
Self-Selected Activities: 8:20Creative Art
8:20-9:50
9:50
Manipulative
Mud Painting
Nature Art
Math
Nature Stamps
Leaf Puzzles
Science
Animal Sorting
Sorting Seeds
Sensory Table
Things to see in Nature
Pin Prints & Keys
Blocks
Water Habitat
Water Habitat
Dramatic Play
Bamboo Blocks
Building with Block Mats
Alternatives
Going Camping
Going Camping
Leaf Rubbing
Extendable Balls
Snake Skins
Animal Skins
Rotating Snack: 9:00- 9:50
Rotating Snack: 9:00- 9:50
Mandarin Oranges; graham
go-gurts; crackers; water
crackers; water
Outside: 9:20-9:50
Outside: 9:20-9:50
GM:
Gardening
Balance Beams
2nd:
Golfing
Bubbles
3rd:
Sidewalk Chalk
Stilts
Clean-up: 9:50-9:55
Clean-up: 9:50-9:55
Gathering Time: 9:55-10:10
Gathering Time: 9:55-10:10
Attention
Popcorn Popping
Spaying Water
Getter
What is Nature?
Seeds
Activities
Living vs. Non-Living
Lets Grow
Feeding Nature
Bugs
Freeze Dancing
Freeze Dancing
Transition
Small Focus Groups: 10:10Small Focus Groups: 10:10-10:
Activity
10: 25
25
Books
Planting Seeds
Discovering Nature
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
A Tree for Me by Nancy Van Laan
Closing Circle: 10:25-10:40
Closing Circle: 10:25-10:40
Attention
Dancing and Water Spray
Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
Getter
Nature Dancing
Lets Grow
Activities
Do as Im Doing
Parachute Movement
Rhyming Game
Down by the Bay
What is Nature Review
Popcorn Popping
Little Mouse, Red Ripe
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Strawberry
Red Light, Green Light
Twister
10 in the Bed
5 Green & Speckled Frogs

Friday, March 27, 2015

NO PRESCHOOL

Note: On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 we will be going on a field trip to the BYU-Idaho Greenhouses
from about 9:00-10:00. Parents, if you are planning to go with us please at the Preschool by 8:50.

BYU-Idaho Preschool Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan 26
Lab One
Nature
Date:
Supervisor:
Lead Teacher:

Monday, March 23, 2015

Emilee Bagley
Jessica Howard

Children and Learning/Development Goals:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Samira. Goal: Interact with others. During small focus time, teachers will encourage children to discuss
together the different things that they are observing or learning as they analyze plants and plant their own
seeds.
Leila. Goal: Learn letters and shapes. Using the things we find in nature (like leaves, sticks, rocks, etc.) to
find shapes out of natural things. This will also help Leila to better recognize and identify shapes.
Claire. Goal: Socialize with peers. Recognize letters. She will be encouraged to participate in other
activities and interact with other children; we will have the same small focus groups on both Monday and
Wednesday to encourage this.
Benjamin. Goal: Be less sensitive to noise and cold. Generally, speaking, he avoid loud places and the
sensory table, providing something that would be engaging and interesting for him, like plants, rocks, etc.
would be something to help him be less sensitive to those sensory things.
Swede. Goal: Recognizing sounds of letters. Closing Circle will be a great time to help Swede with this
through the phonemic awareness activity.
Max. Goal: Communicate needs/wants. He is generally pretty quiet, even in his interactions with peers, so
it would be beneficial for teachers to encourage him to express wants not just to them but also to peers.

Preassessment and Findings:

During snack time, the children were eating carrots. I asked the children, Where to carrots grow? Levi responded
that, carrots grow underground. Claire said that carrots grow in the garden and Alli said, you put them in the
ground to grow. Then I asked the child how they would know where a carrot was, if it grew in the ground and how
to get it out. Levi responded that you put a sign by it and then dig it out with a shovel. Alli said that strings grow out
of the top and then you pull it out by the strings. Claire laughed and said thats silly.
Alli also said, Apples grow on trees. I said, Youre right, then I pointed to the crackers and asked her, Where to
crackers come from? She said, I dont know, crackers dont grow anywhere.
One day Twylie and Swede went looking for bug eggs in the garden area and collected them in a bag. They also
played in the mud another day.
Swede picked at the plants on the play ground, collecting leaves he thought were interesting. He also enjoys
digging in the sand box, looking for bugs, eggs, and interesting plants.
Sam and Eli enjoy being outside and riding bikes around the play ground. They talk about what they see, how the
path goes up or down in different stops, also the different kinds of materials that are around the path (i.e. wood
chips, grass, plants, etc.)
While blowing bubbles outside, Brynn, Charlotte, and I talked about how the bubbles stuck to the grass, bushes,
trees, etc. We discussed all of the different plants that we saw on the playground, and how they werent green
because it is cold. Swede said, The grass is white because its cold outside. They expressed understanding that
the grass changed because of the weather, but didnt make comments about the bushes being brown or the trees
not having leaves.
Austin asked me to read him the book The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. As we read, we discussed how plants grow
and how we can tell they are growing.
In general, the majority of the children in our Preschool Lab enjoy outdoor play and they are interested by the things
that they see outside. The children discuss these things throughout the day and always when it will be time to go
outside. When we had our field trip, we talked about the trees that we saw (tall one, fat ones, little ones, skinny
ones, etc.) Also, we have talked to the children about how the snows melts and other things can start to go because
it isnt as cold, and the children have noticed that happening on the playground and in front of the Clark building
when they walk in.
In general, the children understand what plants are and that they grow. However, they havent expressed a strong
understanding of how things grow or when. Nor have they expressed understanding of why the plants change, other
than because it is cold. Also, we will focus on different aspects of nature, like bugs, plants, mud, animal tracks,
river/streams, etc.

Ideas to be Emphasized:
1. Nature is the material world around us that includes the plants, mountains,
landscapes, rocks, dirt, etc.
2. There are living and non-living things that are a part of nature.
3. Living things need food, water, and energy in order to survive.
Preschool Concepts or Skills:
1. Colors
2. Quality Concepts
3. Size Concepts

BYU-Idaho Preschool Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan 26
Lab One
Nature
Date:
Supervisor:
Lead Teacher:

Monday, March 23, 2015

Emilee Bagley
Jessica Howard

Ideas to be Emphasized:
1. Nature is the material world around us that includes the plants, mountains, landscapes, rocks,
dirt, etc.
2. There are living and non-living things that are a part of nature.
3. Living things need food, water, and energy in order to survive.
Preschool Concepts or Skills:
1. Colors
2. Quality Concepts
3. Size Concepts
Special instructions for the day: Clean up Snack 5 minutes early. Come in from Outdoor Play 5 minutes early to
make clean-up transition easier.
Pictures of colored flowers will be placed behind each childs name tag for Small Focus Groups.
SELF-SELECTED ACTIVITIES 8:20 - 9:50 a.m.
Literacy Activities/ Books: A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell Depalma (D7); A Tree for Me by Nancy Van Laan(L11); A
Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry(U1); About Insects About Insects by Cathryn Sill (S21); Are you a Bee? by Judy Allen (A6);
Bugs, Bugs, Bugs by Bob Barner (D19); The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss (K14)
Activity Name

Description/Activity Objective

Materials, Special Set-up

*Creative Art: Mud

Painting (5)

Activity Description: In small bowls, dirt will be mixed

with water, soap and liquid water color to create paint. A
trash bag will cover the table. Paper will be set out on trays
along with paint and paint brushes for the children to use.
Child Objective: Children will use fine motor skills to
correctly hold a paintbrush while making motions on the
paper.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will model for children
how to correctly hold the paintbrushes. Teacher will discuss
with children the textures that they are experiences with
the mud paint.
Activity Description: Pinecones, leaves, twigs, sticks,
etc. will be pressed or rolled into play dough creating
printing mark or stamps.
Child Objective: Children will use fine motor skills to
press and/or roll natural objects into play dough. Use
fingers and hands for purposeful tasks. (IELG D2G18)
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will model how to stamp
the dough and will discuss with the children what they can
o to make the best impression in the play dough.
Activity Description: Animal Counters and Wooden
Sorting Boxes will be set out of the math table. Animals
may be sorted by color, by size, or by type according to
the interests of the child.
Child Objective: Children will sort animal counters based
on color or animal type. Sorts, orders, classifies, and forms
simple patterns among objects using color, number, size,
and shape. (IELG D4 G41)
Intentional Teaching: Teacher will discuss with children
how they could sort the animal counters and will
encourage the children to discuss the similarities and
differences that they see between the objects.
Activity Description: Nests, pine cones, and a beehive
will be provided for the children to make observations
about real things from nature. Using magnifying glasses
the children will observe closely how each thing has been
created and what it is made out of.

dirt (outside)
water & soap
small bowls (RR1)
liquid water color (RR1, art)
paint brushes (RR1, art)
cardstock (RR1, art)
trash bag to cover table

*Manipulatives:
Nature Stamps (4)

Math: Animal Sorting

(3)

*Science: Things to
see in Nature (4)

Play dough
Pinecones, leaves (RR2, BJ)
Twigs & sticks (IWP)

Animal Counters (RR2, R147)

Wooden Sorting Box (RR2, R154)

Nests (RR1, P77)

Beehive (RR1, P74)
Pine cones (RR1, P77)
Magnifying glasses (RR1, P74)

*@Sensory Table:
Water Habitat (4)

Blocks: Bamboo
Blocks (4)

*Dramatic Play:
Going Camping (6)

Child Objective: Children will make observations using

magnifying glass the unique things about nature. Children
will discover some of the things that animals, insects, and
plants can make. Calls attention to, describes, discusses,
and explains similarities and differences among objects or
events. (IEGL D4G42)
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will assist children in
their observations and aid children as they make
predictions about how each item was make and what kind
of living creature make it.
Activity Description: Pebbles and rocks will be placed at
the base of the sensory table, and then will be filled with
water. Goldfish will be added, along with fish nets.
Child Objective: Children will use sense such as touch
and sight to observe the fish and describe them. Explore
materials and actions with an intended purpose.(IELG
D1G14)
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will discuss with children
how living and non-living things are a part of nature and
need to be cared for. For example, the fish are living, so
they need things that will keep them alive (they need to
stay in the water, eat food, etc.)
*Note: children may touch the goldfish but should be
encouraged to keep them in the water.
Activity Description: Bamboo blocks will be added to the
set of lab blocks. Children may build structures out of the
bamboo blocks alone, or combine them with the class
block set to create more detailed structures.
Child Objective: Children will build original structures
using the bamboo blocks and/or combining them with the
larger classroom blocks.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will discuss with children
how fine motor skills are needed to carefully stack the
blocks together. Teachers will challenge the children to see
how high they can make their structures using the bamboo
blocks.
Activity Description: A camp-site will be set up for the
children to pretend with and imagine a day surrounded by
nature. Leaves and twigs will be tapes to the loft to give it
a rustic feel. The camping supplies, chairs, and tent will be
set for the children to use.
Child Objective: Children will interact with peers in social
or cooperative play by creating story lines and working
together during their play. Engages in mutual social play
that involves cooperation and shared purpose. (IELG
D3G28)
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will discuss with the
children their experiences camping, or the kinds of things
that one might see when they are campingdiscussing the
various parts of nature and how it is all interconnected.
Teachers will encourage the children to play together and
to follow collaborative story lines.
Optional activities Wooden balance beams can be
brought inside and placed between the block area and
dramatic play to create a barrier and also as an indoor
gross motor activity for the children.

Gold Fish (IWP)

Pebbles/Rocks (RR2, G137)
Fish nets (RR2, G1s21)

Bamboo Blocks (RR2, B174)

Camping/Tent (RR2, Y246)

Fern (RR2, Y253)
Camping Pot (RR2, Y255)
Wood (RR2, Y256)
Camping Chairs (RR2, Y257)
leaves & twigs (IWP)

Balance Beams (GG)

Alternatives:
Creative Art: Leaf
Rubbing
2nd: Science Snake
Skins

Description: Leaf rubbing on white paper and using

crayons. Leaves are place under the paper and the
children and rub on top with crayons, creating textured
designs on the paper
Description: Children will use magnifying glasses to
observe snake skins.

white paper (Lab)

crayons (lab)
leaves (RR2, BJ)
Snake Skins (RR1, P86)
magnifying glasses (RR1, P74)

ROTATING SNACK
9:00-9:50 a.m.
Mandarin oranges; graham crackers; water
OUTDOOR PLAY
Gross Motor:
Gardening

9:10-9:50 a.m.

Location: South Playground

Description: In the garden area by the West lab, children

will plant seeds by digging small holes and placing seeds
into the holes they dig.

Sand Shovels (Small Shed)

Seeds (IWP)

Objective: Children will use motor skills to squat while

digging small holes to plant seeds. Children will know and
participate in the life cycle of a seed/plant.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will monitor the
childrens world and work alongside them, discussing with
them what the seeds will need in order to grow and how
they need to be planted.
2nd: Golf Set
Description: The golf sets will be placed on the grass
Golf set (GG)
close to the Large Shed. Hula hoops will be set out as
Hula Hoops (GG)
targets.
Objective: Children will use hand eye coordination to hit
golf balls towards a designated target.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will model for the
children how to hold the golf club and hit the ball.
3rd: Sidewalk Chalk
Description: Sidewalk chalk will be set out on the path
Chalk (RR1, art)
between the West Lab and the East Lab. Children will draw
creatively.
Objective: Children will use creative expressions to draw
with chalk on the sidewalk. Uses artistic expression and
language to communicate emotions and make meaning of
experiences. (IELG D4G46)
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will discuss with children
what they are drawing and encourage them to tell stories
about the things that they are creating.
CLEAN UP
9:50-9:55 a.m.
Preschool Clean-Up Song sung twice by all teachers.
GATHERING TIME
9:55-10:10 a.m.
Transition We will sing Popcorn Popping with hand motions. We will sing it twice to give the children the opportunity to
participate, and for those that dont know it to learn the words. The children will sit down and we will sing the song
together one more time, but this time as quiet as the children can.
Description
Materials
Activity Name
1. What is Nature?
Nature is the material
world around us that
includes the plants,
mountains, landscapes,
rocks, dirt, etc.

What is nature? Its the plants, bugs, animals,

landscapes. I will show a blank magnet board. Do we see
any nature here? Children will respond, no! Youre
right, what do we need?
Children will respond will different things that are seen in
nature (some prompts will be made). One by one pictures
will be placed on the magnetic board to create a nature
scene with plants, bugs, animals, landscapes, sun, clouds.
2. Living vs. Non-living
Using the same pictures on the magnetic board I will ask
There are living and
the children to separate them into things that are living
non-living things that
and things that are non-living. We will discuss how both are
are a part of nature.
important parts of nature and one cannot survive without
the other.
3. Feeding Nature
I will ask the children, what do you need to survive?
Living things need
Children will respond (food, water, etc). Youre right. You
food, water, and energy do need food. You do need food. You do need energy. Did
in order to survive.
you know that bug, plants, and animals need those things
too?
Look at Mr. Frog here. (have the children sit like a frog)
Lets have him tell us what he eats? Children will ask,
what do you eat? Frog will respond, small fish, flies,
spiders, and other bugs. (everyone makes frog sound
together )Now lets ask Miss Squirrel? And Mr. Tree?
(children raise arms like a tree, sway in the wind, etc.)
Transition to Small
Small Focus will be briefly explained before transitioning.
Focus Groups
Colored flowers will be placed on the back of each childs
name tag and teachers will have matching flowers in their
name tags. Music will be played and children will dance,
when the music is pause the first group will be excused,
and so forth.
SMALL FOCUS GROUP (all groups will be participating in the same activity)
10:10-10:25 a.m.
Pink
Orange
Red
Austin
Twylie
Kassidy
Sam
Benjamin
Ellie
Alivia
Jenica
Eli
Alli
Swede
Krew
Michael
Charlotte
Levi
Samira
Your Activity
Description & Objective
Analyzing Leaves & Planting
Description: For this activity children will be making

Magnet board (RR1, science)

Pictures (IWP)

(same as above)

(same as above)
Trees eat: dirt, water
Frogs eat: insects, snails, spiders,
worms, small fish
Squirrels eat: nuts, acorns, berries,
flowers, bark, eggs

CD player
Music

Blue
Brynn
Leila
Ian
Claire
Max
Materials
beans (IWP)

Seeds
Art table
Science table
Snack table
Manipulative table

CLOSING CIRCLE

observations on leaves using magnifying glasses and classifying

them based on similarities and differences. Also, children will be
planting seeds in a plastic bag. Each child will be given a plastic
bag, a couple of beans, a napkin and an eye dropper to use.
The children will place the napkin into their bag, and then add a
small amount of water using the eye droppers (just until the
napkins is damp, NOT soaking) The children will then add their
beans and seal the bag with air inside the bag. Children will
write their names on strips of papers which will then be stapled
to their bags.
Objective: Children will make observations about leaves, their
shapes, texture and design using sensory skills and magnifying
glasses. Calls attention to, describes, discusses, and explains
similarities and differences among objects or events. (IELG
D4G42)
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will discuss with the children
the things that they notice about the leaves and how leaves are
one of the ways that plants receive sunlightwhich is why it will
be important that their seeds get sunlight at home. Teachers
will also discuss with the children how the seeds can be sorted
and classified.

napkins (K)
plastic bags (K)
cups of water (K)
eye droppers (RR1, art)
leaves (RR2, BJ)
magnifying glasses (RR1,
P74)
paper and marker (lab)
stapler (workroom)
The Carrot Seed by Ruth
Krauss (K14)
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
(E7)

10:25-10:40 a.m.

Transition Music will be played to invite the children to come over. Children will dance while water is sprayed over them.
The children will stay standing for the Nature Dancing.
Description
Materials
Activity Name
Music
Movement Activity
Phonemic Awareness
Review
Story/ Book
Game
Finger Play

Music will be played and children will dance. Nature Dancing. (Sway like a
tree in the wind, hop like a frog, shine like the sun, be still like a rock, etc.)
Do as Im Doing motion song. Stomping feet, spinning, waving arms, shaking
head, etc.
Rhyming words. Cat, hat, dog, log, pig, twig, hot, pot, etc. Pictures will be
shown as the words are said.
What is Nature? Activity from gathering time. The children can share what
they remember.
Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry by Don & Audrey Wood
Twister. The children to identify left foot and right foot, and correct colors.
5 Green & Speckled Frogs song, with frog for the children to put on each
finger as they sing. (one of the childrens favorite fingerplays)

WORDS TO SONGS & FINGERPLAYS:

I looked out the window and what did I see?
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree
Spring has brought me such a nice surprise,
Popcorn popping right before my eyes
I can take an arm full and make a treat
A popcorn ball would smell so sweet
It wasnt really so, but it seemed to me
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree
RESOURCES:
http://www.learnplayimagine.com/
http://theimaginationtree.com/
http://mybloglittleacorns.blogspot.com/
http://www.frog-life-cycle.com/
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com
Materials:
Seeds for planting
Beans
Leaves and twigs
Goldfish
Rhyming cards
Nature pictures

CD player
music
pictures (IWP)
pictures
(IWP)
B L3
Twister
(workroom)
Finger Frogs
(workroom)