Group Learning Experience Planning Sheet:

Student Name: Jessica Edwards Course Code: ECS4070

Age Group: 4 to 5 years. Date: November 16th, 2017

Learning Experience: Art and Dramatic Play Activity- Paper Microphones
Programming Purpose:

While working on another activity using polymer clay with some students I noticed two
students arguing over some long rectangular blocks. One child was already using the blocks to
build, but the other student wanted the piece of wood to use as a microphone as a group of
friends and herself had build a stage out of large building blocks and wanted to stage a
performance for the class. To help the two children resolve their conflict I asked the second
child if she would like to try making her own microphone out of materials at our arts and
crafts center. She eagerly agreed, and after the first microphone was built a group of other
students joined in to create their own microphones.

Objective:
The children will:
1) Engage in social behaviours when engaging in dramatic play, performing for an
audience and discussing ideas with friends.
2) Practice fine motor skills when decorating the paper handle of the microphones, and
when using scissors to cut paper and tape.
3) Practice language skills when singing songs, inviting friends to be audience members
and communicating ideas verbally with others.
Materials Used:

Tin Foil
Paper
Tape
Scissors
Stickers
Pencil Crayons
Set Up:
Scissors Art Shelf

Tin Foil

Pencil Crayon Jars

Construction Paper

Clear Tape

Chair
Table

Emergent Activity

1. I invited a child to join me at the craft table to create a microphone prop to use in her
concert themed dramatic play.
2. The following steps are needed to create a paper and tin foil microphone;
a. A piece of paper is crumpled into ball to create a sphere shape.
b. While this paper is being shaped children can decorate their handle by
drawing or placing stickers on a piece of paper.
c. A second piece of paper is rolled into a cylinder shape and secured with a piece
of tape.
d. The ball of paper is covered in a layer of tin foil or a shiny metal look.
e. The ball of paper is secured onto the cylinder with tape.
f. Children can add additional parts or decorations to their microphones.
3. The children who created microphones used them in their stage show dramatic play
and sung songs using the microphones as props.
4. The children and I placed the excess paper and materials into their appropriate bins.
5. I used a cleaning spray and paper towels to clean the table surface that was used.
Additional Emergent Use of Materials:

Some children used their microphone to put on a performance and sing some familiar
songs for staff and friends.
Some students chose to use their microphones for other types of dramatic play props
such as a telescope, hockey stick and megaphone.

Learning Strategy #1
Hand-over-hand

While the children were creating their microphones some children with lower fine motor skills
needed hand-over-hand assistance when creating different part of their microphone. Example
of times when hand-over-hand guidance include:

Writing names on the microphone handles.

Using scissors to cut paper.
When shaping the thicker, sometimes difficult to manipulate tin foil on top of the paper
ball spheres.
Learning Strategy #2
Questions

As the children created their microphones I used questions to promote discussion and help the
children explore the craft and think of other items they could create if they wanted to
participate but werent interested in the stage show dramatic play. Examples of questions for
this activity include:

_____ I see youre making a microphone, what song would you like to sing on our
stage?
_____ what are you going to use to decorate your craft?
What other types of props can we make from a cylinder shape? Can we use the foil to
add to that prop?
Overall Evaluation
What worked during this experience? Why?

The activity helped us to solve a conflict over a lack of a material, and encourage the
whole class to create some new dramatic center props.
The children were able to incorporate a craft activity into their dramatic play, and
spawn some interesting emergent crafts that were unrelated to the main type of play.
The children openly communicated about their props and discussed how they wanted
them to be the same, or different. Such as selecting different colours for each group
member and a flower sticker as a microphone button.

What did not work during this experience? Why?

The tin foil used could sometimes form points or bumps that were uncomfortable to
hold. This made making the top part of microphones difficult for the children to create
independently. To fix this problem, we covered the top of microphones in clear tap
after they were finished, and offered assistance to children with tactile sensory issues
or lower fine motor skills.

What might you have done differently?

Reinforce the microphone handles with an additional material so the props would be
useful for a significant amount of time and could stay in the classroom as a learning
 material.
Encourage the children to make additional props they could use to cheer on their
friends who were participating in the stage show dramatic play.