Culminating Activity
Changes in Trees
For this activity, the students will create their trees with recycling materials to represent their favorite season. The children will learn about the changes in our environment in different seasons of the year. The lesson’s objective is to describe the weather during the different seasons by naming two or more changes on the tree.
Standards
- PK.ELAL.14. [PKW.2.] Uses a combination of drawing, dictating, oral expression, and emergent writing to name a familiar topic and supply information in child-centered, authentic, play-based learning.
- PK.PDH.5. Demonstrates eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills needed to manipulate objects.
Differentiation
Measuring Leaves
For this activity, the students will be able to measure leaves and branches using unifix cubes as their measuring tool. The objective for the students will be to measure two branches from short to large and then to sort the leaves by different colors red, yellow, green, and brown.
Standards
- PK.MATH.10. [NY-PK.MD.1.] Identifies measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight, and describes them using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., small, big, short, tall, empty, full, heavy, light).
- PK.SEL.6. Understands and follows routines and rules. Uses materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully as set by group rules.
Differentiation
Students will be able to use a worksheet as a visual to understand the concept of short to large, and for the leaves, they will have pictures inside different baskets to sort the leaves by color.
Winter
For this activity, the students will create a class list of things they wear and activities they do in winter. Before making a list, the students will read the book Winter Is by Ann Dixon. The objective is to describe the weather in winter by identifying two weather changes and naming two different activities they do in winter.
Standards
- PK.ELAL.5. [PKR.1.] Participates in discussions about a text (e.g., during whole or small group interactive read aloud discussions, during peer sharing, within play scenarios).
- PK.SOC.3. Demonstrates an understanding of roles, rights, and responsibilities. Recognizes that all children and adults have roles, rights, and responsibilities at home, school, and the community.
Differentiation
To differentiate this activity, I will be the person to write the responses on the board and slow down while I read.
Culminating Activity
At the end of the unit, the children will make a mural using the art collected weekly to represent the four seasons. The mural will be divided into four sections, representing a specific season. The students will be able to explore and make observations about the different changes in art from their peers. While the children work collaboratively, I’ll go around and ask the following questions to assess the student’s analyses:
- What changes are there in the fall?
- What activities can we do?
- Why do we wear warm clothes in winter?
- What happens to the trees in the spring?
- How is the weather in the summer?
- What activities do we do in __________?
- Which is the coldest season?
- What is the hottest season?
