Jack and the Beanstalk This activity helps children take initiative and see a visual representation of their progress. Approaches to Learning: 1. Initiative
Materials: Marker, Ziploc bags, Lima beans, Paper towel, and Water
Age Group: 4-5 years old
Beginning: Read "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Parragon.
Middle: Create very own Beanstalk, by placing the water paper towel in the ziplock bag, and placing the bean in the paper towel. Finishing up by having each student write their name on their bag then taping the bag to the window, for them to watch it grow.
End: In a group discuss what they think will happen to their bean.
Earlier Extension: Students will contribute to taking care of a single class plant, and taking initiative to take of it each day.
Later Extension: Plant a mini potted plant, to take home, and take initiative taking care of. Let students know its not up to a parent and each week every student give an update about how their plant is doing with a picture.
Follow-up Ideas: Students can continue this activity by tracking the growth of their plants each week. Also another activity would be to have "magic" bean sorting, by size or color.
Thinking Caps Children learn how to engage and persist in everyday activities. Approaches to learning: 4. Problem Solving
Materials: Construction Paper, Tape, Crayons, Markers, and/or Colored Pencils
Age Group: 4-5 years old
Beginning: Read "Try, Try, Again" by Brian Jones.
Earlier: Discuss some things that are too hard for us, create a chart and discuss what we can do to make them easier.
Middle: Make thinking caps, by measuring a strip of construction paper around each child's head. Allow the students to decorate them, then tape the ends together. Talk about the obstacles faced in the story. How did the character over come them? Discuss things that are hard for the students and how they were able to do them.
Later: Make actual thinking caps, using balloons and paper machete.
End: The activity ends when the children are finished creating their caps and have shared something thats was hard for them but they were able to complete.
Follow-up Ideas: The children can leave their thinking caps in their cubbies, and use them whenever they experience a problem in play and can come together on solutions. Another idea is to keep the caps in the dramatic play area for the students to use for pretend.
Take a Vacation Looking at thinking ahead and making plans. Approaches 2. Planning
Materials: Construction paper, Markers, Magazine, Scissors, and Glue
Age Group: 4-5 years old
Beginning: Read "P is for Passport" by Devin Scillian.
Early: Discuss the places they want to go and why.
Middle: Discuss places a few of the students have gone and how they got there? Create a story as a class, about someone who traveled, how they traveled, and where they traveled to.
Later: Have the children cut out pictures from a magazine of somewhere they would like to go, how they would get there, and the things they would do there. Fold it like a pamphlet or brochure, then talk and share.
End: The activity ends when the children are finished discussing the dream places.
Follow-up: The children can pretend to be in their dream place in the dramatic play area and use their travel brochures. Another idea is have a theme day of some, if not all, of the places the children picked. Celebrating cultures of that area or having art activity related to the place of interest. Ex. - Children who choose the beach, have a luau or those who choose camping have a camp inside and create paper fire.