LEARNING ADDRESSES
To learn addresses, we play Pizza Delivery. I got a pizza box from a local pizza store and drew a big pizza and laminated it. I cut it in 20 pieces. I choose a child to come to the phone(housekeeeping center phone) and order a pizza. Another child takes the order and asks for the child's address. Well, you can't get pizza delivered if they don't know where to bring it!! On the back of each laminated slice is each child's name and address. If they can't memorize it, they can read it off the back. When everyone can order a pizza without peeking, we order real pizza and have it delivered to our classroom.
Follow up: Give each child a triangular section of a paper plate. They will need brown circles for pepperoni, white yarn for cheese, red torn paper for sauce,green strips for peppers, etc. Let each child make their own paper plate pizza.
ALL ABOUT ME
I would like to share some of the things I have been doing with my kindergarteners for our "All About Me" unit which includes the human body:
We made several "living graphs" such as: measuring the circumference (yes, I introduced that word to them) of their heads I gave each student a long piece of string in which they wrapped around their heads. They then placed their finger where the string met and I helped them cut the remainder of the string off. I set up a graph on the board-vertically was inches, horizontally the children's initials. I called each student up individuallly and asked them how many inches they thought their head was around. I got answers from 2 inches to 50 inches. I then taped their string on the "graph." I also did this with their heights. It gave us an opportunity to compare and contrast the similarities and differences visually. They really enjoyed these activities. Next week we are going to measure our feet using a cut out of a foot that is 12 inches long. This too will make a nice "living graph." I also took large pieces of white butcher paper and had my students lie down while a partner traced their body. The next day they added their features, such as their eyes, ears, nose, mouth,etc. The following day we took our "bodies" outside to paint on their "clothing." The final part of the project we cut out the bodies. (We needed to do "surgery" on some of the bodies, some of the children accidently cut off limbs!) Over all it turned out terrific. I hung a heavy piece of yarn across the ceiling in which I clothes pinned the bodies on to. This was a big hit with the parents at our open house--they got to see their children just "hanging out."
Title: I AM SPECIAL
We also trace our bodies but try this extension:
Paint the front of t-shirts with the childrens' hand prints and the backs with their footprints ( we use our school colors so they can wear them on spirit day!). Then with a permanent marker or fabric pen on the front write..." I am special..." or if Christian School "God made me special..." around one of the hands. And on the back , write "...all the way down to my feet!" - follow the down side of one of the feet. I like it when the words flow in a curvey line instead of a straight line...be creative. THEN the biggest hit is when we put all the shirts on the bodies and sit them in the chairs for Open House! It is an absolutely precious sight!
Title: Finger Song
Tune: ABC Song
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 fingertips
I can touch them to my lips
I can cover up my eyes
I can clap them on my thighs
Now lets' do the other hand
Are you sure you understand?
Title: Pointy Fingers
a fingerplay
Two pointy fingers I can show(Hold up both index fingers.)
Way up high or way down low. (Hold index fingers high & low.)
With my right, I point to my toe. (Right index toward toe.)
With my left, I show where to go.(Point to left.)
Two pointy fingers I can show (Hold up both index fingers.)
To show you things that I know!(Point straight ahead, then to head.)
Title: Pairs
a fingerplay
Two things make a pair.(Hold up two fingers.)
And on me, I'll show you where.(Point to self.)
I have two ears, and I have two eyes. (Point to ear and eyes.)
Both are important to make me wise!
I have two holes in my nose.(Point to nose.)
That lets me smell a beautiful rose.(Pretend to smell a rose.)
I have two hands that clap a beat.(Clap hands to underlined words.)
I have two feet that are really neat!(Jump when saying the word neat!)
Title: "A Very Special Person"
Materials needed:Small facial mirror, Box, large enough to hold the mirror, Paper plate, one per child, Crayons or markers, Yarns of various colors, cut in pieces, Popsicle sticks, one per child, Buttons, two per child, and Glue
What to do:
1. Place the mirror inside the box and replace the cover.
2. Tell the children that there is a very special person hiding in the box. Pass the box around circle to each child.
3. Instruct the children not to look in the box. They may shake it gently and listen to it but the may not open it.
4. As you are passing the box around the circle encourage thinking by asking questions like: "Who do you think is a special person? Could that person really fit in this box? When you shake the box do you hear the sound of a person? What sound do you hear?"
5. After each child has held the box, pass it around again. This time tell them they may peek in the box but may not tell who they see.
6. Give each child a paper plate to decorate. Using yarn for
hair,buttons for eyes and crayons or markers have the children "make" the special person they saw. Glue a popsicle stick at the bottom.
7. Write each child's name on the back. For those who use High Scope in their classrooms at recall have the children bring their decorated face, hold it in front of their own face and reveal who the special person was that they saw.
This is alot of fun, in my classroom even the mom's who were there and teacher's made a mask. We are All Very Special!!
Name Recognition
I have used my big 96 font in D'Nealian manuscript with lines and have printed out all their first names. They will be used for graphing choices we "vote" on. (ex. favorite color, color of eyes, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.) I ran 2 copies of each name so that I can cut them apart to put together as a puzzle. These go in the small snack baggies. Their names will be the first words we read this year and we're going to look for long and short names, tall and short names, names with loops, dots, etc. It's always fun and makes the children feel special. It's very helpful for those who were taught to write in all capital letters too.We're also doing a booklet about families, pets, siblings, etc. I put this in their portfolios and do a more sophisticated one later in the year. They can't believe how much better their work is in the latter part of the year. It's a real ego boost!
Title:Self Awareness/ Similarities and Differences
Art
Materials: paper doll cutout, multicultural crayons, various collage materials such as yarn, buttons, paper scraps, etc...
Procedure: For this activity I first read We Are The Same We Are Different and discuss this with them. Then each child gets a doll cutout to color, decorate, etc.. to look like themself. A mirror is close at hand for anyone to use to see eye color, hair color, etc... They pick the crayon color that matches their own skin tone the closest to color the face, arms, legs. Each doll is labeled with the child's name across the belly when done and placed around a picture of the world I have colored in with the dolls holding hands. I use this as a bulletin board. Headings can vary as well as time of year it is done. I have sometimes waited until February to do this with a lesson on Martin Luther King, Jr.
Title:All About Me Self Portrait
The first full week of school, I teach a theme on "all about me". One of the activities I have the children do is a self portrait. I use the large, white construction paper and have the children draw a large picture of themselves on it. I then use the fleshtone paints we have and mix them to match each of the children's skin tones. No two are exactly alike. This is good to use to show the similarities and differences in each of us. I then have a variety of shades of yarn to match hair color. The children pick out the color that best suits them. When they are finished, the children have an adorable, true to life portrait of themself. They also come away with an awareness of how no one is exactly white, black, red, or yellow--we are all different shades in between.
EMOTIONS
Title: Paper Plate Faces
Make several paper plate faces reflecting emotions. Paste two opposite faces back to back - ex. Paste palte with happy face on back of palte with sad face. Glue popsicle stick between the 2 plates. Have children hold mask and pantomime expression and tell what makes them feel that way. Now switch to other side of mask and do the same.
Guess My Feelings
Game can be played several ways. 1). Teacher calls out emotion and class pantomime it with facial expression. 2). Child pantomimes emotion and class must guess feeling. 3). Teacher gives examples of situations and children pantomime how they would feel. Ex.: teacher says "You are going to the amusement park". (children should smile and be excited). "You are home and can't find your Mom" (children should show concern and fear). "Oh look Mom was just in the bathroom" (children show relief; smile) "You are meeting lots of new grown ups" (children pantomime shyness).
Baby Picture Guessing Game
Have parents bring a photo of their child when he/she was a baby (without child knowing). Mix them all up and see if each child can pick out their own pictures. Have kids discuss what they remember about being babies. Let them crawl around. Perhaps they could even eat a jar of applesauce baby food (with a little cinnamon added, of course!).
Poem For Baby
Little fingers,
Little toes,
Little mouth,
Little nose.
Little ears,
With which to hear.
Little baby,
So precious and dear.
Little Baby
Here is a baby so soft and small
His legs can't walk, so he must crawl
He drinks from a bottle and naps in a crib
He dribbles his food, so he wears a bib
When his pants are wet, he starts to cry
His mom will change them, so he'll be dry
Finger Play
5 little fingers on this hand (Hold up 5 fingers)
5 little fingers on that (Hold up 5 fingers on the other hand)
A dear little nose (Point to nose)
A mouth like a rose (Point to mouth)
Two little cheeks so tiny and fat (Point to cheeks)
Two eyes and two ears (Point to eyes and then ears)
And ten little toes (Point to toes)
That is the way the baby grows.
Rock A Bye Baby
Rock a bye baby on the treetop (Make rocking motion with hands)
WAAAAAA (sort of loud baby cry)
What's wrong with the baby?
The baby's hungry,
Let's feed the baby (make bottle movements to feed baby)
There, we fed the baby
Rock a bye baby on the treetop
WAAAAAA
What's wrong with the baby?
We fed the baby, Uh, Oh
We forgot to burp the baby (make burp motion, putting baby on shoulder)
Okay, we burped the baby
Rock a bye baby
WAAAA
What's wrong with the baby?
Uh, Oh, baby smells
Let's change the baby (use motions for changing diapers)
Now, let's see
Rock a bye baby - finish the song in a very soft voice
ART
Baby Powder Finger Paint
Finger paint with pastel colored paint. Sprinkle the paint with baby powder to give it a different feel and smell.
Baby Paintings
Have children paint with Q-tips and pastel tempera on small pieces of paper. Frame their baby paintings on pastel construction paper, very pretty.
Putting Baby To Bed
On white paper, have kids glue a cut out picture (from magazine) of a baby to paper. Older kids may wish to draw their baby. Then give kids small pieces of felt or fabric to glue over baby as a blanket. You can also glue a picture of a teddy bear or other stuffed animal for baby to sleep with. Now baby is already for bed!
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