#3765. Springtime Flower Fun

Games, level: Pre-School
Posted Wed May 24 18:35:39 PDT 2006 by Meghan Webb (megs_118@yahoo.com).
Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Materials Required: Silk Flowers, Bags, and Chalk
Activity Time: 20-30 minutes
Concepts Taught: Directional Skills, Grouping, Classifying, Comparing, and Critical Thinking

I. Springtime Flower Fun
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Concepts: Directional Skills, Grouping, Classifying, Comparing, and Critical Thinking

II. Introduction: The activities in the lesson are interactive with the students and their interests because almost all children love scavenger hunts. In this lesson, the children will be allowed to search the playground to find as many flowers as they can within in the time frame of five minutes. Once the students have found all of the flowers (or five minutes has passed) the students will gather together and share some of the flowers that they found with the rest of the class. In doing this sharing exercise the students will ultimately learn to how to compare, classify, and group the flowers. Once the teacher feels that the students understand the main concepts of this lesson then he or she may assist the students in creating a flower collage.

III. Objectives: This lesson will teach students directional skills because they will be searching in a limited space area to find a particular object. If possible, the teacher should give students clues to the flowers. For example: "Marissa, take three steps behind you and you will the find a flower under the table." In doing this the teacher will indirectly be teaching the children specific directional skills such as front, back, left, right, above, under, etc. This lesson will also assist in teaching the students comparing, grouping, and classifying skills due to the similarities and differences between flowers.

IV. Materials Needed:

• Silk Flowers
• Bags (The children should use these to hold their flowers)
• Poster board
• Glue
• Markers
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Whistle

V. Procedure:

1.) To begin this lesson, the teacher should explain to the students that they will be participating in a scavenger hunt on the playground. (Note: If the weather will not allow for outside use then this game may also be played indoors.) The object of the game is for the students to find as many silk flowers that they can within the timeframe of five minutes.
2.) Once the teacher feels that all of the students understand the object of the game, he or she should then draw a starting line for the students to line up behind to prepare for the scavenger hunt. Once all of the children are quietly waiting behind the line ready to play the game then the teacher may blow his or her whistle-- and let the search begin!
3.) After five minutes, or once the children have found all of the flowers (which ever comes first) the teacher should gather all of the students in a common area to discuss their finds. If there is a large enough concrete area to use sidewalk chalk on the teacher may draw three to six squares on the ground. These squares can be used in any way that the students feel that the flowers should be classified. For example: Some children might want the flowers classified by color or some might want the flowers classified by size. Note: The teacher should let the children decide on the method that they want to use to classify the flowers because it will make them think critically. Note: If there is not an area available for the teacher to use sidewalk chalk on then this part of the activity may also been done on poster board.
4.) Once the students have decided how to classify the flowers, then the teacher should let the students actively place their flowers in the category in which they think the object fits. Note: If possible, the teacher should always ask the students why they placed a specific flower in a specific category that might questionable for the object. In many cases, the child will might see some other way in which the object fits into that specific category.
5.) When the teacher feels that the students fully understand the concepts of categorizing, classifying, and grouping then the teacher may ask the students to assist the teacher in taking pictures of their work. Note: This will be the most important form of assessment in this lesson.
6.) Once the teacher has taken and adequate amount of pictures displaying the children's work, then he or she may allow the children to glue the flowers on a poster board that will serve as a flower collage celebrating Springtime fun!

VI. Assessment Tool(s): The assessment tools that I have chosen to use for this lesson include the following:
1. Informally observing the children by teaching directional skills when searching for the flowers. For example: "Marissa, take three steps behind you and you will the find a flower under the table."
2. Pictures of the children classifying, grouping and categorizing the flowers.

VII. Documentation of Idea Source:
Idea by: Meghan Webb and Dr. Dozier

Modification for Diverse Learners: If there were any students in my class that needed assistance, I would pay special attention to accommodating my lesson to their educational needs, as well as my regular students' educational needs. If required, I would work one-on-one with the student or assign the student with a "study buddy". I feel that in using these types of services, I will be providing the best possible and least restrictive learning environment for a child with a mild to moderate disability.