Brainstorming Ideas for Activities and Experiences
| Table 6.4: Week-at-a-Glance Plans for Insect Unit | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower Week-at-a-Glance Planner | |||
| Week | April 30 to May 4 | May 8 to May 11 | May 14 to May 18 |
| Study topic | Butterflies/Insects | Insects: Ladybugs | Insects: Butterflies |
| Special center activities | Caterpillars to study
Bugs, bug catchers, and sifters in the sensory table Butterfly, ladybug, and other insect puzzles Special snack: butterfly crackers Make coffee-filter butterflies Pretend to be butterflies Felt board butterfly life cycle |
Newly hatched ladybugs to study
Bugs, bug catchers, and sifters in the sensory table Butterfly, ladybug, and other insect puzzles Special snack: ladybugs made from English muffins with jam and chocolate chips or raisins Paint ladybugs at easel Pretend to be ladybugs and/or other insects with wing costumes, etc. Magnetic ladybug story |
Newly hatched ladybugs to study
Bugs, bug catchers, and sifters in the sensory table Butterfly, ladybug, and other insect puzzles Special snacks: butterfly pasta, drinking “nectar” from flower straws Make symmetrical butterfly wings Pretend to be butterflies Felt board butterfly life cycle |
| Small Group | |||
| Monday | Butterfly matching/memory game | No school | Butterfly shape graphing |
| Tuesday | Continue butterfly matching/memory game | How many spots on the ladybug? Craft and math activity | Continue butterfly shape graphing |
| Wednesday | Yoga | Yoga, garden bug-hunt board game | Yoga |
| Thursday | Make symmetrical butterfly wings | Make antennae for ladybug matching game | Butterfly life-cycle sequencing |
| Friday | Finish butterfly wings | Continue to make antennae; ladybug release in playground garden | Finish butterfly sequencing; butterfly release party |
| Large Group | |||
| Books of the week | Butterflies, I am a Caterpillar, Waiting for Wings, Very Hungry Caterpillar, Ten Little Caterpillars, Butterfly Alphabet, The Butterfly Kiss, Over in the Garden, The Lamb and the Butterfly, Caterpillar to Butterfly | Ladybug on the Move, Lara Ladybug, Bubba and Trixie, Ladybug, Ladybug, Where are you Going? Five Little Ladybugs, and various ladybug information books | Monarch Butterfly, Waiting for Wings, Very Hungry Caterpillar, Ten Little Caterpillars, The Butterfly Kiss, Over in the Garden, The Lamb and the Butterfly, Caterpillar to Butterfly, Butterfly Counting Book, Butterflies, the Caterpillar and the Pollywog |
| Songs of the week | “Gentle, Gentle Butterfly,” “Mr. Caterpillar” |
“I Wish I Were a Ladybug,” “Five Little Ladybugs” |
“Gentle, Gentle Butterfly,” “Mr. Caterpillar” |
| Large-group activities | Learning/discussing the stages of a butterflys life and pretending to be each stage
Vocabulary: chrysalis, proboscis, symmetry, metamorphosis |
Learning/discussing the stages of a ladybugs life; characteristics of an insect
Vocabulary: larva, pupa, aphid, antennae, metamorphosis |
Learning/discussing the stages of a butterflys life and pretending to be each stage
Vocabulary: chrysalis, proboscis, symmetry, metamorphosis |
Planning for accommodations to address the needs of individual children There was one child in Phylliss class with a sensory processing disorder and language delay; this child was easily overwhelmed and Phyllis made notes about particular activities he might find soothing (sand table, sponge printing, easel painting). She also noted activities he might not enjoy (matching/memory games and puzzles, using the magnifying glasses, and dancing). She included in her planning looking for audiotapes at the public library for some of the stories they would be using to include in the listening center so that he could use the headphones to screen out classroom noise.