Plants and animals

The mains aims of this activity are:

• To develop the ability to distinguish between living (animate) and nonliving (inanimate) things.
• To develop the ability to distinguish between plants and animals.
• To practise using substitute signs and symbols to represent real objects.
• To foster the pleasure of connecting with nature.
• To introduce the concept of classification -use specified categories to group living things.

DEVELOPMENTO OF THE ACTIVITY

1. To begin with, we are going to spread all the pictures (objects, plants, animals) on the floor and help the children group them into two families: living things (animate) and non-living things (inanimate).

Now play "Alive/Not alive": name a picture that belongs to one of the families, if it is alive, the children jump; if it is not alive they stand still.

2. Take away all the pictures of inanimate objects and spread the pictures of the plants and animals on the floor, asking the children what they all have in common. lf necessary, remind them that these are pictures of living things (animate).

Following, put out the schematic drawings of the houses and ask two or three children to divide the living things into two families. 

3. Ask the children to help you create symbols for the plant family and the animal family house. Let them make suggestions and choose the best ones. Alternatively, show them how to draw appropriate symbols and place each symbol next to the correct house.

Then, make two flags and put the animal symbol on one of the flags and the plant symbol on the other. Shuffle the pictures and then have the children help you place all the pictures in "Plant land" or "Animal land".

Then, ask the children about the differences between the "inhabitants" of plant land and animal land. ln the course of the discussion, help the children reach the following conclusions:

- Plants make their food themselves, using their leaves; they need sunshine, air and water to do this.
- Animals cannot make their own food.

Following, take all the animal pictures and talk about what the different animals eat. Then, divide the animals into two categories (two animal families) with plant eaters (herbivores) in one family and meat eaters (carnivores) in the other.

 RESOURCES

 

 

 

Who lives here?

The mains aims of this activity are:
  

• To develop the ability to use symbols to represent an adult and a child.
• To develop the ability to construct representations of a house and family.
• To use representations of a house and a family.
• To develop the concept of "an address".
• To learn their address - the number of the house and the name of the road.

To develop the ability to use substitute shapes to represent real objects.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTIVITY

1. Before the session, ask parents to help you familiarise the children with their addresses (number and road name).

In class, show pictures of the bear family and talk about them; have Teddy ask the children questions about their families. 

Next, explain that Teddy wants to tell his family everything the children have said, but is worried because he cannot remember it all!, so show the children how Teddy can use large and small circles to help him remember. Establish that Teddy can use big circles to represent the adults in a family and small circles for the children.

2. Give each child a sheet of paper with a house on it and a glue stick; help the children choose appropriate circles for each member of their own households and stick them.

Have the children use their representation to tell Teddy about their families and following, have Teddy ask each child for their address ("in case I want
to visit you"). 

Write the address on the paper as the child gives Teddy the information; have the list of addresses ready in case the children need help; give Teddy the representations to "take back home to the forest".

3. Help each child make a special reminder of his/her addres, using small plastic cups with lids ("your house") and display the child's name prominently on the side (for example, "Jack's House"). 

To finish, help each child put large and small circles into the cup to represent every member of his/her household and ask them individually their house number and the name of their road for write this information on the top of each cup. Tell the children that they can use their special cups to show visitors their addresses.

RESOURCES 

 

Talking to a bird

This activity contributes to:

• Understand the meaning of a variety of gestures (greeting, beckoning a friend, offering food, waving goodbye, nodding in agreement).
• Use the gestures to interact with a puppet.
• Introduce a technique for imitating the actions of a bird. 
• Develop vocal mimicry (using a clear, long drawn-out sound).

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTIVITY 

1. Children are going to sit in a semicircle on chairs.We are gointo to tell the children that Bird has arrived to visit them, but if they want to see her they will have to call for her. 
Show the children how to place their hands in front of their mouths to form a loudspeaker, and call "B-i-ird!". Ask the children to call with you and explain that Bird is shy and will not come out, so ask for ideas to encourage Bird to come out.
For that, show the children how to summon Bird (stretch out a hand genfly, palm upwards, beckon with your index finger...). Explain that it is very important to look straight at Bird if we want to call her: we always look at our friends when we talk to them.
Encourage the children to copy this gesture several times, and to say expressively: "Come here please, Bird, come here!"
When the children have complied, have Bird approach the children and bow.  Next, ask the children why Bird bowed (Bird wanted to greet us but can only
talk by using gestures). Ask the children to return the bow, and then show the children how to feed Bird.
Then, help the children "feed Bird": they get some imaginary grain, hold it in an outstretched hand and offer it to Bird. 

2. Place the puppet where it can "watch" the children, then ask the children to
stand up and imagine that they are little birds; they must 'flap their wings', (move outstretched arms up and down) and sing like Bird.
Ask the children to sit down again, bring out the puppet, and discuss the children's work: The Bird confirm that "the children were excellent, they sounded just like me!"
To finish, we are going to tell the children it is time for Bird to go, and introduce a ritual for departing guests e.g. thank the guest for coming, invite the guest to come again, have the guest accept the invitation, exchange polite bows, agree that the guest will come again, wave as you say goodbye. 


 RESOURCES

Let's drive a car!

This activity contributes to:
  

• Enter into the emotional and imaginative world of a story through movement.
• Develop a rich repertoire of expressive actions.
• Copy the teacher's changes of expressive action.
• Start pedorming an action in response to a verbal or non verbal request.
• Stop performing an action in response to a verbal or non verbal request. 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTIVITY  

1. Show the children the toy car; let them examine it. Talk about the car, identifying different parts of its structure. Then,ask the children to point at parts of the car "Where are the wheels? Whereis the steering wheel?"...

2. Tell the children that they are going to pretend to drive a cat, but first
they have to learn to make the car start. We say "We have to switch on the engine" (imitanting turning on the ignition, and encouraging the children to copy it).
Say, "And we're off!" we continue making the engine noises, varying the volume and intensity to maintain interest; as you do this pretend to steer.
Say, "Sometimes when we are out driving we have to stop our cars
very quickly - maybe we see a rabbit in the road and if we don't stop we'll hit it! We have to stamp on the brakes with our foot very quickly, like this" (showing the children how to "stamp on the brakes").

Say, "Let's see if we can all stop our cars very quickly. When I say "Stop!" stamp on your brakes. Praise the children who copy it. 

Say, "Let's go!" and encourage the children to copy it as you make
engine noises and "steer."
Repeat the sequence of driving and saying stop; praise children as they follow your instructions, to provide positive feedback for those who comply and also to encourage those who have not yet complied to follow suit.
 

RESOURCES