assignment 10

CE230 Creative Activities for Young Children Final Project

Activity # 1:

Are You My Mother? (based on the book by P. D. Eastman)

Source:

Arkansas Department of Human Services (HumanServices.Arkansas.gov)

Age(s):

6 wks-1 yr

ages 2-4

ages 5–7

ages 8–10

ages 10-12

Time Required:

Teacher-directed activity = 20-30 minutes

Child-directed activities = 3-5 days

Objectives:

After completing this activity students will be able to … retell a favorite children’s story using felt-board materials and/or teacher-made stick puppets and play “Concentration/Memory” to match pictures of baby animals with pictures of their mothers.

Materials/Equipment:

· Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman

· Cardstock, index paper, or tagboard

· Copy machine

· Markers, colored pencils, pastels, or paint

· Laminator or no-heat laminator sheets

· Velcro dots

· Popsicle sticks

Highlight (all) Related Developmental Area(s):

Drama

Creative Play

Art

Music

Movement

Individual

Small Group

Large Group

Cognitive

Linguistic

Physical

Sensorimotor

Social-emotional

Procedure: Explain in detailed narrative form using complete sentences how this activity is accomplished. Include the skills that are required and learned and what will be necessary for the instructor to successfully accomplish this task with his/her students.

To prepare for the lesson, make three copies of each of the story objects provided by the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Childcare and Early Childhood Education. Then color each set of objects with markers, colored pencils, pastel, or paint, then cut out each set of objects. Next, laminate each set of objects to increase the their longevity and allow for multiple re-use. Attach Velcro dots to one set of the objects (for use by both teacher and children on the story board). Finally, glue popsicle sticks to one set of the objects to make stick puppets (for use by children in retelling the story). The third set of laminated objects will be used by children to play a “Concentration” or “Memory” game, matching pictures of the baby animals with pictures of their mothers.

The teacher must first ask the children about familiar animals (like kittens and puppies), and have the children explain who their mothers are. She could then engage the children in a discussion about families, and have each child talk about his mother, helping the children to identify similarities between themselves and their mothers (i.e., same color eyes, same color hair). She should then read the book Are You My Mother? to the children, using the story board to “act out” the story as she reads. The teacher should engage the children throughout the story, asking them to help identify each of the “mothers” the baby bird encounters and to help identify the right “baby” for each one as the story progresses. The teacher should then discuss the different kinds of games the children can play throughout the week using the Are You My Mother? puppets, story board, and “Concentration” game materials. The teacher should encourage each child throughout the week to try each activity, and she should read the story often throughout the week in story time to further encourage interest and increase student participation in the activities throughout the week. Extension activities could include: having the children bring in photographs of themselves and their mothers to share with the class or for display in the classroom; providing materials for children to use in painting/drawing pictures of themselves with their mothers and/or painting/drawing pictures of baby animals and their mothers; the teacher could encourage children to act out the story using creative drama; having a “Mommy and Me” day in which mothers join their children for all or part of a day’s activities, including a special “tea” for the children and their mothers; and the children could be encouraged to make up a song about their mothers to sing during the “Mommy and Me” day at the end of the week.