Leaves

Phase 1

Izabela Andova

Curriculum: Project Development

ECEP- 229

Maria Roberts

Date: October 26.2012

Centennial College Early Childhood Education

Student Name: Izabela Andova

Agency: Gilder Childcare Centre

Age range of children: Preschoolers

Centre Focus: Emergent

ANECDOTAL OBSERVATION

In an outdoor play the children noticed how the maple seed macros (helicopter) were falling down from the tree. They started to collect the ones that were on the ground and throw them in the air to see how they would twirl around and fall on the ground. These maple seed helicopters seemed interesting for the children. The children develop questions about the leaves. The children also were using descriptive words.

POSSIBLE CUES

- Collecting leaves- Asking questions about the

different size or color leaves- Exchanging, counting and

sorting leaves- Throwing the leaves in the

air while singing and dancing and also seeing how they will fall down

- Explore the leaves in water and sand

- Being creative with the leaves by painting, stenciling or making a leaves album so the children can see feel the texture of the leaves, also see the different size, color and shape.

Possible Interests Web:

Small group experience (circle) to confirm interest in the topic: (describe all parts of your circle)

I had the leaves expo displaying different shapes, sizes and colors. I also asked the children to touch and feel the leaves on their own. Asked the children what they think about the leaves which led to an interesting explore situations.

Procedure:

I sat down in a circle with the children had the leaves in a try and on the ground and started to ask the children open-ended questions about their knowledge of the leaves.

Consider the following and fully describe how you INTEND to explore

your chosen experience with preschoolers

How will you introduce the experience?

What lures might you use to attract the children?

Preschoolers require support and guidance to fully explore an experience. How will you guide and support their interactions with the materials and each other and with you? COLLABORATION

Closure is important in any planned experience. How will you end the experience with the children? What guidance strategies would be helpful to use?

BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR 6 EXPERIENCES IN THE PROJECT, COMPLETE THIS GROUP (CIRCLE) TO BE SURE OF THE CHILDREN’S INTEREST IN THE TOPIC

Arrange a date, and time to implement your chosen experience using the elements you defined in your procedure.

Evaluation and Reflection:

NOW THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS GROUP EXPERIENCE (CIRCLE):

How did it go? ARE THE CHILDREN STILL INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC?

I think this experience went well, all of the children seemed interested in exploring the different colors, shape, size and texture leaves.

WILL THE INQUIRY PROCESS WORK WITH THIS TOPIC? WHY OR WHY NOT?

The topic of the leaves is suitable for an investigation because there are different shapes, sizes and colors of leaves.

They connect to outdoors, creative play, readable books and discussing and answering questions related about leaves.

Dear ECE Supervising Teacher:

PLEASE SIGN INDICATING THE STUDENT COMPLETED THE GROUP EXPERIENCE (CIRCLE) WITH THE CHILDREN

Thank you.

Signature: ______________________________________________

(ECE TEACHER WHO OBSERVED THE CIRCLE)

DATE:___________________________________________

Rationale:

During the outdoor play and after observing the children’s excitement when the maple seeds helicopters were falling down I realize that the children were curious about the different leaves.

Based on my observation I decided to give the children different ways of exploring the leaves. I prepared some activities where the children will be able to discover and demonstrate comprehension of the leaves. These activities are based on the children’s development domains.

The activities that we will be doing during this exploration include:

-Dancing while throwing the leaves

-Counting, Sorting and classifying the leaves

-Painting and stenciling on and with the leaves

-Reading books

-Discussing the different colors, size, shape and texture

I am planning to make a scrapbook from the pictures that we are taking while doing this activities, this will be helpful for the children to look back and remember the fun memories. I am hoping that all this activities will be a positive influence on the children and on you as parents.

Thank you,

Izabela Andova

K (know) W (what do we want to know)

H (how will we learn it)

L (learn)

Crunchy Why do leaves change color in fall?

Asking questions about the different shapes and size leaves?

Gigantic one Texture Put the leaves in water and sand

It has black on it Shape Painting on the leaves

My got broken Size Sing songs about leaves

Different shapes Explore different colors Dancing while throwing the leaves

Green, brown, purple What tree did this leaf came from?

Count, sort and classify

Leaves

Phase 2

Izabela Andova

Curriculum: Project Development

ECEP- 229

Maria Roberts

Date: November 30.2012

This is my scrapbook for the children at Gilder Childcare Centre

These are some of the art activities that we did with the children painting on the leaves and stenciling with leaves stencils. These activities gave the children to be creative and to use their imagination.

We also explore the leaves in water and sand. These are sensory acuities that are age appropriate for the children.

We did some dancing and singing while throwing leaves in the air which this activity helps develop their gross motor skills.

By placing the leaves on the floor I gave the children a chance to touch the leaves and also sort, count and classifying by size, color and different shapes.

Also I made an album in a Ziploc begs with different size, color and texture and this seemed so interesting for the children that they were flipping through and talking about the different leaves and by touching the leaves they were using their language domain by talking to each other about hoe the leaves feel and which leaf they saw outside in the playground.

This is my documentation along with my webs and the rationale that I put at the center. This gave me the opportunity to interact with the parents and also to let them know what their children were doing with the leaves and learning about them.

Phase Two

Based on my anecdotal observation that I did in an outdoor play when the children noticed the

leaves are falling down from the tree, and from the children’s interest and the questions that they

had about the leaves and also their cues I decided to do this assignment about leaves so the

children can learn more about the different texture, size and shape of leaves.

By the children’s cues I put together some activities that were age appropriate and will enrich the

children`s development in different domain areas. I also put some pictures on a Bristol board for

the parents to see what their children are doing with the leaves and what are they learning about.

According to Albert Bendura that children learn by imitating what they see I tried to implement

the activities so they are appropriate for the children and by showing and mentoring them that the

children would actively try to understand what I was trying to teach them and by doing that the

children gain a sense of self-efficacy.

I did variety of different domains and by being creative the children were involved in the

activities which that gave them the opportunity to explore and learn more about leaves.

I already extended my activities by making an album for the children with the leave from a zip

lock begs which that gave them a chance to talk about the leaves and also touch the texture and

see the different size, shape and color leaves.

And from all this activities the children learned that the leaves are coming in different shapes,

sizes, colors, also that there are different trees and that the leaves are falling down in fall.

Leaves

Phase 3

Izabela Andova

Curriculum: Project Development

ECEP- 229

Maria Roberts

Date: November 30.2012

K (know) W (what do we want to know)

H (how will we learn it)

L (learn)

Crunchy Why do leaves change color in fall?

Asking questions about the different shapes and size leaves?

That the leaves are different in shape and size because there are different trees.

Gigantic one Texture Put the leaves in water and sand

That the leaves feel rough and dry but soft when we put them in water.

It has black on it Shape Painting on the leaves That painting on the leaves was interesting and fun.

My got broken Size Sing songs about leaves That they learned new song about the leaves that we made up.

Different shapes Explore different colors Dancing while throwing the leaves

That dancing while throwing the leaves in the air was so much fun

Green, brown, purple What tree did this leaf came from?

Count, sort and classify That we can count the leaves and also see the different shapes and colors.

The celebration

As a celebration to wrap up my activities and to see what the children learned about the leaves

what I did is:

I sat down on the carpet with a group of children and show them the scrapbook that I made for

them. When they saw the scrapbook they were so interested to see what was all about, but then

they saw the pictures and started to see and recognize them self’s in the pictures and what they

did. Then I started to asked them questions about what did they know about the leaves and the

activities that we did, one of the children said “We had so much fun when we were dancing and

singing I liked it” another child said “I like playing with the leaves in the water they feel soft”

then another child said “Bella do you remember when we were throwing the leaves and they got

stuck on the fence it was so much fun”.

By talking with the children about the activities that we did with the leaves I think they learned a

lot, that they know there are different size, shape and that the leaves are changing colors from

green to yellow and orange and that they are falling in fall and after that winter is coming and

then Santa is coming too. Some of the children said that they are sad that the leaves are gone and

that the trees are empty now, but then they said that the leaves will come back on the trees.

Reflection

My interactions with the children, ECE`s and the parents during the documentation project

contribute to creating a respectful relationships by being creative and thinking of new and

productive ways to do interesting activities for the children, also by being able to provide wise

guidance to the children, and by being fair and treating the children the ECE`s and the parents

with respect. This documentation helped me demonstrate the activities that we were supposed to

do with the children and also helped the ECE`s, children and the parents understand what the

activities will be about. As an example of this was when I extended my activities and I made the

album with leaves from Ziploc bags that was creative and the children seemed so interested in

looking through and touching the leaves and also they were talking to their parents about it. That

also gave me a chance to interact with the parents and further explain what activities we are

doing. I believe by being respectful and knowing how to create mutually respectful relationships

with the children, ECE`s and the parents gave me the opportunity to interact in a positive way

and by building a relationships based on equality, respect and mutual understanding we develop

that respect towards each others. My believes on how children learn is that children learn from

their mentors and that they are imitating what they see and hear which is Albert Bandura`s

theory.

The children and I learned more about the surroundings by playing which is the main way

children learn and develop ideas about the world and the surroundings which it helps them

build the skills necessary for critical thinking and the leadership that is how they learn to solve

problems and to feel good about their ability to learn.

Izabela Andova