Exploring Green

Classroom Environment, Room Set up, and Goal of curricular theme

The classroom consists of 14, 3 year olds and 2 teaching staff In addition to the arts activities in the following pages, the students have additional open centers. The various centers consist of a music and movement area, block area, pretend play area, tables set with manipulatives that are all green and 2 science stations with blue/yellow canisters that when swirled turns to green and green ooblek where the children mix green water and cornstarch to see how the color of green changes. Later in the day the students have group music and movement, a book and, a story board with felt frogs. Within the activities, math (counting, 1:1 correspondence), science (cause and effect, color mixing),social (waiting their turn, interacting with peers, cooperation) and language skills (technical art terms, story boards, books, and song lyrics. The overall curriculum goal is for the students to recognize the color green and be able to pick it out from various other colors. Each page that follows represents an arts activity that allows the children multiple experiences to reach the goal.

The goal is for this activity is to identify the color green (from the blue and the yellow). The Children use droppers to squirt yellow and blue water color onto coffee filters. They were able to create their own unique design by the placement of their colors. This activity will also develop and enhance science, math (counting colors), and language skills (learning new vocabulary with the art technique). It is also nurturing cooperation as they wait for help, wait for the color dropper, and talk about results with peers. See the anecdotal record below.

Materials: dropper, blue and yellow liquid water color, 1 coffee filter each, and a tray (to soak up excess liquid). This activity was found on www.preschooleduction.com website about 3 years ago. I do this later in the year after the children have learned previous art techniques and developed more pincer grasp control.

The teacher reminded the students of the use of the droppers (from previous water table experience) to press to draw up the water color and then let go. Once the dropper is over the filter she instructs to squeeze. Some physical assistance is given to those who need it. The teacher asks the students what they see when the colors blend. The students respond saying they have green. The teacher asked how many colors they used and the students responded with 2. One of the students asked for help and waited while the teacher was helping another student move their finished product.

5 Green and Speckled Frogs

The goal of this activity was for the children to identify anything green against the other colors while using creative expression to act out, sing, or pretend. During Center exploration the students were able to come and go as they wished to the flannel board. We limited it to 3 children so each could manipulate pieces and reduce anxiety of not enough frogs. Most groups spent 3-5 minutes. In addition to the goal, this activity develops math skills such as 1:1 correspondence (with 1 frog on each number) and counting. It also develops literacy and vocabulary skills as the repetition of the song allowed for the students to anticipate what is next just as they would in a story. The activity has the color green so the teacher used this story to further develop the childrens knowledge of the color green. Read the anecdotal record below:

Materials needed: 5 Green and Speckled Frogs flannel board story, and flannel board. Other flannel stories can be used to tailor your theme or activity. I purchased this set from Discount School Supply. A few years I was on www.zerotothree.org website and read on how to make use of props in the classroom for toddlers.

Two students approached the board and moved the frogs and numbers around the board. After a couple of minutes, the teacher asked do you know a song about frogs? The two children said yes and began humming an unidentifiable tune. The teacher began singing 5 Green and Speckled Frogs while moving the flannel pieces. The students began humming/mumbling along. After the first verse, the teacher asked what color are those frogs? They said green. Each time they got to the green and speckled frog part the teacher left out green for them to sing. When the song was over the teacher said I love those purple frogs? The 2 children laughed and said green. The teacher asked them to find other green items on the board. The two children at the board answered all the questions with no guidance or prompting necessary. We also did this same story board in our large group. The children who participated earlier responded quickly and it helped the others to chime in.

No materials are needed for this activity. The teacher just needs to be prepared to come up with animals if the students cant. We started out with 5 students then it quickly grew to more. The students were asked to name a green animal. Once they said an animal, we moved like that animal. Below you will see pictures of the students acting out their idea of a snake, a frog, and an alligator. This activity allowed for kinesthetic learning, not to mention they have a blast. I got this idea from a literacy workshop at our Staff Development Day presented by Kathy Lundgren. The anecdotal record is below.

Music and Movement

Can you find the color green? The color green. Can you find the color green, Somewhere in this room?

Frog

The goal is for the students to find green items in the classroom and around them. The students sing Can you Find the Color Green? to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man? This idea came from the website www.everythingpreschool.com. You can do small or large groups. We usually do this during circle with all 14 students. No additional materials are needed just know where some green items are located.

The children knew this tune since they have used it throughout the year for other colors and objects to find in the classroom. Below is an anecdotal record of the interaction between the teacher and students.

Alligator and lizard

snake

5 students were standing at the rug jumping around. The teacher approached and said Lets move like an animal. The kids started jumping more. The teacher asked what animals are green? We will move like green animals. One child shouted snake. The teacher said lets move like a snake. They did the same with a frog, an alligator, and a lizard). If someone said an animal that is not green the teacher pulled out a picture of the animal showing its color. She reminded them that we are doing green animals. They looked through several animal books to find more.

As the class got to the end of the verse which asks to find the color green somewhere in this room, the children were giggling and pointing to everything green in the classroom. When the students said there is green the teacher would look up on purpose and say there???? The students would laugh and say NO, there on the wall or there on the rug. (This was intentional as to increase their vocabulary and increase response from using there to using specific directional or descriptive locations). When they did the song on another day during the next class, the students called out everything they found the first day, so they were asked find new items. When the students left class, some were singing and humming the song and saying there is green.

Conclusion and Reflection

After observing the children participate in these activities and seeing the ability of the students to recall, memorize, anticipate and find the color green within the class and activities, this thematic unit and its arts and movement activities were a success. I did observe that for 2 of the children they needed some additional prompting and reminders to find green in and amongst other colors. While they are not yet independent, as the week went on, they responded well to additional scaffolding which reduced the physical prompting to verbal reminders. Since we continue to build on their current level, they will be provided continued assistance until they have met the goal. The children responded very well to these activities. The dropper art had to be modified by reducing the group size to 2 to 3 when there were children who needed more physical help than others.