Preschool Curriculum

May – Lesson Plan
One Day Sample

Day 1

Circle Time: What is a plant?

First, start out by showing the children some examples of plants. Take the children outside and point out some flowers, grass, weeds, etc. Explain to the children that a plant can be big or small. Ask the children if plants can walk or fly? Explain to the children that plants can not walk or fly. Tell the children that plants grow. Show the children some seeds and explain to the children how plants start out as seeds. Tell the children that plants also eat, but they make their own food from the sunlight. Explain to the children that plants do not walk or run but they are still alive. Plants grow and that means they are alive.

Next, you will need to print out my “does it grow cards file” after you print out the file, cut the cards apart. Place all the cards into a cloth bag. Have the children take turns pulling out a card. Ask them if it is something that grows. Explain to them that if it is something that grows or changes it is alive. Tell them a book doesn't grow or change and a pen doesn't grow or change it is not alive. Tell them that bugs are alive and birds and cats are alive but paper plates are not. If they get a card wrong explain to them why it is or is not alive.

Art Time: Paper Plate Flower

First, you will need one paper plate per child. Teacher will need to cut around the outside edge to make it look more like a flower. I just cut up and then down with out going down to much. Give each child one paper plate and have them paint the plate any color they would like. Then set aside until they dry. After the paper plates dry, provide the children with glue and some small pieces of crepe or tissue paper and have them decorate their pictures, show the children how they can crunch up the crepe or tissue paper into little balls and glue it onto their flower. When the children are all done, teacher can add a stem and 2 leafs. *Optional* You may want to place the flowers on your bulletin board, they could also be placed on a wall down by the floor like a garden if you do not have any young children in your group that would tear them off the wall. I write the children’s name on their pictures on the stem and write above the flowers “Watch Me Grow”! *Another Option* you can take a close up picture of each child's face and cut out and place into the middle of each flower.

Learning Time: Does It Grow Work Sheet

Print out my *does it grow work sheet*. Print out one for each child. Pass out the worksheets to the children. Teacher will stand in front of the children and point to each item on the work sheet, then teacher will take turns asking each child if the item she is pointing to if it grows or not. If one of the children answers wrong explain to them why it does or doesn't grow. After you are done doing it orally with the group then have them try and do it on their own. Have the children circle all the items that grow.

Special Activity: Egg Carton Flower Number Match

First, you will need one egg carton. Turn it upside down and number each egg cup 1 – 6 on one side and 6 – 12 on the other side. Then cut out some flower shapes out of card stock paper and number them 1 – 12.

Next, have the children take turns matching up the number on the flower to the number on the egg cup.

If you have some older children that find this activity too easy, make another set and this time only put the numbers on the flowers, do not put the numbers on the egg carton. Then have them place the flowers in order by the number written on the flowers 1 – 12