LESSON ACTIVITY PLAN

 

 

 

AGE LEVEL: 4 TO 5

 

NUMBER OF CHILDREN: Whole class activity. Groups of 4-5 children at tables.

 

INSIDE OR OUTSIDE: This is an indoor arts activity.

 

LESSON DURATION (MINUTES): Group of 4 to 5 children with teacher supervision will take roughly 15-20 minutes.

 

 

EARLY CHILDHOOD FRAMEWORK LEARNING OUTCOMES

IDENTITY

1.1.1 As the children interact with their peers and teachers during the group time and throughout the activity they are learning and practising skills that will help them form successful and positive relationships with others.

1.3.8 As the children display and share their work with others this allows the children to express aspects of their own ideas and knowledge through their artwork.

 

COMMUNITY

2.2.4 As the children engage and interact with others during the group time discussions and explanations, they are learning to listen to and respect others ideas and ways of doing things. 

2.4.1 While the children take their time constructing their cotton bud skeletons they are using art play to explore, investigate and project their new found ideas and knowledge of the human body and skeletal system.

 

WELLBEING

3.2.7 As the children use scissors to cut their cotton buds and glue brushes to paint the glue on each individual cotton bud they are not only supporting their fine motor skills, they are also encouraging their ability to manipulate and manage the equipment and tools with ease and skill.

 

LEARNING

4.3.7 As the children participate in the group time discussions and the cotton bud activity; they are transferring their previous human body and skeletal system knowledge from one aspect or situation of learning to their current learning situations.

 

COMMUNICATION

5.1.4 When engaging in the group time discussion the children are contributing their ideas and experiences through large group discussions.

 

Prerequisite knowledge and/or links to previous/future lessons:

There are no specific prerequisites required to participate in this activity.

Ability to use scissors would make this activity easier for the children.

This arts experience could be used as a follow up activity regarding the topic of the “Human body” or “Skeletons”.

Resources required

-Black paper

-White paper

-Cotton buds

-Scissors

-PVA glue

-Glue brush

-Black markers

-White pencils

-Googly eyes

 

 

ASSESSMENT

Observations, pictures and learning stories can be taken during this activity to assess the children’s learning and engagement throughout. By assessing the children’s engagement during the experience, this will allow for identification of learning and developmental opportunities. From these assessments new interests and abilities can be identified, and children’s learning and development can be assessed, measured and documented. These assessments will aid with future planning of activities, experiences and overall programs.

Specific areas of interest throughout this activity would be the assessment of the children’s overall knowledge of the human body and the skeletal system. Assessment of fine motor skills, hand and finger muscle control and scissor grip and control, creative skills, creative placement awareness. Social interactions and language between the small groups of children can also be observed. 

 

 

LESSON

 

 

Lesson Introduction

During a group time or sharing experience present the activity to the children and let them know that we will be making cotton bud skeletons.

Have a quick discussion regarding the reasons why we are doing this activity and go back over a few human body ideas and experiences the children have been participating in over the past few weeks. Have a quick question and answer session, and quiz the children on the skeletal system and the names for the main bones within our body.

Let the children know they are welcome to come and join in the activity whenever they want, and encourage the children who are not interested to have a go.  

 

 

Main Component of Lesson

Sit down at the table and allow the children to come over at their own pace.

As they make their way over and take a seat, proceed to guide the small group of children through the activity all together.

Begin by giving each child a piece of black paper, have them write their names on the back.

Once this is done give them the choice of making a skull out of white paper or drawing one on.

If they decide to draw a skull give them a white pencil and preferable a picture as a guide.

If they decided they want to cut a head out, give them a white piece of paper and draw the skull on there, cut it out and glue it on the black piece of paper.

Once the head it complete give each child a handful of cotton buds, for this step give the children the opportunity to explore with the different shapes, sizes and angles as they piece together their skeleton creation. Provide the children with a few examples of finished produces as they have an idea to work towards.

Once they have placed all of their cotton buds in the positions they like, have the children glue each one down with PVA glue.

If the children like their skeletons as is, set them aside to dry.

If the children want to add another aspect to their picture, they can add red glitter to represent blood. This gives a cool effect, and lets face it every child loves glitter. 

When finished set aside to dry.

 

As the teacher running the activity, my job will be to encourage and support the children throughout. Guiding them through the steps of the activity all the way to the end. As the children work on their Skeleton pictures I will ask them questions and begin discussions around the table to gather an understanding of their understanding of the process being taken, the tools being used and their overall interest and engagement in the activity.

 

As the children participate in this activity the overall learning and developmental aims include,

-The further development of fine motor skills.

-The development of hand and finger muscles.

-Gain human body and skeletal system knowledge.

-Development of social and language skills.

-Development of creative and imaginative skills.

-Ability to make connections to themselves through art experiences.

-Development of concentration skills

 

 

Lesson Conclusion

Once the children have finished, have them write their names on the back.

I will then ask them whether they would like me to display it with the other children’s work. If the child wants it added to the display, I will then pin it up so they can show off their work to their family and fellow peers.

You could then have a short individual or group discuss with the child/children to go back over and summarise the activity, during this you would asking the children questions about how they went about constructing their skeleton, why they decided to make it the way they did and what they know about skeletons.

To follow up this activity you could then introduce a doctors dramatic play area with x-rays and pictures of the human body, as to further encourage and develop the children’s knowledge around the human body and skeletal system.

You could also follow up with a skeleton related group time, for example a trace and draw activity where you trace a child on a large sheet of butcher’s paper and then have the children tell you what bones belong in the body.