Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Autumn!

The season of autumn begins this, our 5th week of school, so let’s explore what it’s all about.  We’re looking forward to falling leaves, falling temperatures and cool days cuddled up with good books.  (Though here in Texas, we will have to wait a while longer for that!)

Intent
Students ask questions of class-wide interest, decide which sources can answer these questions, and gather evidence from provided text sources.  We write and use pictures to document our research and we read assorted literature. (TEKS 19 a & b and 20 a & b)




Introduction
Bring students to carpet, get them settled.

Welcome Song (To London Bridge is Falling Down)

        Welcome to the library, library, library. Welcome to the library,
        Please come inside and read. 

        We’re glad to have you here today, here today, here today. 
        We’re glad to have you here today, today’s a special day.


Finger play: This is Big (source: traditional)

This is big big big                 Hold arms out to side
This is small small small    Cup hands together
This is short short short       Hold hands w/palms facing each other
This is tall tall tall                  Reach one hand above head
This is fast fast fast               Circle fists quickly
This is slow slow slow         Circle fists slowly
This is yes yes yes               Nod
This is no no no                    Shake head


Library Expectations:
“4 finger rules” of the library:
quiet (finger to mouth)
watch teachers (fingers to eyes)
listen to stories and directions (cup ears)
and always walk (walking fingers.)

Mystery Bag:  What’s inside the mystery box today?  The object inside the box will give us a clue what our story time is going to be about.  (Object this week is silk leaves in fall colors)

Welcome.  Every week, when kindergarteners come to visit the library, we have a different theme.  We’ve had story times about the circus, pirates, and today our theme is the changing seasons.  This week, the season of summer is officially over and the season of fall begins.  We’ll sing songs, do finger plays, read books (of course), tell jokes and do fun activities and all of them will be about the season of fall and the fun things you can do in the fall.

Word of the Week: say it, syllabicate it TEACHER draws it in the air, invites students to “air write” with her. 

English:  Autumn
Spanish:  Otoño (Oh-TONE-Yo)
ASL sign: http://www.handspeak.com/word/search.php?wordID=autumn&submitword=Find  (sign language is a real language where people use their hands to communicate.  Here is the sign for autumn.  Put your left hand up like a tree branch.  Your right hand is a leaf that falls.  Try it!

Resource
 “The Surprise” from Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel (Harper Trophy, 1976.)
Reflection: 

Before: Do any of you know these characters?  They’re friends who live in a forest.  This is a favorite series of the librarian, and a favorite of many people!  Each frog & toad book is made up of 4 chapters; we are reading a chapter today about what happens in the fall.

During: Check for understanding.

AfterWhat will happen in the morning?  Why is that funny?

Activity
Action Rhyme:  If I were a leaf… 
·         If I were a leaf, I’d jump down from my tree (jump)
·         I’d dance in the wind (dance)
·          I’d fly in the breeze(arms out – fly)
·          I’d change bright colors, I’d spin in the air (spin)
·          I’d land on the ground, I don’t know where! (fall)

SONG: The Leaves are Falling Down (Farmer in the Dell)
The leaves are falling down
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green and brown
The leaves are falling down

Resource
 Poem:   “What I Hate About Autumn” from Autumnblings by Douglas Florian (Greecastle, 2003.)

Before Reading:  Seasons change, like it or not. Which season are we in now, have we been in?  Which one is coming?  What are some things that happen in the fall?

During Reading:  Read the poem.  Listen for rhyme, descriptive writing.  Name them as they occur.

After Reading: What are things we LIKE about cooler weather? (Solicit answers: closer to holidays, get to wear sweaters, snow, etc)

Resource
JOKES:                                  
Q: What did the tree say to autumn?
A: leaf me alone. 



Why did the woman go outdoors with her purse open?
(Because she expected some change in the weather!)

Resource
Video:  If you had never seen fall leaves, how could you see them right from your classroom any time of year?  Now, we’re going to go from stories to science.  Let’s watch two short videos, one of a leaf changing color and one of forest leaves changing color as autumn comes: (This is useful.  Many Texas kids never have seen changing leaf color.)




Resource
Fall Leaves, Fall by Zoe Hall (Scholastic, 2000)
Reflection:  Some students may not have experience with leaves changing color- have them be on the lookout in coming weeks.

Activity:
Leaf Sweep online game (works on “mouse skills”) http://akidsheart.com/holidays/fall/leafsweep.htm

Wrap-up
Review: word of week and intent. 
Goodbye Song:
Open, shut them.
Open, shut them.
Raise your hands up high.
Open, shut them.
Open, shut them.
Wave and say goodbye.


Other book resources:
Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
Four Friends in Autumn by Tomie de Paola
Other activities
CRAFT: Diecut leaves, crayons.  Color a leaf for the “Fall Friends” Friendship tree.
Leaf sorting
Autumn Leaves are falling down song


This Week’s TEKS:  1 (A) words represented by print
                                    1 (C) 1:1 correspondence word/print
                                    1 (F) Conventions of Print
                                    1 (G) Parts of A Book
                                    2 (B) Identify Syllables in spoken words
                                    3 (A) Identify common sounds letters represent
                                    4 (A) Identify what happens next based on cover, illustration
                                    4 (B) Ask & respond to questions about text
                                    6 (A) Identify elements of a story: setting character, key events
                                    6 (C) Recognize sensory details
                                    7      Poetry has regular beat, similar word sounds (rhyme, alliteration)
                                    8 (B) describe characters in a story and reasons for their actions
                                    10 (D) use titles/illustrations to make predictions about text
                                    10 (B) retell important facts in an expository text
18 (A)  use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters
19 (A) ask questions of classwide interest (with adult assistance)
20 (A) gather evidence from provided text sources (with adult assistance)
                                    21 (A) listen attentively by facing speakers and asking questions
                                    21 (B) Follow oral directions that involve a short, related sequence of events
                                    RC(fig 19) (D)  make inferences based on cover, title, illustrations and plot
                                    RC(fig 19) (A) discuss purpose for reading & listening to various texts
RC(fig 19) (A) discuss purpose for reading or listening to various texts
                                    RC(fig 19) (B)  ask and respond to questions about texts



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