LESSON PLANNING TEMPLATE

Name Laura Gill Grade level prek Observation: 2

Long-term specific goal(s) for LESSON: -To familiarize the children with community helpers and their roles -To apply understanding of different sizes and how items can be mailed 1. Title of Research Lesson: Small Wonders You Got Mail? Investigative Question: What can be sent in the mail? and how can we send it through the mail? We can send it in a package or envelope but will this toy fit in a package? Will this letter fit in an envelope? 2. Short-term specific goal(s) for lesson: -To apply understanding from their visit to the letter mailing process -to investigate the different sizes of items to mail and what would be an appropriate carrier size to send them in 3. Standards addressed: - Early Learning Standards -Social/Emotional Development 31.AECc Exhibits persistence and creativity in seeking solutions to problems -Social Science 15.A.EC Identify community workers and the services they provide 4. Background of the Lesson: -students went on a walk to the post office on Tuesday -students have been investigating different community helpers -students have experience working with mail and have been exposed to mail materials -students receive mail at their home

5. Lesson Procedure Time Activities (Divide this into sections. Sections might include: Set-up, Introduction, Teacher-guided instruction, Individual Practice, Group Work, Sharing Ideas, Summary, etc.) set up: Have materials ready for packaging and mailing. Mailbox is also in class. 9:30-Review Mail Trip (Group Time) 9:40 -mailing materials ASR: -we-what went to thepost postoffice do does office mailroom on a walk About? -investigate what kind and size of packaging we Times will need to send a toy will vary ASR: -mailing things -Mail packages -mail people -stamps getting mail -So what if we wanted to mail something to the other small wonders? How could we mail this? (insert toy) What are some ideas? Could we use one of these? (packages, envelopes) ASR: We could - wrap it -use boxes -envelope -hmm well lets investigate and see what works! What is the size of the toy and what is the size package we need/what kind? Dialogue (Teachers Questions; Anticipated Student Responses)

page 1 Environment (Materials, Strategies, Adaptations: for children with special needs) Comments

-ok friends do we all remember our trip this week? Where did we go on Tuesday?

-what did we do and see while at the post office?

Toy Mailbox Different size envelopes, packages, -are the students and boxes providing insightful and thoughtful answers related to the post office?

Toy we want to send to the other class -shipping materials

-are the students investing size and different shipping materials?

ASR: We could - use this package (different ones) ok well now that weve chosen the right size lets wrap it and send it in our mailbox to be delivered -1 or 2 questions to tie up/wrap up -Dismiss to Centers -go over what we will do at my center ok we will be doing our usual centers but I will be pulling you over a few at a time to write letters to the other class

-are the students giving their focus towards packaging the toy?

9:40-Mail Writing Center 9:50 -write letters to other class about. -pick an appropriate sized packaging for the Times letters will -send in the mail vary ASR: We could -write hi to our friends - tell about toy -draw a picture -use this package -use an envelop -add a stamp -seal it

-ok friends, so we are going to send letters in the mail too, to the other class. What do you think we could write about or make in our letters? What size package do we send it in?

Different size packaging papers Markers crayons stamps stickers tape

-are the students investigating what the letter would fit in? -are they creating their own letter?

-lets investigate to see what the letters fit in when we are all done making them

ASR: -students will mail their letters in the mailbox in -students will engage in writing the classroom the letters and discuss with peers what they think they could send the letter in -students answers will vary with peers -Ok great! We found the best way to mail the letter. Now lets put it in the mailbox -Then I will call over another group of kids to the center until I have called over everyone.

-Are they representing their knowledge through dramatic play? - Are the students able to apply their understanding from working on the rug with the package during group time to working in small groups with a letter during center time.?

6. Evaluation: (How will you know whether or not you have achieved your short-term specific goals?) -Are the students providing insightful and thoughtful answers related to the post office? -Are the students investing size and different shipping materials? -Aare the students giving their focus towards packaging the toy? -Are the students investigating what the letter would fit in? -Are they creating their own letter? -Are they representing their knowledge through dramatic play? -Are the students able to apply their understanding from working on the rug with the package during group time to working in small groups with a letter during center time? Observer will be looking for the following domains: -Domain 2: The Classroom Environment 2E Organizing Physical Space -Domain 3: Instruction 3B Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques 7. Post Lesson Reflection: Talk about the goals of your lesson, how did your lesson meet those goals? What did the childrens responses to this lesson tell you about whether your goals were met? -the goals of my lesson were to have the students investigate different box sizes and how we can mail something. The children responded by trying to fit the different the toy in different size packaging until they found the just the right one that they were able to get the toy inside. -another goal was to have the students represent this knowledge from investigating. They showed me this in their individual center time when they wrote letters and tried to figure out what it would fit in. They also thought about what they needed to send it such as tape, a stamp, and writing the to and from labels. Things I would change/ work on for next time: What would you change about -wait to call children over to center -wrap up/ conclude group lesson before dismissing to centers this lesson and why would -wait for children to be quieted before dismissing, do together -giving warning for transition those changes improve it? -talk slower, give them time to process How did your organization and materials affect the success of the lesson? Having all of the following materials available really allowed the children to investigate and explore: -good amount of boxes -adequate materials for sending (tape, stamp, marker) -Toy Mailbox -Different size envelopes, packages, and boxes

What were some challenges with this lesson? What surprised you?

Challenges: -working with children with special needs -working with attention spans/refocusing -I was surprised how interested the children were in the topic and how they were excited to investigate -I was also surprised how much they recalled from the post office visit -Overall I think the lesson went well and it was a great follow up to our little field trip to the post office yesterday. I will consider those challenges and work on some of the things we talked about for next time.

Additional comments?