Margaret Weber

May 1, 2013
CHDV 150 Introduction to Curriculum
Small Group Activity Form
Name of Activity:
Polar Bears Blubber
Curriculum Area:
Science
Length of Activity:
15-20 minutes

Learning Objectives (specify at least three):

The chil !ill "aint#ra! a "icture sho!ing that the "olar bears li$e in the arctic !here there is sno! an
$ery col tem"eratures% &Measure 2'( Memory an )no!lege*%
The chilren !ill ta+e turns "utting one han in a baggie !ith ,risco an one han !ithout ,risco in ice
!ater to see !hich han -eels coler% &Measure 5( Ta+ing Turns*%
The chil !ill be able to hol out their le-t or right han an recall !hich han -elt coler% &Measure 13(
,om"rehension o- Meaning*%
Material/!uipment Nee"e":
./ Polar Bear 0ourney1 by 2ebbie S% Miller
.Polar Bears &3ur Wil Worl*1 by 4ina Taglia-erro
T!o "lastic tubs
Plastic baggies
,risco
Water
5ce
Pa"er to!els
#reparation ($hat "o you nee" to "o beforehan"%):
6ather the necessary su""lies an "lace them in the science area, +ee"ing the ice -ro7en until it is
neee%
Ma+e sure that the ,risco stays !ith the teacher su""lies until it is neee%
8a$e at least t!o bags !ith ,risco in them so that the chilren ha$e a $isual ai !hen iscussing the
iea o- blubber%
#roce"ures (step by step) & 'e (pecific
)'eginning (*o+ +ill , intro"uce activity%)
/t the beginning o- the !ee+, the class !ill iscuss Polar Bears, !here they li$e, !hat they eat etc% We
!ill tal+ about ho! the "olar bear stays !arm in the col% /t this time 5 !ill rea the boo+ .Polar Bears
&3ur Wil Worl*1 by 4ina Taglia-erro%
9e:t !hen it is time to introuce the acti$ity, 5 !ill rea the boo+ ./ Polar Bear 0ourney1 by 2ebbie S%
Miller uring small grou" time%
This acti$ity !ill be one in small grou"s o- ; chilren at a time% /s chilren -inish !ith this acti$ity,
more chilren can rotate into the science area an "artici"ate in the acti$ity% The acti$ity !ill be
a$ailable -or the chilren uring the !ee+ so they !ill all ha$e "lenty o- o""ortunities to "artici"ate in
the science acti$ity%
To get the chilren intereste in the acti$ity 5 can as+, .8o! o you thin+ that a Polar Bear stays !arm
in the -ree7ing col !eather an in the ice col !ater<1 /s the chilren gi$e their i--erent ieas, 5 !ill
!rite them o!n so that !e can com"are the results o- the e:"eriment to the ieas the chilren
suggeste be-ore the acti$ity began%
5 !ill introuce the materials to the chilren as 5 e:"lain the acti$ity% 5 !ill get out the t!o clear "lastic
tubs% 9e:t 5 !ill as+ one or t!o chilren to "ut ice cubes in both o- the "lastic tubs% 5 !ill ha$e one or
t!o more chilren hel" to "ut !ater into the tubs% 5 !ill get out the ,risco an e:"lain to them !hat
,risco is an as+ them, .8a$e any o- your -amily members use ,risco !hen they ba+e something<1
5 !ill "ut some ,risco in a =i"loc bag then "lace my han in the ice !ater to sho! the chilren ho! they
!ill use the ,risco in the acti$ity% 5 !ill as+ them, .!hich han is going to -eel coler, the han in the
bag o- ,risco in the ice !ater or the han that is >ust in the ice !ater by itsel-<1
5 !ill nee to e:"lain to the chilren that the ,risco is only intene -or the acti$ity an !hen they are
one, they !ill nee to use some "a"er to!els to !i"e o- the ma>ority o- the ,risco an then they !ill
nee to !ash their hans !ith soa" an !arm !ater to get the rest o- the ,risco o-- their hans% 5 !ill
remin them that they shoul not "ut the ,risco in their mouth or touch anyone or anything !ith ,risco
on their hans%
To get the chilren starte 5 !ill emonstrate the acti$ity an as+ the chilren o"en-ene ?uestions li+e
.2o you thin+ the !ater is a little col or o you thin+ the !ater is $ery col<1 .8o! o you thin+ the
,risco is going to -eel on your han<1
)Mi""le: (*o+ +ill , support/enhance/scaffol"%) & -he person rea"ing your lesson plan shoul" be able to
i"entify +hat you are saying or "oing to support your state" learning objectives. -*,( ,( /01
,M#O0-AN-.
/-ter e:"laining the acti$ity to the chilren an gi$ing them a emonstration, 5 !ill su""ort the chilren
as they begin to use the materials by obser$ing ini$iual chilren% 5 !ill also be in the immeiate area
to hel" the chilren i- they nee hel" !ith getting the ,risco o-- o- their hans%
To stimulate thought an con$ersation 5 can as+ o"en-ene ?uestions such as, .2o you thin+ that the
"olar bears get !et !hen they go in the !ater<1 .What oes the ,risco -eel li+e on your han<1
.Which han o you thin+ !ill -eel coler in the ice !ater, the one !ith the ,risco or the one !ithout
the ,risco#blubber<1 /-ter the chil "uts both hans in the !ater, 5 !ill as+ .!hich han !as coler, the
han coate in ,risco or your han !ithout ,risco<1 /s chilren -inish their turn in the !ater, they !ill
ha$e the o""ortunity to ra! or "aint a "icture to emonstrate their +no!lege o- "olar bears habitats%
5n this acti$ity 5 !ant the grou" o- chilren to !or+ together ta+ing turns hel"ing each other !ith getting
one han in their bag o- .blubber1, hel"ing to get "a"er to!els so that they can begin to clean o-- the
.blubber1 an also 5 !ant them to !or+ together an "roblem sol$e as to !hether they thin+ the han
that is coate in ,risco !ill be !armer in the !ater than the han !ithout the ,risco layer% 5 can say an
as+ things such as, .Who can hel" get the "a"er some more "a"er to!els so that 5saiah can !i"e his
hans o--<1 .Who can hel" Michael get the bag on his han<1 5 !ill be obser$ing the chilren an !ill
loo+ing -or !ays to hel" chilren to !or+ together%
To hel" su""ort ini$iual chilren 5 !ill ma+e sure that the tubs o- ice !ater are lo! enough so that
they are accessible to any chil in !heelchairs% The acti$ity is esigne -or all chilren to use% 5- 5 am
obser$ing that ini$iual chilren are ha$ing trouble !ith the acti$ity 5 can as+ o"en-ene ?uestions
li+e, .What ha""ens i- you try "utting your clean han bac+ in the ice !ater again<1 My goal is to as+
?uestions that !ill hel" enhance an sca--ol the chil@s learning e:"erience% Aor some chilren it may
be necessary to gi$e them a buy to hel" them%
To hel" the chilren e:ten this acti$ity, there !ill be small "lastic "olar animals that the chilren can
use !ith the ice !ater% They can "ut a small layer o- ,risco on a -e! o- the animals to see !hat !ill
ha""en in the !ater% .2o the animals a""ear to be !et or oes the !ater slie o-- o- the animals%1
)n": (*o+ +ill , bring this activity to a conclusion an" transition to the ne2t activity% 'e very specific
in ho+ you +ill transition the chil"ren.)
5 !ill gi$e the chilren a 5 minute !arning that the acti$ity !ill be ening an that it !ill be time to
clean u"% When the 5 minutes are u", 5 !ill say .Polar bear, "olar bear !hat o you hear< 5 hear that it is
time to clean u"%1
5 !ill in$ol$e the chilren in the clean-u" by ha$ing them "ut the su""lies a!ay% 5 !ill ha$e a cou"le o-
chilren hel" me em"ty the tubs o- ice !ater% Some o- the chilren can !ash the ,risco o-- o- any
"lastic animals use in the acti$ity% Some !ill be !i"ing any !ater o-- o- the table an ma+ing sure that
all the "a"er to!els mae it into the garbage can%
The chilren !ill transition to the ne:t acti$ity a-ter the clean-u"% 2uring the clean-u" "rocess the
chilren !ill be instructe to mo$e into the circle time area% /s the chilren mo$e o$er to the circle time
area, they !ill be gi$en instructions to !al+ through tall grass, s!im through the la+e to get to the circle
time area% 5 !ant the chilren to begin thin+ing o- going on our bear hunt% 5 !ill as+ the chilren !hat
they !ant to go through such as a !in storm, rain, etc% to -in their bears% /nother teacher !ill be in the
circle time area an !ill get the chilren starte an the ne:t acti$ity by reaing the boo+ .We@re 6oing
on a Bear 8unt%1
5- the chilren are really into the acti$ity, then maybe a little more time can be gi$en so that they can
-inish !hat they are oing% The acti$ity may also stay set u" so that the chilren can go bac+ to it !hen
they ha$e time%
-hroughout the "ay/+ee34 +hat opportunities +ill the chil"ren have to reflect bac3 on this activity%
Throughout the !ee+ the chilren !ill ha$e the o""ortunity to re-lect on their e:"erience !ith the
blubber acti$ity by ictating their e:"erience to a teacher !ho !ill !rite the e:"erience in the chil@s
>ournal%
The chilren !ill ha$e the o""ortunity uring the !ee+ to -urther e:"lore the acti$ity in the science area%
The chilren !ill also be able to re-lect on their e:"eriences by creating a ra!ing, "ainting, or clay
re"resentation o- their e:"erience in the arts area% They may choose to create a ance about "olar bears
an their blubber%
,hilren !ill also ha$e "lenty o- o""ortunities to re-lect on their e:"erience in the blubber acti$ity by
iscussing it !ith their "eers%