Social Studies/LA/Health Lesson on My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook

Monday Nov 30 12:25-1:30

Classroom Connection:
We are exploring stories on self-awareness, exploration, and self-confidence. The Park Meadows motto is:
Take care of yourself. Take care of others. Take care of this place. In the book it shows that by first taking
care of yourself you are taking care of others. This book takes an empathetic approach to the habit of
interrupting and teaches children a witty technique to help them manage their rambunctious thoughts and
words.

General
Learning
Outcomes

Program of Study: Social Studies

Students will:
-

appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions
of others might affect them
assume responsibility for their individual choices and actions
collaborate with others to devise strategies for decision making and
problem solving
apply ideas and strategies to contribute to decision making and problem
solving

Specific
Learning
Objectives

Students will:

Materials

Prep before lesson:

Photocopies of the volcano template on brown construction paper
Photocopies of the volcano rectangles on orange, yellow, and red
construction paper
Black markers
Pencils
Glue sticks
Scissors
Whiteboard markers
Copy of the book: My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook

Procedure

Create a volcano (using fine motor skills to cut and glue) to help them
remember strategies for controlling blurting and interrupting tendencies.

Assessment Methods

Introduction
(5 mins)

1. Discuss the Park Meadows motto: Take care of

yourself. Take care of others. Take care of this
place.
2. Share with students that by first taking care of
yourself you are taking care of others
3. Discuss making good choices
4. Discuss independence: doing things on your own
(looking after yourself)

Anecdotal/Observation
s
Are the students
engaged and
answering prompts?

Prompts:
Do you find yourself sometimes wanting to blurt
out answers?
5. Today we are going to develop strategies to deal
with our volcano mouths (text connection)

Body of Lesson
(30 min)

Lets read this book. Read My Mouth is a Volcano

by Julia Cook

Formative oral
feedback:

Transition to desks

Do they understand
instructions? Are
students contributing?
Do they need further
instruction?

Brainstorm strategies as a class

(cooperative collaboration)
Questions/prompts for discussion
What strategies can we use when we
really want to shout out?
(Count to 10/ raise our hand/ finger on
lips/ zip lips/ stop and think/ deep breath/
bite down etc.)
Once there are 7-10 strategies.
Share with students that we will be creating our
own volcano to help remind us to use these
strategies and to not be a blurter.
Show demo/model. Point to where and explain
where we will put our reminders.
Make volcano:
1. Hand out paper. Photocopy on brown paper.
2. Encourage students to touch the black lines.
Go over exactly where you want them to cut.
Cut volcano out on the dotted line turning the
page and not their scissors
-Check for understanding. Thumbs up or
down.
-Put up visual card. Have them put their
name on their volcano.
-Recycling in recycling bin.
-Scissors away.
3. Model how to glue the volcano. Glue volcano
together to make a point (ask what shape
this is for a math cross curricular connection cone)
4. Have them put their volcanos at the top of
their work space.
5. Show them the red/orange pieces of paper.
-Explain this is where we are going to print
our strategies.
6. Model. Pick 1 strategies off the board and
print on strip of paper. Glue to volcano.

Check for
understanding:
Thumbs up if you
understand!
Are students following
the correct steps?

Thumbs up if you
understand!

Check for

-Students need 3 strategies.

7. Hand out strips of paper while students are
choosing. Encourage students take time and
patience. To take pride in their work and do
their best.
8. Formatively check that students have
completed their work.

Conclusion
(10 min.)

Students help clean up & put volcanos on big blue

(the big blue shelving unit)
Check for understanding:
1. Students can sit in a sharing circle than one by
one students will share ONE strategy from their
volcano out loud

Sponge Activity

Silent reading from book bins (class routine)

If students are done earlier than others they can
leave their volcano on their desk, clean up their
station, and read quietly

Reflection Notes:

understanding:
Walk around are
students following
instructions?

Observational:
Are they helping clean
up? Do they
understand their job?
Do they each have a
strategy they can share
orally?