Exploring Fall

Teacher Candidate

Sara Apple

Date/Time of Scheduled
Visit
Name/Address of School

Age/Grade level

Pre-K

Cooperating Teacher

Classroom Number

Name of Lesson

Exploring Fall

Content
area(s)/developmental
domain(s) addressed

This lesson will incorporate observational, gross motor, and verbalization skills.

Brief description of the

lesson

The class will take a short walk outside. They will be instructed to observe what
they see, hear, touch and smell. As we walk around, we will ask the children
various things about what they are noticing outside. When we return inside to the
classroom we will sit on the rug and discuss what we noticed. This will help the
children verbalize observations they made. It will also give them something
tangible to relate to when we continue to learn about fall. In addition, it will
introduce them to the topic of their five senses because they are thinking and
speaking about how they use these senses to observe their surroundings.

Exploring Fall

This lesson is:

A new activity

A continuation of a previous lesson about the topic

of fall

Rationale

This lesson is important because it allows the children to explore their

surroundings. Instead of simply reading or talking about fall, the students will be
able to actually go outside and experience fall. This provides them with a schema
of the various characteristics of fall. After exploring their environment, they will
be able to draw from this in class and make personal connections. Overall, this
lesson creates a meaningful connection to what the students are learning.

Timeframe

25-30 minutes

Objective(s) of the
activity

Students will explore the environment outside and be able to state one thing they noticed about their
surroundings.

Connections to
standards

4. Exhibits curiosity, interest, and willingness in learning new things and having
new experiences.
. c) Actively explores how things in the world work.

Language Objectives
For this lesson, language discourse will be focused on. It is important for the
students to state, in a full sentence, one thing they noticed about their
surroundings. I will reinforce this by modeling for them how a full sentence should
sound. This will provide them with the language they need to think about what
they observed, and form a coherent statement about it as well.

Exploring Fall

Resources/materials
needed:
(Include any worksheets or
sources of evidence for
childrens learning you will
use during the activity)
Technology inclusion (if
applicable)

Light Jackets (for going outside!)

Chart we made the day before about Fall

Exploring Fall

Procedures (step by
step)

I will start by very briefly reviewing the chart we made about fall the day before.
We will discuss what we learned. After this, I will tell the students that today we
will be taking a short trip outside. I will tell them that during this trip, the students
will walk around, touch, smell, and see various things in the environment. I will
instruct them to keep in mind at least one thing they notice because afterward,
we will come back and talk about what we observed.
After this, we will venture outside. As we are walking around, I will model by
stating things I notice. For example, I see red and orange leaves. or I smell a
fire burning. I will also ask the students questions. I will ask things like, What do
you see on the ground, in the sky? What do you hear? What do the leaves feel
like? These questions will get the children thinking and provide them with
specific tools to use as they think about what they notice.
After we take this walk, we will come back inside and sit on the carpet. I model
saying one thing that I observed when I was outside. I will then instruct the
students to turn and talk to their partners, using the same model I used to
explain what they noticed. As the students are talking, I will listen and ask
questions to ensure they are on task. After they have had 2-3 minutes to speak
with one another, I will call the class back together. I will ask if anyone will
volunteer to tell the whole class what they observed. I will prompt the class by
asking if one volunteer can share what they saw, one share what they heard,
what they smelled and what they touched. This will ensure that we touch on
different senses when discussing our observations.
After this 5-7 minute discussion, I will explain that we have just made many
observations about the environment in the season of fall. I will tell the students
that tomorrow, we will be doing an art project with leaves, just like the ones we
saw outside today!

Exploring Fall

Method of assessing
childrens understanding
of
lesson/activity/objective(
s)
(Be sure to include any
tools, rubrics/checklists
and/or worksheets you will
use for assessment(s)

Pre-assessment

Assessment of Student
Learning

When discussing the chart we

wrote yesterday, I will be able to As the students, discussed one
gauge who remembers what we thing they observed outside, I will
discussed and who doesnt.
walk around and listen. This will
provide me with the information to
understand whether or not they are
able to speak in a full sentence as
well as complete the objective.

Assessment of
Childrens Language
Learning
If the students are able to listen
to my model of a full sentence
and create their own, I will
know they have met the
objective.

Exploring Fall

Plans for differentiated

instruction/instructional
modifications

Supporting children
with identified delays
or disabilities
If a child has difficulty walking
on his or her own, I will make
sure there is a teacher with that
student at all times when we are
outside.

Follow up/Extension
activities

Supporting English Language Learners

In order to ensure that all English Language Learners
will understand, what we are discussing I will make
sure to point to various things when outside. This will
give them an idea about what we are talking about. It
provides them with the visuals they need in order to
be successful.

We will do an art project with leaves the next day, where the students will be able to explore what
they notice.

Any additional
information that would
be helpful for the
observer to know

Observer feedback on the lesson plan, including commendations and recommendations for improving aspects
of the learning activity

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