Running head: MORNING MEETING PROJECT 1

Morning Meeting Project

Rolanda S. Hardy

April 26, 2017

Trinity Washington University

EDTE 430- Professor Moore

MORNING MEETING PROJECT 2

Morning Meeting Project

Part 1

Theme: Community Helpers

Age group: PreK

Stage 1- Standards

Language Arts

1. Objective 9b: speaks clearly

2. Objective 91: uses an expanding expressive vocabulary

3. Objective 9d: tells about another time or place

4. Objective 8a: comprehends language

Literacy

1. Objective 15a: notices and discriminates rhyme

2. Objective 15b: notices and discriminates alliteration

3. Objective 16a: identifies and names letters

4. Objective 16b: uses letter-sound knowledge

Math

1. Objective 20a: counts

2. Objective 20c: connects numerals with their quantities

Science

1. Objective 27: demonstrates knowledge of the Earths environment

2. Objective 28: uses tools and other technology to perform tasks

Social Studies

1. Objective 30: shows basic understanding of people and how they live
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2. Objective 31: express change related to familiar people or places

Physical Education

1. Objective 5: demonstrates balancing skills

Arts

1. Objective 34: explores musical concepts and expression

Stage 2- Assessments

Pre-Assessments

1. I will observe students counting how many days have been used this month

2. Jump, jump morning song (physical education). When students hear their name (or a

word that rhymes with their name) they will jump on one foot.

3. What color card comes next on the calendar (patterning)? I will ask students what color

the number should go on. They will have to complete the pattern to answer correctly.

4. Focus wall leaders (speak clearly). Students will be the teacher and review the days

focus wall items.

Ongoing Assessments

1. Snack helpers are selected to count snacks to distribute to friends.

2. Playground observations will be conducted for physical education.

3. Students are assigned numbered lunch bins. They get a different bin when they are able to

identify the number on their current bin.

4. Bell ringer job, which includes leading calls/chants, helps to assess and scaffold students

abilities to speak clearly.

5. When students read their journal entries to the class, they are being assessed on their

ability to speak clearly and recall information.

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6. For patterning: banana, banana, meatball song. Students create their own dance pattern.

Post-Assessments

1. Counting how many days

2. jump, jump morning song

3. What color card comes next on the calendar?

4. Focus wall leaders (speak clearly)

Morning Meeting Routine

1. Transition

Students transition into morning meeting from snack time. As students make their way to

the carpet, they must share their answer to a question of the day (what did you do this

weekend, what is your favorite holiday, etc.). They should also ask a question to a

friend/classmate to develop conversation skills.

2. Call/Response

To gather students, I say something like Hello Puppets (in a British accent) and

students reply (also in a British accent) Hello Governor.

3. Good morning song

Good morning __(childs name)_ how are you?

Good morning ___________ how are you?

Were so glad that you came and I hope you feel the same.

Good morning __________ how are you?

4. Jump, jump song

(to the tune of B-I-N-G-O)

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There is a friend at school today and (childs name) is his name-o

Jump, jump ___________

Jump. Jump _____________

Jump, jump _____________

And __________ is his name-o.

** for the community helpers theme**

Theres a firefighter at school today and ___________ is her name-o

Climb the ladder _____________

Climb the ladder ________________

Climb the ladder ________________

And ________________ is her name-o

5. Calendar

Students identify the current month and count how many days we have used in the month

thus far. The calendar numbers are displayed in a color pattern. Patterning skills are

displayed through students identification of the color that todays date should go on.

Pictures are placed on the calendar each day and students develop time concepts by talking

about something they liked that they did 1 week ago, during a weekend, or yesterday.

6. Focus Wall

The focus wall contains content we will focus on for the day. Focus shapes, letters, and

numbers change daily. The days focus helper comes up to the wall to tell the class what

we will be focusing on. If a focus shape is a circle, we look for the circle in magazines,

on walks, and in dramatic play as a chef making pizzas.

7. Activity
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This is the portion of morning meeting during which we incorporate a hands-on activity,

much like the lessons outlined below

8. Morning Message

The morning message tells students what they will be working on that day. Letters are

often missing and students practice handwriting by helping to fill in the missing letters.

9. Transition Activity

Students usually transition from circle time into centers, journaling, specials. Journaling

often requires that students take activity materials with them for an extension activity.

Stage 3- Lesson Plans

Lesson 1

Lesson Name: Erase Me (community helpers edition) Date: April 26, 2017
overview
Grade/Subject/Class: PreK-4 Unit/Theme/Topic:
Community Helpers
Objective 15a: notices and discriminates rhyme
Standards

Objective 30: shows basic understanding of people and how they live

Student will be able to generate the rhyming words (parts of the body and tools).
Objectives
Lesson

This lesson allows observation of objectives. This specific lesson relates to a

Rationale

favorite read-aloud, allows students to engage in an activity, and handle

materials. This maintains students interest.

Dry erase board

Materials

Expo markers
Eraser
Book: Firefighter Ted
Book: Doctor Ted
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The lesson will accommodate diverse learners by allowing those who are dual

Learning
Planning for
language learners to contribute words in their home languages. Those who
cannot yet generate rhyming words, may identify the correct rhyming word from
options.

During the lesson, I will check for understanding by watching which part they
Assessment

come up and erase.

Time/Duration Sequence of Steps Materials and

Differentiation
This is our good friend Firefighter Ted. We
Introduction:

are going to find some rhyming words so we Expo markers

can help him disappear so that tomorrow he
can be someone else. Dry erase boards

erasers
1. Read the book Firefighter Ted
Instruction/Activities:
Core

2. Show students the drawn person on

the board
3. Read prompts and ask students to
generate the rhyming body part or tool
4. Have student come up and erase that
part
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the person is
gone
You did it Explorers! You made Firefighter
Closure/Wrap-up:

Ted disappear! That was so much fun rhyming

with you. What do you think Ted will want to
be next?

Lesson 2
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Lesson Name: Colores, colores song activity Date: April 26, 2017

overview

Grade/Subject/Class: PreK Unit/Theme/Topic:

Community Helpers
Standards

Objective 30: shows basic understanding of people and how they live
Objectives

Lesson

Students will identify each community helper and what they do.
Rationale

This lesson covers objective 30. This student helps students to appreciate others

and differences in languages.

Materials

music

popsicle stick puppets

book: The ABCs of Jobs

song: Colores, colores

Learning

Planning for Assessment

The learning will accommodate diverse learners by allowing them to work with

a more knowledgeable partner or with teacher supports.

Students will be assessed by their ability to sing along and respond appropriately

to questions about the different community helpers.

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Time/Duration Sequence of Steps Materials and

Differentiation

Introduction:
After reading the The ABCs of Jobs, I would

say, M is for marine. What color do you

think a marine would like? When students

get to the answer blue because the water is

blue, I think that may be true. What are

some other jobs you remember from the

book? What colors do you think they would

like? In espanol they say colores. Lets listen

to a song about jobs and colores.

Instruction/Activities:

Core

1. Students listen to the song first.

2. I would pass out popsicle stick
puppets to students. When they hear
that color in Spanish, they lift their
stick up.
3. (as students learn the colors in
Spanish, the activity incorporates
matching)
Closure/Wrap-up:

What is your favorite color? What kind of job

do you think you would like to do? Lets get

our journals and use your favorite color and

what job you would like to do.

Lesson 3
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Lesson Name: Morning Message Construction Date: April 26, 2017

overview

Grade/Subject/Class: PreK Unit/Theme/Topic:

Community Helpers
Standards

Objective 16a: identifies and names letters

Objective 16b: uses letter-sound knowledge
Objective 28: uses tools and other technology to perform tasks
Objectives

Lesson

Students will identify letters and their sounds.

Rationale

This covers given objectives.

Materials

tape
popsicle sticks
glue
straws
scissors
markers
pompoms
stickers
foam lines and curves
childrens tools
construction vests
hard hats
goggles
book: Alphabet Under Construction
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Learning

Planning for
This lesson will accommodate diverse learners by supplying specialty scissors

for left-handed students and those with low muscle tone. Those who exhibit

difficulty with letter identification or sound knowledge will be get additional

scaffolding and will receive teacher assistance or partner work.

Assessment

Students will be assessed by their performance in responding to identification

and sound knowledge prompts. I will also observe students abilities to use tools

to create their letter.

Time/Duration Sequence of Steps Materials and

Differentiation
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Introduction:
Oh my goodness friends! Letters are missing Differentiation occurs

from our morning message and theyve only through the use of partner

left their shadows behind (letters written in or buddy work to build the

grey). If only we had someone here who letters, as opposed to

could build the missing letters for us. Who do individual work.

you think could do that? Correct! A

construction worker. Too bad we dont have a

construction worker. But since we cant find a

construction worker (we can become one)!

Thats a great idea. If were going to be

construction workers we are going to need

some tools. What should we get? And I have

some building materials here as well. Come

up to the message and pick a letter to build,

then pick your tools and building materials.

Instruction/Activities:

Core

1. Show students the morning message

2. Bring out materials.
3. Assist students (who need assistance)
in creating a missing letter of their
choice.
4. Put their creations into the morning
message.
5. Read the morning message.
6. Transition to centers.
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Closure/Wrap-up:
Superb building guys! Now that we have the

letters back, we also have their sounds so that

we can read our morning message. You ready

to find out what were doing today? Lets do

it!

Lesson 4

Lesson Name: Community helpers scratch and find Date: April 26, 2017

overview

Grade/Subject/Class: PreK Unit/Theme/Topic:

Community Helpers
Standards

Objective 15b: notices and discriminates alliteration

Objectives

Lesson

Students will match pictures that begin with the same sound.
Rationale

This lesson will cover objective 15b. This activity provides opportunities for

differentiation through teacher-child and child-child interactions.

Materials

Scratch-a-picture cards

Coins for scratching

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Learning

Planning for
This lesson can accommodate diverse learners by intentionally (as opposed to

randomly) distributing picture cards to pair students who will need more

assistance.
Assessment

Students will be assessed by their ability to sing along and respond appropriately

to questions about the different community helpers.

Time/Duration Sequence of Steps Materials and

Differentiation
Introduction:

Do you guys remember when we created

secret messages with water? Today we will

reveal secret pictures with coins. You will get

a card that has a picture of a community

helper on it. You will think about what that

person starts with and find someone who has

a person who starts with the same letter

sound. So, if I have an a-a-artists, I would find

a friend who has an a-a-author.

Instruction/Activities:

Core

1. Sing the Sesame Street song People

in your neighborhood
2. Pass out cards and coins
3. Help students with fine motor
deficiencies scratch off the paint
4. Help students find a partner with the
matching card
5. Transition to journals.
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Closure/Wrap-up:
Does everyone have a match? Great! How did

you find a friend who has the same letter

sound as you? Can you go with your buddy to

get your journals and draw your pictures on

the next empty page.

Part 2: Reflection

Morning meeting is a brief but significant portion of the young childs school day. The

songs and activities of morning meeting help to build community and set the tone for the day. I

chose to complete the morning meeting project for the prekindergarten three and four-year-old

class. I chose this age group because I currently have a group of three and four-year-olds.

Previously I have worked with either the threes or the fours. This is my first year teaching them

together and I have found that I will have to make some changes since mixed ages requires

increased differentiation. I also chose to do the community helpers theme. I chose this theme

because children are learning about the world around them. As we take walks, we see all kinds of

people. People the students often have questions about. Because my classroom, and their

community, is not very diverse in terms of appearance, I consider their understanding and

appreciation for all of our community helpers a vital component of the curriculum.

This is my second class at Trinity that focuses on literacy in early childhood. A constant

theme literacy and other early childhood courses is the creation of a print-rich environment. I have

been taught to conduct read-alouds, have books and writing utensils in each area, and involve
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parents in young childrens literacy development. All of this is literacy development is important

because one of the best predictors of whether a child will function competently in school and go

on to contribute actively in our increasingly literate society is the level to which the child

progresses in reading and writing (NAEYC, 1998, p. 1).

In older grades learning is compartmentalized. Students have reading blocks and time

designated for each subject area. The beauty of early childhood is that the curriculum can be

integrated. Integration is actually considered best practice. According to Cooper (2016),

integrated teaching taps into childrens natural desire for active learning through the senses. By

singing, dancing, imagining, and connecting their bodies and minds, children learn more deeply

and meaningfully, especially in subjects like reading, math and science (p. 17). Children are

explorers by nature. They enjoy singing, dancing, tasting and feeling. When we integrate things

that are natural to them, it makes sense that learning becomes more meaningful. Thinking about

myself as an adult, when learning is engaging, multidimensional, and appeal to my interests, I have

an increasing willingness to participate and there is an increased likelihood of longer-lasting

learning.

Integration not only makes learning more natural and enjoyable for students, but it also

helps to determine and support the students varying strengths or intelligences. Eric Gardners

multiple intelligences theory tells us that students learn and are intelligent in multiple ways.

Integrating the curriculum allows for students to learn according to their intelligences. Chen and

McNamee (2007) claim that the more teachers value the diverse strengths of young children and

provide environments to support them, the earlier children enjoy school life and the more likely

they are to experience school success (p. 17). Some students may be better able to express

themselves through visual arts, while others may excel in dramatizations or math skills.
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Compartmentalizing subjects and teaching literacy in isolation, could lead to overlooking a childs

talents in either area.

When I first looked at this assignment, it seemed it would be an effortless task. This is

considering the fact that I conduct morning meeting daily. However, I cannot recall ever writing a

lesson plan for morning meeting. As I have learned, it is one thing to know what you are doing,

and another to communicate your practice to another. Much thought went into my reasoning for

my actions and practices. I also had to reflect on accommodations and differentiation;

contemplating its appearance during my morning meeting. So, before I began drafting this project,

I conducted morning meeting, paying close attention to all the aspects of the lesson plan. This is

my first encounter with backwards design. I usually plan large group activities by linking standards

to lessons and activities that I have already put together. My only vague experience with backwards

design is small group instruction. For small groups, I check an early learning standards chart to

ascertain which students need to develop which skills. Then I grab an activity that focuses on that

standard. However, I have not written a formal lesson plan in this capacity. Therefore, the process

of creating these lessons was challenging in the sense that it was unchartered territory for me.

In conclusion, while my current teaching setting does not require that I plan morning

meetings this way, I value the experience because it allows me to look at my morning meeting in

depth. Creating these lesson plans was challenging. I had to really evaluate why I do things such

as having students coming up as opposed to providing smaller versions for partnering. I also had

to think in terms of putting the standards first. The goal of an effective educator is to be intentional

and intentional teaching also extends to morning meeting.

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References

Home. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from https://teachingstrategies.com

Chen, J., & McNamee, G. D. (2007). Bridging: assessment for teaching and learning in early

childhood classrooms, pre K-3. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Learning to read and write: developmentally appropriate practices for young children.

(1998). The Reading Teacher, (2), 193.