Guest Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Have a literacy observation next week. Topic is growing and I'm supposed to be doing information texts. I have a copy of The Bean Diary so will have looked at this, but can't get children to make a bean diary as they do this in Y1. We have planted beans, and have set up our garden centre. We've done some work on instructions last term, so I was thinking of giving my higher ability group some instructions to follow - planting seeds and leave them to work independently. My lower ability will be doing phonic work outside with my nursery nurse. I plan to have one group working on child initiated activities in the classroom and I plan to work with a middle ability group - I had thought doing guided writing, though I do worry because it's like getting blood out of a stone. My initial thought was to get them to design a seed packet (having looked at an example to find out what sort of info is on the packet), get them to draw a flower on the front and then write the info eg. name of flower, colour, when to plant, how tall it will get etc. Obviously the 'packet' will need to be BIG to fit their writing!! Thought we could say they were giant seeds (have read Jack and the Beanstalk). Not sure if I'm being over ambitious, or whether this sounds boring. The only other thing I can think of is labelling a plant. Any ideas would be gratefully received, (I dread observations!) Harricroft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Hi, You are not alone....I hate observations!!!! I like your idea about the giant seeds and adding the information onto the even-more-giant packets - made me laugh too - some of mine have huge writing!!! If you are doing this, would they be able to have done the drawing, etc, before the observation lesson? Just thinking that to do drawing and all the writing might be quite a lot of work (although you may have speedy writers!) As I was reading your post, before I had got to your seed packet idea, I'd thought of labels for their garden centre, though you may have already done this. If they label a plant, could they write labels for an actual plant (as opposed to a picture of one)? Or for the beans they are growing (would obviously depend how much they have grown!)? Had another thought while I was typing that last bit...and now can't remember it! Will get back to you if my brain sorts itself out! purplemagic x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I have done the seed packets before and its worked well.We used bought envelopes A5 then the children know the limitations of the writing area before they start.We put in beans/dried peas so they had contents and they did this as part of maths weighing the amount required.Displayed them on garden trelis on a display board. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 If you have access to an interactive whiteboard or a computer, you could try this activity to make your own seed packets. here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I think your ideas sound fine harricroft - well thought out & lots of links. So go with it - have faith and confidence in yourself. I also really like the whiteboard link mundia has put up - perhaps this could be one of the activities your child initated group have availiable to them - (with lots of modelling of how to use it before the obs lesson of course!!). Also - if you went for the 'giant' seed packet - could anotehr of your indep activities be the chdn making some giant seeds ( folding paper/stuffing with tissue paper & joining edges togetehre using different materials - glue/masking tape/staplers?? - just a thought!) Good luck with the observation, let us know how it goes - i have mine in 2 weeks time - so will be on here looking for inspiration too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Thanks for the ideas guys. Mundia -thanks for the link - I have had that before, but had lost it Will let you know the observation goes .... unless it goes horribly wrong! Harricroft xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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