Guest Posted February 3, 2005 Posted February 3, 2005 Hi everyone! I'm new to the foundation stage and to this site so I must say a huge thankyou to everyone for the help I've recieved from you all. I only hope I will be able to be of some help when I've got myself sorted! However, I'm not sure when that will be! I'm finding it all quite difficult!! But am thoroughly enjoying myself. I'm being observed next week by our subject co-ordinators in Literacy, Numeracy, Science and ICT and am very worried about it all!!! I was just wondering if anyone could offer some ideas or support in any way. I have a class of 15 Reception children - I know I'm very lucky!!! My Literacy big book is 'Polar Bear, Polar Bear' My Numeracy is Measures - longer/shorter, heavier/lighter etc. Haven't really touched on this with them but they are a very able group and will find direct comparisons fairly simple. Science - needs to be an investigation of some sort - our topic is animals. Was thinking about investigating the animals in our school grounds - predicting what they might find, investigating and drawing, then coming back in and using books to see if they can find the animlas and work out what they are?? ICT - either Roamer or 2Simple software to draw their pet?? If you have any thoughts or advice I would be really grateful! Beck xx
Susan Posted February 3, 2005 Posted February 3, 2005 Hi Beck & welcome! At the moment Im idealess but will have a think about this one for you! Remember that ICT doesnt have to be computers for FS, a taped version of your story with sound effects could be nice. I have used simple outline shapes drawn on OHP acetates and blu-tacked to the monitor screen, for children to practise mouse skills and changing tools within a paint program. Could this tie in with your big book. Perhaps children could also write their own caption for an animal of their choice?
Guest Posted February 3, 2005 Posted February 3, 2005 Hi Beck Just wanted to say hello and welcome. Linda
Guest Posted February 4, 2005 Posted February 4, 2005 Welcome to the Forum from me too! Firstly, don't panic. I'm sure whatever you do will be fine - be realistic with your expectations and expect the unexpected!! Personally, I don't think it's a very good time of year to investigate animals in the school grounds. Perhaps you could do something more contained that is loosely tied into your book rather than the topic? How about investigating floating and sinking? The children can predict and test objects you provide and could then go and find some of their own. Or how about investigating ice melting? Lots of language and observations. You could freeze coloured water or plain water. How about ice cubes containing plastic animals, or freeze water in a balloon/ rubber gloves? Or, if you haven't already covered it, you could experiment with colour viewers - what colour does your green parrot become when you look through a red filter? etc etc Just a thought... Children love playing with top pan balances - maybe you could have the children weighing some objects using unifix or similar? Can they find something heavier/ lighter than an object you provide? Are the biggest objects always the heaviest? - compare the weights of a collection of containers with different contents. Captions would be a great idea for Polar Bear, Polar Bear. The book could also be used as a stimulus for making a class book along a similar theme. Hope your week goes well. Best of luck.
Guest Posted February 4, 2005 Posted February 4, 2005 Welcome beckster - are you really being inspected on four different areas? this seems pretty rough to me! Not sure how much help I can be but I'll try. I haven't read Polar Bear Polar Bear, but I've just done Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and if it's the same it's pretty repetative. I scanned the pictures from the book of the different animals and typed up their names and the children matched pics to animals as an independent activity. We've just done weighing - mainly talking about heavy and light, heavier and lighter. We had three identical containers for the later - salt, cotton wool and dried pasta - the children passed them round and predicted which they thought was heaviest (we'd already done some work on what happens to the balance scales when a heavy/light object is added) we then chose two of the containers and put them in the scales - x is heavier because the scales have gone down etc. but how will we find the heaviest etc. etc. They then had to find something heavier than/lighter than a set object. I also set the challenge to make two pieces of plasticine which would balance .... but we ran out of time. I'd agree with ASPK - I wouldn't hold out much luck of doing investigation of animals in the school ground (unless you're like us and have a resident squirrel that appears whenever I try to start a lesson "SQUIRREL, SQUIRREL!!!"
catma Posted February 5, 2005 Posted February 5, 2005 Hi, Polar bear polar bear is about hearing so why not investigate sound inside and outside.Then you could also link it to shared writing, e.g. children children what do you hear, we hear the strong wind whistling in our ear. etc etc. Cross curricular activities: Collect data of the different types of sounds, play sound discrimination games (phonic work for CLL) make instruments to replicate sounds heard (CD) , use the musical instruments to explore different sounds (KUW/CD) talk about sounds in the environment they like/don't like (KUW) Sad sounds/happysounds (PSE) KEY POINTS sound is made by vibrations: feel them/see them: eg put rice on a drum and them beat it. Listen to cymbals and hear the sound continue/ feel vibrations. Hear sound travelling through tables by holding a ruler half on to the table and pinging the bit that sticks over the edge. have your ear on the table. Sound has high and low sounds: long vibrating lengths = low notes, short vibrating lengths =high notes. thick strings give lower notes than thin strings, can you look inside a piano? Sound travels: can you tap one end of a railing and hear it further away with your ear on the rails? ASk questions such as how do you know an aeroplane is approaching if you can't see it? what things does sound travel throuh, what things doesn't sound travel through? Make string telephones! How far canyou get them to work? D they work around corners? why not? why do they work? TUbes and funnels: make listening devices to send sound. Walk down a corridor gently tapping a tumbler with a spoon: how far do you get before a partner can't hear? Is everyone the same? measure with blocks But please make sure that the coordinators understand a session in FS is not a one off, but part of a whole week/unit of work aimed at goals that take more time to attain than in ks1 or 2. Your small steps towards them will be your session learning intentions. PLease also make sure that your sci co knows that it is KUW and there is no bit of the FSC called science. Cx
Guest Posted February 5, 2005 Posted February 5, 2005 Thankyou all so much for the fab ideas!!! You are truely fantastic!! I'm so glad I've found this website. As I said previously I hope I will be of some help in the future!!!
Guest Posted February 5, 2005 Posted February 5, 2005 Polar Bear Polar Bear is all about hearing - Oops! Thanks Catma, I was confusing it with Brown Bear, Brown Bear! Another sound experiment I've come across (but not yet tried out) is to tie a length of string onto each end of a metal coat hanger, then to tie a loop in the free end of each piece. You put your index fingers through the loops (one each) and put your fingers in your ears. A kind person then hits the coat hanger and the sound is amplified through the string. Sounds easy and fun. If you're thinking of making instruments you might like to try making pan pipes using straws. - How does the pitch change with straw length? Also, could you make a wine glass sing by rubbing the rim with a wet finger? (Don't forget to put some water in the glass first!)
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