Guest Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Thinking about next week... We ended the term on 'Light and dark' and the children kept introducing 'dragons' into their play so I think that would make a good starting point this term(although as my husband says 'they'll probably have forgotten all about that now so start with whatever you like'!) We want to try and cover objectives about story this term, re-telling familiar tales, joining in, characters, illustrations etc and were also thinking about dragons and Chinese new year. At a quick end of term meeting we thought we would start with 'dragons and castles' but the more I think about it the harder it is as I don't think there are actually any traditional stories with dragons in. So now I'm thinking 'Little Red Riding Hood, 3 pigs, Billy Goats Gruff....and dragons. Then I thought wolfs, trolls....and dragons. Then 'sharp teeth'. Then trying to think of a Reggio question type approach like 'Are all things with sharp teeth scary?' or 'Are dragons and wolves real?' Any ideas for a good starting point /meaningful title or question to put at the top of my planning?? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 We have a lovely book on dragons that I got on Amazon last year when we did Chinese New Year. We've also got Ivor the Engine and the Dragon too - a lovely story - probably available on DVD too! Ours enjoyed dragons and we did a big one for display on the wall making scales with sparkly film and iridescent film. Ours led on to hot and cold and then clothing for hot and cold and then into temperatures round the world (as one child returned from a holiday in Tunisia!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I can't really help you with your question but room on the broom has a dragon in it. Also you could make a big dragon with boxes and material and do a dragon dance (I'm sure that has a proper name) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 (edited) dragon puppet and if you look on there for dragon books you'll find loads too There's George and the Dragon, don't forget, too. (Puff the Magic Dragon as well) and there's a poem coming to mind, about a 'really-o truly-o little pet dragon' but the rest of it escapes me for the moment 'Belinda lived in a little white house, with a little white kitten and a little grey mouse, and a something something dog and a something something wagon and a really-o truly-o little pet dragon' - it's coming back to me now! Custard the dragon! Edited January 2, 2010 by Cait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 We printed huge dragon footprints from one door all around the FSU and out of the other door. We asked the children who they thought had left the prints and the head convinced them there was scorch marks on the roof where the dragon had breathed fire as he flew off. It generated a lot of independent work from building a dragon trap to drawing wanted posters and questions such as what do dragons eat? and are there different kinds of dragons ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquieL Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I think you’ll find a lot of Dragon stories on Amazon. I have the Puff the Magic Dragon book Cait mentions with CD of the song but it is sung rather slowly, Peter, Paul and Mary (remember them anyone?) beat that any day, There is of course St George and the Dragon and various versions of that such as the Princess and the Dragon and one about a mouse called George. Custard the Dragon is a poem, by Ogden Nash, which I have used with KS1 children about a cowardly dragon but is pretty adaptable. Cait and I obviously have similar tastes There is a wonderful painting by Paolo Uccello, which I have used with young children to stimulate story-making using it as a starter to see what they read from the picture, asking them what is happening, what do they think etc. etc. If they look really closely there are many interpretations to be made if they don't have any preconceptions around the story. http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/painting...-and-the-dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Cait and I obviously have similar tastes like it! How about perceived similarities between dinosaurs and dragons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 All of this is sounding brilliant! I have a lovely book at nursery called 'Where's the dragon?', it's the story of a boy and his grandfather on a dragon hunt - lots of dragons featured and hidden on each page, with a challenge to count the number of dragons in the book (the answer is provided!); it's embossed so there is lots of sensory stuff. The children adore it and it helped one very sad non-English-speaking little Polish boy settle with us a while ago. Unfortunately cannot for the life of me remember the author, but I dare say a search somewhere like Amazon will find it. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Now I know I am a hoarder but I can't quite believe this myself. I read your post and immediately remembered making a dragon model at the first preschool I worked in back in the 90's. I then thought, I've seen the photo recently in a draw, walked across my office went straight to the draw and found the photo. This was taken circa 1999, the boy in the photo is my son aged about 6 yrs, he is 26 yrs old now. This project too came from the childrens ideas, we asked parents for boxes and made this model over a few days, mainly joined together with lots of string and large elastic bands. It was a great 'team' project with all the children getting involved and using problem solving and design skills. It also evoked lots of chat about the Dragon, I remember they called it Boris (because it was made from boxes ) We were fortunate that we were based in a classroom in a school and could leave our creation out, not having to put away every night. I remember it like it was yesterday. When we did dismantle it we made a 3D display off of a wall, using a staple gun to attach boxes to the display board on the wall, then building out from this base, this wall model was not as large (obviously) but very effective in 3D. See, this is proof to hold on to things, you never know when you may need them again. If you decide to do this then hopefully you can get a message to the parents to bring in all the large boxes left over from Christmas before the recycle people collect. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquieL Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Wow what a fantastic dragon Peggy. Erm... does this mean your New Years Resolution will be put on hold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Erm... does this mean your New Years Resolution will be put on hold? I was wondering this too Jacquie - and I thought the photo she'd upload would be the one of the dragon for Chinese New Year made with the box and tarpaulin... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Wow what a fantastic dragon Peggy. Erm... does this mean your New Years Resolution will be put on hold? erm....yes maybe Co-incidently this afternoon we all sat together as a family and watched a docu-film called the Last Dragon, about a theory on dragons existance (spl?), a very good film that all ages can watch. The English version is called Dragons World. So Edlee, maybe some of your children saw this film this weekend and are still inspired about dragons. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I was wondering this too Jacquie - and I thought the photo she'd upload would be the one of the dragon for Chinese New Year made with the box and tarpaulin... oh dear, do I need to go and find that picture too Peggy note to self, upload more pictures into the gallery maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 found it Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 We made a dragon like peggys for last chinese new year . we then paraded it in to assembly, with the other children all playing music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 What about finding a dragon's egg with a note left by the mummy/daddy dragon asking the children to take care of it for a while? Lots of talk/writing about how to look after it and possibly construction of some sort of nest or whatever the children think appropriate. After a few days the egg could break overnight and footprints (mother and baby) could be found in the room/outside with a thank you note left by the dragon. Another alternative on this idea is a note from a dragon saying they have lost their egg. Children could hunt for it and find it. Again you could have talk about how to look after it/nest construction but then writing to the dragon to say the egg has been found and where. Of course the egg can be collected later and footprints found, or as above you could have it break and the two sets of footprints leading away with a thank you note. Thinking of using this one myself later in the year, just need to construct the actual egg (I'm thinking a balloon and papier mache) and work out the best way to do footprints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Footprints we used those big foam feet from ELC When I interviewed for a new TA one candidate had some big eggs that broke open and had baby dinosaurs inside (they didn't look much like dinosaurs but the children didn't mind) she is starting work in a couple of weeks so I'll try to find out what they are ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 there's usually ostrich eggs on Ebay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 The book I was on about is by Jason and Richard Hook. link here to Amazon. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Thanks Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Thanks for your enthusiasm guys and great photos! I think we are going to enjoy ourselves on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I have 2 favourite dragon stories, one is called There's no such thing as a Dragon by jack Kent and There's a Dragon in my Cupboard byt John F. Green Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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