Lessons With Adaptations. There is nothing wrong with asking for help.
“Simon Says”
Large Group
Pre-K
About the Lesson
Simon Says is one of the most known playing games that children and adults love. There is always a new twist that we can put to Simon Says to make it fun and less repetitive in the classroom. It provides opportunities to learn about many different categorizations and identifications. The game can be alternated to fit with the flow of the classroom. For example, instead of covering emotions and body parts, the children can play Simon Says with either emotions or body parts.
Materials
Learning Objectives
The students will learn how to follow game procedures and initiate turn-taking as well as identify several body parts and emotional facial expressions.
Instructional Procedures
The teacher begins by explaining to the class the rules of how to play Simon Says. After the explanation, the teacher can begin an example of the game Simon Says to give the children a visual as to how the game is played properly. Then the teacher can pick the first person to play Simon in a new game.
Whoever plays Simon dictates three to five commands before the next person is picked to be Simon, so that the role of Simon can be changed throughout the duration of the lesson. The crowd will be standing in front of the person playing Simon on the green mat, indicating that they are all in the game at the start of it. The children that act a command without the preceding words “Simon says” have to stand on the red mat until the round is over and a new game begins when the next person playing Simon stands on the yellow mat.
Adaptations/Modifications
The red, green and yellow mats will be used to identify different parts of the game so that the children can physically see how the game is played and how it is organized. The green mat lets them know that they are in the game, the red mat lets them know that they are out of the game, and the yellow mat lets them know where the person playing Simon is supposed to stand. The emotion and body part cards can be placed on a wall or board beside the child that is going to be playing the role of Simon, so that he or she can use it as a guide to give out the commands to the crowd in front of him or her during the game.
Time is a matter that will be paid attention to so that many or all of the children get a chance to be Simon, especially the children that have a hard time participating in the crowd. This time will be used to count how many commands the child playing Simon says as well as how much time is used in giving those commands. Teacher support is going to be the most essential part in the lesson, for the teacher will help the children play the game by instructing the rules of the game, helping the children that lose in any part of the game, guiding the children to pick who plays Simon next, and demonstrating how an emotion looks like and where a body part is located throughout the play of the game.
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“Counting Fish"
Small Group
Pre-K
About the Lesson
There are many fun ways for children to learn and practice identifying and counting numbers. In this activity, they get a sense of what the ocean life is like while they are doing math. The game or theme of the game can be alternated to fit the unit being covered and/or the flow of the classroom.
Materials
Learning Objectives
The students will learn how to identify a variety of numbers and practice counting, such as numbers one through ten, and they will also practice taking turns.
Instructional Procedures
The small group of children gather in front of the Smart Pad of the classroom. The teacher turns it on and puts on the fish counting game from one of its learning programs. (If the teacher is alternatively using the board/wall and magnets/cards, then the teacher places a random amount of fish on the board or wall with three choices of numbers underneath them.) The teacher then explains to the children that they will take turns counting the fish and picking the numbers on the different rounds. They will use the pointer stick to point to the fish (as they use their voices to count them out loud) and pick the correct number from the choices below the fish. When they pick the answer, they have to add the word “fish” at the end. For example, if a child counted up to three fish figures in display and picked the number three from the choices, then he or she is encouraged to say “three fish.” When the student is done with his or her turn, he or she gives the pointer to the next person, so he or she can start the next round until all of the children have gone a few times and had a chance to practice the activity.
Adaptations/Modifications
The lesson can be altered based on the children that are present in the classroom. The range of numbers can go down to 1-5 or up to 1-20, and it can be differentiated from student to student depending on how much help the child needs. Throughout the entire lesson, the teacher will be present to help the students that struggle with counting the fish in display and picking the right number from the answer choices. Sometimes the teacher can ask another student who might know the answer to help the struggling student trying to choose the correct answer in his or her round. The different materials on the materials list gives the implementer a choice as to how they could run the activity with the students and still maintain the same concept.
Large Group
Pre-K
About the Lesson
Simon Says is one of the most known playing games that children and adults love. There is always a new twist that we can put to Simon Says to make it fun and less repetitive in the classroom. It provides opportunities to learn about many different categorizations and identifications. The game can be alternated to fit with the flow of the classroom. For example, instead of covering emotions and body parts, the children can play Simon Says with either emotions or body parts.
Materials
- Teacher and Students
- Red, Green, Yellow Foam Mats
- Emotions/Body Part Cards
Learning Objectives
The students will learn how to follow game procedures and initiate turn-taking as well as identify several body parts and emotional facial expressions.
Instructional Procedures
The teacher begins by explaining to the class the rules of how to play Simon Says. After the explanation, the teacher can begin an example of the game Simon Says to give the children a visual as to how the game is played properly. Then the teacher can pick the first person to play Simon in a new game.
Whoever plays Simon dictates three to five commands before the next person is picked to be Simon, so that the role of Simon can be changed throughout the duration of the lesson. The crowd will be standing in front of the person playing Simon on the green mat, indicating that they are all in the game at the start of it. The children that act a command without the preceding words “Simon says” have to stand on the red mat until the round is over and a new game begins when the next person playing Simon stands on the yellow mat.
Adaptations/Modifications
The red, green and yellow mats will be used to identify different parts of the game so that the children can physically see how the game is played and how it is organized. The green mat lets them know that they are in the game, the red mat lets them know that they are out of the game, and the yellow mat lets them know where the person playing Simon is supposed to stand. The emotion and body part cards can be placed on a wall or board beside the child that is going to be playing the role of Simon, so that he or she can use it as a guide to give out the commands to the crowd in front of him or her during the game.
Time is a matter that will be paid attention to so that many or all of the children get a chance to be Simon, especially the children that have a hard time participating in the crowd. This time will be used to count how many commands the child playing Simon says as well as how much time is used in giving those commands. Teacher support is going to be the most essential part in the lesson, for the teacher will help the children play the game by instructing the rules of the game, helping the children that lose in any part of the game, guiding the children to pick who plays Simon next, and demonstrating how an emotion looks like and where a body part is located throughout the play of the game.
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“Counting Fish"
Small Group
Pre-K
About the Lesson
There are many fun ways for children to learn and practice identifying and counting numbers. In this activity, they get a sense of what the ocean life is like while they are doing math. The game or theme of the game can be alternated to fit the unit being covered and/or the flow of the classroom.
Materials
- Smart Pad
- Fish Game
- Pointer Stick
- Board or Wall
- Magnet or Velcro Cards of Fish and Number
- Pointer Stick
Learning Objectives
The students will learn how to identify a variety of numbers and practice counting, such as numbers one through ten, and they will also practice taking turns.
Instructional Procedures
The small group of children gather in front of the Smart Pad of the classroom. The teacher turns it on and puts on the fish counting game from one of its learning programs. (If the teacher is alternatively using the board/wall and magnets/cards, then the teacher places a random amount of fish on the board or wall with three choices of numbers underneath them.) The teacher then explains to the children that they will take turns counting the fish and picking the numbers on the different rounds. They will use the pointer stick to point to the fish (as they use their voices to count them out loud) and pick the correct number from the choices below the fish. When they pick the answer, they have to add the word “fish” at the end. For example, if a child counted up to three fish figures in display and picked the number three from the choices, then he or she is encouraged to say “three fish.” When the student is done with his or her turn, he or she gives the pointer to the next person, so he or she can start the next round until all of the children have gone a few times and had a chance to practice the activity.
Adaptations/Modifications
The lesson can be altered based on the children that are present in the classroom. The range of numbers can go down to 1-5 or up to 1-20, and it can be differentiated from student to student depending on how much help the child needs. Throughout the entire lesson, the teacher will be present to help the students that struggle with counting the fish in display and picking the right number from the answer choices. Sometimes the teacher can ask another student who might know the answer to help the struggling student trying to choose the correct answer in his or her round. The different materials on the materials list gives the implementer a choice as to how they could run the activity with the students and still maintain the same concept.