For this lesson you will need: (Brace yourselves...this is a long one :))
Paper
Pen
Play-doh
Plastic knife (or butter knife)
Counting item/counting jar
Spoons (one for each child)
Books (any will do, one for each child)
Hat
Bucket or large bowl
Dirt (a gallon or more)
Penny
Quarter, dime or nickel
Toy snake or picture of snake
Mouse/groundhog/fox (toy or picture)
Insects/Spiders (toys or pictures)
Worms (real or pictures)
Small potato
Small carrot
Books: The Ants go Marching by Mary Luders
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Animals Under our Feet by Cindy McKay
Potatoes
Sharp knife
Paint
Object to stamp on (apron, t-shirt or paper bags)
Blankets (a few)
Ingredients for snack (baked potatoes/potato wedges or carrots)
Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):
Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)
Question of the Day: If you could build your own home, where would it be and what would it look like? Allow each child to give an answer. Share your answer with the children as well.
Number of the day ‘21’: This should be done at the table. Display the number 21 on a piece of paper or white board. Hand each child a chunk of play-doh and ask them to shape it into the number 21. Explain that anytime you see a 2 in front of another number you say ‘twenty’ first….and then you say the number that comes after it.
Point to the two and have the children say ‘twenty’
Point to the one and have the children say ‘one’
Ask what they think the number would be called if it had two 2’s. (write the number 22 and wait while they figure it out)
Explain that we’ll talk about the number 22 another time. Today we’re going to get some practice counting to the number 21!
Get an additional chunk of playdoh and roll it so it is long and snake like.
Put it on a cutting board and tell the children they will cut 21 pieces from the playdoh. Hand the first child a plastic knife to make the first cut and then have them pass the knife to next child for the next cut. Have children count aloud each time a cut is made.
Have children work together to count 21 of a designated item and place it in the counting jar. Remind children of the fun reward they will get when the jar has been filled.
Letter of the Day ‘U’: Have one child go out of the room for a moment while you and the other children decide on a place to hide the letter U. Once it is hidden, give each child a spoon and a book, then call the other child back in. Explain that in order to find the letter U, the child must listen carefully to the others.
When he is getting close to the hidden U, the children will bang their spoons loudly on the books. When the child is not close to the letter U, the children will only tap their books softly.
When the letter is found, hold it up for the children to see and teach the sounds that the letter U makes. Pass the U to each child and ask if they can think of one word that begins with the letter U. If there’s time, allow each child a chance to go out of the room and be the ‘finder.’
Demonstrate how the letter U is written and allow children to practice in their writing notebooks (If children are well practiced in writing their letters, have them write two words that begin with the letter U.) Teach the ASL sign for U as well as the signs for Umbrella and Under.
Introduction to topic: Put a hat on your head and ask the following questions, each to a different child:
“What is under my hat?” (head)
“What is under my head?” (neck/body)
“What is under my feet?” (floor/carpet)
“What is under the floor?” (dirt/ground)
“Have you ever wondered what is under the ground? Would you like to find out?”
Activity: Before preschool, scoop about a gallon or more of dirt into a bucket, big bowl or box. Bury the following items in the dirt:
Penny
Quarter, dime or nickel
Toy snake or picture of snake
Mouse/groundhog/fox (toy or picture)
Insects/Spiders (toys or pictures)
Worms (real or pictures)
Small potato
Small carrot
Here are some pictures you may use if you are lacking! Just copy and paste images onto a Word document. Resize, print and cut them out!
If weather permits do this outside. Otherwise, bring the bucket into the tiled kitchen area and gather the children around it. Explain that today is a special day because you’re going to let them get dirty!
“I’ve always wondered what kind of things I could find underground if I started digging.” Hand each child a spoon and give them each a turn to dig in the dirt until they find something. Have them dig out the object and put it aside.
When all objects have been found, have children wash up and lead them back to the preschool area where you will talk about each of the items.
Hold up each of the items and tell a little about each one:
Penny: Pennies are made out of a mineral (or a special kind of rock) called Copper. Workers go down into big holes in the ground called mines, where it’s very cold. They use special tools for digging and collecting the copper. Then they send it to factories where they make different things out of it such as coins, cooking pots, and jewelry.
Dime/Nickel/Quarter: Silver is another mineral, or special type of rock that is found in mines under ground. People use silver to make many things. Ask children if they can think of anything that is made out of silver.
Ask if they can think of any other special rocks that might be found underground.
(Gold, coal)
Snake and other animals: Every animal has a home. Some of them live in trees, some of them live in the water, and some of them live with people in their homes……but these animals make their homes under the ground! (Show picture of underground tunnels) Many of them use their paws and tails to help them dig tunnels through the ground. Living underground helps to keep them safe from other animals that might want to eat them and it gives them a nice place to store their food.
Share a few facts about each of the animals. Examples:
Foxes eat small animals like mice, eggs, birds, insects, frogs, lizards, fish, grass, berries and nuts… and live in holes in the ground called dens! They’re known for being very sneaky.
Chipmunks hibernate during the cold winter months and eat seeds, nuts, grains, and fruit.
Groundhogs cannot move very quickly, so their best way of protecting themselves is to hide in their burrows. They have very good eyesight and hearing which helps them know when dangerous animals are nearby.
Snakes are sneaky, and sometimes like to eat other animals that live underground in burrows.
Worm: Helpful underground creatures because they make the soil healthy and strong and ready for fruits and vegetables to be planted!
Insects/Spiders: Insects and Spiders live underground too! Explain that insects have very important functions. Like worms, they help to keep the soil healthy, and help fruits, vegetables and flowers to grow. They also eat things that are bad for humans to eat, like moldy food, garbage, etc which keeps our world clean and healthy.
Potato/Carrot: Explain that all seeds start in the ground. Some of them grow up towards the sky such as corn, tomato, pepper, and squash plants. Others do all their growing under the ground. Potatoes and carrots grow under ground until they are big enough to eat. Then we dig them out and cook them up for dinner!
“Just think of all the things going on under the ground that we can’t even see!”
Explain how animals in their own habitats should be treated. (ex: we shouldn’t step on bugs if they’re outside where they belong…we should help keep their homes safe by not putting our garbage on the ground etc.)
Game: Burrows
Raid your linen closet for all the sheets and blankets you can find. Spread them out throughout the house. Have each child choose an ‘underground’ animal to be. One person will be ‘it’ and will act as the predator (coyote). Play some music and have the children walk around on all fours. When the music stops, everyone must get in a burrow (under a blanket) before the coyote touches them. Once a child is in their burrow, the coyote cannot touch them. Whoever gets tagged first will be the coyote in the next round.
Stories: Read and discuss the following stories
The Ants go Marching by Mary Luders
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Animals Under our Feet by Cindy McKay (more informational than story-like)
Craft: Make your own potato stamps! Gather the following items:
• Potato
• Sharp knife
• Paint
• Paper
• A shallow dish
Wash the potato and cut it in half. Dry the wet surfaces of the halves. On the cut face of the potato, use the knife to carve a simple shape (e.g a star). Cut away the potato surrounding the shape, so that the shape sticks out about half a centimeter (1/5 inch). Dry it again. Children can now use this shape as a stamp. Put the paint in a shallow dish, so they can 'ink' the stamp in the paint.
Have children decorate t-shirts, aprons or paper bags (to be used as wrapping paper when needed).
Snack: Baked Potato with choice of topping
Potato Wedges (see recipe at end of lesson)
Or carrots with veggie dip.
Service: Lead children in quick yard cleanup making sure all trash is put in the proper containers. Have them be on the lookout for insects and other underground creatures.
Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”
If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter U), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)
CRISPY POTATO WEDGES
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. each: basil, thyme, oregano
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 to 6 potatoes, cut in wedges (quarters)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Mix oil and seasonings together. Roll potato wedges in mixture. Lay flat on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on potatoes. Bake 15 more minutes. Serve hot.
