Ms. Zaleski's Teaching Portfolio - Home



Kristen ZaleskiGrade/ Development level: Preschool Length of time: 15-20 minutes Date taught: September 24, 2013 Purpose: To create our own Chinese lanterns to hang in the classroom. Curriculum Standard(s): NH Early Learning Guidelines; Physical Development, the strand is small muscle development and coordination; Creative and Aesthetic Development, the strand is invention and imagination.Objectives: Students will utilize their fine motor skills and creativity to make their own Chinese lanterns. They will also learn about this cultural tradition as an introduction piece. Background Knowledge Needed: The students must recognize that Chinese lanterns are a cultural tradition not known to the United States. Common lanterns are red with gold decorations and tassels. The frame can be made from various materials like bamboo, wood, rattan, or steal wire. Paper or silk is used for the shade, and embroidery, painting, or calligraphy for decoration. Practical uses were to light an entrance-way, but the lanterns then became a symbol of status. They also make great flashlights. The lanterns are used at the Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chinese New Year. The children must also be able know how to use scissors to create a lantern. These preschoolers are ready for this lesson because they have been building fine motor skills and enjoy learning about culture. Be ready to answer questions about lanterns and what they were used for long ago. Materials Needed: Red construction paper, Chinese symbol/ gold star stickers, gold tassels, tape, scissors, CD player, oriental music, and poems on Chinese lanterns. Student Grouping: The size of the class is 16 children. For this activity, the children are divided into 3 small groups for easier communication. The groups rotate with two other planned activities in the classroom. Children that are not in this activity will be split into the other activities. Preparation for Experience: For preparation, create a model lantern for children so that they will see a finished product. I will be sitting at the art table area where children will rotate to me. This requires no movement of furniture. Once the activity is done, the children will rotate to other planned activities in the classroom. For safety precautions, tell the children that they must walk inside when transitioning. Outline of Experience:Introduction/Orientation The introduction to this lesson will be discussing what lanterns are. This will include traditions and common uses for them today. If possible, a real lantern will be brought in to show a cultural artifact. After reading some poems about lanterns, we will bridge into our own lantern making. Body of Lesson In the body of the lesson, children will begin decorating their red construction paper with available stickers (gold and calligraphy). They will then fold their piece of red construction paper in half with guidance if needed. After this is completed, they will begin to cut pre-drawn lines into the fold of the paper. Once completed, tape the edges together and attach a pre-cut strip in the top to create a handle. Lastly, a teacher will attach the gold tassels with a stapler. Conclusion When children finish their lanterns I will prompt them with a question: “What do you like about Chinese lanterns?”. This will be a documentation piece of writing responses. We will then discuss that our lanterns will hang from our ceiling like the night sky in China so we can look at them throughout the day. We can take them home after we finish our China unit. When the activity ends, I will tell the child that they can rotate to the next section. Assessment Plan: My objectives will have been met if all children can utilize their fine motor and creativity skills by using the stickers and scissors. At the end of the lesson, children will be able to understand what a Chinese lantern is and will have their own to take home. For documentation I will record responses of the children as they complete the activity and will also be taking photo documentation. The lantern itself will show assessment. Child Guidance/Classroom Management Plan: For positive guidance I will have a lantern already made to show a finished product. The groups will have varied age levels so the older children can be role models for the younger children. For the flow of activity I will have extra construction paper for mistakes. If the children are distracted I will redirect them with a question about the activity. If the children have a lot of energy I will ask them to breath in the flowers and blow out the candles to take some deep breaths to calm down.Adaptions and Modifications: For the younger children, I will fold the edge that they will be cutting to since some may want to cut through the entire sheet of paper. There will also be pre-drawn lines for them to cut on instead of creating their own. I will have smaller and larger sized stickers for fine motor difficulty levels. This group activity focuses on creative expression and fine motor skills. The lesson should last between 15 and 20 minutes, which should be long enough for the majority of the children to stay sitting. They will also be actively participating. If some children do not finish, that is okay because it will be a two day activity for the children that do not get to rotate to the activity. Extension Plan: As an extension, we take our lanterns outside and walk around campus with them for our own lantern festival. My hopes are that these will also be a point of interest at naptime to give the children who cannot sleep something to look at. Children may finish early and are free to rotate to other activities at their leisure. . ................
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