5/23/2013

Early Childhood Education

Learning Experience Template
Name: Lydia Scott
Date: March 1st, 2016
Grade Level: Preschool
Standard(s)/Guideline(s):
Strand: Creativity
Topic: Innovation and Invention
Use imagination and creativity to interact with objects and materials.

Lesson Title: Milk Carton Boats

Developmental Domain: Cognitive & Approaches Towards Learning

Cognitive Sub-Domain:
Science:
Science Inquiry and Application:
Make Predictions.
Pre-assessment of current knowledge: Ask students if they have ever seen a boat before and what they noticed about it
Instructional Objectives (1-2)

Assessment of Student Learning

One/Two Assessed Instructional

Objective(s): The student will be
able to...

Identify Evidence: (What will you collect or record

as data to demonstrate students have met your
objective(s) and skill?)

Art:

Art:
Using an array of materials, students will create
their own boat or raft that will be raced in the
water table.

1. Student will create his or

her own boat or raft that
will be raced in the water
table.
2. Students can express their
own creativity by using a
variety of supplies to
decorate their boat or raft.
Science:
1. Students will be able to
understand that air can
move objects fast or slow,
depending on the pressure
of the air.
2. Students will be able to
make predictions
scientifically about if a boat
(a milk carton) or a raft (a
clear mini cup) will float
and move faster when
blew on.

For creativity, I will note that the student used the

materials to make their boats look different than the
original base.
Science:
I will have students make predictions beforehand
on which style of floatation device they think will
sail faster, and why!
I will document their responses.
I will ask students why they think their boat sailed
faster or slower, based on the amount of air that
they blew or their design of the flag.
Asking if they would change anything on their boat
to make it sail faster! I will document their
responses afterwards as well.

Learning Experience
Academic Language:
Air
Air Power
Wind
Prediction
Procedural steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Keep the milk cartons from lunch

Collect mini cups from house
Paint them white so students have a blank canvas
Assist student in creating their own boat or raft by cutting the
milk cartons in half and putting a straw in to attach a flag
Put a straw in on each cup
Lay out all of the materials
Have students make predictions beforehand on which style, a
boat or a raft, they think will sail faster, and why!
Document these responses
Students will be able to express creativity in making their own
boats
Note students creativity and use of supplies
Take pictures of boats and praise students for their
persistence on task and creative choices
Boats will be raced in the water table by blowing on them
Have the whole class come together

5/23/2013

Early Childhood Education

Learning Experience Template
Program Monitoring: (How will you aggregate or
compile your evidence into a class or group view?)
One Assessed Developmental
Skill:
Fine motor skills of using the
materials provided.

Safety Considerations:
None!

I will ask them in small groups, individually, or in

pairs, what their predictions are.
I will choose how I will organize them based on the
childrens temperaments and responses to a group.
I will ask with the full class so that students can
learn from one another.
I will ask students if they enjoyed their artistic
process individually.
I will take multiple pictures, write anecdotal notes of
student responses, and keep track of a checklist of
the standards.

Adaptations
For English Language Learners: Repeat procedural steps as many times as needed.
For Special Needs Students: Keep their IEP goals in mind.
Resources & References:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/430516045606540322/

14. Ask students why they think the winning boat sailed faster
15. Ask students if they would change anything on their boat to
make it sail faster!
16. Document their responses afterwards as well
Authentic Materials: (Describe authentic real life, hands-on
materials.)
Milk Cartons
Art supplies paint, stickers, glitter, etc.
Additional material opportunities to add things to their boats for
example if they want more than one flag or extra pieces to add to the
sides of their boats.
Adult Roles:
Facilitator, assist children with milk carton cutting and flags, guide
responses by asking leading questions

5/23/2013

Early Childhood Education

Learning Experience Template

http://www.ziggityzoom.com/activity/make-milk-carton-boat
Reflection: (What have you learned about your students? How will this inform future instruction?)
I feel from this lesson, I have learned just how scientifically competent my students are, and how willing they are to engage in the scientific process. They
were able to realize from their tests that certain flags were much too big or too small to adequately move. Students were able to revise and edit their process to
make sure it most successfully accomplished their needs of having it travel further. It was amazing to see how the students came up with competent predictions
and tested them, then adapted their boats to fit those needs.
I have learned how truly artistically talented my students are, I realized that they are all creative thinkers and artists. Each student used a different order of
materials to match their needs most effectively.
I realized after I implemented this lesson that more girls were interested in the activity, whereas less boys seemed inclined to desire to try the experience. I
realized that maybe I could have gotten more gender-neutral color of duck tape. This would attract the full class; so I know from now on, to make my supplies very
open to multiple types of personalities and interests or to include a variety of the supplies.
My teaching in the classroom will need to be more focused on working into larger groups or whole because I realized because in the larger groups,
students were able to bounce ideas and their thoughts off one another. To inform future instruction, I have realized that my students learn best when working in
groups.
Overall, I was very proud of the way this lesson turned out. Each boat or raft was different and special and seeing the variety of examples was interesting
to me as a teacher, so I would definitely replicate this lesson in the future. Students were amazed with their own artistic process and insisted on taking their pieces

5/23/2013

Early Childhood Education

Learning Experience Template
home. I was surprised as I witnessed how students were able to adapt their original engineering designs to be quicker in the water. This truly was a transformative
experience for me as an educator, as I hope it was for my students.