Name: Katie Hardy

Date/Time to be Presented: February 26th, 2015 at 11:00 am

Date Plan will be Submitted: February 18th, 2015

Lesson Plan

A. TITLE/TYPE OF LESSON

Creative Art: Decorating Cupcakes from If You Give a Cat a Cupcake

The students will create their own icing color by mixing food coloring of their choice and white icing,
and then they will decorate a cupcake that they would give to the Cat, the main character in If You Give a
Cat a Cupcake. Students will complete this creative art activity after reading If You Give a Cat a
Cupcake the previous day.

B. CONTEXT OF LESSON

By the time this lesson will be completed, I would have been in my first grade practicum classroom for at
least 5 weeks. I have spent a lot of time observing and interacting with the students in the classroom and
with my cooperating teacher and I have discovered that the students like to make connections to
everything they learn, and receive lots of encouragement from their teacher. All of the students in this
class get along very well together and are also very honest with each other. These students also like to
hands-on activities, as it makes the content more enjoyable to learn. All of the children in my practicum
class are willing to try new things, especially if they can have some fun while they do it. Also, because so
much content needs to be covered and taught in the classroom, this activity can provide the students with
a brain break and an opportunity to try something new in the realm of creative arts.
This lesson is appropriate for this first grade class because they are developing their own kind of
creativity. Each student has their own interests and opinion on what is good or bad, different likes and
dislikes, etc. This is also is an activity that while is not completely content heavy; it is review for some
students on mixing colors. Some students may also enjoy creating their own shades of different colors
and experiment on adding more of one color than another. This activity encourages students to be
creative in mixing a color of icing and in decorating a cupcake. Students will also make connections
across content subjects, since this activity follows a read aloud from the previous day. Students can
review the content they learned from the read-aloud activity and have the opportunity to interact with
their peers as they describe the cupcake they have decorated.
While there is no model for the students to follow in this activity, there will be very clear and explicit
instructions for the students to follow, and this activity will be completed as a whole class going through
the steps together. This lesson fits with what I know about child development because it is
developmentally appropriate for this particular class and provides an outlet for students to express their
creativity.

C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Developmental Learning Objectives Plan for Assessment

1. The students will predict what color The students will complete a data collection
of icing they want to create by mixing form, focusing on how many drops of
two colors together. specific colors are required to mix and make
a shade of a specific color. The students will
then write and document observations that
 they make while mixing and write sentences
to explain why they decided to use certain
materials, or create the color they wanted.

2. The students will orally discuss their
completed cupcakes to their,
especially looking for similarities and
differences.
Students will make observations of how their
finished decorated cupcake looks compared
to their peers. Audio recordings will be taken
of the whole class discussion. A data sheet
will be used by the practicum student or
cooperating teacher to take notes on key
words that students will mention like
number of food coloring drops, similarity,
difference, same, shade, etc.

D. COLLECTION OF ASSESSMENT DATA

See attached forms:
1. Data collection sheet that the students will complete individually, highlighting the predictions and
final results of the color of icing they mixed.
2. Observation sheet that will be used to note the comments that students make orally throughout the
lesson and discussion.

E. RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING

Visual Arts
1.4 The student will create works of art inspired by stories or poems, ideas, and themes
1.5 The student will create art from real and imaginary sources of inspiration.
1.16 The student will describe the visual qualities and content of works of art
1.17 The student will describe similarities and differences among works of art
1.18 The student will explain why viewers may have different responses to works of art

Science
1.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and nature of
science by planning and conducting investigations in which
a) The senses are used to observe differences in physical properties
b) Observations are made from multiple positions to achieve a variety of perspectives and
are repeated to ensure accuracy
f) Inferences are made and conclusions are drawn about familiar objects and events
g) A question is developed from one or more observations
h) Predictions are made based on patterns of observations
i) observations and data are recorded, analyzed, and communicated orally and with
simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers
 j) simple investigations and experiments are conducted to answer questions

F. MATERIALS NEEDED
Baked cupcakes (personally provided)
White icing (personally provided)
Variety of food coloring (personally provided)
Individual bowls for each student to have their own place to mix food coloring and icing (personally
provided)
Spoons for mixing the icing and food coloring together and to place on the cupcake (personally
provided)
Sprinkles or other decorations for students to have on the cupcake (personally provided)
Paper towels/napkins for each student (provided by cooperating teacher)
Cupcake design plans students made by students the previous day (if they chose to use them)
(provided by students)
SMART board mini-lesson to review mixing colors (provided by cooperating teacher)

G. PROCEDURE
Preparation of the Learning Environment
o Before the activity and mini-lesson are conducted, each desk that a child sits in will have
the following items on them: a paper towel, a small bowl with a scoop of icing inside, a
small data/observation sheet and a plastic spoon. Cupcakes sealed in Tupperware will be
kept out of sight until the students are ready for them. One a table that only the adults will
access, food coloring, cupcake decorations, and spoons to scoop the icing will be taken
out to prepare to scoop individual bits of icing.
o In addition to the above, the SMART board will need to be turned on and have the mini-
lesson on mixing colors uploaded and ready to go. The SMART board lesson will be
provided by the cooperating teacher.
o A picture of the set-up will be taken to document it.
Introduction and Organization
o When it is time for the creative art activity to begin, students will be asked to go their
SMART board spot, which is at the front of the room, directly in front of the SMART
board. Once all students are in their spot, the teacher will ask if what they know about
colors, and specifically about mixing colors: what color can be created by mixing red and
blue? Red and yellow? Blue and yellow? etc. While some students may remember their
colors better, all students will go through the mini-lesson on the SMART board with the
teacher for 5-10 minutes.
o After the review of mixing colors is completed, the teacher will ask the students if they
remember anything about the read aloud from the previous day, If You Give a Cat a
Cupcake. Questions may include: Who can tell me about the book we read yesterday as
a class? What was the main subject of the book from yesterday? What activity did
you complete after we read the book?
 o Once all the students remember reading about the story and the cupcake designs they have
completed the previous day, I will pull out the completed student designs. I will then
explain to them that we are going to actually create these designs! Before handing them
their designs, I will give the students the following instructions on what to do next: First,
you will be given your design one at a time. Once you have your design, you may quietly
go back to your seat and NOT touch any of the tools on your desk. You can look again at
your design and decide if it is the color you want to create. Then, either get some hand
sanitizer or wash your hands and then go back to your seat. Make sure you are paying
attention to the front of the room for further instructions when everyone is in their seat so
we can move on as a group.

Implementation
o While the teachers get ready to distribute the food coloring into each bowl for each
student, the students need to write on the data sheet/piece of paper what color they plan on
creating. Students will also be told to not eat the icing, since it needs to be used for the
cupcake later on.
o Teachers will then go around to each student and ask how many drops of food coloring
they want in their icing. To have multiple colors being distributed at once, the possible
could be done: if you would like the color blue, place one finger in the air, if you would
like the color yellow, place two fingers in the air, etc.
o Once all students have gotten the colors they wanted, they can begin mixing the colors
and icing together. Students can raise their hands if they would like more of a specific
color. Students are not done mixing the icing until there is little to no white left in the
mixture.
o Once a teacher has seen the finished product of a students mixture, they can tell the
student to go grab a cupcake from the table and bring it back to their table to start
spreading the icing onto the cupcake with the spoon. After the icing is spread on the
cupcake, students can take their cupcake to the table to add some decorations.
o After the cupcake is completely decorated, the students can begin to write sentences
explaining why they chose the color they wanted to decorate with, as well as start
comparing their cupcakes to those of their peers. It is important to state that the cupcakes
cannot be eaten yet.
Closure
o For the closure part of this activity, the teacher will ask if any of the students will like to
share the cupcake they have decorated, while specifically stating what colors they have
mixed together to create their shade of icing.
o I will then ask if any students would like to have their picture taken with their cupcake
that will be used to make a slideshow to be given to the class later in the year. I will take a
picture of each cupcake, either with or without the artist. (Some kind of photo
documentation will be done throughout the lesson).
o Questions that will be asked during the discussion (colors can be switched out based on
what colors the students actually create):
 If you have the color blue, please stand in the front of the room. How does
student As blue color compare to student Bs blue color?
Who decided to have more drops of blue food coloring? Does it make a difference
to those who have more drops of red food coloring? Why or why not?
Does the number of drops of food coloring impact the final color?
Does anyone have a color of icing that is not a similar color to their friends? How
did you create your color?
Do you see any of the colors you created in the classroom? Or are any of the colors
you see at home?
If I wanted to change the color of this classroom of my bedroom at home to purple,
what to colors would I need to mix to make it? What if I wanted an orange room?
(Other colors can be swapped based on the students creations).
o Students can then decide to either save their cupcake or eat it right then!
Clean-Up
o Students will throw away their bowls, spoons, and used paper towels. If necessary, desks
can be washed and cleaned if messes are made. The practicum student will then clean up
all the remaining materials and extra cupcakes.

H. DIFFERENTIATION
There are two students who spend the morning in a special needs classroom and they join the
class for the remainder of the day. The timing differs on the how the two students are behaving,
but if they are here for my lesson, they will be given the support that they need to help them
succeed. They will also have assistance from the instructional assistant that comes with them, as
well as my cooperating teacher if they need it.
From what I have observed so far in my practicum, the ELL students in my practicum class have
no problem completing the same work as the native-English speaking students, and can also read
and write in English pretty well. Should the ELL students have issues with a specific word or
question, I will do my best to rephrase the words or questions they may have difficulty with to
make it easier for them.
Some students in my practicum have a difficult time focusing or staying on task (ADHD-ADD
spectrum). Students who need the extra push or reminder to stay on task will be given to them
through positive reinforcement and encouragement to finish the activity.
For the students that finish early, I will ask them to write sentences about how why they created
the color they did. I may even ask some students to help with initial clean-up if other students are
still working.
I. WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT
IT?
Because this lesson involves materials that can make a mess, the teachers will be the ones in
charge of placing drops of food coloring into the icing for the students to mix. If some were to
get on hands, students will wash their hands really well, just as if they were using paint in art
class.
Some students may decide to move ahead of the class and start playing with the icing or
cupcake decorations. Throughout the activity I will be making sure to keep students on task
 and moving one step at a time, but behavior management strategies (like the clothespin chart)
will be enforced if need be.
Students may get bored really quickly or finish a step early while waiting for the food
coloring drops. If this is the case, I will ask for them to design another aspect of their cupcake,
and maybe also think of how this cupcake activity relates to the read aloud that was done the
previous day.

Blank Data Sheet- Worksheet for Students

Colored Icing Data Sheet!

Prediction
The two colors I plan to mix are: ________________ + _________________
I want to mix these colors and try to create this color: __________________
To create this color, I will either: (circle and complete)
Use the same number of drops for both colors OR have more drops of _________ color

Experiment
Tally Marks of How Many Drops

Color 1: Color 2:
Number of Drops

Results
Total Number of Drops: _____________
Color Created: ___________________
Questions to Answer on the back of this paper:
1. Do you like the color of icing on your cupcake? Why or why not?
2. Is the icing on your cupcake similar or different to the icing on your neighbors
cupcake? How?
3. What else can you write about your cupcake? Use lots of details!
Blank Data Assessment Sheet- Observation of Oral Discussion Sheet

Colored Icing Oral Discussion- Observation Sheet

Notes and Observations from Class Discussion and Reflection on completed cupcakes.
Key words or vocabulary to listen for: food coloring, shade, color, similar, different, same, more/less
drops, or any other outstanding commentary from students

Student (Initials) Shared Cupcake/Thoughts Comments Made/ Key Vocab

with class (Y/N)? Used:
(Feelings towards completed
color of icing?)
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.
16.

17.