Brandman University

Department of Early Childhood Education

Week 4 Discussion Board Lesson Plan Template (adapted)
Christy Reece
ECED 302
March 31, 2020

Overview of the Activity
Name of activity why it was chosen, how it is relevant to collaboration
and a citation from where it was derived.
Let’s Build a Zoo! Large group collaboration in the block center. Teacher
guided activity. Children will learn to work together to build a zoo out of
blocks to hold stuffed animals. Children will learn to interact, share, work in a
large group, critically think, and develop listening and communication skills.
“Because most preschool children are very unskilled at managing large
groups, it falls to the teacher to be the leader of the group as well as being a
participant. As the leader of the group activity, you will decide the purpose
of gathering the group together, you will guide assigning roles to the
children, and you will keep gently directing children back to the activity at
hand.” (Bilmes, 2012, p. 178)

Target Age Range Preschool. Age range 4-5 years.

the age range of the children
Learning Foundations –
● List ONE or TWO (not more) Foundations or Standards you are Domain: Social-Emotional Development
planning to address during the lesson. Strand: Social Interaction
Substrand: 2.1 Interactions With Peers
● At least ONE of the foundation or standards chosen should be Foundation: 2.1 (48 mos.) Interact easily with peers in shared activities that
relevant to collaboration. For example, for the preschool age occasionally become cooperative efforts. (CDE, 2009)
range, you would select a foundation from the Social Interactions
strand.
● List the domain, strand, sub-strand and foundation from the
California Preschool Learning Foundations, Vol 1, Vol 2, or Vol 3,
(CDE, 2008, 2010, 2012) or from the California Infant/Toddler Learning
and Development Foundations (CDE, 2009)

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 ● For K and above, use the Common Core Standards

Objectives– Objective 1. The children will share space in the block center while they
State one or two objectives (depending on the number of foundations or cooperate to build a zoo out of blocks.
standards) in terms of what the children will learn in measurable terms.
Objectives should be aligned and connected to chosen foundations or standards Objective 2. The children will interact with one another in a large group
For example: using building blocks.
The children will identify the characters in the story.
The child will retell the story in sequence.

Assessment – How will you know whether the children have learned the Assessment of Objective 1: While building the zoo out of blocks for the
objectives you set out to achieve and whether they are moving toward the stuffed animals, the children will practice cooperating and deciding whom will
foundations or standards? build the different cages for each of the animals.

Describe in specific detail, how you will assess the children’s progression Assessment of Objective 2: While building the cage walls, children will
towards your stated objectives for the week. For example, while retelling share space and materials, communicate, and interact with one another using
the story with puppets, the child will use the character names and retell blocks and stuffed animals.
the story in sequence.

Strategies and Interactions – The California Preschool Curriculum Domain: Social-Emotional Development
Frameworks Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3 (CDE, 2010, 2011, 2013) and the Strand: Social Interaction
California Infant/Toddler Curriculum Frameworks (CDE, 2012) list teaching Substrand: 2.1 Interactions With Peers
strategies and interactions within each Sub Strand section. Include at least Strategy: Engage in “turn taking” language
two strategies from the appropriate age range and appropriate domains. Implementation: With teacher prompting, assist children with
OR, use a strategy from Bilmes, 2012, or other provided resources. Write language for sharing and taking turns as they maneuver around the
them like this example:
space and blocks.

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Domain Language and Literacy Development Domain: Social-Emotional Development
Strand Listening and Speaking Strand: Social Interaction
Substrand 1.0 Language Use and Conventions Substrand: 2.1 Interactions With Peers
Strategy: Engage in “getting to know you” conversations. Strategy: Engage in side by side active play
Implementation: Describe how you will use this strategy specifically in Implementation: Model side by side play behavior for children to observe.
your activity.
Materials Needed – a list of all materials needed to do the activity, (and Materials List
where to obtain them if they are unusual.) Write this in a numbered list 1. Variety of shapes and sizes of blocks
format.
2. Variety of sizes of stuffed animals

Preparation/Set-up: Briefly describe what materials will need to be Preparation/Set Up: Clean open carpeted block center space. Open
ready, where and how they will be set up. shelves of blocks neatly displayed. Stuffed animals in sizes large, medium,
and small displayed for easy viewing.

Lesson Procedures Anticipatory Set

1. Anticipatory Set – how you will introduce and engage the children in
the activity.
2. Step-by-step description of how to execute all the procedures that
are part of your activity, how to interact with the children during the
activity, and any instructions for ending the activity. Be sure to include
what the teacher does and what the teacher does. Write this in a
numbered format
1. Transition from reading a book about zoo animals, share with
children they will be a chance to work together to build a zoo for our
stuffed animal friends. Invite them over to the block center.
2.
1. Before the activity, I will gather the children on the carpet to sing
the interactive song “Do Your Ears Hang Low…”
2. Read A Visit to the Zoo. While reading stop and talk about the
pictures and the idea of what is a zoo.
3. When I finish, with excitement in my voice and smile, hold up
some of the stuffed animals and say, “Our friends need a zoo
home. It would be fun to we make them a zoo like the one we
read about in the book?”
4. Say, “We are going to get a chance to do it together by building it
out of blocks.”
5. Holding up the stuffed animals and say, “Each of our stuffed
animal friends need a separate cage. To do so, we need everyone’s

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 help.”
6. Continue, say, “I will assign partners and give you one stuffed
animal. Your job will make a cage for the animal.”
7. I will tell them, “We have only 15 minutes to work, so we need to
work quickly and practice sharing.”
8. Tell them I will set a timer and last take a picture of their work.
9. I will make sure to set the timer for a 5 minute warning.
10. When the timer goes off. Gather the children, to look over their
work. I will say, “Everyone should be very proud of how you
worked hard to make a special zoo!”
11. I gather the children to take a picture next to the zoo.

Literature – 1. The Color Monster By Anna Llenas

In order to practice integrating literature into all areas of the room, choose
at least one children’s book related to social interaction and/or 2 The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
collaboration to include in one interest area.
Family Engagement/Cultural Integration – 1. Suggest families to establish a routine good-bye from the classroom with
Give two suggestions on how you would extend your theme to the home their child. Think of something special, unique to your family connection.
and integrate the families’ backgrounds and cultures. (Tip: Family
engagement strategies are listed in each subsection of the sub-strand 2. Suggest families to establish a good night routine when tucking children
section of California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks, Volumes 1, 2, and 3)
into bed a night. Incorporate a fun short sing song, pick short stories to read,
Be very specific, thoughtful and detailed. Try to truly engage the families or add music tunes.
in your work for the week.

References

Bilmes, J. (2012), Beyond behavior management: the six life skills children need to thrive in today's world, (2nd ed). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf.

CDE. (2009). California preschool learning foundations, Vol 1. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education. Chapter 1 Foundations in
Social/Emotional Development. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/preschoollf.pdf

CDE. (2010). California preschool curriculum framework (Vol. 1). Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/psframeworkkvol1.pdf
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