Lesson 5: Loose in the School!
I. Objectives
Students will be able to demonstrate what being a good citizen involves.
VA Standards of Learning: Social Studies
The student will demonstrate that being a good citizen involves
a) taking turns and sharing;
b) taking responsibility for certain classroom chores;
c) taking care of personal belongings and respecting what belongs to others;
d) following rules and understanding the consequence of breaking rules'
e) practicing honesty, self-control, and kindness to others;
f) participating in decision making in the classroom;
g) participating successfully in group settings.
VA Standards of Learning: Visual Arts
K.3 The student will identify and use colors.
VA Standards of Learning: English
K.1 The student will demonstrate growth in the use of oral language.
a) Listen to a variety of literary forms, including stories and poems.
b) Participate in a variety of oral language activities including choral and echo
speaking and recitation of rhymes and stories with repeated word order
patterns.
K.3 The student will build oral communication skills.
g) follow one- and two-step directions.
K.8 The student will expand vocabulary.
a) discuss meanings of words.
II. Materials
III. Procedures for Learning Activities
Introduction (The first part of the school day)
Instructional Strategies (15 minutes)
IV. Summary
V. Extensions and Other Activities
Math: Students can play "Roll a Gingerbread Man" (instructions provided in
lesson 4) or explore how to measure the area and perimeter of their gingerbread
citizens using various items (buttons, marshmallows, blocks, other manipulatives,
etc.).
Science: Students will have explored baking as a scientific process prior to this
lesson.
Language Arts: Students can work during their Language Arts block to make a
chart listing the various settings, characters, and plot of the story.
VI. Assessment
As kindergarten students develop themselves as good citizens throughout the school year, the teacher will formatively assess their behavior daily with a checklist.
Students will be able to demonstrate what being a good citizen involves.
VA Standards of Learning: Social Studies
The student will demonstrate that being a good citizen involves
a) taking turns and sharing;
b) taking responsibility for certain classroom chores;
c) taking care of personal belongings and respecting what belongs to others;
d) following rules and understanding the consequence of breaking rules'
e) practicing honesty, self-control, and kindness to others;
f) participating in decision making in the classroom;
g) participating successfully in group settings.
VA Standards of Learning: Visual Arts
K.3 The student will identify and use colors.
VA Standards of Learning: English
K.1 The student will demonstrate growth in the use of oral language.
a) Listen to a variety of literary forms, including stories and poems.
b) Participate in a variety of oral language activities including choral and echo
speaking and recitation of rhymes and stories with repeated word order
patterns.
K.3 The student will build oral communication skills.
g) follow one- and two-step directions.
K.8 The student will expand vocabulary.
a) discuss meanings of words.
II. Materials
- The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray
- Completed "Respect and Feelings" Chart for reference
- Completed "We Respect" Chart for reference
III. Procedures for Learning Activities
Introduction (The first part of the school day)
- Teacher will re-read The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray.
- (This read-aloud will be part of the Language Arts block.)
- The class will make their own gingerbread men.
- (This baking activity will be part of the Science block.)
Instructional Strategies (15 minutes)
- As students are waiting for the gingerbread men to cool, they will go to recess.
- Upon returning to class, they will discover the gingerbread men are gone! (Have kindergarten assistant hide the cookies.)
- The teacher explain to the class that they will go on a tour of the school to look for the gingerbread men.
- At this point, the teacher will review appropriate and respectful behavior that is expected of the students while they visit various rooms in the school.
- (Depending on the size of the class, the students will be divided into two groups, one led by the teacher and the second led by the kindergarten assistant.)
- The teacher will ask the class, "In what ways can we show we are respectful citizens when we go on a trip around the school?"
- Review all the expected behavior (keeping hands to oneself and not touching artwork posted in the halls so we can respect property, not talking in the hall so we don't disrupt other students, raising our hand if we have a question, etc.)
- Ask students to line up quietly. (Take cookies out of hiding discretely.)
- The teacher will lead the students to visit the following areas of the school: the gymnasium, the school nurse, the main office, the art room, the computer lab, and the library.
- Each designated location will have a gingerbread man cutout in a different color taped to the door. Each cutout will be labeled "GYM, LIBRARY, etc.) The teacher will collect these different gingerbread men and ask students to identify the colors once back in the classroom.
- At each location, the appropriate teacher or school staff member will give a brief talk on how students can be respectful in their class/ office or ask students how they can show respect while in their class/office if the students have already visited this location. For example, the gym teacher may explain, "Gym class is a lot of fun, and we have lots of equipment like jump ropes and balls to play with. You can show respect for yourself, your classmates, myself, and the school's property by using all of the equipment correctly." If students have already visited the gymnasium, ask the students how they show respect when in gym class.
- Upon returning back to class the students will discover their gingerbread men.
IV. Summary
- Students will reconvene on the main carpet and informally share how they learned to be respectful citizens in other parts of the school as the teacher goes through her collection of gingerbread men cutouts. For example, the teacher will hold up the red gingerbread man which is labeled, "Nurses Office," and ask the students what color she is showing, and how students can show respect when in the nurses office.
- Teacher will remind students to show that they are respectful kindergarten citizens at all times.
V. Extensions and Other Activities
Math: Students can play "Roll a Gingerbread Man" (instructions provided in
lesson 4) or explore how to measure the area and perimeter of their gingerbread
citizens using various items (buttons, marshmallows, blocks, other manipulatives,
etc.).
Science: Students will have explored baking as a scientific process prior to this
lesson.
Language Arts: Students can work during their Language Arts block to make a
chart listing the various settings, characters, and plot of the story.
VI. Assessment
As kindergarten students develop themselves as good citizens throughout the school year, the teacher will formatively assess their behavior daily with a checklist.
VII. Differentiation
Visual-Spatial: Students will review the pictures on the "Feelings and Respect" chart and the "We Respect" chart. Students will follow the illustrations while being read The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray.
Linguistic: Students will further develop their listening skills. They will integrate both text and imagery and explain how to be respectful citizens.
Logical-Mathematical: Students will review graphed information as well as explore perimeter, area, and numerals in the math extension activities
Bodily-Kinesthetic: Students will physically walk all around the school.
Intrapersonal: Students will identify how they personally can show they are respectful kindergarten citizens.
Interpersonal: Students will share how they learned to be respectful citizens in other areas of the school.
Visual-Spatial: Students will review the pictures on the "Feelings and Respect" chart and the "We Respect" chart. Students will follow the illustrations while being read The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray.
Linguistic: Students will further develop their listening skills. They will integrate both text and imagery and explain how to be respectful citizens.
Logical-Mathematical: Students will review graphed information as well as explore perimeter, area, and numerals in the math extension activities
Bodily-Kinesthetic: Students will physically walk all around the school.
Intrapersonal: Students will identify how they personally can show they are respectful kindergarten citizens.
Interpersonal: Students will share how they learned to be respectful citizens in other areas of the school.