“Muscle Beach… Pump It Up for Fine Motor Development!” n PROGRAM OVERVIEW In a world of invention where almost everything is available with the push of a button, what could today’s children possibly be lacking? With very little effort, a child can enjoy a video, play a computer game or relax with a headset playing the latest music. The only worry here is that there are fewer muscles involved in greater portions of the day for today’s youth. A child cannot squeeze, tear, pinch, wring or squash a button. There are fewer opportunities to explore their environment using all of their senses to connect with the world around them. Their eyes and minds are locked upon what is playing for them. As teachers, we find struggling students are more than likely exhibiting signs of poorly developed fine-motor skills. Although some difficulties will disappear with maturity, other inefficient physical movements continue and form poor habits that are extremely difficult to correct. Research shows that the greatest amount of improvement in simple fine-motor control occurs between four to six years of age while more complex control behaviors improve gradually between five to twelve years of age. Eye muscles necessary for success in reading and eye-hand control essential for writing, cutting and moving within the world around them are in desperate need of our attention. In view of today’s push for academic excellence, we must not forget the importance of these For further information contact… Cynthia Racette Valleyview Elementary 2900 East County Road 540-A Lakeland, Florida 33812 (863) 648-3535 Courier Route D cynthia.racette@polk-fl.net 2007 - 2008 IDEA CATALOG OF EXCELLENCE necessary developmental elements for success. A visit to Muscle Beach is just the place to “Pump It Up For Fine-Motor Development”! Developing fine- motor skills adds depth and excitement to your lessons. While using district- wide curriculum mapping and county adopted texts, this program provides for the purchase of additional materials to enhance unit study and provide practice in physical development. Lifetime skills must accompany a lifetime of learning. n OVERALL VALUE This unit provides materials and ideas to easily include fine-motor development and practice in daily centers and activities. The pairing of exciting developmental experiences with existing county adopted texts allows for efficient use of time in daily classroom schedules. In today’s classroom there exists a greater challenge for every minute within the school day to align with required academic goals and standards. I have found “Muscle Beach… Pump It Up for Fine-Motor Development!” to be a great example of how to make the most of every minute in my students days . . . how innovative! Success is measured and observed in student confidence and achievement throughout the year. Long term benefits are measured throughout their lifetime. n LESSON PLAN TITLES • It’s All In The Sand! • The Coral Reef • Something Is Fishy Here! n MATERIALS Many of the materials listed in this grant are not only specific to this unit but are also beneficial to units throughout the school year. Items listed will help to include fine-motor practice in lessons found in county adopted texts, as well as units you develop for your classroom. As an efficient way to forward easily copied pattern cards, practice mats, home connections, practice ideas and so much more, a “Pump It Up For Fine-Motor Development” CD is included with this grant. All materials can be easily used in cross-curricular activities and students will find them fun and exciting to use! The benefits from such appropriate practice will serve to increase fine motor skills and foster the self-confidence that comes with success. n ABOUT THE DEVELOPER Cynthia Racette has a B.S. in Elementary Education with certification in Reading and Art K-12 and Early Childhood Education. She is currently teaching Kindergarten at Valleyview Elementary. H H H
Transcript
“Muscle Beach… Pump It Up for Fine Motor Development!”
n PROGRAM OVERVIEW In a world of invention where
almost everything is available with the push of a button, what could today’s children possibly be lacking? With very little effort, a child can enjoy a video, play a computer game or relax with a headset playing the latest music. The only worry here is that there are fewer muscles involved in greater portions of the day for today’s youth. A child cannot squeeze, tear, pinch, wring or squash a button. There are fewer opportunities to explore their environment using all of their senses to connect with the world around them. Their eyes and minds are locked upon what is playing for them.
As teachers, we find struggling students are more than likely exhibiting signs of poorly developed fine-motor skills. Although some difficulties will disappear with maturity, other inefficient physical movements continue and form poor habits that are extremely difficult to correct. Research shows that the greatest amount of improvement in simple fine-motor control occurs between four to six years of age while more complex control behaviors improve gradually between five to twelve years of age. Eye muscles necessary for success in reading and eye-hand control essential for writing, cutting and moving within the world around them are in desperate need of our attention. In view of today’s push for academic excellence, we must not forget the importance of these
A visit to Muscle Beach is just the place to “Pump It Up For Fine-Motor Development”! Developing fine-motor skills adds depth and excitement to your lessons. While using district-wide curriculum mapping and county adopted texts, this program provides for the purchase of additional materials to enhance unit study and provide practice in physical development. Lifetime skills must accompany a lifetime of learning.
n OVERALL VALUE This unit provides materials and
ideas to easily include fine-motor development and practice in daily centers and activities. The pairing of exciting developmental experiences with existing county adopted texts allows for efficient use of time in daily classroom schedules. In today’s classroom there exists a greater challenge for every minute within the school day to align with required academic goals and standards. I have found “Muscle Beach… Pump It Up for Fine-Motor Development!” to be a great example of how to make the most of every minute in my students days . . . how innovative! Success is measured and observed in student confidence and achievement throughout the year. Long term benefits are measured throughout their lifetime.
n LESSON PLAN TITLES• It’s All In The Sand!
• The Coral Reef
• Something Is Fishy Here!
n MATERIALS Many of the materials listed in
this grant are not only specific to this unit but are also beneficial to units throughout the school year. Items listed will help to include fine-motor practice in lessons found in county adopted texts, as well as units you develop for your classroom. As an efficient way to forward easily copied pattern cards, practice mats, home connections, practice ideas and so much more, a “Pump It Up For Fine-Motor Development” CD is included with this grant. All materials can be easily used in cross-curricular activities and students will find them fun and exciting to use! The benefits from such appropriate practice will serve to increase fine motor skills and foster the self-confidence that comes with success.
n ABOUT THE DEVELOPER Cynthia Racette has a B.S. in
Elementary Education with certification in Reading and Art K-12 and Early Childhood Education. She is currently teaching Kindergarten at Valleyview Elementary.
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“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacetteLesson Plan No 1: It’s All In The Sand
n SUBJECTS COVEREDMath, Reading
n GRADESKindergarten
n OBJECTIVES Use the plus sign (+) to represent joining groups when recording addition.
n SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS
MA.A.3.1.1.0.1 The student demonstrates and describes the effect of putting together sets of objects.
MA.A.3.1.2.0.2 The student knows strategies for solving number problems.
MA.A.1.1.2.0.1 The student uses numbers and pictures to describe how many objects are in a set.
LA.K.5.2.2 The student will listen attentively to fiction and non-fiction read-alouds and demonstrate understanding.
n MATERIALS• TE Scott Foresman Mathematics
• Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert
• number cards to 10
• vocabulary cards: add, and, plus sign
• materials for centers
n DIRECTIONS
Topic Chapter 10, Lesson 10-4 Using the Plus Sign
SourceTE Scott Foresman Mathematics pp. 251A – 252; Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert
Shared Learning • Who le g roup, rev iew bas ic
combinations using the word “and” to join two sets
• In t ro “p lus s ign” wi th same combinations
• Read Fish Eyes and discuss possible addition problems contained in the story
• Reread, charting each addition situation using the plus sign
Guided Inquiry • Demonstrate rolling foam dice to
create sets for an equation
• Working with partners, students will take turns rolling foam dice
• Students will work together to record each equation rolled using the plus sign on small chalkboards.
Investigate Center – Sand Signs: sand trays with
damp sand; using their pointer finger, students will practice writing equations using the + sign
Center – Sea Shell Sets: using ocean stamps, stamp out sets; draw a plus sign to join the sets
Center – Tell Me About (+): using a pre-cut tag board plus sign, students will paint the top surface with glue; students will shake sand over the glue to create a “tactile” surface; share and record describing words for the finished product
Center – Beach Ball Bash: Blow up a beach ball and number the colored sections with numbers to 5; take turns rolling or tossing the ball to a partner; record the number that is closest to that partners right hand; add up the numbers using a plus sign to combine the number; use circle counter to represent number sets for remedial groups
Follow-up• Display and label student math art
work on a classroom wall.
• Is This A House For Hermit Crab? by Megan Mcdonald; read; find sets of things in the setting.
n EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT As ongoing assessment, note
whether student can create and accurately combine sets of objects to 10 using a plus sign. Students will understand that (and) and (+) mean the same to the process of addition.
n ADDL INFORMATION • www.scholastic.com type “math”
into the search engine
• The Best Of “The MAILBOX” Theme Series: Ocean Life
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2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
n SUBJECTS COVERED Science, Reading
n GRADESKindergarten
n OBJECTIVES 1. Student will sort and match animals
to their homes.
2. Student will understand that plants and animals are found in different habitats and environments.
3. Student will know that animals need food, water, shelter, & space to live.
4. Student will describe natural homes of animals
n SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS
SC.F.1.1.4.K.1 living things, different environments
SC.F.2.1.2.K.1 living things, different habitats
SC.G.2.1.1.K.1 food, water, shelter, space
L.A.K.5.2.2 listen attentively to fiction and non-fiction read-alouds and demonstrate understanding
L.A.K.2.2.2 retell important facts from a text heard or read
L.A.K.1.7.3 retell the main idea or essential message, identifying supporting details
n MATERIALSDay One: TE Harcourt Science; Science
Big Book; Big Book of Science Songs and Rhymes; Harcourt Science Picture Cards 9, 17, 29, 34-40
Day TwO: Coral Reefs by Jenny Wood; salt dough and twig bases (directions on materials disc); pencils, glue, liquid acrylic paints, paint brushes
n DIRECTIONS - Day One
Topic Chapter 9, Lesson 1: Where Do Animals and Plants Live?
Source TE Harcourt Science pp. 292 – 293; Big Book pp. 91-94; Big Book of Science Songs and Rhymes page 24
Shared Learning Whole group, warm up with Big Book
of Science Songs and Rhymes page 24, “Where is the nicest place for you to live?”; read poem and add movements to illustrate each line; discuss prior knowledge of zoos; question how zoos try to duplicate natural homes
Guided Inquiry Whole group, show Picture Cards;
talk about how they are different and sort them into two groups; match animals to correct animal homes
Investigate Center – Animal Homes: tear construc-
tion paper scraps to create an animal home
Center – Animal Charades: using animal picture cards, students will take turns acting out the animal on the card
Center – Picture Card Match: using clothes pins, clip the Picture Cards together matching the animal to the correct home
Center – Vocabulary: using magnets and baking trays, practice vocabulary: environment, habitat, pond, forest, prairie, nest, lodge, cove, burrow
Follow-upIs This A House For Hermit Crab? by Megan Mcdonald
n DIRECTIONS - Day Two
Topic Coral reefs… exploring an underwater habitat!
SourceCoral Reefs by Jenny Wood
Shared LearningWhole group, review vocabulary:
environment, habitat; read Coral
“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacetteLesson Plan No 2: The Coral Reef
Reefs and discuss; list living/non-living components of a coral reef; discuss animal dependency within habitat.
Guided InquiryWhole group, show different types of
coral; talk about how they are different; discuss coral’s dependency on water temperature and quality
InvestigateBuild “Coral Sculptures”: (see
printed example from materials disc)
Follow-upBuild a bulletin board with student work;
label for pictorial word wall.
House For Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
n EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT
Day One: As ongoing assessment, note whether student can sort and match animals to their homes, understand that plants and animals are found in different habitats and environments, know that animals need food, water, shelter, and space to live. Using Picture Cards, student will correctly match animals to animal homes. Using animal home paper art collage, student will be able to describe their animal home.
Day TwO: As an ongoing assessment, the student will be able to identify animal habitats/environments. The student will be able to label different types of coral.
n ADDL INFORMATION• www.hspscience.com
• The Best Of “The MAILBOX” Theme Series: Ocean Life
• Newbridge - Coral Reef, Under The Sea – 8
H H H
2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacetteLesson Plan No 3: Something Is Fishy Here!
Shared ReadingWhole group, place the book Swimmy
wrapped in a brown paper bag on a chart stand; invite students to predict what the book is about as you tear away a small section of the bag; reveal a new “peek” at the cover of the book as each student prediction is made; discuss the importance that cover pictures have to the contents of the book; turn to the title page of the book and discuss how it is same/different as the cover of the book; take a “picture walk” through the book Swimmy and discuss picture clues that the author and illustrator have included in the text; discuss pictures clues and how they help to understand the story; read the book; have students tell what they liked about the story
Guided Practice On-level text Decodable Book 17,
It Is Fun; advanced text Independent Reader 34, The Best Boat; all groups , review title page information and identification, use “picture walk” strategy to demonstrate the importance of
illustrated text.
Independent PracticeCenter – Phonemic Awareness:
clip the rhyming rocks together (directions on materials disc)
Center – Phonetic Awareness: fishing with the “_un” family (directions on materials disc)
Center – Comprehension: develop listening comprehension using a taped narration of “Swimmy” and pointer sticks (directions on materials disc)
Center – Vocabulary: stamp it out; stamp, stamp pad, paper; practice stamping/reading vocabulary words
Center – Fluency: Use flip book of word families to practice word fluency (directions on materials disc)
Follow-upWrite a Story Map: Using the Library
Book Swimmy, work whole group to create a story map that tells the beginning, middle and end of the story; work together to recall the story event and decide what information best tells about the BME.
“Tear It Up!” Fish Art: (see printed example from materials disc)
“Gone Fishing” School-to-Home Connection: (see printed example from materials disc)
“Swimmy” Picture Art: Supply a large piece of drawing paper, black permanent markers, a tracing pattern in the shape of a fish, red and black stamp pads; instruct students to trace the fish pattern; demo using “pointer” finger to print fish scales with red stamp pad ink; demo using black stamp pad ink for the fish eye; use the black permanent marker to make fish details.
n EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT As ongoing assessment, note
whether student can identify the title page of a book, use pictures to help understand text, and make/confirm predictions during Shared Reading and Guided Reading.
n ADDL INFORMATION• The Best Of “The MAILBOX” Theme
Series: Ocean Animals
• The Best Of “The MAILBOX” Theme Series: Ocean Life
H H H
n SUBJECTS COVERED Reading
n GRADESKindergarten
n OBJECTIVES 1. Student will identify the title page of
a book.
2. Student will make and confirm predictions.
3. Student will use picture clues to understand text.
n SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS
L.A.K.1.7.1 The student will make predictions about text content using pictures, background knowledge, and text features (e.g., title, sub-heading, captions and illustrations).
L.A.K.1.1.5 The student will identify parts of a book (e.g., front cover, back cover, title page).
L.A.K.1.2.3 The student will recognize and produce words that rhyme.
L.A.K.1.3.3 The student will manipulate individual phonemes in CVC words through addition, deletion, and substitution.
n MATERIALS TE Trophies Volume 3; Library Book,
Swimmy; brown paper bag; chart stand; markers; rotating center materials
n DIRECTIONS
Topic Theme 12: Under The Ocean
SourceTE Trophies pp. 596 – 603; Trophies Library Book, Swimmy
2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
Materials Budget ITeM DeSCRIPTIoN SUPPLIeR CoST QUANTITy ToTAL CoST
*Items charged Polk County Florida State Sales Tax
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2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
Mathematics: Understanding and using the plus sign.
Beginning1
Developing2
Accomplished3
Exemplary4
Score
Student will use the plussign (+) torepresent joining
groups when recording addition.
Student understands
a set is a collection of
things.
Student understands
a set is a collection of things and
can form sets for given numbers.
Student can form sets for
given numbers and use the (+) sign to represent
joining the sets.
Student can form sets and
use the (+) sign to join the sets.
Student can describe the effect of putting
together sets of objects.
Student can tell about
objects in a set.
Student can tell how
many objects are in two
different sets.
Student understands that sets of
objects can be combined.
Student understands that sets of
objects can be combined and can move sets together and tell about the
new set.
Student can listen
attentively to a fiction/non-fiction read-aloud and
demonstrate understanding.
Student is beginning to show ability to listen to a fiction/non-fiction read-
aloud.
Student can listen to a
fiction/non-fiction read-
aloud.
Student can listen to a
fiction/non-fiction read-
aloud and tell about story
content.
Student can listen to a
fiction/non- fiction read-
aloud and apply knowledge.
“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacetteMath Rubric
Science: Understanding where animals and plants live.
Beginning
1Developing
2Accomplished
3Exemplary
4Score
Student will sort and match animals to their
homes.
Student understands that animals and animal homes are different.
Student understands that
animals and animal homes
are different and can tell about the
differences.
Student can sort and match animals to their
homes.
Student can sort and match animals
to their homes and explain the
differences.
Student will understand that plants and animal are found
in different habitats and
environments.
Student can tell about a plant or
animal home from a given
picture.
Student can tell that plants and animals can be
found in different places.
Student understands
that plants and animals are found in different places
and can use the vocabulary “habitat” and
“environment”.
Student can explain the terms “habitat” and “environment”
and understands that plants and
animals are found in different habitats and
environments.
Student will know that
animals need food, water, shelter, and
space to live.
Student knows that
animals have needs.
Student knows that animals need certain things to
survive.
Student can name things that
animals need such as food, water, shelter, and a space to
live.
Student can name things that animals
need and can explain why they need them.
Student will describe
natural homes of animals.
Student can name an
animal home.
Student can name an animal home and tell where it
is found.
Student can describe natural
homes of animals.
Student can describe natural homes of
animals and explain why their home is
suited to them.
“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacetteScience Rubric
2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacettePractice Made Fun
2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
Flip-Flop Match!
Purpose Provide practice with the working
portions of the hand, manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination.
Materials Provided• Flip-Flop cards
• Clothespins
• Long bungee cord for optional “shoe” line
Directions 1) Place the Flip-Flop cards and
clothespins on a table. If you choose to use the “shoe” line, place it securely at eye level for your child.
2) Demonstrate matching and clipping the Flip-Flop cards together.
3) Have your child work to clip all pairs to each other or on the “shoe” line. Use this time with your child to talk about the skill “matching”.
VariationGather pairs of socks from family
members . . . or take advantage of a clean load of laundry with socks ready to match and fold. Play the game the same way using your socks instead of the Flip-Flop cards.
H H H
“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacettePractice Made Fun
Help Crab Nab Some Food!
2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
PurposeProvide practice with small muscle
movement and eye-hand coordination.
Materials Provided• “crab claws” (tongs)
• “plates” (styrofoam trays)
• “fish” (assorted sizes and colors of pompoms)
• number cards.
Directions1) Place two “plates” (one with “fish”
and the other empty) on a playing surface.
2) Give your child a pair of “crab claws” (tongs) after demonstrating how to use them.
3) Have your child use the “crab claws” to transfer “fish” from one plate to the next.
4) Encourage your child to continue sorting the “fish” by size and color to different areas of the plate. Match “fish” to number cards to form sets.
VariationMake the game more challenging by
substituting popcorn kernels or cereal for the pompoms.
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2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacettePractice Made Fun
Keep Our Beaches Beautiful!
PurposeProvide practice with the working
portions of the hand, manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination.
Materials Provided• plastic drinking straws (cut in half)
• tape
• crumpled paper wads
• assorted lightweight objects such as cotton balls, rubber bands and cotton swabs
• styrofoam trays
Directions1) Gently tape one half of a drinking
straw to your child’s thumb and another to the forefinger (pointer).
2) Place a few crumpled scraps of paper on a table.
3) Have your child work to pick up the paper scraps using the thumb and forefinger to which the straws are attached and place them in the empty tray.
4) When your child becomes adept at picking up paper with the straws, set out other objects such as cotton balls, rubber bands and cotton swabs for them to pick up. Use this time with your child to talk about keeping their world free from litter.
VariationCreate a “race” with extra players by
setting up two empty trays and using a timer to see who can get the most objects into their tray in a set amount of time. Remember, if you had fun, you won!
H H H
2007 - 2008 IDea Catalog oF exCellenCe
“Muscle Beach…Pump It Up” Cynthia RacettePractice Made Fun
Squeeze Your Way To The Finish!
PurposeProvide practice with small muscle
development.
Materials Provided• small plastic buckets
• water
• assorted man-made and natural sponges
Directions1) Place two buckets side by side on a
waterproof surface. Fill one bucket about half full with water. Leave the other bucket empty.
2) Al low your chi ld to choose a sponge. Talk about the variety of sponges. Encourage the use of describing words during sponge play. Demonstrate moving water from one bucket to the other.
3) Have your child use a sponge to move water from one bucket to the other.
4) Ask your child to reverse the process using a different type of sponge to move the water back to the other bucket.
Challenge . . . try using just one hand to fill and squeeze!
VariationCreate a “race” by setting up a bucket
of water and an empty bucket for another player. The first player to successfully move all of the water to the empty bucket is the first winner. Allow the other players to continue until finished . . . everyone is a winner!
