6/12/2013

Early Childhood Education

Learning Experience Plan
Name: Kathryn Dahlhausen
Lesson Title: Parts of Leaf Impressions
Date: March 22, 2015
Grade Level: Preschool
Circle one:
ECE
PKSN
Standard(s)/Guideline(s): Cognitive Development/General Knowledge: With modeling and support, engage in scientific inquiry: explore objects, materials and
events, make careful observations. Language and Literacy: Expressive Language, Use language to communicate in a variety of ways with others to share
observations, ideas and experiences, problem-solve, reason, predict and seek new information.
Pre-assessment of current knowledge: Previous discussion with classroom teacher
Instructional Objectives (1-2)

Assessment of Student Learning

Learning Experience

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?)

Academic Language: Deciduous Leaf, Edge, Blade, Midrib,

Blade, Veins, Stalk

Explore and make observations

about deciduous leaves

Students observations about the leaves and responses to

finding the different parts of the leaves will be recorded.
We will take collect or take pictures of the students leaf
impressions and observe the students throughout the entire
process to determine whether students have met
objectives.

Procedural steps:

Identify the different parts of a leaf

One Assessed Developmental

Skill:
Use language skills and new words
to convey observations about
leaves.
Safety Considerations:
The students should have enough
space at the table to color without
having papers overlapping and
space for arm movement while
coloring.

Program Monitoring: (How will you aggregate or compile

your evidence into a class or group view?)

The students will be in a small group of about 5-7 students at

a table and engaged with observing deciduous leaves that
the teacher has provided for them. They will explore and
identify the different parts of the leaves by comparing them to
a diagram of a deciduous leaf on page 13 of Investigating
Why Leaves Change Their Color by Ellen Ren.
When students have a grasp on the different parts of the
leaves, they will create impressions of the leaves by coloring
with a crayon or colored pencil on a piece of paper that is on
top of the leaf. Once the students have created a couple
impressions of different leaves, they will identify the parts of
the leaves in their impressions.

The students leaf impressions may be displayed in the

classroom for the students to view as a whole group.
Authentic Materials: (Describe authentic real life, hands-on
materials.)
The students will be working with real deciduous leaves,
crayons of colored pencils and paper.
Adult Roles:
The adults will be there to facilitate the investigation and
scaffold the students as they identify the parts of the leaf.

6/12/2013

Early Childhood Education

Learning Experience Plan
Resources & References:

Ren, E. (2009). Investigation: Why Leaves Change Their Color. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Reflection: (What have you learned about your students? How will this inform future instruction?)
Overall, the lesson went well and the students enjoyed the activity. From the lesson, I was able to gain some insight on the students knowledge about leaves and
the different parts of leaves, as well as their fine motor abilities. Some of the students were able to realize that they got a better impression of the leaf and its veins
when they used the side of the crayon to color over the leaf. Some of the younger students continued to color the leaf like they would normally color, using the tip
of the crayon and while they still got an impression, the details werent as prominent as those that used the side of the crayons. However they were all able to
point out the veins in their leaves and leaf impressions. For future instruction, I might look at using different coloring utensils so that all the students can get an
impression regardless of fine motor abilities, or focus on those students with less developed fine motor abilities so that they may get an impression that better
shows the parts of the leaf.