Preschool Constructivist Lesson Plan Form

Directions: Create a Constructivist Lesson Plan for one preschool activity.

Title of Lesson / Brief Description
Rice Painting.
The children will dye rice and create art with it.
Standards (Performance, Knowledge, Virginia Foundation Blocks):
This activity will focus primarily on the Math/Science building blocks 3 measurement, 4 geometry,
and 6 patterns and relationships. This activity will also touch on Literacy building blocks. Literacy
block 1, listening/oral skills. The activity can also be adapted to touch on literacy block number 4
letter and early word recognition.
What concepts do you want children to understand after completing this lesson?
I would like children to understand pattern concepts, shape and letter recognition as well.

Essential Question:
What can I create with my colored rice?
Criteria for Success (How will you know children have gained the understanding of the
concepts?):
I will know the children understand the concepts when I see them making patterns with the materials
I have helped them create. Or when I see them recognizing the letters they have filled in with the
rice.

Resources/ Materials Needed (What resources will you and the children use?):
Rice
Rubbing Alcohol
Food coloring in several colors
Glue
Paper

Management (Is this a child-directed or teacher-directed lesson? What special planning is

required for this lesson? Manage Behavior? Manage materials? Manage technology?
Manage learning center? How much time is needed for this lesson?)
I believe this project is both teacher and child directed. This would take one day of preparation. The

children would help the teacher dye the rice. They could help measure the rice, alcohol and food
coloring. They would let the rice mixture dry overnight and create art projects the following day.

Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting
resources, grouping children or planning the culminating project? Are there any special
considerations such as assistive equipment, technologies or secondlanguage learning to take
into account?)
If there are children with special needs that inhibit their fine motor skills they may need extra time
or materials to complete the project. I believe though the project would be beneficial in building fine
motor skills for all children.

Engage/ Bridge:
Capture the childrens attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge.
I would start by showing the children examples of colored rice. They are not used to seeing rice in
that context. Usually rice is white food on their dinner plates. Seeing it colorful and used as an art
medium would grab their attention.

Explore/Question:
Give children time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information.
How dark/light would you like to make your rice?
What does the rubbing alcohol do?
How many different patterns can we make with our rice?
What letters did we form with our rice?

Explain:
Involve children in an analysis of their explorations.
Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding.

Elaborate:
Give children the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply
it to a real-world situation.

Evaluate and Assess:

Evaluate throughout the lesson. Use observation and assessment to track childrens progress.

Scoring tools developed by teachers target what children must know and do. Consistent use of
assessment tools can improve learning.

Citation: www.tarleton.edu/~becker/t4/ConstructivistLessonPlanFormrtf.rtf