Nature Exploration with iPads

Kate Hiser Preschool, children ages 3-5 years old

Common Core Standards:

Domain: Cognition and General Knowledge Sub-Domain: Science Strand: Science Inquiry and Application Topic: Inquiry Standard Statement: Explore objects, materials, and events in the environment. Domain: Cognition and General Knowledge Sub-Domain: Science Strand: Science Inquiry and Application Topic: Inquiry Standard Statement: Make careful observations. Domain: Cognition and General Knowledge Sub-Domain: Science Strand: Science Inquiry and Application Topic: Inquiry Standard Statement: Record observations using words, pictures, charts, graphs, etc. Domain: Cognition and General Knowledge Sub-Domain: Science Strand: Science Inquiry and Application Topic: Inquiry Standard Statement: Share findings, ideas, and explanations (may be correct or incorrect) through a variety of methods (e.g., pictures, words, dramatization).

Lesson Summary:
In this lesson we will generally explore the elements of nature. The intent is that the children will learn to make, record, and report observations. We will be using iPads to document our findings, thus iPads will be introduced to the children. A large part of the lesson will cover proper use of the iPads. This lesson will incorporate nature, observation skills, and technology use. The children will spend extended amounts of time outdoors, looking at the details of their surroundings. Using iPads, the children will document their findings. Teachers will guide the children to further research specific findings using a smart board.

Estimated Duration:
It is estimated that this project will go on for two weeks. Teachers will slowly incorporate iPads into the childrens days.

Break down of time: It is estimated that children will spend 5-10 minutes, per day, on each bullet point listed. Week One: Introduce iPads and iPad handling rules during circle time Begin discussing nature during circle time Incorporate iPads during centers Incorporate nature into the environment with books, activities, etc. Week Two: Announce at circle time the idea of nature walks Go on daily nature walks Document findings Research specific ideas for future project work

Commentary:
I believe that what will be most challenging and what will get the children hooked is introducing iPads to the classroom. The children frequently ask to take magnifying glasses outside, and spend much of the outside time looking at stink bugs, lady bugs, etc. Using iPads to document the bugs and other things the children find interesting outside will add a new, more modern technology that most children are familiar with (I frequently hear- I pay Angry Birds on my iPad, We have an iPad at my house too!). However, not all three to five year olds are familiar wit how to handle an iPad with respect. By incorporating what I know the children are already interesting, the outdoors, bugs, etc., and adding a touch of technology most children are familiar with, an iPad, and the children will be interested and challenged.

Instructional Procedures:
Day One Children will be introduced to iPads during circle time. Teachers will discuss and document proper iPad handling. Together, children and teachers will create a list of rules to remember when handling iPads. An iPad center will be added to the classroom. Children will have access to iPads throughout the day; however, children will be required to keep iPads on the table. Teachers will monitor and guide children through iPad use. Children will be introduced to appropriate apps. As a whole, teachers and children will begin to discuss nature. A KWL chart will be created. Children will be asked what they know about nature and teachers will document their answers. Children will then be asked what they want to know about nature. Teachers will also document this. Using smart boards, teachers and children will begin to research the childrens questions. Continued practice with iPads will continue throughout the day.

Day Two

Day Three

Teachers will introduce non-fiction and fiction books to the classroom about nature items based around the childrens questions and answers. Children will be encouraged and guided by teachers to use books in correlation with smart board research. Questions of the children may continue to be documented by teachers. Teachers will ask children how they could find the answer to their questions. Children will be guided to books and smart board research. Children will continue to practice using iPads. Activities will be implemented in which children will be allowed to take the iPads off tables and document their days using the camera app. Children will be introduced to the idea of taking iPads outside for nature walks. Teachers and children will create rules for outdoor iPad use. Research will continue. Ipad usage will continue. Children will practice documenting their days using pictures. Children will be posed with a question and be asked to document their findings using the camera app. Discussions will arise on how to do so. Teacher guidance will be essential. Children and teachers will review proper use of iPads outside. Research will continue as questions occur. Children will be introduced to the idea of nature walks. Teachers will ask children to predict what they will find on walks. Children will be taken outdoors with iPads for first nature walk. Children and teachers will come together and discuss documentation of nature walks. Teachers will encourage children to document all findings/ interesting things. Children will be taken outside for nature walks. Upon returning inside, teachers and children will discuss findings and show off pictures. Teachers and children will begin to plan how to final documentation will be shown. Nature walks will continue. Children will continue to document nature walks. Teachers will encourage children to find new and interesting things outside. Teachers will help guide children to new experiences for children (i.e. different bugs, birds, trees, etc.). Teachers and children will begin to compile and sort pictures. Nature walks will continue in order to gather more pictures. Teachers will continue to encourage children to document new pictures in order to keep different pictures coming in. Teachers will begin to dictate what children have to say about their picture. Teachers and children together will compile pictures and dictations into a whole documentation. Children will be prepared to end the project.

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

Day Eight

Day Nine

Final day of nature walks. Teachers and children will take final pictures. Dictations will continue by teachers per childrens requests. Research, pictures, and dictations will be compiled. The bulk of the day will be dedicated to finishing final documentation. Dictations will continue. Children and teachers will add final touches to documentations. Children and teachers will look over and discuss final documentation. Teachers and children will complete the learned section of the KWL chart as a whole.

Day Ten

Pre-Assessment:
Discuss and document with children a KWL (Know, Want-To-Know, Learned) chart based on nature. Lead the children to a discussion on how to document what we find in nature. After the project, come together and fill out the learned section of the chart. Scoring Guidelines: - Throughout the lesson, regularly observe children. Document their interactions, findings, statements, etc. using anecdotal records. - Keep a checklist with the standard statements for this lesson to keep track of what each child is picking up. - After nature walks, document and discuss with children in order to keep track of where, as a whole, the class is. -

Post-Assessment:
Throughout the lesson observations and documentations will have been made in order for teachers to track progress. To document childrens knowledge, piece together a documentation panel using observations and documentations along with childrens pictures, ideas and conclusions. Nearby, post standard statements met by this activity. Scoring Guidelines: Children will be assessed by checklist, and by overall progress. Parents will be able to look at documentation panel created by teachers. Checklists, standards, etc. will be provided in order to show proof of childs new knowledge.

Differentiated Instructional Support

For students who fully grasp the concepts, I would look into what parts of the Early Learning Content

Standards he is not fully grasping. With this knowledge, I would create activities that introduce the concepts he needs practice with, that are also based around a nature theme. Examples: Bug sorting game to practice classifying, sorting, matching, etc. Provide the child with tweezers, for fine motor practice, and cups labeled with pictures of certain bugs, leaves, etc. Have the child, using the tweezers, put materials that match the pictures on the cups into the cups. A nature-based path games could help children practice counting, as well as one-to-one correspondence.

For students struggling to meet the objectives for this activity I will model observation making to children. I will also try to spend extra one-on-one time with such child. The child will also be able to feed off the other children during times of group discussion, completing the KWL chart, and during nature walks.

Extension
The Great Backyard Bird Hunt is an interesting online activity that could help incorporate safe and educational technology into young childrens lives. The concept behind the program is that children will research different types of birds. Information on birds, along with games and activities, are available on the website. Children participating in the Great Backyard Bird Hunt are to go outside, to a park, the backyard, etc., and look for birds for 15 minutes each day. When the children return home, they are to record their findings. If children are interested in birds specifically, this website can provide children with information on birds. Additionally, it will get children and parents outdoors for at least 15 minutes a day, and encourage children to practice making observations and then recording findings.

Homework Options and Home Connections

To encourage family participation, teachers will encourage parents to take children on nature walks at home. Families will be encouraged to share their findings. Parents will be encouraged to take pictures during nature walks and share with the child the pictures. Furthermore, parents will be encouraged to research findings with their child using the internet. As a finalizing idea, children will be sent home with a brown paper bag to collect objects found on a nature walk. The children may bring in their findings and discuss and share with their friends.

Interdisciplinary Connections
A broad topic like nature can be taken into many different directions in a preschool classroom. Once children identify what specifically about nature intrigues them, activities can be created to cover other content areas. For example, if a child is interested in bugs, one can create a bug matching game. A matching game will help a child develop basic math skills, such as sorting and classifying. Another extension of a nature topic could be based around fine motor development. A child interested in bugs, can be given small, plastic bugs and use tweezers or even fingers to manipulate the bugs. This will enhance the childs fine motor skills; therefore help in future writing skills, like holding a pencil.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers

A list of rules for using iPads will be pre-created by teachers in order to maintain iPads quality. Teachers will need to pre-research topics that children may be interested in. Teachers should acquire poster board for KWL and documentation panels. Teachers should also keep notepads near by in order to document childrens behaviors and what they learn. Teachers will need a smart board in order to research with the children as a group.

For students

Children will need iPads to document. Children may also be provided with paper and writing utsils in order to document in a different way.

Key Vocabulary iPad, nature, observation(s), documentation/ document, research, Internet

Additional Notes This activity will be heavily child-lead. Children should lead teachers through interests. Teachers should create activities based on childrens interests, and additionally, mostly research what the children are interested in. The goal is that children will become experts on a topic of their choice.