Early Learning Lesson

“Introducing Sorting”

Sorting is an activity that helps children learn to recognize differences and similarities.

Materials

• a variety of different socks

Making the Connection

1. Explain to children that sorting is a skill that we use every day. Ask,

• Do you put your spoons in the drawer with your shirts?
• Do you put your toothbrush in your pencil box?

Children appreciate the absurdity and quickly understand the concept of grouping like items together.

2. To illustrate the point of how sorting is used in daily life, bring in a laundry basket that contains a variety of pairs of socks. If possible, have a sock for each child. Pass the basket around the circle, allowing each child to choose a sock.
3. Then ask one child at a time to locate the sock that matches the one he or she is holding. Once all pairs are matched, challenge children to think of a way to sort the pairs. This is easiest if the socks are of several obviously different sizes.

From Reading Readiness Essentials, Circle Time Activities (EMC 739)

Kindergarten Connection

“Sound Sorting”

Children practice their phonics skills by sorting objects into Hula-Hoops®.

Materials:

• two Hula-Hoops
• letter cards (index card or paper)
• assorted objects or pictures that children can easily identify

Here’s How

1. Place two Hula-Hoops or loops of string in the center of the circle. Place a letter in each hoop. Have a selection of assorted objects and/or pictures that will fit into the letter classification you choose for each Hula-Hoop. Have a selection of a few assorted objects that will not fit into the Hula-Hoops categories.
2. Ask children to come up one by one, choose an object, identify it, and place it in the corresponding hoop. Allow children who are observing to respond with a thumbs up or thumbs down to indicate whether they think the placement is correct.

Extension:

Make this activity more challenging by:

• using three hoops and objects that begin with three different letters.
• using objects whose names begin with consonant blends.
• using ending sounds to sort the objects.
• making up tongue twisters using the names of some of the objects in one of the hoops, e.g., “Bears bounce big balloons.”

From Reading Readiness Essentials, Circle Time Activities (EMC 739)

Word of the Week

verdict
noun
A verdict is a decision made by a jury.

The twelve members of the jury discussed the case for hours before reaching a guilty verdict.

Which words mean about the same thing as verdict?

• ruling
• finding
• judgment
• argument
• disappointment

Do you think that someday you would like to be part of a jury and help reach a verdict in a case?

From A Word a Day, Grades 1-3 (EMC 2717)

Ten-Minute Activity

Balancing Act
Science
Skills: senses

Here's How:

1. Have each student stand and balance on one foot while counting to 10.
2. Have everyone take a short rest.
3. Then have students try balancing on one foot again, this time with their eyes closed.
4. Ask questions about this experience such as, "How far can you count to now?" and "Was it easier or harder with your eyes closed?" "How can you explain this experience?"
5. After allowing students to respond to the questions, explain to them that it is more difficult to balance with our eyes closed because it is our sense of vision that tells us our position in relation to the horizon.

From Ten-Minute Activities, Grades 1-3 (EMC 784)

Word of the Week

chronic
adjective
1. lasting a long time;occurring repeatedly
2. done by habit

My grandma has chronic arthritis pain.
Instead of being a chronic complainer, she uses pain medication.

Which of the following are chronic conditions?

• a cold
• asthma
• allergies
• sneezing
• poison oak

Do you have a chronic worry about anything? Does anyone else that you know? What causes the worry?

From A Word a Day, Grades 4-8 (EMC 2718)

Ten-Minute Activity

“Notecard Inertia”

Science
Skill: inertia

Materials:

• index cards
• coffee cup
• coin

Here’s How:

1. Place a 4” x 6” (10 x 15 cm) index card atop a coffee cup. Place a coin atop the card.
2. Tell students you are going to pull the card off the cup. Ask them to predict where the coin will go.
3. Quickly pull the card off the cup. Instead of flying along with the card, the coin will drop into the cup.
4. Explain to students that the coin dropped straight down due to the principle of inertia: A thing at rest has a tendency to stay at rest.

Variation
Rather than snapping the card toward you to remove it from the cup, try flicking the card off the cup (and away from you) using your middle finger and thumb. This also results in the coin landing in the cup, and makes an impressive demonstration.

From Ten-Minute Activities, Grades 4-6 (EMC 785)

Science Activity

Potential and Kinetic Energy
Physical Science
Porcess Skill: Applying Knowledge

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. A rolling ball has kinetic energy. Potential energy is stored energy. A rock at the top of a cliff has potential energy.

A roller coaster shows how potential and kinetic energy can change back and forth. A roller-coaster car at the top of a hill has potential energy. As the car moves down the hill, its
potential energy is changed to kinetic energy, and so on as it moves up and down the hills.

• As a group, draw a simple roller coaster. Then draw a car at several different places on the track. Add labels to show where the car's potential and kinetic energy are changing.

From Science Cooperative Learning Cards (EMC 5006)