Early Learning Lesson

"Before and After"

Discuss with children what comes before and what comes after an action or event.

What You Need: a quiet time

What to Do:

1. Begin by discussing with the child something that just happened. "You just put on your coat. What did you do before that?" Allow the child to respond. "What did you do after you put on your coat?"
2. Then talk about another familiar routine. "What do you do before you eat breakfast?" Allow the child to respond. "What do you do after you eat breakfast?"
3. Continue asking children about familiar events.

Extension:
Have children draw pictures to represent three events, cut them out, and put them in order.

From Teaching Young Children, Ages 1-6 (EMC 4506)

Kindergarten Connection

“Food Fractions”

Prepare and share food together. As you divide the food, talk about fractions.

Materials:

• food that is easily divided into equal part--have several “wholes” available

Making the Connection

1. Decide on a piece of food to share, e.g., a piece of string cheese.
2. Explain that you will divide the food into two pieces.
3. Divide the food into two pieces. Make one much bigger than the other. Give the smaller piece to the child and keep the larger piece. The child will probably react.

Your piece is bigger than mine!
If not, encourage the child to compare the two pieces by asking,
How’s your piece?
Are the two pieces the same size?

4. Divide another whole, this time into halves. Compare the pieces with the child. Say,

When a whole thing is divided into equal-sized pieces, the pieces have a special name. The pieces are called "fractions." When a whole object is divided into two equal-sized pieces, we call the fractions "halves."

5. Allow children to divide the next whole into halves.

• Point out other wholes that have been divided into pieces. These might include pizza, cinnamon rolls in a pan, and watermelon slices.
• Talk about whether the pieces are fractions (pieces of equal size) or not.
• Gradually introduce different fraction names--fourths, thirds, eighths.

From Teaching Young Children, Ages 1-6 (EMC 4506)

Word of the Week

dainty
adjective
Something is dainty when it is very delicate.

The dainty tea cakes crumbled when I dropped them.

Which of these is dainty?

• a wrestler
• a rosebud
• the lace on a baby's dress
• a fine china teacup
• an elephant

Find something dainty in the classroom. What is something dainty that you have at home?

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

Ten-Minute Activity

Ten Fact Families
Math
Skill: fact families

Materials: small pieces of graph paper, pencils, or crayons

Here’s How:

1. Students outline ten squares on their graph paper and then color in as many of the squares as they choose.
2. Students record the fact family for the representation they have made. For example:

Three squares are shaded. Seven are not. The fact family would be:

3. By coloring in a different number of squares each time, students can make all the combinations of 10. These make great fact-family flash cards!

Variation
Outline any number of squares and write the fact family for that number.

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

Word of the Week

velocity
noun
a quickness of motion
synonym: speed

A p*** travels at a greater velocity than a car.

Which of the following can travel at a high velocity?

• a race car
• a horse and buggy
• a speedboat
• a bicycle built for two
• a supersonic jet

Name some things that travel at a low velocity.

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

Ten-Minute Activity

Boring Tunnels

Materials:

• chart paper or transparency paper
• pencils
• calculators (optional)

Here’s How:

1. In advance, prepare a chart or transparency that contains the information below.

5,280 feet = 1 mile

Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel, Colorado--1.69 miles long
St. Gotthard Tunnel, Switzerland--10.12 miles long
Yerba Buena Island Tunnel, California--0.5 mile long
Hitra Tunnel, Norway--3.3 miles long

2. Have students work individually or in pairs to answer the following questions:

What is the difference in the length (in feet and/or in miles) between:

• Yerba Buena Island Tunnel and the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel?
• Hitra Tunnel and the St. Gotthard Tunnel?
• Hitra Tunnel and the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel?

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

Science Activity

Soil
Earth Science
Process Skill: Concept Mapping

Much of Earth's surface is covered with soil. You have probably seen soil and worked in soil before. But do you know what soil is made of?

• With your group, brainstorm a list of things you think make up soil. If possible, examine a soil sample using a magnifier and list the things you see.
• Then use class resources to find out what things make up soil.
• With your group, make a concept map on a large piece of paper showing the relationship between rocks, soil, water, and plants.

From Science Cooperative Learning Cards (EMC 5006)