Classroom Ideas Archive - September

Classroom Ideas

Morning Circle

1. Use pairs of chairs to make a pathway from your doorway to the Morning Circle. Tie crepe paper or yarn to each set of chairs. When the children arrive, have them follow the path, going over one piece of crepe paper/yarn and under the next until they arrive at the circle area.
2. Discuss the concept of over and under. You may want to demonstrate using a box and a beanbag. Place the beanbag over the box and then under the box. Let a volunteer assist you. Tell the children that over and under are both position and direction words.
3. Tell the children that today’s activities will be about over and under.

Story Circle

The Good Bad Cat by Nancy Antle
Opposites by Tedd Arnold
Over the River and Through the Woods by Lydia Marie Child
Over, Under and Through, and Other Spatial Concepts by Tana Hoban
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

Music and Movement

• Play “Follow the Leader” Use all the spatial concepts in the game but focus on over and under.
• Act out “Going on a Bear Hunt”   
• Sing “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”, “Over in the Meadow” or “Five Little Ducks”

Learning Centers

Art (Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic)
Tape a piece of drawing paper under the table and encourage the children to lie on their backs and draw a picture under the table.
Fine Motor (Logical-Mathematical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Naturalist)
Make a Meat Tray Loom or a Forked Branch Loom (Appendix p. 404). Encourage the children to weave lace, pipe cleaners, and ribbon into a pattern on the looms.
Gross Motor (Bodily-Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal)
Make a maze using yarns, sheets, boxes, and furniture. Ask the children to talk about going over and under the obstacles.
Gross Motor (Bodily-Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal)
Play a game of Twister. If you don’t have a commercial game, make one (Appendix p. 403).
Music (Musical)
Give the children a music box or musical toy. Challenge them to listen to the music when it is placed under a box. Does the music sound different when it is heard out in the open?
Writing (Linguistic)
Provide tracing paper and a design to trace. Invite the children to place the tracing paper over the design and trace it.

Closing Circle (Reflections on the Day)

Ask the children:

1. What was your favorite activity today? Why?
2. Does the music sound different when it comes from under the box?
3. How is drawing under the table different from drawing on top of the table?

Classroom Ideas is your place to shine, so send in your success stories. How have you integrated technology into your center? How did you design your literacy-enriched classroom? How have you involved parents in the classroom? Share your classroom ideas and pick up some new ones with each visit. Email your stories to jsheppard@csc.csiu.org.

[Posted on September 2, 2005]