Lesson 5: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6) Getting to Know You Lesson Series

Getting to Know You 

Student Teachers: Alichia Parker and Robert Borgo
Project Children L.E.A.D. Director: Dr. Vincenne Revilla Beltran
Subject Area: Diversity
Grade level: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6)
Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Learning goals based on the Pennsylvania Academic Standards:

Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening

1.6 Speaking and Listening

1.6.8 Grade 8

A. Listen to others

-Ask probing questions

1. Speak using skills appropriate for formal speech situations

-Use complete sentences

-Pronounce words correctly

-Adjust volume to purpose and audience

1. Contribute to discussions

-Ask relevant, probing questions

-Respond with relevant information, ideas, or reasons in support of opinions expressed

-Clarify, illustrate, or expand on a response when asked

-Present support for opinions

1. Participate in small and large group discussion and presentations

-Initiate everyday conversation

Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities

9.1 Production, Performance, and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts

9.1.8 Grade 8

A. Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities

-Elements: Theatre: scenario

-Principles: theatre: movement, voice

1. Communicate a unifying theme or point of view through the production of works in the arts

9.3 Critical Response

9.3.8 Grade 8

C. Identify and classify styles, forms, types, and genre within art

forms (eg. modern dance and the ethnic dance, a ballad and a patriotic song)

OBJECTIVES:

Students will listen to others when they are reading their answers to the worksheet and presenting their collages. This will be assessed at the end when they have to role play and remember what one of the students shared about themselves. While they are presenting their collages, students are expected to speak using skills appropriate for formal speech situations. All students will participate in group discussions and presentations after their questionnaires and collages are completed. Students will learn the element of theatre which is scenario. They must play the role of a fellow student and present that student's collage. In doing this, the principles of movement and voice will be used while acting out their part. The students' reactions will let them know how accurate their representations were. Through the production of their collages, students will communicate a unifying theme or point of view, which is of course themselves. Also, through our discussion of the students' musical preferences, students will identify and classify types, styles, and genre within music. Since this is the first day of class, and we are not doing anything of extreme difficulty, it is expected that no student should have trouble completing our activities.

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

To complete this lesson, students will need magazines, scissors, glue sticks, pencils, a CD player and CD, Jolly Ranchers, and a bowl to put them in.

ADAPTATIONS AND ACCOMODATIONS TO DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION:

We do not foresee any problems with students completing the assignment. The only complication that teachers may run into is if a student is taking too much time working on their collage, in which case teachers will simply have them present what they did complete in the time allotted. If a student is extremely shy, or has problems presenting their collage, teachers will help them through it by asking them simple questions about their pictures. Also, during the role playing activity, teachers must ensure that no one is mocking another student or making fun of them. 

PROCEDURES:

REVIEW: Teachers will begin the lesson by asking the students questions about their trip to our class last week, such as "What do you remember about us?" "Did you enjoy the puzzles and questionnaire?" and "What did you think about being inside a college?" In this way, we already will start to get to know each other.

INTRODUCE: Teachers will introduce the lesson by saying the best way to begin working together is to get to know the people you will be working with. At this point, teachers will outline on the chalkboard all the activities for the lesson and the learning goals associated with them. Before teachers start, allow the students to have a few Jolly Ranchers. They will be allowed to have up to four each.

DEVELOP: 1. Once they have gotten their Jolly Ranchers, they will be handed a "Likes and Dislikes" questionnaire. Teachers will instruct them to finish all of the sentences begun for them, and read theirs aloud as an example. Students will then be given five minutes to complete the worksheets.

1. After the students are finished, they will be told that they must share with the class the number of statements that corresponds with how many Jolly Ranchers they took. Each student will take turns standing up and reading that number of sentences to the class.

2. At this point, the discussion about music will begin. Everyone will have to let the class know their favorite genre and style of music. An informal discussion will ensue, allowing students to share their ideas with the class. Teachers also should participate in this activity.

3. Next, teachers should pass out the paper, scissors, and glue sticks for the students to complete their collages. Students will be instructed to find pictures in the magazines that they feel say something about themselves. For every picture or phrase they include, they must also write, in complete sentences on the back of the collage, what the picture says about them and why they chose it. Teachers will then present their collages to the students as an example. While students are working on this, soft jazz will be played in the background.

4. At this point, the music will be turned off and, one by one, students will stand up and present their collages to the class.

ASSESS: Now it is time for another discussion, where the students will be allowed to share their reactions, thoughts, and ideas about the collage activity, as well as specific collages and pictures. In this way, teachers can see how well students listened to their classmates and how clear the students were in presenting themselves. Also, teachers can determine if the students improved in the language arts department through the course of the lesson by comparing how they speak and listen at this point to how well they did at the beginning of the class. At the end of this session, teachers will informally let the students know what they thought of their performances as a whole and individually throughout the lesson. 

ASSIGN: Finally, the students will participate in a role playing activity, where they must present the collage belonging to the student to the left of them. Teachers will instruct them to attempt to mimic the student's movements and voice in doing so. After each student finishes the role playing activity, the person whom they represented will constructively critique their performance.

CLOSE: At this point the teachers will go back to the chalkboard and review what each exercise taught the students. Teachers will go around the room, having each student read a standard off of the board and tell the class if they thought they achieved that goal.

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