Showing posts with label body parts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body parts. Show all posts

22.10.13

Lesson Plan: Teaching THE BODY to pre-schoolers


We accidentally started the new school year studying THE BODY.

It happened that I came across a really catchy action song connected to some parts of our body like arms, head, nose, hands, feet etc.

My students loved it and that's why I decided to make the most of their excitement  carrying on with the topic.

First, we made a little handicraft: I drew the head, the body, the arms and the legs of a puppet on different pieces of paper. They colored and cut them. Then, we connected all the parts with clips. You can appreciate the result in the picture!

They're still in my study but we'll hang them in class, as a decoration and also as a reminder.

Next we're going to play a circle game called 'Five in The Middle' to memorize these 4 parts: head, body, arms and legs.

You have to get the children to sit in a big circle. Give a flashcard to each of the children in the circle.

I prepared 4 cards for each body part, because I had 16 kids sitting in the circle. 

Five children have to sit in the middle of the circle without flashcards. 

The children sitting in the circle have to hold up their flashcards so that the children in the middle can see them. 

You call out one part of the body and the children in the middle have to run and touch the correct flashcard held by their classmates.

Children who touch the right cards swap places with the children that were holding them.














Then we'll sing the most famous song about body parts: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

Once they've learned the words and the movement try to speed up:
the faster you sing it the more interesting and fun it will turn out.

Finally we're playing Simon Says using verbs like move, touch, raise, lower, open and close.

In addition I'll use some worksheets I prepared where they had to complete some pictures with the missing body parts.

I'm also thinking about using a Mr. Potato Head. Will it help?

I'll tell you as soon as I find out.

More about teaching pre-schoolers here and here




9.4.13

MARY'S TOOTH


It looks like my 3 (nearly 4) year-old students, who attend a bilingual public school here in Madrid, know the names of the parts of the body, mentioned in the famous song Head Shoulders Knees and Toes,  almost perfectly.

They also enjoy any activity related to this subject.

So, Mary's Tooth was exactly what I needed to close this cycle of lessons.

The book is about a little girl, probably the age of my children, who, one day, is eating a snack on the playground of her school.

At this point, (1st page) I heard: " No, no. ¡No se come en el patio! ¡Solo en el comedor!" (She can't eat in the playground! Only in the dining hall!)

I must admit that it was hilarious!

Well, turning pages, we find out that one of her teeth falls out and she carefully wraps it to take it home and safely place it under her pillow.

But, unfortunately, once she is back home, she can't find the tooth!!! 

If you play this moment up just a little, you'll notice a couple of reactions: some of the listener will sympathize with Mary showing a worried little face, while some others will try to find the tooth among the several school objects Mary's frantically throwing out of her schoolbag. 

Anyway, at some point the Tooth Fairy manages to fix the situation by passing the responsability to 'Ratoncito Perez' (a famous mouse who is the Spanish version of the Tooth Fairy), who manages to lead the story towards a happy ending.

Now, my students weren't totally satisfied with the present that Mary finds the next day. Therefore I took the opportunity to ask them what they were expecting and let them draw their answers.

This book, like The Moon is Cold and At The Fair, belongs to the First Steps collection, published by Algar Editorial.

Exactly like those previous one has got a little cartoon on the top left corner. This time it shows the Ratoncito Perez taking out a present.

Enjoy it!