Planning for Learning through Animals


Book Description

This book takes you through six weeks of activities on the theme of animals. Each activity is linked to a specific Early Learning Goal, and the book contains a skills overview so that practitioners can keep track of which areas of learning and development they are promoting. This book also includes a photocopiable page to give to parents with ideas for them to get involved with their children's topic, as well as ideas for bringing the six weeks of learning together. The weekly themes in this book include: name the animals, hide and seek, where I live, farm animals, pets and animal babies.




Animal Motions


Book Description

Kids! Follow Eric as he stretches and moves his body at the start of his day by using his imagination to become some of his favorite animals. Travel with him to the jungle, the desert, the forest, the ocean-and don't forget to keep your body moving! Get "creatively fit" with Animal Motions-a fun, easy to follow, low-impact movement routine that shows how using your imagination can help make moving your body even more fun! This children's picture book was inspired from the author's, Melissa Pilgrim, theatre classes with young children and written to help kids everywhere learn how to be "creatively fit" by doing two things at once: 1) Shows children how to move and stretch their body in a variety of animal-like poses to help them develop healthy lifestyle habits, stay active, and be more confident with how their body moves overall, 2) Teaches children how they can be creative and use their imagination as they pretend to be 17 different kinds of animals living in various habitats. The beautiful, full page watercolor illustrations that help guide the child's imagination are done by Ira V. Gates. Teachers & Parents: Free lesson plans are available at animalmotions.com. Kids: A free Animal Motions mini-poster to print out and color is available there too!




Animals in Winter


Book Description

Read and find out about how animals cope with winter in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book. This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals. Have you ever seen a butterfly in the snow? Probably not. Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate. Woodchucks don't like cold weather either, but they don't migrate; they hibernate. Woodchucks sleep in their dens all winter long. How do these and other animals handle the cold and snow of winter? Read and find out in the proven winner Animals in Winter! This is a Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores introductory concepts perfect for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are: hands-on and visual acclaimed and trusted great for classrooms Top 10 reasons to love LRFOs: Entertain and educate at the same time Have appealing, child-centered topics Developmentally appropriate for emerging readers Focused; answering questions instead of using survey approach Employ engaging picture book quality illustrations Use simple charts and graphics to improve visual literacy skills Feature hands-on activities to engage young scientists Meet national science education standards Written/illustrated by award-winning authors/illustrators & vetted by an expert in the field Over 130 titles in print, meeting a wide range of kids' scientific interests Books in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.




Planning for Learning through Farms


Book Description

Plan for six weeks of learning covering all six areas of learning and development of the EYFS through the topic of farms. The Planning for Learning series is a series of topic books written around the Early Years Foundation Stage designed to make planning easy. This book takes you through six weeks of activities on the theme of farms. Each activity is linked to a specific Early Learning Goal, and the book contains a skills overview so that practitioners can keep track of which areas of learning and development they are promoting. This book also includes a photocopiable page to give to parents with ideas for them to get involved with their children's topic, as well as ideas for bringing the six weeks of learning together. The weekly themes in this book include: making up a new version of 'The farmer's in his den', play at ploughing in the sand tray and dressing up as scarecrows - just some of the activities you could plan for your 'Farms' topic. We start in week 1 with a look at farmers then go on to cover what farmers grow, life on the farm, farm vehicles, machines and tools and farm animals. The activities and learning all build up to the grand finale in week six, a children's farmers market.




Planning for Learning through Sounds


Book Description

Plan for six weeks of learning covering all six areas of learning and development of the EYFS through the topic of sounds. The Planning for Learning series is a series of topic books written around the Early Years Foundation Stage designed to make planning easy. This book takes you through six weeks of activities on the theme of sounds. Each activity is linked to a specific Early Learning Goal, and the book contains a skills overview so that practitioners can keep track of which areas of learning and development they are promoting. This book also includes a photocopiable page to give to parents with ideas for them to get involved with their children's topic, as well as ideas for bringing the six weeks of learning together.The weekly themes in this book include: hearing and making sounds, musical sounds, changing sounds, animal sounds and machine sounds.




How are Plants Helpful?


Book Description

Explains the utility of plants, including their use as food, building material, medicinal source, and role in the planet's natural cycles.




Planning for Inquiry


Book Description

In today's educational climate of one-size-fits-all instruction, Planning for Inquiry shows you how to get an inquiry-based curriculum started, how to keep it going, and how to do so while remaining accountable to mandated curricula, standards, and programs. Diane Parker invites you into her classroom to think along with her as she provides an up-close look at the underlying structure of an inquiry-based approach, what such an approach might look like in practice, and how you can make it happen in your own classroom. Supported by a wealth of stories and examples, Parker shares a practical yet nonprescriptive framework for developing curriculum from learners' questions and authentic classroom events. You will be able to adapt this framework for both short- and long-term planning with your own students. Planning for Inquiry offers valuable information and much-needed moral support to those of us who believe that there is more to teaching than following a script, and that teachers, not programs, make a difference in the lives of children.




Connecting Animals and Children in Early Childhood


Book Description

Understand the value of connecting animals and children From family pets and wild animals to toys, stuffed animals, and media images, animals are a central part of every child’s landscape. This book examines the reasons why children should interact and connect with real animals, and it identifies the rich learning that results. You’ll find heaps of foundational support and practical ideas to create authentic experiences that bring children and all kinds of species of animals together—including many adaptations if live animals are not permitted in your setting. Connecting Animals and Children in Early Childhood Examines the basic qualities that make animals so appealing to children Explains how animals impact children’s cognitive, social-emotional, and inter- and intrapersonal development and growth Includes an overview of the many ways animals are present in children’s lives Introduces authentic experiences with animals that are supportive of children’s understanding and learning, and respectful to both animals and people Provides real-life examples of how to bring animals into your classroom with suggestions for planning, ideas for finding the right pet, and resources for making experiences meaningful, relevant, and joyful for children Patty Born Selly is executive director of the National Center for STEM Elementary Education at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. As the founder of Small Wonders, an educational consulting company offering services to schools, faith-based communities, and other organizations, Patty has developed hundreds of classes to help programs incorporate nature, science, and green education.




What If You Had Animal Eyes?


Book Description

If you could have any animal's eyes, whose would you choose? What if you woke up one morning and your eyes weren't yours? What If You Had Animal Eyes? -- the next imaginative book in the What If You Had series -- explores what would happen if you looked in the mirror and saw a pair of animal eyes instead of your own! From the chameleon's eyes that can point in different directions, to the colossal squid's eyes that shine in the dark, discover what it would be like if you had these special eyes -- and find out why your eyes are just the right ones for you!




Planning for Learning through Making Music


Book Description

Plan for six weeks of learning covering all six areas of learning and development of the EYFS through the topic of making music. The Planning for Learning series is a series of topic books written around the Early Years Foundation Stage designed to make planning easy. This book takes you through six weeks of activities on the theme of making music. Each activity is linked to a specific Early Learning Goal, and the book contains a skills overview so that practitioners can keep track of which areas of learning and development they are promoting. This book also includes a photocopiable page to give to parents with ideas for them to get involved with their children's topic, as well as ideas for bringing the six weeks of learning together. The weekly themes in this book include: voice and body music, using musical instruments, and beat and rhythm.