OverviewFor this Work Product Assignment, you will have an opportunity to demonstrate your ability toevaluate and selectlessons, activities, and resourcesfor effective instruction in the health, socia

Practically every preschool teacher is constantly on the lookout for lessons, activities, and other resources that can make learning come alive for children. Thanks to the World Wide Web, today’s educators have access to a plethora of information and resources online. When planning instructional lessons and activities, and selecting resources, you do not have to constantly reinvent the wheel. There is an abundance of free downloadable lessons, activities, and resources available to you on the websites of professional organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and HighScope, as well as on commercial sites. Additionally, your colleagues are often a valuable source of creative ideas, materials, and time-tested lessons, activities, and resources.

For this first part of the Assessment, take time to scan the Internet, as well as professional texts, and talk to colleagues about developmentally appropriate arts, health and social studies lessons, activities, and resources that have proven successful in helping children achieve important learning goals. Evaluate the activities, lessons, and resources to identify those that are developmentally appropriate and applicable to the children in the Case Scenarios. For each of the three scenarios, select one activity in arts, one in health and one in social studies. Then, complete the following:

• Write a detailed description of each activity, lesson, or resource. For example, for Carlos’s class you may describe an art activity that gives children opportunities to develop fine motor skills, a health activity that has them preparing a snack, and a social studies activity demonstrating what they have been learning about diversity. (1 paragraph per activity/resource)

• Provide a rationale for why each resource was selected for use with the children in the case presented. (1 paragraph per resource)

• Include the source of the activity/lesson/resource (e.g., associated citation and link/picture)

Using the Lesson Plan Template provided, plan a lesson that integrates social studies and the arts. The lesson may be geared for a preschool class you teach or for another diverse group of preschool children.

• Consider the prior knowledge and learning needs of the children you will be teaching and their current areas of study in social studies and the arts.

• Complete each section of the lesson plan, and state your reasons/rationale for those decisions.

Implement

• Review your lesson plan, and be sure to allow an appropriate length of time for your lesson implementation.

• During your lesson implementation, look for evidence of whether or not the children are grasping social studies and arts concepts you’re targeting. Be mindful of the effectiveness of your instructional strategies and materials, making adjustments, as needed, to maximize learning for all children.

Reflect

• After implementing the lesson, reflect on your experience, and complete the following:

  • Make anecdotal notes on your lesson plan using the comments feature. Note what went well, where you made adjustments, and what you might do differently in the future, and why.

  • Summarize your experience by completing the Reflection section at the bottom of the Lesson Plan Template. (Use the Lesson Plan Reflection Questions to guide your reflection.)