Shadows and Reflections week 4

Shadows and Reflections – Week 4

Theme – During this unit students will explore shadows and reflections, using observations, experiments and books to learn what makes a shadow and a reflection. Through Story Time books, children hear about a girl playing by a still pond, a puppy who thinks he is a kitten, a crocodile collecting reflections in a pail, a sleepy boy who sees a shadow save a cat, and a raccoon who has an adventure with only his reflection for company.

Theme Concepts:

Reflections are images thrown back from a shiny surface.
There must be light or there is no reflection.
Mirrors and still water reflect light well; dull surfaces do not.

If water is moving, its reflections are blurry or crooked.

Objects are opaque, translucent, or transparent.

Shadows are the dark areas made when an object blocks light.

Stories:

Moonbear's Shadow

Guess My Shadow by Stephen Swinburne

Night Shift Daddy by Eileen Spinelli

Small Groups:

-Snake Patterns- We will create AB and other patterns along the body of a snake.

-What is a Shadow?- We will look for shadows in our unit books. Then we will discuss how shadow can change shape by being closer or further from a light source. We will also go on a shadow hunt around our school to find shadows of chairs, tables, easels and other classroom objects.

-Class Book- Each child will create a page in a class book. They will write about the pet they would wish for.
-Constructing Shadows and Reflections- We will use blocks to build shadows using flashlights.  We will also build with blocks using the reflection to create a block creation with a peer.
-Measuring Frogs on a Log- We will be using non-standard units (frogs) to measure how long logs are.
-Bears in a cave- We will use bear manipulatives to count how many bears are in and out of a cave. We will develop concepts such as in and out, as well as beginning adding concepts. We will also create a book.

Choice:
-Easel – Bendaroos on the easel to create letters and shapes.
-Sensory– plastic green grass along with snakes, frogs, and turtles. We will search for the hidden animals in the grass then sort them into containers
-Dramatic Play – construction zone. In Moonbear's Shadow, he tried to use hammer and nails to hold down his shadow.

-Art –open ended painting
-Manipulative Table- Fish manipulatives
-Shadow Table- children can go under the table with a blanket over one side, to create shadows with flashlights and shadow puppets.
-Writing Center – animal labels
-Puzzles – Animal Puzzles (Raccoons, crocodiles, grasshoppers, and fawns).
-Blocks –Fishing for magnets. In Moonbear's Shadow, the bear noticed shadows when fishing.
-Science Table- Reflection Exploration- Mirrors and magnifying glasses. Snake skin and bumble bee specimen. Pictures of animals to create reflections.

Songs, Word Plays and Letters
Eentsy, Weentsy Spider
Bingo – with the word Snake
Whose Reflection is in the Pool?
The Turtle
Five Little Fishies