Teacher: Coriel Gaffney

Age Group: Preschool- 2s/3s

School: Joybird Brooklyn

Title of the Lesson: Exploring Winter through the Five Senses & a Reading of Tracks in
the Snow

Brief Description of the Lesson: In this lesson, we will continue to explore the four
seasons, moving into winter-- our third unit. We will briefly discuss the sights, smells,
sounds, sensations and tastes commonly identified with winter and read aloud and discuss
the book Tracks in the Snow.

Developmental Focus: Cognitive development, language and literacy, gross and fine motor
skills, social/emotional

Objective(s): Children will gain a greater understanding of the four seasons and the
weather patterns-- i.e. snow and wind-- that accompany winter. Children will learn to use
all five senses to closely observe the world around them. Children will engage in language
and literacy learning by listening to and discussing the book Tracks in the Snow.

Learning Activity Plan for Infants and Toddlers

Connection to Standards (if applicable): This lesson addresses the NYS Early Learning
Guidelines to promote positive outcomes in:
Domain III- Approaches to Learning
A. Curiosity and Interest: Asks other questions. Uses Why to get information
about his/her world works. Develops personal interests.
B. Persistence and Attentiveness: Focuses on tasks of interest to him/her. Remains
engaged in an activity for at least five to ten minutes at times.
Domain IV- Cognition and General Knowledge
A. Critical and Analytic Thinking: Children compare, contrast, examine, and
evaluate experiences, tasks and events. Shows understanding of concepts of same
and different. Compares experiences with adult assistance. Uses comparative
words. Uses actions or words to justify choices.
B. Comprehension: Responses to questions with verbal answers or gestures.
Extends/expands the thought or idea expressed by another. Engages in
conversation that develops a thought or idea.
Domain V- Language, Communication, and Literacy
C. Expressive Vocabulary: Uses new vocabulary in spontaneous speech. Asks the
meaning of unfamiliar words and then experiments with using them. Uses words
to further describe actions or adjectives (e.g. Running fast or playing well).
Uses multiple words to explain idea (e.g. when talking about a primary caregiver
says mother/father or parent). Produces sentences with five to seven words.
Conventions of Social Communication: Pays attention to speaker during
conversation. Takes turns during group conversations/discussions, usually.
 D. Reading: Appreciation and enjoyment: Gives opinion in terms of sections liked
and enjoyed.

Relevance/Rationale As a result of this learning activity, children will better understand

the weather patterns of the four seasons and specifically winter, the third season we are
exploring, as well as how to appropriately adjust to them (e.g. dressing warmly). They will
be able to identify the signs of winter through the five senses. They will gain a sense of
wonderment and awe about their home planet, earth, and an appreciation for the rhythm that
defines a year on earth. They will explore the word footprint and understand that we
leave our own specific mark when we move through malleable materials like snow.

Time Needed: 20 minutes

Instructional Context This activity involves a whole group learning experience.

Procedure:
The children will gather for circle time at the sound of the singing bowl.
We will sing our daily morning song and then I will ask them what it is like
outside today.
We will talk about how its a new season, winter, which brings with it cold
weather and requires extra clothing to stay warm. .
Then we will rub our hands together to generate heat and place our warm palms
on different parts of the body, requested by the children.
We will then play our mystery sounds-- one clip of the wailing wind and one of
footsteps crunching through snow.
The children will guess what the sounds are after each one, and then we will
embody the sounds, blowing like the wind and pretending to walk through deep
snow.
We will then sit down and read Tracks in the Snow, pausing to discuss the
pictures an story and making sure we all understand that colder weather
sometimes brings with it snow falling from the sky.
We will ponder what shape footprints we would make in the snow by looking at
the bottom of our feet. We will talk about what color snow is (white) and what it
feels like to touch (cold).
Questions and comments of all kinds will be welcome during and after the
reading.

Resources/Materials Needed: Iphone radio or bluetooth speaker to play audible sound

clips; sound clips featuring the sound of a person walking through snow and the sound of
the winter wind howling; the book Tracks in the Snow.

Room modifications: A carpet for circle time and a small chair from which the teacher
reads the book so all children can see.

Plan for differentiated instruction/Instructional modifications: Read from a large

picture book; ensure that the activity incorporates plenty of movement; call on specific
children, including those who do not volunteer; ensure the carpet is accessible to all
children and that all children are positioned to see the book; work one-on-one with children
afterward (during choice time) to ensure they understood the core concepts.

Method of assessing childrens growth and learning Observe the students closely during
the opening discussion and read-aloud, watching to see if and how they are participating
and what verbal and bodily connections they are making with the themes discussed.
Follow-up/Extension Activities: The day after reading the book, offer the children the
opportunity to leaf through the book independently, leaving it out during open play and
calling attention to it. This allows them to recall its content and reinforces its themes. See
the following two related lesson plans to understand how the themes will be explored and
how their understanding will be assessed further.