We Can All Fly

Author: Rachel Stone
Grade Level: Preschool
Integrated disciplines: Music, Movement, Social Interaction

NE Guidelines:

            Child develops coordination, balance, spatial awareness and strength through
          gross (large) motor activities.

          Child engages in gross motor activities (marching, hopping, and pulling)

Objectives:

            Students will move their arms up and down when instructed

            Students will grasp onto the handles of the parachute

            Students will imitate flying by using their imaginations

Assessment:

            The teacher will observe the students to see if they are moving their arms up and
            down, grasping onto the parachute, and pretending to fly.

            The teacher will write down her observations 

Materials:

Parachute with handles
A large mat
Photos of birds

Procedures

Anticipatory Set:

            The teacher will flap her arms up and down and glide across the
            room making bird noises.  When the children look at her, the
            teacher will ask them what she is doing.  Then they will talk about
            what birds look like when they fly, and how they fly.  The teacher
            will show the students photos of the birds and ask them if they want
            to try flying.

Learning Activities

Teacher:

The teacher will ask the students if they have wings.  The teacher will talk to the students about humans not being able to fly, but we can pretend by moving our arms. 

The teacher will pull out the parachute and ask the students to hold onto a handle with one of their hands and stick the other hand out to the side.  The teacher will lead the students around in a circle with the parachute and model flapping her arms up and down.

The teacher will ask the students to imagine they are birds, and tell them to practice flying around the mat. 
She will tell them to think about how long their wings are, and how fast, or slow they will fly.

Students:

The students will participate in the flying discussion with the teacher. 

The students will hold onto the parachute with one hand and walk around in a circle.

The students will pretend to be birds, by flying around the mat any way they want to.

Provision for children with disabilities:

A child with a disability can put their arm through the parachute handle if they cannot grasp it. 

A child who is in a wheel chair can move around the room making bird sounds and flapping their arms.

Closure:

In closing the lesson the teacher will ask the students…’ok birdies, you did a great job flying, now it’s time to lay in your nest and take a rest.’  ‘Can you find your nest, hurry, go find your nest and lay down.’  The teacher tells the students how great they did flying.  She will discuss their arm movements and talk about the different movements she saw them do.

Reflection:

The teacher will use her observations from the discussions to reflect.  She will decide if this was successful, or if she needs to modify the activity for next time.