Curated OER
Symmetry Butterflies
There is one creature that comes to mind every time I hear the words shape and symmetry, the butterfly. Young artists can explore these concepts as they create butterfly designs that use repeated shape patterns and bi-lateral symmetry....
Curated OER
Texture Pumpkins
I love art and so do children of all ages. Your very youngest learners explore texture as they examine texture on their person, in their classroom, and then apply it to neat clay pumpkins. They roll clay into balls, flatten them out, and...
Curated OER
Flower Bouquets
Picasso's Posies is the inspiration for a lovely watercolor painting activity. The class explores the use of line, shape, and space in art as they create an image using the traced outline of their hands holding three to five flowers....
Curated OER
Cut Paper Circus
Learning to cut with scissors is a key skill for youngsters to master. They hone their fine motor skills as they cut a variety of shapes to create a paper circus composition. They'll cut and arrange their shapes to create a circus...
Curated OER
Pastel Landscape
A horizon line is one that helps artists establish space and dimension in their pictures. Young artists use pastels (chalks) to draw landscapes that use a horizon line. They draw the image with black chalk fist, color it in, and finally...
Polar Trec
Swan Savvy
Just like so many other birds, swans migrate during the cold winter months. Your class can gain a better understanding of migration and bird life as they act out some of the activities common to the tundra swan. They make a nest, sit on...
ARKive
Nocturnal Animals
How do those nocturnal animals see in the dark? This perplexing question does have an answer. First, little ones use their sense of touch to determine the name of a mystery object, then they listen closely to identify various animals by...
Curated OER
Arctic Animals: How Do They Measure Up?
Young scientists grab their measuring tapes, rulers, and yard sticks as they see how big Arctic animals really are. To conceptualize the trait of height or length, each small group will measure out the entire length of an arctic animal....
California Academy of Science
Fish Forms
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you can add art to any lesson! While little learners are discovering why fish have specific body parts such as, scales, fins, and gills, they start making three-dimensional fish forms. Children...
California Academy of Science
What Would Happen?
Nothing says classroom fun like an invertebrate and a magnifying glass! Snails, earthworms, and roly-poly bugs become the center of attention as pint-sized investigators hone their inquiry and observation skills. They are guided through...
California Academy of Science
Snakes and Lizards Length and Movement
Snakes and lizards can be very tiny or very long. Your class will get out their rulers to see just how big snakes and lizards can be. They discuss several different reptiles by reading the included animal fact cards, then each small...
California Academy of Science
Coral Reef Habitat Match
Different animals live in different habitats, and each animal has specifically adaptive traits that make them tailor-made for their environments. This is true on land and in the ocean. Little ones examine how various marine animals have...
California Academy of Science
The Emperor Penguin's Egg
Here is a game intended for use at home that could easily be adapted to the school environment. The class reads an informational story about emperor penguins and then they watch a clip from the film, March of the Penguins. They focus on...
California Academy of Science
Notice and Wonder
Pint-sized zoologists practice the art of observation. They take notes, pictures or written, as they observe an animal for a period of time. This can be done at the zoo, with a visiting classroom animal, or perhaps at the humane society....
Curated OER
Fast or Slow?
Vestibular stimulation is an action or activity relating to balance and motion. To find out what kind of vestibular stimulation your learners with multiple disabilities enjoy best, follow these simple suggestions. You engage the child in...
Perkins School for the Blind
Handprint Art
Stimulate the senses with a handprint art project! Flake laundry detergent, water, and food coloring are mixed together to create a substance that has a pleasant smell and will dry hard and dimensional. Children with visual disabilities...
Perkins School for the Blind
Balance Stations
Children with visual impairments need to continuously work on balance, gross motor skills, and mobility. Foster mobility and orientation skills by engaging them in a series of fun balance stations during PE. You'll set up each of the...
Curated OER
Choral Counting II
Using a number line or a 100s chart that extends past 100, practice counting from 1 to 120 with your class. As a part of daily instruction, chant count in sequence from 1 to 100 and then randomly chose a number and count onward to 120....
Illustrative Mathematics
Counting Overview
Develop automatic, meaningful counting skills with your class by using everyday classroom/school items, objects, and opportunities. Counting skills should be practiced during the year using objects and items they are familiar with and...
Perkins School for the Blind
Counting Cups
Teach one-to-one correspondence, fine motor, and counting skills to your learners with visual disabilities. Included are a set of activity suggestions, which are useful when teaching a variety of different early math skills. Braille,...
Perkins School for the Blind
One-to-One Correspondence
Here is an interesting way to build concept understanding regarding one-to-one correspondence. Learners with visual impairments will use an array of everyday objects in context to foster an understanding of what one-to-one correspondence...
Perkins School for the Blind
Counting in Tactile Journals
This is one of those great ideas I totally love. Youngsters with visual impairments practice counting and left-to -right sequencing by counting out a set number of edible objects from the left and putting them in a bag on the right. They...
Perkins School for the Blind
Rubber Band Stretch
If you don't teach blind or visually impaired students, this lesson may seem a bit strange. But, it helps them develop motor skills, orientation and movement skills, and listening skills, while building a better understanding of...
Perkins School for the Blind
Coin Identification
You got some money, and you're not afraid to use it. Before you can use that money, you need to know what it's worth. Included is a set of activity instructions that will help your visually impaired learners indentify coins. Pupils are...