BYU-Idaho Preschool Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan #25

Lab 1
The Snowy Day
Date:
Monday, December 1, 2014
Supervisor:
BreAnne Driesel
Lead Teacher: Rachel Lloyd
Children and Learning/Development Goals:
1. Flora: Interact with other children. The rocking boat will give her the opportunity to
play with another child.
2. Madison: Not being bossy with other children. The igloo and dramatic area will be a
place that Madison will need to let other children take the lead and decide what they
do.
3. Austin: Participate in art activities. Cutting snowflakes will give Austin an activity that
isnt the typical painting art, but is something that he might like to be involved in.
4. Tristan: Write his name. Tristan will have the opportunity to write his name on his
snowflake at the art activity of creating snowflakes.
5. Zoe: Interact with peers and talk to meet needs. Zoe will have to ask another child to
play with her in order to use the rocking boat.
6. Jack: Listen to teachers and follow the schedule. The dinosaur song as a transition will
give Jack the opportunity to follow the schedule of coming to closing circle after small
focus groups. His teachers might need to prompt and encourage him to help him
transition.
Preassessment and Findings:
The children in our lab loved the cold activities from Ashleys hot and cold day. I know
this because they spent a lot of time at the different areas. The children have played in the
snow before, but they dont necessarily know much about snow other than it is cold. When I
talked to the children they seemed excited to learn more about winter (when it is cold), and
they are excited to see snow again. Some of the children know what we wear when we play
in the snow, but they dont necessarily know much about the different items. They know that
snow comes from the sky, but they dont know exactly what it is.
What do you wear to play in the snow? When do we play in the snow?
Flora: We dont wear anything.
Gracie: I wear snow clothes, and I play in the snow during winter.
Brighton: I play when it is winter, and I wear my winter clothes.
Maddie: I wear a snowsuit, and I stack wood in the winter to keep warm. I like
to build castles in the snow.
Brynn: I cant wait to play in the snow when it comes.
Jack: I just wear a coat. We play in the snow when it is cold.
Ideas to be Emphasized:
1. Winter clothes include hats, scarves, boots, gloves, and jackets. They keep us warm
by retaining heat and resisting water.
2. Snow is frozen water vapor.
Preschool Concepts or Skills:
1. In/Out
2. Fast/Slow
3. Cold

BYU-Idaho Preschool Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan #25
Lab 1
The Snowy Day
Date:
Monday, December 1, 2014
Supervisor:
BreAnne Driesel
Lead Teacher: Rachel Lloyd
Ideas to be Emphasized:
1. Winter clothes include hats, scarves, boots, gloves, and jackets. They keep us warm
by retaining heat and resisting water.
2. Snow is frozen water vapor.
Preschool Concepts or Skills:
4. In/Out
5. Fast/Slow
6. Cold
Assignments:
___________________ Self-Selected

_______________ Floater/Runner/Snack

___________________ Small/Focus Groups _________ /_________ Booth/ Photographer

___________________ Outdoor play
_________ /_________ Snack

_______________ Greeter/Walkie (Lead Teacher)

_______________ Data Collector

Special instructions for the day:

SELF-SELECTED ACTIVITIES 8:20 - 9:50 a.m.

Literacy Activities/ Books: The Big Snow by Berta & Elmer Hader (H1), The First Day of Winter
by Denise Flemming (F8), When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan (L23), There was a Cold Lady
who Swallowed Some Snow! by Lucille Colandro (PC6)
Activity Name

Description/Activity Objective

Materials, Special Set-up

*Creative Art:
Snowflakes
(4)

Activity Description: White paper and

scissors will be on the art table. Children will
cut out snowflakes with the paper. Some
examples will be on the table for children to
look at, but they should be able to cut the
snowflakes out in whatever shape they want
to. There will also be markers and crayons on
the table for children to color their snowflakes
if they choose to. Step by step directions with
pictures will be placed on the table for children
to look at.
Paint and paint brushes with be placed on the
table as well for children to use to decorate
their snowflakes or to paint a picture.
Have the children write their name on their
snowflake.
They could also choose to write snow or
snowflake on their snowflake as well.

Scissors (classroom), white

paper (RR2), markers
(classroom), crayons
(classroom), directions
(IWP), snowflake and snow
word example (IWP), paint
(RR1), paint brushes (RR1
O32)

Manipulatives:
Sorting Cars
(3)

*Math: Mitten
Matching
(3)

*Science:
Magnifying
Glasses (4)

Child Objective: Children will be able to use

scissors correctly. (with one hand, thumb on
top) D2G18
Intentional Teaching: Teachers may need to
do hand over hand help with some of the
children that dont know how to use scissors.
Model how to fold the paper and how you can
make different cuts to make different designs.
Do not do anything too difficult. Be mindful of
the way that the children are holding their
scissors. Correct wrong positions. (Thumb on
top, dominant hand cutting) Have the students
who are able to write their first names, write
their last names as well.
Activity Description: Sorting cars will be
placed on the manipulative table for children to
explore with. The children will line up the holes
to fit the pieces on to the cars. Tape will be on
the table for children to park their cars at. The
parking spots will have a number of dots for
the children to park their cars in depending on
how many pieces they put on them.
Child Objective: Children will be able to sort
cars based on the number of holes that they
have and where they are able to fit.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers should model
how to line the cars up. They should let the
children stack the blocks in whatever order
they want to.
Activity Description: Gloves and mitten will
be placed on the math table not in bins for the
children to match together. There will also be a
clothesline and clothespins hung up on the
back of the closest block shelf so that the
children can hang the mittens as they match
them. One mitten from a few pairs will be hung
up so the children can hang up the matching
pair.
Child Objective: Children will be able to sort
and match mittens together by comparing the
patterns and colors of them. D4G41
Intentional Teaching: Teachers should model
how to pin the mittens on the clothesline and
how to match the mittens together. Teachers
should allow the children to do this activity on
their own. Ask the children, Why do these
match? Do you see another pink glove?
Activity Description: Magnifying glasses will
be put on the science table along with ice
cubes and snow for the children to examine.
Snow and ice cubes will be placed on a red tray
with towels to absorb melted water. Children
will examine snowflakes and ice cubes to see
the different designs that each one has.
Child Objective: Children will be able to be

Sorting cars (RR1 W30),

tape (classroom)

Mittens (RR1 back wall),

Yarn/clothesline (RR1),
Clothespins (RR1 29)

Magnifying glasses (RR1

P8), ice cubes (Kitchen),
snow (outside), trays
(kitchen), towels (laundry
room)

*Sensory Table:
Snow
(4)
If no snow is
available use
alternate activity

Blocks: Circle
blocks
(4)

*Dramatic Play:
Igloo
(3)

inquisitive, asking how the magnifying glasses

work and making new discoveries. D1G1
Intentional Teaching: Teachers should model
how to use the magnifying glasses to make the
items appear bigger.
Activity Description: Snow from outside will
be put in the sensory table along with scissor
scoopers and sensory table tools for the
children to explore the snow with. They can
pack the snow in cups to make snow castles or
other things. Gloves will always be there to
keep hands warm.
Child Objective: Children will know that snow
is cold and that when it melts it turns to
regular water. They will share the limited
number of scoopers with each other.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers will ask the
children, Is the snow hot or cold? Is there
less snow than when preschool started?
Where did this water come from?
Watch out for snowballs or any other unsafe
uses of the snow.
Activity Description: Circular blocks will be
placed on the floor and made into a structure
with the use of other blocks already in the
classroom. Children can build houses that they
can have the geckos go in and out of.
Child Objective: Children will use their fine
and gross motor skills to build block structures.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers should build
block structures with block in and out of each
other. Teachers should use self-talk to describe
the concepts of in and out with the blocks. My
gecko is going in the house.
Activity Description: An igloo made from
milk jugs will be added to the dramatic play
area. Children will be able to go inside of it and
explore. Winter clothes (coats and gloves) will
be added to the area for children to dress up
with. There will be a small fake fire placed in
the igloo so that the children can keep warm.
Children can pretend to keep warm by the fire.
Its a good thing this fire is so warm because
the igloo is freezing cold. If you come sit by
the fire you could be warm too.
Child Objective: Children will interact with
their peers while playing.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers should
explain that real igloos are made from ice and
snow and can be made when it is cold outside.
They should ask the children if people live in
igloos and who lives in igloos.

Snow (Outside), Scissor

scoopers (RR2 G31), gloves
(RR1 back wall), Sensory
table tools 2 (RR2 G4)

Circular Blocks (RR2 B26),

Geckos (RR2 B4)

Milk jug igloo (IWP), Winter

clothes (RR1 back wall),
wood fire (RR2 dramatic
play), 2 blankets (RR2 Y9)

Alternatives:
Creative Art:

Description: Children will decorate brown

Brown bags (RR1), markers

Paper Bag Puppets

2nd: Button Pegs

paper bags to make their own puppets.

Markers, stickers, paper bags, paper, and
stamps will be on the art table for the children
to use.
Description: The button pegs will be set on a
table for the children to play with. They will
match the pegs to the corresponding colors on
the different patterns. Allow the children to
choose the pattern they want to use.

(classroom), colored paper

(RR2), stamps (classroom)
Colorful button pegs (RR2
O8)

ROTATING SNACK
9:00-9:50 a.m.
English Muffin Pizza-Preheat oven first thing!

OUTDOOR PLAY
Playground

9:10-9:50 a.m.

*Gross Motor:
Trampolines

Description: Trampolines will be put on a flat

surface for the children to use.
Objective: Children will be able to coordinate
their bodies to jump on and off of the
trampolines. D2G17
Intentional Teaching: Teachers should
monitor the trampolines and be cautious of
safety as the children jump. They should as the
children, Are you jumping high or low?
Those were fast jumps. Lets take really
little slow jumps.
Description: The rocking boat will be placed
on a flat surface for the students to play with.
Objective: Children will interact and play with
one another as they work together to move the
boat back and forth.
Intentional Teaching: Teachers should
explain that it takes two people to use the
rocking boat work and tell the children to invite
their friends to play on the rocking boat with
them.
Description: In the book The Snowy Day the
little boy makes tracks in the snow with his
feet. Find some snow that hasnt been touched
very much and take big and little steps through
the snow. Drag your feet as you walk to make
long tracks.
If the snow has already been trampled on, then
make new specific trails through the snow.
Objective: Children will be able to move their
legs and feet in different ways to make
different marks.
Intentional Teaching: Tell the students that
tracks can be made in the snow depending on
how you move your feet. Model how to make
long lines in the snow by dragging your feet.

2nd: Rocking Boat

*3rd: Snow Tracks

Location: North
2 trampolines (GG)

Rocking boat (GG)

CLEAN UP
9:50-9:55 a.m.
The team will sing the preschool clean up song.
GATHERING TIME
9:55-10:10 a.m. or 2:55-3:10 p.m.
Transition
Sing Once There Was a Snowman and do the movements that go with it. Be enthusiastic and
expressive with the movements. Sing three times with the third time ending in a whisper and the
children sitting down.
Description
Materials
Activity Name
Winter clothes
Today we have done a lot of activities that
Snowy Day (the) by Ezra
include hats,
have to do with winter and snow. I have a book Jack Keats (BS5)
scarves, boots,
here that is about a little boy who wakes up to
gloves, and
snow one morning and wants to go out and
jackets. They keep play.
us warm by
retaining heat and Read The Snowy Day
resisting water.
Have the children put their feet in like the boy
Snow is frozen
does in the story, and then have them put their
water.
feet out like the tracks that were made.
D5G48 Listens and understands stories while
engaging in the story.

2. Snow is frozen
water.

Transition: The little boy in the story got to play

in the snow and his snowball melted. Why do
we think that it melted?
Ask the children, Has anyone ever stood
outside and watched snowflakes fall? Does
anyone know where snowflakes come from?
Explain that when clouds fill up with water they
get too heavy and the water falls to the ground
in the form of rain drops when it is warm
outside. (Put felt cloud on flannel board
followed by a rain drop coming from it) When it
is cold outside the water vapor in the clouds
freeze and it turns into snowflakes that fall to
the ground. (Remove raindrop and put up felt
snowflake and felt thermometer) Have the
children tell you what the different pieces are
as you put them on the flannel board.
That means that snowflakes are frozen
essentially water. Every snowflake freezes
different creating different patterns. If we were
to melt or thaw snow, then we would see that
it is water. Hold the snowball in hand long
enough to have water be noticeable. (A few
seconds should be enough time) Show water
on hand to the children. Explain that my hands
are warm and are causing the snow to thaw
and turn back into frozen water.
Transition: It snows when it gets below the
point of freezing which is 32 degrees. Our
friend Tommy really wants to go play in the

BIG Felt cloud, rain drops,

snowflake, and
thermometer, pictures of
snowflakes, real snow/ice
cube.

3. Winter clothes
include hats,
scarves, boots,
gloves, and
jackets. They keep
us warm by
retaining heat and
resisting water.

Transition to
Small Focus
Groups

snow, but he doesnt know what to wear.

Tommy and clothing will be made out of
construction paper so they can be bigger and
will be put on the felt board with masking tape.
Have all pieces of clothing prepared with a
piece of tape on the back.
Have the children pretend to put on their
winter clothes as Tommy puts on his.
Tommy wants to go outside to play, but he
doesnt want to get too cold. He isnt sure what
to wear. Can we help him find his winter
clothes? His ears and his head are really cold.
How will he keep them warm? A hat. Heat
escapes through our head so putting a hat on
will help trap the heat. His arms and chest are
also cold. How will we keep his arms and chest
warm? A jacket. More than just keeping us
warm, our jackets are waterproof and help to
keep us dry. They have material that doesnt
let the water soak in. We better find something
for his hands so that he can touch the snow
without hurting his hands. What should he
wear on his hands? Gloves. That feels nice.
Gloves provide a protective barrier between
the cold and our skin. A lot of gloves are
waterproof just like jackets are so that we can
touch the snow without getting wet. Should we
try going outside now? I think he might be
missing something important. Oh his poor feet
on the cold, cold ground. How will he keep his
feet warm? Boots! Boots are thick and with the
help of our socks they keep our feet warm and
dry. I think that Tommy is all ready to play in
the snow now. Have Tommy tell the children
that his neck is still cold. What should we put
on Tommys neck? A scarf. A scarf will help
block the cold and wind from reaching
Tommys skin. Now he is really ready to go
outside. Have fun, Tommy!
Children will be divided into small groups at
the beginning of the day. Snowflakes are Falling
will be sung and children will leave for their
groups when the snowflake falls on their head.

A paper scarf, hat, gloves,

boots, jacket, and Tommy
(IWP), tape (RR1
cupboards)

Paper snowflake (IWP)

Snowflakes are falling all around. On my head

and on the ground.
Snowflakes are falling on (childs names)
head.
Snowflakes are falling on (different childs)
head.
SMALL FOCUS GROUP
10:10-10:25 a.m.
Your Activity

Description & Objective

Materials

Melting Snow
Outdoors & inside
table

CLOSING CIRCLE

Description: Read The Snowy Day first so that the

children will be trying to figure out what happened
to the snowball in the story. Children will be
brought outside to make a snowball (like in the
story) or to simply gather some snow on a tray.
Once they have their snow they will come back
inside. Because the melting process will take
longer than the time we have, a blow dryer will be
used to melt the snow so that the children can see
it turn into water. Melt the snow on the tray so that
water doesnt get everywhere. A discussion will
take place about the differences and similarities
between the snow and water.
Objective: Children will understand that snow is
frozen water. Children will explain the similarities
and differences between the snow and the water.
D4G42
Intentional Teaching: Teachers should ask the
children what they think snow is made of and what
will happen when they bring it into a warm area.
Allow the children to take turns blow drying the
snow. Discuss how using the blow dryer makes the
melting occur faster and how if you brought snow
into a room it would melt at a slower rate. Ask the
children, What is the same between the snow and
the water? How are the snowball and the water
different? Are there other ways that we can melt
the snow or make water?

1) Snow (outside),
blow dryer(IWP),
tray (kitchen)
2) The Snowy Day
by Jack Keats
(PK3)
3) Snowballs by
Lois Ehlert (PE2)

10:25-10:40 a.m.

Transition Play and do the movements to the song We are the Dinosaurs (RR2 Yellow 11 #2)
Marching, taking a rest, and eating. Children will transition by doing the movements along with the
song with minimal assistance. D3G43
Description
Materials
Activity Name
Review

Briefly go over again how the little boy got dressed to go out
in the snow. Talk about a few of the different items he put on
and how they keep him warm.

Do As Im Doing

Teachers will allow a child to choose the action that they

would like to do. (Ex. twirl, hop, clap)
Teach the children the song Im a Little Snowman. Sung to the
tune of Im a Little Tea Pot. Sing it at least twice so that they
learn the lyrics.
Hand out bean bags to the children. (Have the other teachers
help so it is faster.) Listen to the words of the song doing what
it says. #6 Pass the Bean Bag

Im a Little
Snowman
Bean Bag Activity

Five Little Speckled

Frogs

Sing the song. Use your fingers to count down the frogs so
that the children can see it visually.

A felt scarf,
hat, gloves,
boots,
jacket, and
Tommy.
(IWP)

RR2 Cabinet
7 shelf 1
CD: Yellow 7
#6
Frog finger
puppets
(RR2
Cabinet 2

shelf 2)
Willoughby
Wallaby Woo
The Biggest
Snowball Ever!

Sing the song. This song emphasizes rhyming and will help
the children learn each others names.
Read the story to the children. Ask them questions as you
read. How big is the biggest snowball that you have ever
made? What do you think the children are going to do?

Red Light Green

Light

Have the children start at the other side of the room and
choose the way that they want to come over. (crawling,
hopping, walking slowly) Teachers will help the children know
when they are to freeze and go again.
WORDS TO SONGS & FINGERPLAYS :
Do as I'm doing;
Follow, follow me!
Do as I'm doing;
Follow, follow me!
If I do it high or low,
If I do it fast or slow,
Do as I'm doing;
Follow, follow me!
Do as I'm doing;
Follow, follow me!
https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/do-as-im-doing?lang=eng

The Biggest
Snowball
Ever! by
John Rogan
(PR11)
Red and
green cards
(IWP)

Five Little Speckled Frogs

Sat on a speckled log
Eating the most delicious bugs. Yum! Yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are Four green speckled frogs
Source: Song packet
Willoughby walliby wee
An elephant sat on me
Willoughby walliby woo
An elephant sat on you
Willoughbly Walliby Wusten
An elephant sat on Justin
Im a Little Snowman (to the tune of Im a Little Tea Pot)
Im a little snowman Short and fat
Here is my broom And here is my hat
When its cold and icy I will stay
But when it gets all hot I will melt away
http://kindergartenfreckleteacher.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-01-30T20:45:0008:00&max-results=7
RESOURCES:
Rpreschoolreasource.weebly.com
Bean bag activity-Nicole
Red light green light- Nicole
Materials:
Listed above