Kindergarten Science and Math activity: Tracing the outline of different trees.

Sometime during the FOSS Trees unit you and your children can go to the website:

http://www.laconia.k12.nh.us/classroom/whsvt1/

This site is a virtual field trip all about trees designed by Cassie Ploude. You can get as involved as you would like because there are many options.

Here is one lesson broken up into two sessions:

Standards:

·  Standard 1 ~ Basic operations and concepts

·  Standard 3 ~ Technology productivity tools

Materials:

¨  Use either a white board with an in-focus machine that is connected to the internet or use a Smart board.

Procedure: Session 1

v  Begin with accessing http://www.laconia.k12.nh.us/classroom/whsvt1/ on the internet.

v  Click on option #7 on the left hand side of the page

v  Click on “check out other types of trees here”

v  Click on a tree and scroll down until the picture of the whole tree is shown.

v  Have one child come up to the board and outline the tree with a marker or smart board marker.

v  Have them identify the shape they just drew; was it a circle, triangle, rectangle? (you may need to block the computer image to help the students better see the shape they drew).

v  Repeat by calling up a new tree and choosing a new student to draw the outline.

Procedure: Session 2

Ø  You will need to set up the computers before the children get to the lab. (A great opportunity for a parent volunteer).

Ø  Have the paint program opened on all the computers your students will be using. (you may want to have the in focus machine available to use as you walk them through).

Ø  At the top of the page, the teacher will have typed the child’s name and date (press enter) then “The shape of the tree I traced was…”

Ø  To do this, insert text box by clicking the black letter A on the left. Move the cursor to the page, click and drag to make the box. Then you can type your story starter.

Ø  Children will be directed to click on the spray can on the left and choose a color on the bottom of the page.

Ø  They can then use their mouse to “spray” the shape of the tree.

Ø  Direct the children to use the spray can to make either a happy or sad face to express how they felt about this lesson.

Ø  Save the children’s work to their x drives.