Wacky Weather

Wacky Weather

Written and Posted by Erin Hendrix, Owner of CAP for Kids

Must request permission to copy and duplicate.

The Creative Arts Program for Kids aims to teach to the 3 learning styles: visual (learns through seeing), auditory (learns through listening), and tactile/kinesthetic (learns through moving, doing, & touching). CAP for Kids achieves teaching to the 3 learning styles through providing educational experiences based in the Integrated Creative Arts, including: creative movement, creative drama, music, visual art, and creative writing. Each CAP student is provided the opportunity to explore weekly themes through seeing, listening, moving, doing, & touching.

To learn how your child can participate in this wonderful approach to education, visit www.thecapkids.com, email erinehendrix@yahoo.com, or call (801) 230-5493.
This week’s theme is filled with fun and educational activities that help children explore the theme “Wacky Weather!”

“Wacky Weather” Lesson Details: The “Wacky Weather” theme is dedicated to exploring the inconsistent weather of the month of March & the season spring. Students will be introduced to the old saying, “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.” Through introducing this old saying, students will explore: what lion like weather would be, what lamb like weather would be, opposites, etc.

Hello Circle:
Song: Get Up On Your Feet
Warm-Up: Walking, stretching, posing, L yoga pose (Locust)
Name Game: Name & favorite type of weather

Math Extension:
Number: 18
Shape or pattern: pentagon
Color: review silver

Language Arts Extension:
Letter/digraph/blend: L. L says /l/ for lion & lamb.
Syllabication: lion, lamb, weather, fierce, cold, wind, March, opposite
Rhyming/Word Families/Site-Words: What rhymes with Lion? What rhymes with Lamb?

Science Extension: March comes in like a Lion because it is still winter time when March begins. It goes out like a lamb because it changes from winter to spring by the end of March. Weather during winter is cold, fierce, and windy. Weather during spring is warmer, sunny, & sometimes rainy. Spring weather allows flowers to bloom, animals to wake-up from hibernation, animals to be born, like: rabbits, fawns, or birds. Geese, whales, or butterflies migrate back to warm areas.

Social Studies Extension: We all like different kinds of weather. What kind of weather do you like? When weather changes, so do humans activities they participate in. Humans plant seeds for their garden, wear different clothes, feel excited for the warmer weather, and start planning for holidays during spring.

Music Element or skill: -Lion-Forte -Lamb-Piano -Changing from Lion to Lamb-Decrescendo
Movement Element or skill: size: Energy: Strong lion/weak lamb level: medium for both lion & lamb

Music: (Exploration of instruments and song lyrics enhances language development in individuals of all ages. Children receive many cognitive benefits when exposed to musical activities at a young age, including: learn sounds, expand their vocabulary, improve grammar, explore intonation patterns, imitate melodies, repeat syllables, and develop rhythms. Music has also shown a favorable impact on children learning to read and improving their reading skills. Music provides students to practice skills that are important to reading, including: “listening, anticipating, forecasting, memory training, recall skills, concentration techniques, and speed reading.” (www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/studentdevelopment.html. Early exposure to music offers children a jump start on these cognitive benefits. Plus, it makes learning fun and engaging.):

Theme Introduction:
Song 1:
March
(Sung To: Mary Had A Little Lamb)
March come in like a lion,
Like a lion, like a lion.
March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.
*Students will be encouraged to create their own movements that go along with the words to the song!*

Creative Movement: (Exploring concepts and the elements of time, space, and energy through natural body movements. All of CAP for Kids’ Creative Movement activities help to refine the following gross motor skills: crawling, cruising, down & up, standing alone, squatting, running, climbing, rolling, leaping, jumping, spinning, forward/backward, strong/light, large/small, etc.):
Creative Movement Concepts: Energy: Strong & weak (lion & lamb) Level: Medium
Creative Arts Program kids will explore these elements of dance (strong, weak, & medium) going forward, backward, sideways, accelerando, ritardando, in a partner, & as a group.

Group Activity 1 (Integrated Science, Creative Drama, & Movement): Lions & Lambs with streamers. CAP for Kids students will enjoy exploring strong, ferocious, windy, & sharp movements with their streamers to music that shows March marches in like a lion. Then, they will enjoy exploring soft, calm, and gentle movements with their streamers to music that shows March goes out like a lamb.

Group Activity 2 (Integrated Science & Creative Drama): I can act like a Lion & a Lamb. CAP for Kids will interact with props while exploring how they can act like a lion and a lamb. They will each have a turn to act like a lion and a lamb for their classmates. Each student will be encouraged to use props, their voice, and body to act like each.

Group Activity 3. Climbing Barres (number knowledge, core, arms, legs strengthen, refining of gross motor skills, encouraging creativity: Review of shapes on the barres. Students will refine their gross motor skills and strengthen their muscles while creating shapes on the barres while reviewing their knowledge of the number 18. They will each have a turn to freeze in their shape for a count of 18. They will enjoy trying new ways to move on the barres to these songs:

Can you Move with Me? (Tune of: Do your ears hang low?)
Can you hang very low?
Can you twist? Can you swing slow?
Can you stretch your body out?
Can you make a great big shout?
Can you rise up high?
Stretch your body to the sky?
Can you move with me?
Can you wiggle like a worm?
Can you squiggle? Can you squirm?
Can you flutter?
Can you fly like a gentle butterfly?
Can you crawl upon the ground?
Like a beetle that is round?
Can you move with me?

Can you flip? Can you flop?
Can you give a little hop?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you give a little shake?
Can you dance like bee?
Who is buzzing round a tree?
Can you move with me?

Small group theme game: N/A. Preparations for the Spring Informance will be occurring.

Small group game: N/A. Preparations for the Spring Informance will be occurring.

Small Group Challenge (older students). Skill: N/A. Preparations for the Spring Informance will be occurring.

Creative Drama (Exploring concepts through the mind, voice, and body. Creative Drama is also known as ‘Guided Dramatic Play.’ These activities provide the refining of skills, such as: learning to use objects and gestures for pretend, interacting with others, following a logical sequence, and sustaining play for a longer period of time.):
Refer to Group Activity 1 & Activity 2 for Creative Drama Activities.

Visual Art (exploring materials to create a unique piece of visual art. All of CAP for Kids Preschool Visual Arts activities are designed to be independent creative experiences that refine fine motor skills, encourage creativity & individuality.): The emphasis is placed on the process of creating their visual art piece, rather than the final product.

Visual Art 1 (Preschool): Wind Chimes. CAP for Kids Preschool students will be provided with a stick, paints, decorations, & chimes. These wind chimes are a 3 day project and will be displayed at the Spring Informance.

Visual Art 2 (Preschool): Wind Chimes. CAP for Kids Preschool students will be provided with a stick, paints, decorations, & chimes. These wind chimes are a 3 day project and will be displayed at the Spring Informance.

Visual Art 3 Hour-Longs (Thursday from 12:30-1:30): Rain Dancer. CAP for Kids Hour-Long students will enjoy creating tempera paintings. After they have painted their masterpieces, they will use droppers to make it rain on top of their paintings. They will discover what happens to their painting after being touched by “rain.” This is a great visual arts activity that connects with our theme of “Wacky Weather.”
Creative Choreography Movement Card: Review of all used up to date: jump, spin, slide, roll, Go, Stop, Soar, straddle, plié, backward, forward, swaying, skitter, forward, & backward, tip-toe gallop. Introduction: N/A

Story-time/Skill Building: (enhances listening and comprehension skills, furthers the exploration of the weekly theme, sparks imagination & learning): Any of the following books may be selected for reading.

Splish, Splash, Spring by Jan Carr

The Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell

The Puddle by David McPhail

Who Like Rain? By Wong Herbert Yee

That’s What Happens When It’s Spring! By Elaine W. Good

This lesson plan was created and written by Erin Hendrix. Must request permission to copy and duplicate.