New Project … New Adventures!
This time we dived into the depths of the sea to explore and investigate Big Fish!
The first type of big fish we talked about were SHARKS!
As an introduction the children pretended to go to the cinema to see the movie ‘Shark Tale’. I always try to go the extra mile when preparing and delivering an activity as it makes it more fun and interesting. When planned right each activity has the potential to give out more than just one learning outcome. I wanted to make this as real as possible. I switched off the lights and put down the blinds and also made a ‘NOW SHOWING – SHARK TALE’ banner. I also printed seat numbers to put on chairs and also made cinema tickets for the children. One by one the children had to find the seat number according to their tickets. I also prepared fish crackers snacks for the children to nibble on while they watch the movie. Afterwards my curious bunch could discuss what they had seen in the movie; any details about sharks, other types of fish etc. Number recognition, role play, listening skills, vocabulary acquisition and discussion skills were all part of such a simple activity. The little ones enjoyed this so much that they all wanted to take home their ticket to show it to their mum!
OUR BIG SHARK! Almost every day during circle time the children would mention that the shark is very very big. Thus one of the questions which we investigated was ‘how big is a shark?’ Size and measurement are two very abstract concepts for little learners. Children learn best by experiencing things first hand and that is what I always keep in mind when preparing activities. I bought a couple of blue washi tapes and created a shark outline on the floor. The children could go inside the shark and see with their own eyes how little they were in comparison. This was also a very fruitful math activity as they could compare sizes and use math concepts such as; smaller and bigger/small, medium and large. We also investigated how many children could fit in the shark. It has been two weeks and the little ones are still very excited to have a giant shark on their classroom floor!
My curious bunch are obsessed with shark teeth! During this activity I read the book ‘Smiley Shark’, which is a very fun book to read. After the children used their fine motor skills to cut pointy sharp teeth using scissors. The children then had to stick the teeth on the shark’s mouth.
I also bought these amazing shark teeth fossils from Ebay so the children could further explore and investigate with real shark teeth! I also provided resources such as magnifying glasses and microscopes as they pretended to be marine biologists. When possible I always try to provide real life materials as any activity becomes more interesting, engaging and MEMORABLE.
This next activity is definitely not for the faint-hearted. This was totally new for me as I had never done something similar to it before but the children LOVED it! I created an obstacle course made with chairs, tables and car tyres. The children had to pass the obstacle course so they do not get eaten by sharks (shark cut outs where put all over the floor). Gross motor control and risk taking were at the heart of this activity. However, seeing them supporting each other was everything! This activity was done with very close supervision.
Here are some other learning experiences on Sharks done during these couple of weeks...
Water Play
I added in some pebbles and shells to add more natural materials which they can explore.
Feed the Shark Game and Photo booth:
Feed the Shark Sensory Bag:
Shark Fin:
I also invited the children's parents to join us during an outing at the Aquarium. The children could see the different types of fish and most of all see real life sharks! Afterwards we were given a very interesting talk by the staff at the Aquarium where they also showed us a shark jaw!
Next up ... investigating whales!! Can't wait for what the next couple of weeks will bring!
The fun is endless while working with this approach as it is all about children's curiosities and interests. You'll never know where their curiosity might take you next!
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