The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle

This story follows the adventure of a tiny seed as it travels with the wind and finally finds a place to settle and grow, and grow, and grow!

Materials

Tissue paper

Seed cycle and flower parts

5 little seeds flannel pieces

Flower shape from blocks to make a flower

Dried bean seeds and zip lock baggie

Vocabulary

Autumn (fall time)

Burst open (to split or break open)

Bud ( a flower that is ready to open)

Before Reading the Story

Tell the children that when you were coming to school today you noticed a beautiful flower or tree. Say you were wondering how it grew? Let the children give their responses if they have any. Now tell the children that you found a book that explains how seeds grow. Introduce the book.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Reading the Story

Point out the seed that meets its demise on each page as well as the path of the tiny seed.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

After Reading the Story

Tell the children that you are going to pretend to be seeds and do the movement activity, How a Seed Grows.

Help the children to act out How a Seed Grows, this is an adaptation of a story written by Helen Jordon. Pretend that you are a tiny seed. It is the fall time and you are on a beautiful flower. Now the wind begins to blow and you pop off and are carried away with the wind. You whirl and twirl and then land with a plop on the ground. The rains come and you are pushed ever so slightly into the ground. Now it is winter and all around you it is cold and the ground is frozen. You don’t notice because you are all curled up sound asleep. Soon the cold winter starts to melt away to spring time. The sun begins to shine and the winds begin to blow gently. The ground begins to get softer and you can move a tiny bit. You begin to wake from your sleep and you slowly, slowly begin to stretch down a tiny root deep into the ground. Every day you grow longer and stronger. Soon you are strong enough to push your stem right out of the ground. You grow up straight and proud. In time you grow a leaf, and then another and another. You are no longer a seed but you are a small plant! When it rains you are happy because you need rain to make you grow. When the sun shines you are happy because you need sunshine to make you grow. Every day you grow a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger until you finally open up into a beautiful flower. The bees and butterflies come to visit you and land right on your face with their tickly legs and feet. Some of your pollen gets stuck on their furry legs and wings. In a couple of weeks you will begin to get weaker. Your petals will get droopy and soon fall to the ground. You begin to wilt and slowly, slowly begin to sink back down to the earth. One day the wind blows and your seeds blow off into the wind. You continue to sink back down to the earth and you are a spent plant. You will not grow again till next spring.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions. AND Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety if dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex.

Discovery

Put a bean seed in a ziplock baggie with a moistened paper towel. Observe it over several days. As the stem begins to grow the children can measure it with a ruler. You can also have the children draw each day to document the seeds growth.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.

Put out books and pictures that show how seeds grow. If you have the funds, grow seeds!

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; shows growing interest in reading-related activities, such as asking to have a favorite book read; choosing to look at books; drawing pictures based on stories; asking to take books home; going to the library; and engaging in pretend reading with peers.

Music and Movement

Act out the poem A Little Plant, author unknown. Have the children sit on the floor and bend over their legs with their head towards the floor.

In the heart of a seed,

Buried down so deep, A little plant

Lay fast asleep.

“Awake” said the sun,

“Come up from the earth”

“Awake” said the rain,

“We’re giving you birth”

The little plant heard

And with a happy sigh,

Pointed its petals

Up to the sky.

Do this flannel with the children. They can use their fingers to count along.

5 little seeds planted in a row

Water them well and watch them grow!

1 little plant, so small and green

2 little plants can now be seen!

3 little plants with leaves so small

4 little plants are getting tall

5 little plants have buds of red

I planted a beautiful flowerbed!

Mathematics/Number & Operations; develops increasing ability to count to 10 and beyond.

Blocks

On a large piece of paper trace around block shapes to make a simple flower like design. Put it on the floor and let the children cover it with the correct block shapes.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; begins to be able to determine whether or not two shapes are the same size and shape.

Art

Make tissue paper flowers. On a piece of white construction paper draw a circle (this will be the flowers center) cut out many petal shapes from the tissue paper and also leaf shapes. Mix glue with a little water and put it into a bowl with a paint brush. The children can use the paint brush to spread the glue onto the paper. Let the children add petals and leaves to their flower. Show the children that if they over lap the tissue paper it will make another color.

Creative Arts/Art; progress in abilities to create drawings, paintings, models, and other creations that are more detailed, creative, or realistic. AND Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations.

Library and Writing

Let the children play with the 5 Little Flowers flannel.

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story.

Sand and Water

Put dirt or sand in the table with small shovels or spoons so the children can dig holes. They can pretend to be planting a garden. (We did this putting dirt into the table. On Friday afternoon I covered the table and when we came back on Monday morning, the bean seeds we had been playing with in the table had sprouted! A fun and unexpected surprise).

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety if dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex.

Dramatic Play

As the children play, encourage them to sort the plastic foods by those that have seeds and those that do not. Bring in real fruits and vegetables if you can so that the children can cut them apart and look at real seeds.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in a series, and group objects according to one or two attributes such as shape or size.

Math and Manipulatives

Make copies of the seed cycle and also the flower parts. Color and cover with contact paper. Let the children use these like puzzle.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take shapes apart. AND Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story.

Outdoor Play

Go for a nature walk and look for seeds (grass, trees). Remember that acorns are seeds as are parts of the pinecone.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Transitions

The children can pretend to be blown all whirly and twirly by the wind to their next activity.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Resources

When the Wind Stops, by Charlotte Zolotow

This is a book that honors the planet earth by telling about her unending cycles. It is a nice story to read to help answer some of your children’s why questions about nature.

Materials

Several shirt boxes and small balls or marbles.
Strong flashlight
Blue food coloring
Several clean cans with holes poked in the bottom (to allow water to flow through)
Pictures of day and night

Vocabulary

Break on the sand (crash to the shore)
Cycle (repeating a process over and over).

Before Reading the Story

Bring in pictures of day and night. Hold them up one at a time and ask the children to tell you what time of day it is.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to the attributes of time and temperature.

Reading the Story

On the page where the boy is playing with his friend and they drink lemonade on the porch, ask the children if they can guess what time of year it is. What are some other things you do in the summer?

Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to the attributes of time and temperature.

As you continue reading the book, allow the children to add any information they may have that goes along with each page.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

After Reading the Story

Talk about what season you are in currently and then move forward from there talking about the next season and changes that will occur. Allow the children to add any information that they may have.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Discovery

This experiment will have to be done on a sunny day. Ahead of time you will have to cut each child’s letters to their name out of paper. Have the child then tape these to a piece of dark construction paper. These are laid out in the bright sun for 2 days. After 2 good days of lying in the bright sun, bring them inside and have the children carefully peel the letters off of the construction paper. The paper will have faded from the sun and their name will appear. Or if your center has a budget, purchase Light Sensitive Paper https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/store/sun-sensitive-paper.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr4vXpsSe7AIViInICh0WRAsSEAAYASAAEgIQ_vD_BwE

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; shows progress in associating the names of letters with their shape and sound.

Music and Movement

If you have a rainstick, let the children experiment making rain sounds. Add other instruments and encourage the children to make a rain storm by starting softly and then getting louder and louder then softer and softer again.

Creative Arts/Music; experiments with a variety of musical instruments.

Put on some music and dance like the wind. Can you twirl around, blow low to the floor? Be a tree and let your branches/arms gently sway in the breeze.

Creative Arts/Movement; expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various musical tempos and styles.

Have the children sit in a circle. Explain to them that you are going to play day and night. The teacher stands in the center of the circle with a bright flashlight and slowly turns around. Remind the children that the mother in the book talked about how when one part of the world is in daylight, the other half is in darkness or night. Explain that when the sun/flashlight is shining you are awake, it is day. When the sun/flashlight is not shining you are asleep, it is night. Have the children pretend to be asleep and awake depending upon if the flashlight is shining on them.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to the attributes of time and temperature.

Blocks

Add natural elements from your area to the center. Place out a basket with acorns, sticks, sweet gum balls, pinecones, marsh grass, seed pods, etc..

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Art

Cut out blue circles that are able to fit in the bottom of the shirt box. Put a marble in a small cup of green paint with a spoon. The child can scoop the marble out and put it on his blue circle/earth and marble paint across it by rocking the box back and forth.

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully.

Library and Writing

Give the children black construction paper and white colored pencils or chalk to practice writing their names. Hang them on the wall for everyone to see how hard they are working on their letters.

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from using scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter-like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their own name.

Sand and Water

Add some blue food coloring to the water today. Ask the children if they can make waves, remind them the water needs to stay in the water table! Add cleaned cans with holes poked in the bottom (using a nail) to make rain.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully.

Dramatic Play

Put out dramatic play clothes that represent the season you are in and the one that follows (spring; sweater, boots/summer; bathing suit, floppy hat/ fall; sweater, backpack /winter; boots, mittens).

Creative Arts/Dramatic PLay; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex. AND Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to the attributes of time and temperature.

Math and Manipulatives

Use a variety of sequencing cards for the children to sort and put in order.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Outdoor Play

Hang wind chimes on your playground. When they chime, remind the children that it is the wind moving that causes the sound. Bring out scarves and let the children run flapping them in the wind. Bring out bubble solution and watch which way the bubbles blow. Look at the clouds, which way is the wind blowing them?

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Transitions

Talk about how your routine/schedule is also like a cycle, it goes from beginning to end and starts over again. First we do ____, then we do _____. After our lunch we _______. If you have a visual schedule, let the children take turns pointing out what you do during each part of your routine.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Resources

Johnny Appleseed, by Steven Kellogg

September 26^th, is the birthday of Johnny Appleseed. This is a great time of year to introduce the children to this folk hero and to have fun with apples.

Materials

Apple for cutting or tracing the words
Several varieties of apples for the children to try
Small White paper plate per child.
Shades of red, yellow, and green tissue paper.
Apple tree growth cycle
Apple trees for blocks

Vocabulary

Apple varieties of those being used in your taste testing
Sapling (a seedling, in this case a tiny apple tree)
Respectful (showing care and thoughtfulness)
Boisterous (loud and noisy)

Before Reading the Story

Bring an apple to the rug and ask the children to guess what shape is inside the apple. After the children have guessed, cut the apple in half and show them the star shape that the seeds make. Tell them that there is a star inside every apple. Count the seeds. There are always 5 seeds inside an apple and they make the shape of a star. Ask the children to repeat back how many seeds are in an apple? What shape do the seeds make? Tell the children that today’s story is about an apple star named Johnny Appleseed. He is an apple star because he planted apples all over the United States for people to enjoy.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, ,materials, living things, and natural processes.

Reading the Story

After reading a page, stop and talk about it if you feel your children are getting lost. This story is more difficult for younger preschool children but is a good introduction into an American Historical figure (social studies) and fun to do in the fall when apples are always fresh and in season.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

After Reading the Story

Talk about how Johnny was respectful of nature. Ask the children if they know what respectful means. Talk about ways that the children are respectful of nature. (I don’t step on the bugs when they are on the playground. I only smell the flowers and not pick them, I don’t take the leaves off the bushes cause the bush needs leaves). Talk about how the children show concern and thoughtfulness towards one another and the school environment. (I am nice to her when she plays with me, I throw the paper in the garbage and not the floor).

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; develops growing understanding of how their actions affect others and begins to accept the consequences for their actions.

Discovery

Appleseed growth cycle cards. Can the children put them in 1-6 order?

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Put out apples and plastic knives for the children to dissect and use their senses to discover apples. How does the apple feel, taste, smell, sound when you bite it?

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations.

Music and Movement

Teach the children the following poems,

Eat an apple

Save the Core

Plant the Seeds

And grow some more!

Science/Scientific Knowledge; shows increased awareness and beginning understanding of changes in materials and cause-effect relationships.

________________________________________

Way up high in the apple tree,

Two red apples smiled down on me.

I shook the tree as hard as I could,

Down fell the apples and they were good!

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Sing, I like to eat apples and bananas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5WLXZspD1M

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; shows increasing ability to discriminate and identify sounds in spoken language.

Blocks

Tape simple apple trees to rectangular blocks and encourage the children to make rows and patterns.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Art

Give each child a white paper plate. Use small squares of tissue paper and glue to collage. When it is dry, add a stem and leaf to make an apple shape. Encourage the child completely fill in the paper plate with tissue paper squares?

Creative Arts/Art;progresses in abilities to create drawings, paintings, models, and other creations that are detailed, creative, or realistic.

Library and Writing

Give each child an apple shape. Ask them to cut out the apple along the dark line and then use markers to go over the light lines to write, thank you Johnny Appleseed.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools; including pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various types of technology.

Sand and Water

Put dirt in the table today along with unifix cubes. The children can pretend that the unifix cubes are apple seeds and plant them. Then they can dig for the seeds and collect them by color. How many red unifix cubes did you find? How many green?

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

Dramatic Play

Math and Manipulatives

Make s simple tree picture on a large sheet of construction paper for each child who will play the game. 3-4 children at a time is a good number. Give each child a pile of 15 red dots/ apples. The children take turns tossing a dice and then putting that number of apples/dots onto their tree. The first child to get 15 onto their tree is the winner.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, and quantities, and written numerals in meaningful ways.

Outdoor Play

Let the children dig small holes around the playground or in the sand box and pretend to plant seeds.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; progresses in physical growth, strength, stamina, and flexibility.

Look for seeds on the playground. If you find seeds, collect them and bring them in to the discovery center. Can the children identify what kinds of seeds they are?

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; developers growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.

Transitions

Bring in several kinds of apples. Let the children each try a small piece of each and then graph the one that they liked best.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; developers growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concepts; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.