Jack and The Beanstalk,Juan and Frijoles Magicos

This story of Jack and the magic beanstalk is a variation of the classic but still tells the story of Jack’s adventure up the beanstalk. It is told in both English and Spanish making it a good addition to any classroom.

Materials

Bean seeds and dirt
Rebus directions on planting beans
Journal of bean seeds growth-The bean is this tall, this tall
Pictures of top views-6 total

Vocabulary

Widow (a Mom whose husband has died)
Fortune( someone’s money and treasures)
Castle ( a home that is humungous)
Ferocious ( to be really, really angry)

Before Reading the Story

Tell the children that our story today is about a boy who climbs a magic beanstalk. It is magic because it grows all the way up into the sky. Ask the children if they would be brave and climb up past the clouds? Pretend to start climbing, look down what do you see? Have the children pretend climb up the beanstalk and then back down. When they are sitting draw pictures of things from a top view and see if they can guess what they are.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare and contrast objects, events, and experiences.

Reading the Story

Use you voice to reflect the different emotions portrayed in the storey as you read.

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

After Reading the Story

Have the children help retell the story in sequential order. What happened first, second, third? List all the emotions that were described in the story and ask the children if they can remember who felt the emotion and why?(Jack was happy to get the beans, Mom was mad that Jack took beans instead of money, Jack was surprised to see the beanstalk, the giant’s wife was scared the giant would find Jack, etc)

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates 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. AND Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes.

Discovery

Have the children plant bean seeds and keep a journal of how they grow.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships. AND Literacy/Early Writing; develops understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes.

Music and Movement

Teach the children a planting poem like, Dig a Little Hole by F Koch

You, dig a little hole

And you put the seed in.

And you cover it with dirt

And let the sun shine in.

Add a little water

And keep it fed,

Pretty soon a little plant

Will show it’s head (ask the children what kinds of plants they are)

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex. AND Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Blocks

The giant lived in a castle; try to make a very large castle with the blocks. How tall can you build?

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.

Art

Put a simple item on the floor and have the children draw it from a top view perspective (looking down on it).

Creative Arts/Art; begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences.

Sand and Water;

Put damp sand or dirt into the table with several spoons for the children to plant bean seeds.

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

Library and Writing

Draw a leaf shape on pieces of paper about 6 inches long. Let the children cut them out, decorate, and write their names on the leaves. Make a beanstalk on the wall and let the children tape their leaves on the stalk from floor to ceiling.

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

Dramatic Play

The children can act out the story. Add a small handful of beans to the center.

Math and Manipulatives

Bring in beans and a clean egg carton or muffin tin. Put a number in the bottom of each cup 1-12. Give the children plastic spoons and tweezers to move the beans from a small bowl to the cups. Help them to name the number and then see if they can count the correct amount of beans for each cup.

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

Outdoor Play

Play Mother May I? Have all the children line up on one side of the yard. The children take turns asking if they can take ____ giant steps. The teacher either says “yes” or “no”, if the teacher says no then she says how many giant steps the child may take. The child then counts out the steps aloud as they cross the yard. (Mother may I take 4 giant steps? No but you may take 3.) For children that are familiar with numbers, hold up cards showing the number in written form.

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

Transitions

Play which is bigger/taller/longer/shorter/narrower/wider? Give a child a choice of two items and ask them which is… (Which is shorter-a house or a car? Which is longer-a worm or a paperclip? Which is taller-a leaf, a bush, or a tree? Etc.).

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; begins to make comparisons of several objects on a single attribute.

Resources

The Way I Feel, by Janan Cain

Emotions can sometimes be hard to identify and explain. This book will help children do both and let them know that all emotions are ok to have.

Materials

Emotion match cards-make 2 sets

Camera

Play dough supplies: flour, salt, vegetable oil

Vocabulary

Emotions (The way you feel inside and out)

Shy (to feel cautious or uncomfortable with another person)

Frustrated (to feel discouraged or unsatisfied)

Proud (to feel very pleased with yourself)

Disappointed (to feel sad because you thought something was going to be better than it was)

Before Reading the Story

Talk about some of the things that you have seen children do in the last few days and the emotion it brought out. (Yesterday I saw Kerry ask Roger if he wanted to play with her and I felt /happy/ that she was being a good friend. Today Roger wrote his name all by himself. I know he was /proud/ because he showed me and had a great big smile. I was /nervous/ this morning when I saw Kerry carrying the water to the water table but she did not even spill a drop). Encourage the children to guess how you felt.

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes.

Reading the Story

Before reading the page, ask the children if they can guess how the character is feeling. After reading the page, ask them if they have ever felt that way and let them discuss the emotion if they want to. This is not a book to be hurried through but more to be talked about.

After Reading the Story

Play the game Show Me. Tell the children different scenarios that evoke a variety of emotions and ask them to show you what it looks like. (It’s your birthday and all your friends have come for a party. You were running on the playground and you fell and scraped your knee. You just learned how to ride the big bike all by yourself. You are playing with a puzzle and someone knocked all your pieces on the floor.)

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

Discovery

Make play dough with the children today. As the children are kneading and pounding the dough explain how it helps you take frustration away. When they are rolling it talk about how it makes you feel calm to roll the smooth play dough between your hands.

1-cup flour

1/3-cup salt

1/3-cup water

1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil- Mix all ingredients together until smooth and pliable.

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

Music and Movement

Teach the children this quote from the book that explains feelings.”Feelings come and feelings go. I never know what they’ll be. Silly or angry, happy or sad, they are all a part of me!”

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates 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.

Sing If You’re Happy and You Know It and then switch out to other emotions.

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

Sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and switch it up to include Shy Star, Frustrated Star, Very Proud Star, etc. Make facial expressions or simple actions to go with each verse.

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

Play Simon Says but change it to show emotion (Simon Says I’m scared, Simon says I’m excited)

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

Teach the poem, I Look in the Mirror by Pam Schiller

I look in the mirror, and what do I see?

I see a happy face smiling back at me.

I look in the mirror, and what do I see?

I see a sad face frowning back at me.

I look in the mirror, and what do I see?

I see a proud face, twinkling back at me.

Blocks

Invite extra children into the block center today. This will set it up to be crowded. Ask them to cooperatively build a structure. This will be hard for some children but it will give children the opportunity to work together in a tight space and explore their feelings. Make sure to stay near by to help them resolve any issues that might some up.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation;shows increasing abilities to use compromise and discussion in working, playing, and resolving conflicts with peers.

Art

Tell the children that some emotions make us feel warm and fuzzy (love, happy, proud) while other emotions can make us feel cold and prickly. Give the children cotton balls and bits of pipe cleaners to collage to represent warm fuzzies and cold prickles. Talk with the children as they work and write down what each thinks of as a warm fuzzy or a cold prickly.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. AND Creative Arts/Art; begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences.

Library and Writing

Use scenarios like those from ‘After Reading the Story’ and have individual children show you the emotion. Take pictures of the children and make a poster labeled, ‘How Are You Feeling Today?’ Label the emotions. Hang it near the entry so children can look at it and comment upon their arrival each morning.

Sand and Water

Water can be soothing to an angry or upset child. Fill the table with warm water today and let the children choose what equipment to add.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develops and express awareness in self in terms of specific characteristics and preferences.

Dramatic Play

Put school supplies (pencils, paper, clip boards, dry erase) into the center and encourage the children to take turns being the teacher.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take interactions; to take turns in games and using materials; and to interact without being overly directive or submissive. AND Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Math and Manipulatives

Have the children cut out faces from magazines and talk about the emotions the person is showing. Talk to the children about what they think might have happened to make person in the picture feel this way?

Physical Health & Development/Fine motor skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. AND Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes.

Make two sets of the emotional match cards and cut them out. Use them to play memory by turning them over and then taking turns turning over cards to make sets/pairs.

Outdoor Play

Play Freeze. Everyone runs around and when the teacher shouts out “Freeze!”, the children must stand perfectly still. Call out an emotion and the children can act it out. Begin again. (Freeze! Everyone act scared like there is a big storm with lightning and thunder. Freeze! Everyone act excited like your Mom is going to get you a new toy after school today).

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Transitions

As you dismiss the children off to the next activity, show an emotion and ask a child if they can recognize it. Or ask, what makes you feel this way?

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideras, and tasks.

Resources

Dear Parent-

Today we talked about emotions and how they make us feel. Spend a moment talking to your child about your day. Tell your child what emotions you experienced and what caused them. (Today when I went to work I felt sad because I wanted to stay home with you today. Now I feel tired because I worked so hard today and I am hungry. I am glad that we are home together now.) After you have talked about your day, make sure to ask your child about his/hers.

The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt

Duncan just wants to color but when he opens up his box of crayons, he finds notes from them that explain that they are not very happy. Why? And what will Duncan do so that he can again color with his crayons again? This book is not only a review of colors but hits upon emotions also.

Materials

Color chart
Oil pastels
Crayon letter in an envelope
color domino game
A piece of construction paper in all the colors
Emotion cards
Food coloring

Vocabulary

Quit- to stop doing something.
Proud- happy or satisfied with someone or who you are.
Empty- to feel sad or unimportant.
Persuade- to try to make someone understand your point of view/opinion by giving examples.

Before Reading the Story

Hold up an Emotion Card. Ask the children if they can name the emotion. Ask them to give an example of what makes them feel that way. (Angry-when someone tells me I can’t play with them. When my Mom doesn’t let me watch TV).

Tell the children that you are going to teach them a new word today. Say the word persuade and ask the children to repeat it. Tell them that it means to try to make someone understand your point of view or opinion by giving examples. Ask the children to persuade to you why your class should go outside early today (Cause I like to run! My sister’s class will be outside and I can say hello). Or why you should not have to wear your jackets when you go outside (I will be too hot, I have long sleeves on). Explain to the children that today’s story is about a box of crayons that are not happy. That they write letters to a boy named Duncan to try to persuade him/explain why to use them more often.

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; progresses in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversations and discussions with peers and adults.

Reading the Story

As you read each letter, stop and ask the children if they can tell you in their own words why the crayon was unhappy or had a concern.

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

After Reading the Story

Ask the children if they thought that the crayons had a reason to complain? If you were a crayon, what color would you want to be and why? Do you think writing a letter was a good idea for the crayons to do? Why/Why not?

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; shows progress in expressing feelings, needs, and opinions in difficult situations and conflicts without doing harm to self, others, or property. AND Literacy/Early Writing; develops understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes.

Make a letter from the crayons that asks the children to please use all the colors today. Open the letter from the crayons and read it aloud to the children. Ask them if they can think of some things they can draw that use many colors? List their responses and hang it on the wall along with the letter.

Literacy/Early Writing; develops understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes. AND Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem-Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem.

Discovery

If you have a computer, watch How Crayons Are Made with Mr. Rogers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPAF50bdO1U

If the weather is hot, have the children peel the paper off the crayons and sort old broken crayons into plastic cups by color. Put the cups out into the direct sun and ask the children what they think will happen to the crayons? Have the children check on the crayon cups through the day to see and report what is happening. When the crayons have melted, bring them back inside and let the children experiment with them by writing with very softened crayons or pouring the melted crayons onto the paper. Have them discuss what happened, what they are doing, and what they think will happen to the crayons in another day or two.

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

Music and Movement

Put on the song Rock Your Bodies to the Colors by Jack Hartman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_oeKDVJTss

Creative Arts/Movement; expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various musical tempos and styles. AND Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems.

Sing and Dance to This is a Song About Color by Hap Palmer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v-nocdm20g

For children who are able to better follow directions, try Parade of Colors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXTaknCm0lg

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions.

Sing My Favorite Color. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxIpA5nF_LY. As you sing, go around the circle and let the children name their color. The teacher then holds up that color sheet of construction paper as the children sing. Allow every child to have a choice of their favorite color to sing about.

Social & Emotional Development/Self Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Blocks

Put out colored blocks today to be sorted by color and then made into towers of ten.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in series, and regrouping objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size. AND Mathematics/Number & operations; begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

Art

At the easel add red, yellow, blue, and white paint today. Encourage the children to experiment making new colors.

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

On a piece of white construction paper use tape to make each child’s name. Give the children oil pastels to color the paper. Encourage them to add many colors and to fill the paper in. Make a light wash of watercolor paint over the entire picture. When it is dry, carefully pull the tape off the page. See resources for example.

Creative Arts/Art; gains in ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation. AND Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name.

Library and Writing

Put out crayons today and ask the children to draw using their favorite color/colors/ When they are finished, help them write why it is their favorite color. (Dear blue, you are my favorite color because…).

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools, including pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushed, and various types of technology.

Sand and Water

Ahead of time make colored sand to put into the table today. Unfortunately this is a job for the teacher as food coloring will stick to your skin until well mixed. In a bowl add sand and several drops of food coloring. Mix with a spoon. Continue to mix sand and food coloring until your get the color desired. Keep it on the lighter side so that the children’s hands will not be colored by the dye. Make two primary colors and dump into piles in the table. Let the children mix and combine.

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

Dramatic Play

If your play dishes are in various colors, encourage the children to set a red place setting, a blue place setting, etc.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in series, and regrouping objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size.

Math and Manipulatives

Make a domino game for the children to play. On one half of the domino write the name of a color in that color marker. On the other half of the domino make a dot of a color using a marker. Make 20 or so domino pieces and mix them up by colors. The children then use the domino to make chains by connecting color names to color dots. Alternate, use craft sticks. On one end write the color name and on the other end make a dot of a color.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in series, and regrouping objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size.

Outdoor Play

Bring your crayons out to the playground and let the children color outside.

Arts/Creative Arts; begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences.

Transitions

Dismiss the children to the next activity by colors. (If you are wearing _____ line-up, wash hands, etc). For children who already know their basic colors, introduce words like rust, magenta, violet, lime, etc..

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

Resources

Dear Children, After reading about us we hope that you can think of something that you can draw using all us beautiful colors. Please share your ideas with each other because we really want to be used. Signed, All Your Crayons.