Outreach: "Springtime Science"

My Adult Services colleague, Ed, and I brought a little multi-sensory spring science lesson to students at the Wing Lake Developmental Center just before Summer Reading started. As I have mentioned before, Wing Lake is a year-round school that serves students, ages 3 - 26 years, in Oakland County with severe cognitive impairments (SCI) and severe multiple impairments (SXI). Often times cognitive disabilities are associated with a younger developmental age. Please read this fantastic post about mental age theory by S. Bryce Kozla i-have-mind-of-infant-mental-age-theory.html. Even though a person with cognitive disabilities may have difficulties with the complexities of language, comprehension, and other developmental skills, it is important to recognize and respect their physical age. Because there is a wide age span of the students here, we do our best to select activities, songs (which are always a hit here!!), and books that are age-respectful. These age-respectful picture books have simple, clear language and illustrations that will appeal to all ages. Books with photograph illustrations are especially great. April Pulley Sayre is one of my favorites!

Here is what we did:

 



1. Hello! (Talk about Picture Schedule)

2. Talk about our theme: Spring Science

"Today we are having fun with things that we experience in the spring. What are some things you notice outside in the spring? (flowers, birds, leaves growing on trees...)

3. Yoga pose: "Sunrise"

4. Song: "Spring Song" 

Tune: "London Bridge"

Leaves are growing on the trees,

on the trees,

on the trees.

Leaves are growing on the trees.

It is springtime.

Additional verses:

All the grass is turning green...

See the birds build their nest...

Smell the flowers as they grow...

(source: preschooleducation.com)

5. Story: Bird Builds a Nest by Martin Jenkins (I love this new "A First Science Storybook" series!)

We incorporated some fun multi-sensory experiences to help students understand some basic science concepts introduced in the book. As we read the book, scanned and projected onto wall screen, Ed and I (along with the teachers and teaching aids) used stretch bands with each student, introducing the concept of "pushing and pulling," as the bird does when attempting to pull a worm out of the ground. We brought around different size twigs to demonstrate "heavy and light" like bird does when finding branches for her nest, and also dropping them (as the mother bird sometimes does) to demonstrate "gravity and force." We also brought feathers, grass, and a bird's "nest" for students to touch and feel.

6. Puppet rhyme: "Owl in the Tree" (using various bird puppets)

Tune: "Skip to My Lou"

Owl in the tree goes, "Hoo, hoo, hoo."

Owl in the tree goes, "Hoo, hoo, hoo."

Owl in the tree goes, "Hoo, hoo, hoo."

Early in the evening.

Other verses:

Babies in the nest go "tweet, tweet, tweet..." "...all day long"

Duck in the pond goes "quack, quack, quack..."  "...all day long"

Rooster in the yard goes "cock-a-doodle-do..."  "...early in the morning"

(source: unknown)

7. Story: Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre

Again, we took around some sensory engaging experiences to each student while reading this book: vines, sunflowers, and carrots to touch and smell. And don't forget to describe the beautiful illustrations for students who are blind or have low vision!

8. Song: "This Land" (with hand motions)

Tune: "This Land is Your Land"

This land is your land.

This land is my land.

Let's work together,

to make it better.

From tall green forests,

to clear blue waters,

this land depends on you and me!

(source: preschooleducation.com)

9. Craft activity: "Coffee filter planet earth"

We used coffee filters, earthy-tone dot markers, water spray bottles, and plates to create our very own planet earth!

SENSEational Story Time: "Look Up!"

We have really been looking forward to spring time in Michigan (or at least being done with "swinter"), so this was a Saturday to look up at some of those things we see up above in warmer weather! 

Here's the plan:

1. Hello!


2. Welcome  Song: "The Story Time Ball"
tune: "Wheels on the Bus"
(Roll ball back and forth to each child)
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
back and forth, back and forth.
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
Let's see who it found. Hi ______!
Now roll it back to me.
(Keep rolling back and forth until each child has said their name.)


3. Yoga pose: "tree pose" (adaptation for kids unable to stand: taking a nice breath in and extending our arm "branches" out.)

4. Flannel rhyme: "Four Little Kites"

One little kite in the sky so blue,
Along came another, then there were two.
Two little kites flying high above me;
Along came another, then there were three.
Three little kites, just watch them soar;
Along came another, then there were four.
Four little kites dancing across the sky;
what a sight to see, way up so high!
(source: adapted from "Five Little Kites" storytime katie)


5. Story: Hooray for Birds! by Lucy Cousins
We had so much fun making bird sounds and trying to move and stand like birds along with some help from our puppet friends.

6. Bubbles song:
I blew bubbles from a large bubble wand (best for kids who may have sensory discomfort with bubble machines) and we sung our song as we "looked up" to catch bubbles.

tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
Bubbles floating all around.
Bubbles fat and bubbles round.
Bubbles on my toes and nose.
Blow a bubble...up it goes!
Bubbles floating all around.
Bub...bles fall...ing to...the...ground.
(source unknown)


7. Active Sensory Story: Shake the Tree! by Chiara Vignocchi
I love this interactive story (great for one-one sharing and group sharing)! The layout shifts from vertical to horizontal every time the tree is shaken and a furry surprise falls down. I handed out shakers to every child and they shook their shakers "to the left and to the right" when it was time to shake the tree and see who or what would fall out!


8. Parachute activity: "Up the Hill" (This can be great fun for kids who choose to be seated/laying under the parachute.)
Here goes turtle up a hill...creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy... (move around very slowly with parachute)
Here goes a rabbit up a hill...boing, boing, boing, boing...  (raise parachute up and down quickly)
Here goes an elephant up a hill...thud, thud, thud, thud...  (raise parachute really high and lower)
Here goes a snake up the hill... slither, slither, slither, slither...  (move side-side with parachute)
Here comes a rock down the hill...boom, boom, boom, boom... crash!
(raise parachute up and down slowly -- really high and then down at the end)
(adapted from Malaysian folk game)


9. Goodbye song and stretch: "Tickle the Clouds"

Tickle the clouds.
Tickle your toes.
Turn around and tickle your nose.
Reach down low.
Reach up high.
Story time's over.
Wave goodbye!


10: Play time: "Feed the Bird" discovery bin
I filled our sensory bin with bird seed, branches, moss, little bird finger puppets and pipe cleaner "worms." Kids found worms using their hands, scoops, or large tweezers (great fine motor practice!) and fed our hungry bird.