Media –Rich Lesson Plan
Teacher Training Institute
Prairie Public
Name: Courtney Holden
TITLE: Falling for the Four Seasons
GRADE LEVEL(S); Preschool / Pre-K
TIME ALLOTMENT: The entire theme about Fall / Autumn will go for 2 weeks in my half day
preschool room with students that are there either on the schedule of Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays or Tuesdays and Thursdays based on their ages and skill levels. This particular lesson
would be the introduction lesson to the idea of the seasons and in particular the season of Fall /
Autumn and would last about 45 Minutes to an Hour depending on your students. Then we would
dig deeper into the specifics of Fall as the 2 weeks went on.
Introduction Activity: 5 Minutes
Learning Activity: 15 Minutes
Culminating Activity: 10 Minutes
Cross-Curricular Activity: 15 Minutes
OVERVIEW: The children will be introduced to the idea that there are four seasons. Through
discussion and the use of multi-media (PBS Learning Media Video and Interactive Games) the
children will learn about the characteristics of each of the four seasons, changes they will see with
each season, as well as how to appropriately dress for each season. At the end of this lesson the
children will be told about when Fall officially starts according to the calendar and that it is now the
season of fall, and therefore for the next few weeks they will learn all about fall.
SUBJECT MATTER:
Science, Language, Art, Mathematics, and Social Studies
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
The Students will learn the attributes of the four seasons, characteristics of each, and what is
appropriate to wear for each season. After they are familiar with the overview of all four seasons,
the students will talk more about Fall in particular. They will learn when fall starts, and all of the
characteristics of fall such as how animals prepare, what is harvested in the fall, how you dress in
the fall, what the outdoors looks like during fall and what holidays are during the fall season. The
students will then take a nature walk and use new vocabulary they have learned in respect to fall.
They will also collect items that remind them of fall. After that activity has been completed they will
take their collections and create a “Fall Collage” at the art table.
STANDARDS: *All Standards were taken from the Draft of the Preschool Standards of North
Dakota which can be accessed at www.dpi.state.nd.us
-Language and Literacy
4. Students apply a variety of speaking and listening skills.
*Comprehension and Collaboration
4.1 Engage in conversations (e.g., ask questions, take turns, and make relevant
comments).
5. Students understand and apply the characteristics of language
*Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
5.3 Understand and use new vocabulary and descriptive language to describe feelings,
thoughts, experiences, and observations.
-Mathematics and Logical Thinking
1. Students understand counting and cardinality
.
*Number Names and the Count Sequence
1.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the stable order counting principle (i.e., numerals
are always in the same order: 1, 2, 3,) and the order irrelevance counting principle (i.e.,
the order in which you count the objects does not affect the cardinality/total).
1.2 Use number names with written numerals.
1.3 Recognizes numbers and quantities in the everyday environment.
1.4 Demonstrate understanding of one-to-one correspondence between objects and
numbers.
-Science and Problem Solving
1. Students understand the unifying concepts and processes of science.
*Consistency and Change
1.1 Know and describe the sequence of daily routines.
1.2 Recognize and inquire about simple cause and effect relationships (e.g., if you go
outside when it is raining you will get wet).
1.3 Observe and describe changes (e.g., ice to water) that occur in the world, including
changes to living things and natural processes (e.g., weather, day/night cycle)
2. Students use the process of science inquiry
*Scientific Inquiry
2.1 Use simple tools (e.g., magnifying glass, binoculars, maps, eye droppers, computers)
and simple machines (e.g., lever, wheel, axle, pulley, wedge) to investigate their
environment.
2.2 Use their five senses to manipulate materials and learn about the environment.
3. Students understand the basic concepts and principles of physical science
*Properties of Matter
3.1 Use words to identify, describe, and compare objects based on physical
characteristics.
-Social Studies
4. Students understand the development, functions, and forms of various political
institutions and the role of the citizen in government and society.
*Citizenship
4.1 Share responsibility for caring for their environment (e.g., cleaning, recycling).
DIGITAL MEDIA COMPONENTS – VIDEO AND/OR WEB:
Video from PBS Learning Media about the Four Seasons
http://www.ket.org/education/video/kevsc/kevsc_000016.htm
Activity from PBS Learning Media about What to Wear for the Four Seasons
http://tdcms.ket.org/kevsc/int/dress.swf
Activity from PBS Learning Media about What Season it is based on an Outfit
http://tdcms.ket.org/kevsc/int/Seasons.swf
MATERIALS:
- Computer hooked up to a digital projector such as a Smart Board
- Pointer Stick for the Smart Board
- 1 Plastic Bag per child (see Culminating Activity)
- 1 Piece of White Construction Paper per child (see Cross-Curricular Activity)
- 1 Glue Bottler per child (see Cross-Curricular Activity)
- Pencils so the children may write their name on their paper
PREP FOR TEACHERS:
- Have the computer on and have the Video of the Four Seasons pulled up and ready to go…
http://www.ket.org/education/video/kevsc/kevsc_000016.htm
- Have each of the following websites in cue so they are ready when you need to use them after
the video…
*First: http://tdcms.ket.org/kevsc/int/dress.swf
*Second: http://tdcms.ket.org/kevsc/int/Seasons.swf
- Have plastic grocery/ shopping bags out, one for each child (you may write their name on it with a
Sharpie if you prefer)
- Count out 1 piece of paper for each child
- Have enough glue bottles so that each child may have one
- Have 4 art trays set up at the art table with the paper and the glue
- You will need to have a few pencils out so that the children may take turns writing their name on
their paper.
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY - SETTING THE STAGE
1. Call up 5 students to the front of the classroom that all have similar clothing (for example they all
have on shorts and a t-shirt or jeans and a t-shirt or pants and a long-sleeved shirt- they just all
need to be the same somehow)
2. Then ask the children who are still sitting what they notice the same about the kids at the front of
the room. Take numerous answers. Then draw it back to what they are wearing.
3. Ask the 5 kids at the front of the room to tell you how they decided what to wear this morning,
take all answers. Then ask why they are not wearing gloves or a tank top. They should answer
that it is too hot or too cold for those particular items. Talk about how the kids at the front of the
room dressed appropriately for the weather.
4. Let them sit down.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Materials:
- Smart Board hooked up to a computer (or Promethean Board or ect.)
- Pointer sticks for the children to use for the interactive games
1. Ask the children about the different kinds of weather they have seen. Take all answers. (Ex.
Rainy, hot, cloudy, foggy, cold, and so on.) Create a list on the board if you wish.
2. Then ask the kids what types of the listed weather words could be seen in summer versus what
they see in fall / winter / spring
3. Tell them that summer, fall, winter, and spring are the four season of the year. Then tell them
that each season looks and feels different.
4. Turn on the Smart Board (the video is already cued), and have them watch the video about the
four seasons. Ask them to pay special attention about what the people are wearing in each season
discussed.
http://www.ket.org/education/video/kevsc/kevsc_000016.htm
5. Show the video.
6. After the video ask the children what they saw the child wearing in spring, summer, fall, and
winter, and then discuss why that outfit would be a good choice for each season.
7. Bring up the first interactive game that is in cue about dressing the child based on the season…
http://tdcms.ket.org/kevsc/int/dress.swf , making sure that each child can have a turn.
8. Then bring up the second game http://tdcms.ket.org/kevsc/int/Seasons.swf and have children
guess what season it is based on the clothing provided.
9. After you have completed that, ask the children if they know what season it is now (This lesson
is to be done in the Fall) and brainstorm with the children what are characteristics of fall. Just make
this a verbal list but draw special attention to new vocabulary words learned related to fall.
10. After you have completed your list and you feel the children have a good grasp on what Fall is
and what it looks like, you can continue with your Nature Walk Activity. (Culminating Activity)
CULMINATING ACTIVITY: Nature Walk
Materials:
- 1 plastic bag for each child
- A piece of paper and a pencil for the teacher
- Coats if the weather requires
1. After Circle time has been done and the children have learned what the four seasons are and
the characteristics of each season has been discussed. The children will be told that fall has begun
and we are going to focus on that particular season.
2. Each child will receive a small plastic bag.
3. The class will go on a Nature Walk around the school or city block and search for signs of Fall.
The children will tell what signs of fall they see to the teacher who will record them on a sheet of
paper.
4. Children are then encouraged to collect items they feel are signs of fall and place them in their
plastic bag.
5. Once the class has finished their Nature Walk, they should return to the classroom and continue
with the Cross-Curricular Activity.
CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY:
Fall Collage
Materials:
- 1 Piece of White Construction Paper per child (9’’ by 12’’)
- 1 Glue Bottle per child (Glue Sticks will not work for this activity)
- The bag of items that each child collected outside
- A work tray for each child
1. Have the children empty the contents of their bag onto their work tray.
2. Then the children need to place their name on their paper and flip it over.
3. They are to use the glue to attach their fall items that are spread out on their tray. The children
do not need to use all of their items and can share the extras if they wish. This is their picture; they
may put whatever they wish on their paper from their tray in whatever spot they wish.
4. You are there to help facilitate vocabulary about the season of fall and talk about the changes
they see happening in the season of fall.
5. You could also incorporate some math by asking them if anything on their paper resembles any
shapes they know, and count the items as well as talk about the colors they see.
6. Display their collages for parents to see.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS:
- You could take a field trip to Sully’s Hill, ND (State Park) to observe signs of fall such as habits of
the animals as well as the changing colors of the leaves and what is happening to the trees, ect.
- You could take a field trip to a local clothing store and have the children look at the clothing
available and talk about what they would wear for fall.
- You could visit a local grocery store and talk about what fruits/vegetables have just been
harvested during the season of fall.
- You could visit a local super center such as a Wal-mart or K-mart and look around their seasonal
items and talk with the children about what they could use for fall, such as a rake, a leaf-blower,
covers for flowers, air conditioning covers and so forth.
- The children could help clean/ rake up the leaves in the school yard.