2/29/2016

Name: Rebekah Schwall

Lesson Title: Modeling plants with clay
Date: 4/10
Grade Level: Preschool
Circle one:
ECE
PKSN
Standard(s)/Guideline(s): ATL: Creativity: Use imagination and creativity to interact with objects and materials.
C/GK/Science: Life science: Explorations of living things: With modeling and support, identify physical characteristics and simple
behaviors of living things.
Pre-assessment of current knowledge: in previous lesson talk about what role various parts of a plant have and where common plants might be found (concept
chart)
Instructional Objectives (1-2)

Assessment of Student Learning

One/Two Assessed Instructional

Objective(s):
SWBAT:
Use clay/paint to create a
known/made up plant
Describe different
attributes to their plants
and what role each part
has and where their plant
might be found

Identify Evidence:
Child sculptures
Anecdotal records-child descriptions

One Assessed Developmental

Skill:
Motor Development: Coordinate
the use of hands, fingers and
wrists to manipulate objects and
perform tasks requiring precise
movements.

Program Monitoring:
Class checklist
Display of work w/ descriptions

Safety Considerations:
Using cutting tools on clay-cutting
hazard

Learning Experience
Academic Language:
Root, stem, flower, bud, leaf, seed, clay, rod, ball, flatten
Procedural steps:
1. Tape labeled diagram of flower on wall for students to look
at. Place crayons and markers in center of small group
tables. Give them each a piece of blank paper and tell them
to draw whatever plant they want; one we have explored or
made up.
2. Give students time to form their ideas and really develop
their concepts. If they seem to be losing interest, allow them
to go to free play. Save child drawing and label their names
on them.
3. The next day at small group lay out wax paper on the table.
Hand each child their drawing and tell them they are going to
be building their plant. Give each child a small amount of air
dry clay and model with them how to make a ball, a rod, and
shape different parts. Model how to use the clay tools and
how to slightly wet the clay to keep it wet to keep modeling
with. **Make sure to have water in spray bottles to avoid spills
and paper towels at tables** Tell students to build what they
drew. While students are building their plants, ask them
names of their plant, anything interesting about it, where it
might live, and what each part of the plant is. Notate what
each child said.
4. Allow children to finish at their will. Once children are done,
assist them in clean up, put any extra clay back with the rest.
Allow students to go to free play as they finish up, write name
on back, and put finished sculptures on a rack to dry where
students cant touch.
5. The next time, set up the table with newspaper and
palettes for each kid. Put smocks on kids to keep clothes
clean. Give each student their initial drawing and pour a small
amount of paint into each childs palette. Give each student a

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paint brush and a small cup of soapy water and paper towels
to clean brushes as needed. Allow students to paint their
plants how they want, asking students to think about what
colors they chose and what colors are closest to the colors
they used in their drawing. Assist the child in color mixing if
they need it.
6. Once the sculpture is painted, have students clean their
brushes and hang their smocks up. Keep student drawings
with their sculptures and have the students label each part of
their sculpture and record student descriptions of the plants
and where they might be found and something interesting
about their plant.
7. Display sculptures and their names/descriptions for student
appreciation and parent appreciation.
Student Modifications:
If a student does not have much arm/hand movement, assist
that child with rolling the clay and shaping it in their hands
how they express to you.
Authentic Materials: Clay, paint, clay tools

Adult Roles: Record student descriptions and ideas, model

how to use clay, pass out clay, keep sculptures in safe place,
pass out paint, assist in cleanup.

5
Resources & References:
OELDS

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Reflection:

This lesson was interesting to implement. I taught this lesson on 4/14/16 during small group time with half the students and then left the rest
of the materials on the table for the other students to work with during free time. Due to time restraints, I had to adjust what we actually did in the
classroom, although I tried to keep the idea of modeling a plant.
Instead of spending a few days planning and working with model magic or clay, I gathered natural materials for the students to work with,
like twigs, leaves, flowers, full plants with roots, etc. I wanted the students to create and model their own plants using parts from other plants. This
lesson didnt go quite as planned, because the students pretty much just taped the plants and flowers onto their paper. However, many of the
students were able to identify many parts of the plants and they were excited and interested in the different types there were. Essentially, the
students had time to explore using their senses the different feelings and they essentially made free art using the materials I brought in.
With this lesson, I did a good job with asking students questions about what they were noticing and feeling, like what parts can you see and
how the two different flower parts differed and were similar. I also did a good job of engaging the students in the beginning where we went over a
diagram of a flower and discussed what the parts were and what they were called and discussing how each plant has each one of the parts; roots,
stem, leaves, and petals.
The children really took expressive liberty with the materials they were provided with. They used the different plant parts and flowers to
create and place where they want and using different mediums, such as markers and colored tape to make it look how they wanted to. My students
did a good job in the beginning of telling me the different parts of the plant and paying attention to what we were discussing and many of them
would tell me what each part is. One student in particular spent an extra amount of time and focus studying closely the plants and what was in them.
I found seeds! was one of the phrases he was most excited about and he was intent on sharing his findings with me and describing what he found
and how he found it interesting. He took initiative to go get a magnifying glass to look closer and even asked if I could take pictures with my phone
so he could get a closer look at different plants and plant parts.

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If I were to teach this lesson again I would allow more time and teach the lesson with clay. I think it would be more hands-on and a new
experience for the students because they havent worked with clay much in the classroom, and I would have allowed a planning period for the
students to decide what they wanted to create first before I had them create and build what they were going to build. I would have modeled with
them a little better the design process and given them different books to look and get ideas on exotic plants they might want to explore. Another
aspect I would change would be to separate the parts of the plants and place them into piles so it would have been easier for them to get the idea of
building a new plant out of parts that already existed, so I would create a pile of roots, a pile of different shapes and types of stems and materials
that could be used as stems (tree branches, etc.) different types of leaves (including leaves that dont typically look like leaves) as well as different
types of petals and flower heads so the students could pick out the different types and place them together. I would have modeled picking out the
parts and putting them together a little better as well. I would have also allowed students to use non-natural materials to use in their artwork if there
wasnt something I had provided that had the look they wanted to achieve.
From teaching this lesson, I learned that in order to do a higher order thinking art lesson I should have planned a little more in advance what
to do and use. I learned though that some of my students did the least amount of work possible to place something on their paper and move on, and
some spent a lot of time exploring and really wanting to learn more about what they were working with. All my students were able to describe some
characteristics of the materials they were working with, whether it be touch or smell. None of my students created a new plant, but they did create
visual art using the natural plant materials I laid out for them. While teaching this lesson, I was really able to see which students had more of a
curiosity for science and which students wanted to have more of a creative feel to their art. Although this lesson didnt go quite as planned, my
objectives were still met for each student.