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ECE LEARNING EXPERIENCE PLAN

Delete the italicized text and enter your own.

Your Name: Jennifer Nelson


Title of the Experience or Activity: Exploring Bark Texture
Where did you find this idea? (Include the book, article, person, or URL)
This is something Ive done with children before- it expands on the usual bark rubbing
activity.
Age of Children: 3-4

Number of Children: Whole Groupoutside

Curriculum Areas Addressed:

Brief Description of the Experience You


Are Planning:

Physical
Gross Motor
Fine Motor
Sensory
Communication
Language
Literacy
Literature
The Arts
Visual Arts
Music
Creative Movement
Inquiry
Math
Science
Social Studies
Type of Learning Experience:
Interest Area or Learning Center
Routine or Ritual
Small Group (4-5 children)
Large or Whole Group
Read Aloud
Outdoor
Family Engagement

Children will use crayons, paper, and chalk


to explore the texture of bark.

This activity is primarily:


o Child-led
o Adult-led
o Both

Describe Your Rationale for Choosing This Experience:


The children love to play with sidewalk chalk- adding it to our study of trees provides them
with a great opportunity for some creative exploration, fine motor practice, and art creation!

Learning Outcomes: Remember to delete the italicized text and enter your own.
Outcomes

Assessment

List the dispositions, knowledge, and skills that you


want children to achieve as a result of this
experience.

What assessment method will you use to document


outcomes for children?

Concepts/Knowledge Emphasized: A tree has


many parts, including bark. Bark has a unique
texture. We can use art to explore and express
different textures.
Objectives: Children will experiment with art
materials and tree bark, combining the two.
Children will explore the texture of bark and
discuss its qualities. They will create their own
pictures using the bark.
Standards Addressed:
Colorado ELDG Creative Arts Expression 3.1- Use
different materials and techniques to make art
creations.
Colorado ELDG Creative Arts Expression 3.2Discuss ones own artistic creations and those of
others.
Colorado ELDG Physical Development and Health
4.4- Manipulate writing, drawing, and art tools.

Vocabulary: bark, texture, bumpy, rough,


scratching, cracks, ridges, smooth, hard

Teacher will observe and make anecdotal


records, with particular attention paid to
childrens creative use of the art materials
and their descriptive language when
discussing texture.
Teacher will take photos of the activity.

Environmental Set-Up
Materials and Equipment List:
- Crayons (with labels peeled off)
- Paper- can have a selection of colors
- Chalk- a variety of colors
- 3-4 large baskets
- Clipboard for observations
- Camera
Setting: Outside in the school yard, place a basket at the base of 3 or 4 trees. (Ideally
1 tree for every 3 children) Put paper, some crayons and chalk inside each basket.

Learning Experience Outline


Introduction: Bring some bark to circle time. Pass it around the circle. Ask the
children to guess/tell you what it is. Explain that the bark does for the tree what your
skin does for your body. Let the children know that everyone is going to get an
opportunity to make some art with bark outside.
Step-by-Step Procedure:
1. Ask the children to gather around one of the selected trees.
2. Teacher will use a paper and crayon to demonstrate how to make a bark rubbing.
Remind children to lay the crayon flat on the paper.
3. The group will look at the teachers bark rubbing together and discuss their first
impressions. Makes wavy lines, looks bumpy, crinkles the paper, etc.
4. The teacher will then explain that the chalk is for drawing directly on the bark.
5. Next, the teacher will group the children into small groups around each tree. (About
3 children per tree, depending on size of the group and number of trees available.)
6. Children will use the materials to make their own pictures and color the bark.
7. Teacher will walk around making observations, offering assistance if needed, and
taking photos. Teacher will also prompt children to discuss the textures they are
exploring and note its qualities.
8. After some of the children have finished some pictures, teacher will create captions
on the back of their pictures, using the childs descriptive words.
9. Teacher will collect finished pictures, and the children will continue to explore the
trees and art materials for the remainder of the time.

Questions You Might Ask During the Experience:


What does the bark feel like?
What does the bark look like on paper?
Do some chalk colors work/show up better than others?
How is the trees skin (bark) different from your skin?

Closure: Give the children a warning when time is almost up. Collect the rest of the
pictures and the baskets. If the weather is warm enough, let children help you rinse
the tree trunks with buckets of water, cups, sponges, or spray bottles. Note what the
chalk does as it gets wet!
Differentiation:
Simplify- Provide hand over hand assistance if needed, for the bark rubbings. Teacher
can provide narration and descriptive words for the activity.
Challenge- Can expand the activity to include leaf rubbings, or encourage children to
work together to create one picture or design on their tree. Children can practice
writing their names or letters on the tree with the chalk and sign their creations.

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