Evidence: In the observation, S and Z had expressed their interest in the caterpillar through meaningful conversations and their facial expressions (smile). Z had also flipped back to look again at the caterpillar on the book cover although she was not expressing her interest verbally. 

Support/Validate: According to ELECT, children at 2.5 to 6 years old can “make logical connections; identify what precedes change; presenting their ideas to others through telling and movement” (ELECT, 2014).

Conclude: To scaffold children's learning, I am planning to provide opportunities for children to observe the real caterpillar's growth (Changed to virtual due to the pandemic restrictions), and represents their learnings in creative ways. 

2.How might you involve parents in focusing events?

3.What do the children already know about this topic? 
How can their knowledge be recorded? 
☑ Web ☑List of questions ☑ Drawings/constructions ☑ Recording discussions

Their  knowledge can be recorded in the webbing, transcripts, or artifacts.  

4.What resources can be used to stimulate interest and clarify questions? 
🗹Artifacts 🗹 Parent contributions  🗹 Books  🗹 Field trips
 

5.What opportunities will you provide for children to show what they already know about the topic? 

How are they beginning to explore the topic?

6.What can be done to encourage representation? 
Children can be encouraged to present findings in various ways including:

 

My name is Monique Ting, a final year student from Early Childhood Education program at Centennial College. 

This week, I am very excited to have our little explorers engage in the project about caterpillars' life cycle. This project is developed by children's demonstrated interest in the caterpillars. Children have been learning how the caterpillars grow to be beautiful butterflies on a virtual field trip. With this and the coming learning experiences that I have been planning and working together with Ms. Damaris, Ms. Selena and Ms. Anush, children will learn that there are different stages in ones' life, and appreciate the beauty of nature. More importantly, they will understand the import to treasure every single creation in nature as they all have lives. 

During the investigation, there will be different opportunities for children to develop in different domains (i.e. Physical, Social, Emotional, Cognitive, and Language) with experiences in different curriculum areas. There will be activity combining art and engineering for children to express the ideas that they have learned from the virtual field trip and the observations they have from daily life. The activity will enhance children's ability to understand cause-and-effect, and how actions will lead to different outcomes. Moreover, there will be also mathematics activities that children will match different shapes to the big butterfly which helps them to practice their ability in identifying shapes and matching them. In these activities, children will also practice both their big and small muscles. This project is providing opportunities for children to express their ideas in their own unique and creative ways. While sharing materials provided, appreciating their peers work and learning to respect them, they will strengthen their social and emotional understanding on how the world around them works, and how collaboration is important in the real world. 

 

This is a collaborative project which children will gain experiences on contributing as a group to work the best for a project. We would also like to invite all parents to bring children to the nature for further investigation on the topic: Caterpillar. As the weather is going warmer, there will be lots of opportunities that children can have a close observation and explore the nature. Have fun!

 

Thank you. 

Sincerely, 

Ms. Monique