Learning Center: Living & Non-Living Things (Kindergarten)

October 24, 2007

a.)    Theme: Living & Non-Living Things

b.)    State Standards/Benchmarks:

      Strand II: Content of Science

      Standard II (Life Science): Understand the properties, structures, and processes of 

      living things and the interdependence of living things in their environments.

      Benchmark II: Know that living things have similarities and differences and that

      living things change over time.

      Performance Standard 1: Identify differences between living and nonliving things.

c.)    Content:

      Activity #1: To put together a 24 piece puzzle of a caterpillar.

      Activity #2: To complete a worksheet where students had to color only the living

      things. Another worksheet had a picture of a monkey and the sentence, “Monkeys

      are living.” Students had to trace over the dotted sentence and color the picture.

      Activity #3: Students had to sort pictures of living and nonliving things into the

      appropriate category.

      Activity #4: Students listened to one of two books on tape. Each book related to

      living things.

      Activity #5: Students had to cut 3 pictures of living things and 3 pictures of         nonliving things out of magazines and glue them onto a piece of construction         paper.

            *Note: A variety of literature was available at the center for students to read at the        center. After students completed one of the activities they would place a sticker          next to their name on an activity chart.

      d.)  Science Unit: The classroom that I put my center into had not really done much           with science, so the teacher was open to ideas. I got the idea of living and    nonliving things from the, Teach the Children, resource store.

      e.)  Materials: pizza boxes, construction paper, clip art, glue sticks, colored pencils,          pencils, scissors, magazines, tape or CD, books, puzzle.

      f.)  Management: This particular group of students had never used a center before, so       I was worried about the self management. When I arrived to set up my center, the    teacher thought it would be a good idea to introduce the center to the whole class             and explain each activity. After doing this, she suggested that some students start            working with the different activities. The center is still in the classroom and the     teacher is planning on using it when students get free time.

     g.)   Resources:

Avalos, C (1993). The Goat Who Couldn't Sneeze. Scott Foresman.

Coughlan, C (1999). Bumble Bees. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Davis, K (1998). Who Hops?. Libros Viajeros.

Hillert, M (2007). The Birthday Cake. Chicago, IL: Norwood House Press.

Hillert, M (2006). The Three Goats. Chicago, IL: Norwood House Press.

Lee, Suzy (2007). The Zoo. Kane/Miller Publishers.

Max, J (2002). ClipArt4Teachers. Hermosa Beach, CA: DownHill Publishing.

Mayer, M (1973). What do you do with a Kangaroo?. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Schaefer, L (1999). Crabs. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.