Sample Themes

Sample Theme: Modes of Transportation

This sample theme description includes the following:

• Theme Overview
• Communication with Parents/Caregivers
• Activities for Group Meetings
• Sample Lessons
• Possibilities for Visits and Outings
• Bulletin Board Ideas
• Activity Centres
• Physical Activity
• Student Evaluation at the End of the Theme
• Poems and Songs.

Theme Overview

This sample theme shows one way to explore the modes of transportation, but there are many other ways. Teachers are encouraged to adapt according to the materials available, the community, the needs of the students and their own teaching styles. For example, teachers could introduce the theme by having a bicycle or dog sled in the classroom, by taking an outing to a train station, or by examining a canoe or snowmobile or any other suitable means of transportation.

Theme: Modes of Transportation

Subtopics

• water
• land
• air

Length Approximately three weeks, depending on the interest of students, resources available, etc. Foundational Objectives

Socio-emotional

The Kindergarten students will:

• be at ease and show a sense of security as members of the class (PSVS)
• engage in various activities with initiative and confidence (IL, PSVS)
• appreciate the uniqueness of every individual (PSVS, SS).

The Kindergarten students will:

• participate in activities designed to improve motor skills (IL, PE, TL)
• participate in activities designed to develop an appreciation and enjoyment of human movement (AE-D, PE).

The Kindergarten students will:

• participate in activities which encourage self-expression (AE, CCT, COM, ELA, IL)
• use language to bring meaning to what they observe, feel, think, hear, taste and smell (COM, ELA, S)
• acquire concepts and information that lead to the attainment of the life skills that are necessary to function independently (AE, CCT, COM, ELA, H, IL, M, NUM, PE, PSVS, S, SS, TL).

Communication With Parents/Caregivers

Dear Parents/Caregivers:

This month should prove to be very busy and exciting! We will be exploring a new theme on transportation. Through their experiences, the children will become aware of several modes of transportation.

Some learning experiences at school will include:

• listening to audiocassettes and watching videos about modes of transportation
• playing with vehicles in the imaginative play centre, block building centre and sand and water centre
• setting up an airport in the imaginative play centre
• washing the principal's car
• meeting a school bus driver and exploring her bus
• walking around the neighbourhood to observe modes of transportation
• learning fingerplays, poems and songs about transportation.

• visiting the library with your child to choose materials about transportation; e.g., books (fiction and non-fiction), puzzles, records
• sharing and enjoying the materials you chose together
• asking questions to stimulate thinking skills (e.g., "What do you think that train might be carrying?")
• joining our class on one or more of our excursions.

Sincerely,

Teacher

Activities for Group Meetings

The students profit from short group meetings as they get restless when they must sit for long periods.

The following learning objectives (based on the foundational objectives) apply for the three-week period. Students will:

• learn the vocabulary related to the modes of transportation (COM, ELA)
• listen to stories, ask questions, comment, give opinions (CCT, COM, ELA, GE, IM)
• get involved in a group discussion (COM, ELA)
• sing songs, recite poems and fingerplays (AE-M, ELA)
• explore, examine and study the modes of transportation in their environment (CCT, IL, S, SS, TL)
• identify common characteristics of the different modes of transportation (M, S)
• identify and use words to describe the characteristics of the modes of transportation (e.g., colour, size, shape) (CCT, COM, ELA, M, S)
• make comparisons (e.g., small/large, tall/short, more/less) (CCT, M, S)
• identify the different roles of people in our society (e.g., bus driver, farmer, pilot, etc.) (GE, IM, SS)
• learn about traffic safety (H, PSVS, SS)
• identify certain signs (e.g., traffic lights, stop signs) (ELA, H, SS)
• help place information on a graph (M, NUM).

• Listen to stories and watch videos about modes of transportation on land.
• Sing songs and recite poems.
• Meet a school bus driver and explore the exterior and the interior of the bus (e.g., windshield wipers, horn, lights, seats, tires, mirrors).
• Examine the teacher's car in the parking lot. The students can name and show different parts of the car (e.g., hood, trunk, tires, doors, seatbelts). The students can go in one or two at a time to see the interior (e.g., steering wheel, mirrors, seats, safety belts).
• Wash a car (teacher's or principal's?), then return to classroom and sing "This is the way we wash the tires," etc. to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush". ("Here We Go Round the Principal's Car"). Part of the song could be written on an experience chart ahead of time and children could add appropriate words for parts of the car as they recall them.
• Brainstorm--"We travel in ..." (use objects or pictures).
• Name and describe modes of transportation.
• Discuss the difference between a passenger train and a merchandise train (with pictures or little trains).
• Discuss the use of traffic lights and traffic signs.
• Review safety rules.
• Go for a walk and listen to the sounds of the modes of transportation.
• Go for a walk and watch for signs. Observe, describe and discuss their functions.
• Ask each child to bring a toy vehicle to school so the students can compare and discuss the characteristics.
• Graph or chart--"How do you come to school?" (walk, bus, car, etc.)

• Listen to stories about modes of transportation in the air.
• Sing songs and recite poems.
• Compare an airplane and a car.
• Invent and role play a story about a family who is taking an airplane and going on a trip (pack the suitcases, drive to the airport, register the luggage, board the plane, find the seats, attach the seatbelts, plane takes off, have a meal, plane lands, undo seatbelts, get off the plane, etc.)

• Listen to stories about modes of transportation on water.
• Sing songs and recite poems.
• Discuss different boats using pictures or toy boats (e.g., canoes, motorboats, sailboats, rowboats).
• Graph--each student has a mode of transportation. (e.g., "Who has an airplane?, A car?")
• Compare a boat to a helicopter, a bus or another mode of transportation.

Student assessment during these activities can be done through observation. The observations must be based on the learning objectives of the lesson. The following are examples of questions that could be asked on an observation checklist or a rating scale.

• Is the student interested?
• Does the student see the link between vehicles, their functions and their environment?
• Can the student identify characteristics of modes of transportation?
• Can the student make comparisons?
• Is the student starting to identify the role of people such as pilots, bus drivers, etc.?
• Does the student understand safety?

Sample Lessons

Sample Lesson One

Group meeting. First day of the theme. Therefore, activities are engaging activities for the new theme.

Length : 20 to 30 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• develop comprehension of "bus" vocabulary (COM, ELA)
• compare two modes of transportation by observing their characteristics (CCT, M, S)
• explore a bus (IL, S, SS, TL)
• sing with the class (AE-M).

Instructional Approaches

• outing
• discussion
• demonstration

• Visit a school bus driver in her/his bus.
• Explore the bus and discover the different parts, exterior and interior.
• Present another mode of transportation (for example, a car) and ask the students to compare.
• Sing "The Wheels on the Bus" and ask students to point to the different parts of the bus as they sing.

The assessment for this activity can be done by observation. The assessment must be based on the learning objectives of this lesson. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale.

• Does the student seem interested in this activity?
• Can the student compare modes of transportation?
• Does the student participate in exploring the bus?, In singing?
• Does the student use new vocabulary with understanding?

Group meeting. First day of the theme. Therefore, the activity is an engaging activity for the new theme.

Length : 20 to 30 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• express a consciousness towards a built environment (PSVS, S, SS)
• listen and identify a variety of sounds made by modes of transportation (AE-M, CCT, S)
• discuss characteristics and qualities of sounds of modes of transportation (AE-M, CCT, COM, ELA, S).

• truck (dump truck, pick-up truck, etc.)
• cars (station-wagon, sedan, sports car, convertible, etc.)
• bicycle (unicycle, tricycle)
• bus (school bus, city bus, etc.)

• outing
• observation
• discussion

An activity is one part of a lesson. The sample activity which follows here encourages individual exploration which in turn facilitates independent learning. Language development will take place during this activity as students increase their vocabulary while discussing sounds. For a student who has difficulty distinguishing sounds, it may be a good idea to choose one sound, for example, a car sound. This way the student can concentrate on one sound at a time.

• Take a walk along a street where there would be cars, trucks, bicycles, buses, etc.
• Listen to sounds and discuss them "Which vehicles can we see?", "What sound does that mode of transportation make?", "Can that sound be compared to another sound?", "Do you like that sound?, Why?, Why not?", "Is the sound soft or harsh?"

Assessment during the course of this activity can be done by observation. An example of an observation checklist appears on the next page.

Observation Checklist: Sounds of Modes of Transportation

Name:__________________________________
Criteria to Observe	Date of Observation				Comments
	1	2	3	4
Listens to the sounds
Identifies the sounds and discusses the characteristics and the qualities of the sounds
Expresses a consciousness towards a built environment

Possibilities for Visits and Outings

Student Evaluation

During an outing, student assessment can be done through observation. The observations must be based on the learning objectives of the lesson. An observation checklist like the following may be used. It is a good idea to focus observations on only three or four students per outing.

Observation Checklist for an Outing

Bulletin Board Ideas

• Divide a bulletin board into three parts to represent modes of transportation of air, land and water. The students can create or collect pictures of modes of transportation for each part.
• Cover a bulletin board with blue paper, add roads, clouds and a lake or a river. Invite students to create modes of transportation and add to the mural.

Learning Objectives

The learning objectives for activity centres must be based on the foundational objectives.

Student Evaluation

The most common means of gathering information for evaluation of Kindergarten students are observation and assessment portfolios. Anecdotal records, rating scales and checklists can be used to record observations. Examples of questions that could be used on checklists or rating scales are provided. Sample forms for anecdotal records can be found in the "Evaluation" section of this guide on pages 183 to 185.

Resources

Suggested lists of materials, equipment, etc. are provided. The teacher is encouraged to change or add materials and equipment according to students' needs and interests. Teachers should be creative in their planning. Forexample, to correlate with the transportation theme stop signs could be used to close centres for the day.

Activities

Activities should be meaningful for the students and should be adapted to meet students' needs and interests.

Teacher's Role

The teacher's role is to extend and enable learning. He/she should observe, discuss, question and offer suggestions in order to guide students' play. The "right" moment has to be chosen for the teacher to enter the play so that valuable learning experiences will not be interrupted.

Block Building Centre

Students will:

• explain their ideas to other students (COM)
• listen to what other people say and react in a manner that shows that they understood (COM, PSVS)
• plan and accomplish activities with another students (CCT, COM, IL, PSVS, TL)
• make a comparison of blocks (M)
• start to understand the concept of probability/ chance (M, S)
• explain how a problem was solved (CCT, COM, M, S)
• explore maps and globes (SS).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or rating scale:
  - Does the student speak to others?
  - Can the student explain how she/he resolved a problem?
  - Does the student cooperate with others?
  
• Assessment portfolios:
  - Take pictures of what the students constructed and place in them their portfolios.

• pictures, photos, etc. of modes of transportation including pictures of drivers of both genders and of various cultures
• a variety of big and small blocks
• small road signs
• plastic or wooden vehicles
• books on modes of transportation (fair and equitable)
• a car wash (made from a cardboard box with a pan of water inside)
• a gas station (made from a cardboard box with skipping ropes for hoses)
• scissors
• writing tools
• paper for tickets, signs, etc.
• blank booklets for drawing or writing about experiences
• globe, maps (including a large vinyl floor map with roads drawn with permanent markers)

Students may choose to:

• look at books, pictures, etc.
• play with the vehicles, blocks, road signs, etc.
• create slopes with blocks (Have the students note that modes of transportation go at different speeds according to the height of the slope.)
• create road signs, maps
• draw or write about experiences in the centre
• explore maps and globes.

• Observe and record.
• Converse with students when appropriate (e.g., "How can we make this slope higher?", "Will the car roll faster?", "Why?" or "Why not?").
• Change or add materials and equipment as necessary to extend play.

Creative Problem-solving Centre

• create an art project of her/his choice (AE-VA, CCT, COM, IL, TL)
• assess own achievement when choosing and completing tasks (CCT, IL)
• have the opportunity to use a variety of materials (AE-VA, CCT, IL, TL)
• identify various shapes (M).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - Is she/he satisfied? Would she/he like to do something differently?
  - Can the student identify shapes in her/his work?
  - Is she/he engaged in the activity?
  
• Assessment portfolios:
  - Date art work and add to assessment portfolios.

• pictures, photos, etc. of modes of transportation
• easel, paper, paints, brushes, etc.
• play dough
• pieces of sponge cut into shapes, such as triangles, rectangles, octagons, etc.
• paper cut in different shapes, such as circles, rectangles, triangles, squares (The student can also draw or trace and cut her/his own shapes.)
• milk cartons for the making of vehicles
• popsicle sticks for sailboats, traffic signs, etc.
• small trucks, cars, etc. to dip in the paint and make tracks of tires or roads
• different sizes and types of toy wheels for printmaking
• license plates for rubbings

Students may choose to:

• experiment with the material
• create vehicles with the shapes
• create modes of transportation and road signs with sponges and paint
• make tire marks or build roads
• make wheel prints
• make license plate rubbings.

• Observe and record.
• Converse with students when appropriate (e.g., "This is very interesting!", "Tell me about your project.", "Do you like your car?", "What do you like about it?", "What would you like to change?", "How would you change it?", "Can you see shapes in your car?" If the student does not understand, name some shapes--"triangle, rectangle, circle, square?")
• Change materials and equipment as necessary to extend play.

Imaginative Play Centre

Students will:

• attempt new activities and take risks (CCT, IL, PSVS)
• play roles from their observations of everyday life (AE-DR, CCT, COM, SS)
• start to take on imaginary roles (AE-DR, CCT, COM)
• start to accept and respond to others while playing a role (AE-DR, COM, PSVS)
• start to establish links between dramatic situations presented and their personal experiences (AE-DR, CCT, IL, SS).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - Is the student playing a role?
  - Does the student role play with others?
  - Does her/his role come from personal experiences that she/he shares with others?

(This centre could be presented in many different forms, such as an airplane, a bus terminal, a train station, etc.)

• boxes for creating vehicles, gas pumps, a gas station, etc.
• chairs or benches for seats of a car, a train, an airplane, a train station, a bus terminal, etc.
• hoses for gas
• safety belts
• steering wheel
• hats (e.g., train engineer's, police officer's)
• horn
• paper for tickets, maps, etc.
• writing tools
• blank booklets for drawing and writing about experiences
• scissors
• cash register, Canadian play money, small table, etc.
• suitcases
• clothing, toothbrushes, soap, etc.

Students may choose to:

• act out roles from her/his environment
• draw or write about experiences.

• Observe and record.
• Talk to children and join in play when appropriate (e.g. "I would like to go to Ottawa. May I buy a ticket please? How much is it?" Show the money if the student doesn't understand. "May I sit down here?")
• Change or add materials and equipment as necessary to extend play.

Listening Centre

Students will:

• listen to simple directions and be able to follow them (CCT, COM)
• listen and start to identify a variety of sounds of the modes of transportation (AE-M, CCT, S)
• discuss the characteristics and the qualities of sounds of the modes of transportation; e.g., loud/soft (AE-M, CCT, ELA, S).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - Did the student go to the listening centre spontaneously?
  - Can the student recognize some sounds of the modes of transportation?
  - Does the student discuss the sounds?
  - Is the student engaged with the activity?

• audiocassette player-recorder, audiocassettes, listening centre, earphones, etc.
• guessing game on audiocassette (e.g., #1 - "It floats on water, it has a sail ... it's a sailboat"; #2 - "It rolls on land. It has many wheels, it comes to school ... it's a bus; etc. Number the pictures.")
• travelling game on audiocassette (e.g., "I'm going on a trip and I'm taking" .... Have a suitcase with pictures numbered from one to ten, for my toothbrush, my coat, etc.)
• number game on audiocassette (e.g., number one: "How many wheels does the truck have?", number two: "How many airplanes are there?", etc. Have the pictures numbered so the students will be able to follow.)
• sound game on audiocassette--Record sounds of modes of transportation and ask the students to guess what they are.

Students may choose to:

• play some games using the audiocassette player-recorder
• listen to sounds of the modes of transportation.

• Observe and record.
• Converse with students when appropriate (e.g., "What is your favourite sound?", "Why?", "Is that sound loud?")
• Change or add materials and equipment as necessary to extend the activities.

Physical Activity Centre

Students will:

• develop the ability to manipulate and control the equipment (IL, PE, TL)
• develop the ability to control her or his body movements (IL, PE).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - Can the student control her/his movements when trying to place the bean bags in the circle?
  - Can the student pedal the bike?

• A traffic light drawn on cardboard and little cards that have red, yellow and green circles. The student chooses a coloured card and tries to throw a bean bag on the circle that she/he chose.
• A stationary bike. When visiting the centre ask students if this could be used for transportation and why or why not.

Students may choose to:

• play the game
• ride the bike.

• Observe and record.
• Converse with students when appropriate (e.g., "Can you put the bean bag in the circle?, Show me!", "Could you use this bike to ride home on? Why not?", "Can you pedal forward? Backward?")
• Change or add materials and equipment as necessary to extend play.

Quiet-time Relaxation Centre

Students will:

• become familiar with books about modes of transportation (ELA, GE, IM, SS)
• listen to stories and ask questions, comment, give an opinion (CCT, COM, ELA)
• participate in decision making about procedures and materials to create a project with a box (AE-VA, CCT, IL, TL).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - What does the student do with the books?
  - Does she/he appear to have a plan before starting to work with the books?
  - Does she/he add to the plans of others?
  - Does the student use new vocabulary with understanding?
  - Does the student participate in decision making regarding the box project?

• books on the modes of transportation (See Children First: A Bibliography for Kindergarten, Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment, 1994 or use other suitable titles.)
• a big cardboard box (students can decorate as a car, a terminal, etc. and then use it for quiet-time activities)
• scissors
• crayons, felt pens, etc.
• audiocassette player-recorder, books or stories recorded on audiocassettes

Students may choose to:

• help to create something from the box
• look at books
• show and talk about modes of transportation with other students
• listen to stories.

• Observe and record.
• Converse with students when appropriate (e.g., "What will you make?" How will you make it?")
• Read stories to individuals or small groups.
• Change or add materials and equipment as necessary to extend play.

Sand Table

Students will:

• identify characteristics of objects (CCT, M, S)
• compare the mass of two objects (M, S)
• be able to cooperate with others (PSVS).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that could be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - Can she/he compare mass?
  - Does she/he cooperate with others?
  - Can she/he describe the objects?

• sand table and sand
• a variety of containers
• a variety of modes of transportation (trucks, cars, dump trucks, graders, cranes, concrete mixer, tractors, trains, airplanes, boats, etc.)
• a balance scale

Students may choose to:

• play with the modes of transportation in the sand
• experiment with the sand and containers
• measure the sand.

• Observe and record.
• Converse with students when appropriate. (e.g., "What are you playing with?", "Which container is the biggest?", "Which container has the most sand?", "How do you know?" If the student does not understand, ask if she/he would like to compare them on the balance scale.)
• Change materials and equipment as necessary to extend play.

Small-sized Manipulative Play Centre

Students will:

• develop the ability to manipulate and control equipment (IL, PE, TL)
• show respect for selves and others (PSVS)
• be able to choose what they need to complete a project (CCT, IL)
• listen to the ideas of others (COM, PSVS)
• show the understanding of problems with the use of objects (CCT, IL, M, S, TL)
• make categories, sort and classify with objects (CCT, M, S)
• identify one or more characteristics of objects (CCT, COM, ELA)
• show self-confidence (PSVS).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - Can she/he manipulate the material easily?
  - Does she/he cooperate with others?
  - Does she/he listen to others' ideas?
  - Can the student categorize?
  - Does the student show self-confidence?
  - Can the student show that she/he understands the problem by using objects?
  - Is the student engaged with the activity?
• Assessment portfolio:
  - Take pictures of students who are very involved in their activity and include them in their portfolios.
  - Take pictures of different ways the students classify and/or sort.

• Shapes of vehicles for tracing--land, water and air.
• Classification activity. Divide a piece of bristol board into three sections - air, water and land. The students place pictures of modes of transportation or toy vehicles on the board according to categories.
• Classification activity. Passenger train and merchandise train. Objects or pictures of people, animals, tickets, things for the dining car such as dishes, a variety of merchandise, etc. The students then match the objects with the appropriate train.
• Modes of transportation lace cards.
• Roads traced on a heavy cardboard. The students can follow them with small cars, trucks, etc.
• A maze on cardboard for students to drive their vehicles in order to find the end. Road signs could be added.
• Visual perception activity. Which vehicles go together? Prepare two of each (e.g., two airplanes with different details).
• Card game following the model of "Fish." Give two or three students four to six cards and place the rest in the centre. The students ask questions such as, "Do you have a red car with a blue stripe?" The game continues until all the cards are in pairs.
• Memory game. Buy sticker books and make two cards of each mode of transportation. The cards are placed face down so the students cannot see the pictures. When the student finds two matching cards, she/he can keep them. The game continues until all the cards are in pairs.
• Shape blocks. The students place different shapes on the cards to create modes of transportation.
• Peg boards. The students try to construct modes of transportation.
• Suitcase activity. Make ten suitcases from cardboard, numbered from one to ten, and collect pictures or small plastic objects. The students put three items in the suitcase that has the numeral "3" written on it, etc.
• Sailboat activity. Number ten little plastic boats and put dots on their sails. The student matches the sail to the boat.
• License plate matching. Make several pairs of paper license plates. The students match pairs.

Students may choose to:

• play with the vehicles
• play with the games
• lace modes of transportation
• classify, match and sort
• construct modes of transportation.

• Observe and record.
• Converse with students when appropriate; e.g., "How did you classify the cars?", "Can you sort them another way?" The teacher may have to ask another question if the student does not understand: "Why did you put these two cars together?" If the student does not understand why, the teacher may offers suggestions e.g., "Were you perhaps thinking about the colour or size?"
• Change or add materials and equipment as necessary to extend play.

Water Table

Students will:

• choose material deliberately to accomplish an idea (CCT)
• describe the characteristics of objects such as shape, mass (CCT, COM, ELA, M, S)
• make comparisons (CCT, IL, M, S)
• start to understand the concept of probability/chance with the help of prediction (CCT, M, S)
• classify the objects that float or that do not float (CCT, M, S).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - Does the student try to predict?
  - Does the student classify objects that float or do not float?
  - Does the student describe characteristics of objects?

• Water table and water.
• A variety of boats and material to make boats. Encourage the students to put boats that they have made in the water to see if they will float.
• Other modes of transportation. Have students see if they will float.

Students may choose to:

• create her/his own boat to see if it floats
• classify the objects that float and those that don't float.

• Observe and record.
• Converse with students when appropriate; e.g., "What are you doing?", "Is there more water in this container or in this one?" "Why?", "Why not?", "Why doesn't this truck float?", "Is the boat heavier than the truck?"
• Change or add materials and equipment as necessary to extend play.

Physical Activity (Creative Dance, Physical Education, Rhythmics, Body Movement)

Students will:

• develop the ability to use their whole bodies with expression (AE-D, PE)
• explore movement using a variety of equipment (IL, PE, TL)
• explore new sensations (IL, PE)
• be conscious of her/his body movement in space (AE-D, CCT, PE)
• improve the sense of direction (AE-D, CCT, PE)
• participate in a variety of movements; e.g., running/walking, push/pull, slow/fast (AE-D, PE).

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that could be asked on a rating scale or checklist:
  - Does the student participate?
  - Does the student use her/his body with expression?
  - Does the student use a variety of equipment?

• The students pretend to drive modes of transportation of their choice. When the teacher shows and gives directions such as road signs, the students must follow. Include directions such as slow down for the yield sign, stop for the pedestrians, slow down for the bumpy road, etc.
• The teacher places pedestrian signs everywhere in the gym. The students take a walk or ride scooters in the gym. They must follow the pedestrian signs as if they were outside.
• The teacher invites the students to bring riding toys such as tricycles, tractors, wagons, etc. The students can use these inside or outside. The teacher or the students can give the directions, or road signs can be used.
• Parade of bicycles. The students are invited to decorate their bicycles at school. The parade could take place inside or outside.
• Game--Red Light, Green Light. A student (the traffic light) holds up a red or green sign. When she/he holds up a green sign the students walk, but when a red one is shown everyone must freeze. If students are caught moving on a red sign they are sent back to the starting line. The first child to reach the traffic light becomes the new traffic light.
• The students make one or more trains by holding on to each others' waists. The trains can go quickly or slowly and when they pass one another, they can whistle.
• The teacher gives an instruction to the students, such as, "You are a tractor and it's raining outside", "You are a little truck and it's snowing", etc. The students explore different movements.
• The students use hoola hoops as modes of transportation. They hold them in their hands and run or walk according to the instructions given by a student or the teacher.
• Brainstorming--"What can we do with our feet?" (e.g., walk, run, dance, etc.).
• Play a variation of the game "Duck, Duck Goose" by substituting "Plane, Plane, Jet", "Bike, Bike, Bus", etc.

Sample Lesson - Dance

Length: 30 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• be aware of movement of a bus (AE-D, S)
• distinguish between whole body movements and movements from parts of the body by moving using hands, elbows, knees, feet, fingers, toes (AE-D, CCT, PE)
• explore diverse ways to walk, run, jump, slide, gallop, turn, twist (AE-D, CCT, IL, PE)
• create a simple dance (AE-D, CCT).

• roll forward, back up, turn
• parts of the body
• fast/slow, rapidly/slowly

• Observe the movements of modes of transportation.
• Create parts of a dance.
• Present the parts.
• React to the presentation of a part of a dance.

• Review vocabulary--go forwards, turn, back up, fast/slow
• How does a bus move? (Have a plastic bus to show to the students.)

Note: All forms of movement are accepted. There is no right or wrong movement. If students cannot roll their whole bodies, they can show the movement with their arms or feet. The students should be encouraged to experiment with a variety of movements.

Warm Up

• Tambourine: When the teacher hits the tambourine, the students advance and when he/she stops the students jump on the spot.

• Ask the students to roll different body parts like the wheels of a bus. The teacher can start by saying:
  "Roll your head like the wheels on a bus."
  "Roll your shoulders like the wheels on a bus."
  "Roll your hands like the wheels on a bus."
  "Roll another part of your body like the wheels
  on a bus (fingers, toes, arms, legs, bum, knees, etc.)".
  "Each time you hear this little bell, roll another way."
• Ask students to roll using their whole bodies.
  "Using all of your body, roll like the wheels on a bus."
  "Can you roll another way?"
  "Roll slowly."
  "Roll rapidly."

• Choose the way that you would like to roll and how many times you would like to roll.

• Divide the class into two groups; each group plans, practises and presents a simple dance to the other group (with or without music).

• Ask a group, "Which part of the body did your group use to roll?"
• Ask for the observations from the other group.
• Have students notice the different ways of rolling.

• Ask students to stretch towards the ceiling, the walls, the floor and repeat these movements a few times.
• "Stretch your hands."
• "Stretch you arms."
• "Stretch your head."
• "Stretch your legs."
• "Stretch your feet."

• Anecdotal records.
• Checklists and rating scales. The following are examples of questions that might be asked on a checklist or a rating scale:
  - Does the student experiment with a variety of actions?
  - Does the student participate voluntarily in the exploration of movements?
  - Does the student know the difference between movements using her/his whole body and body parts?

Student Evaluation at the End of the Theme

Refer to these examples of forms that could be used. One has been filled in to provide an illustration of the kinds of comments a teacher might make.

Note: To view the above document you need a program like Acroread that reads .pdf files.

"I Like to Ride a Tiger" by Michelle

Poems and Songs

Here We Go 'Round the Principal's Car
(Tune - "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush")

Here we go 'round the principal's car,
the principal's car, the principal's car.
Here we go 'round the principal's car,
so early in the morning.

This is the way we wash the tires,
wash the tires, wash the tires.
This is the way we wash the tires,
so early in the morning.

* Other car parts are then added.

How Would You Like to Ride?

How would you like to ride in a car
And along the highway travel far?
Do up your seatbelt every time
So you'll be safe and your journey fine.

How would you like to ride on a train?
The train rolls down and back again.
The big long train carries people and grain.
How would you like to ride on a train?

How would you like to ride in a boat
And all day long on the water float?
The boat goes up and the boat goes down
As over the waves we ride to town.

How would you like to ride in a bus,
Ride in a bus with the rest of us?
The big, yellow bus goes down the road,
Many, many children make up its load.

How would you like to ride in a truck?
In a big, big semi, we wish you luck.
It hauls grain and cattle and all,
The big semi is long and tall.

How would you like to go way up high,
Away up high in the blue, blue sky?
I see an airplane way up high,
Away up high in the blue, blue sky.

Let's Ride

Trains
Don't you love 'em, don't you love 'em
Don't you love 'em
Trains
Let's get on one, let's get on one
Choo! Choo!

Cars
Don't you love 'em, don't you love 'em
Don't you love 'em
Cars
Let's get in one, let's get in one
Honk! Honk!

The following can be substituted:

Boats--Splish, Splash
Dog sleds--Mush, Mush
Horses--Gidd-up!
Planes--Vroom! Vroom!

Visiting My Grandparents

I want to visit grandma
But how can I go?
Could I ride my bike?
No, that's too slow!

I want to visit grandpa
But how can I go?
Should I take a boat?
No, cuz I can't row!

I want to visit grandma
But how can I go?
Should I take a sled?
No, there is no snow!

I want to visit grandpa
But how can I go?
Should I ride a horse?
Would it stop when I "whoa"?

I want to visit grandma
But how can I go?
Should I ride my truck?
I might need a tow!

I want to visit grandpa
But I can't go?
Oh look, they came here.
That's better you know!

Other well-known songs:

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Walk to School
The Wheels on the Bus
The Yellow Submarine

Quotes From Kids: A Worthy Ambition - When asked what he would like to be when he grows up Michael replied, "a taxpayer!"