This experience encourages children to observe and record the growth of plants.
This experience should be differentiated depending on the individual child/group level.
This learning experience plan relates to:
- emergent literacy
- language and emergent literacy learner (36 – 60 months)
- learning focus: exploring and creating texts
- teaching practice: writing with children.
Collect information
- What information has been gathered as evidence to inform this experience?
Links to VEYLDF
Outcome 5: communication
- Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes
- Children demonstrate an increasing understanding of number using vocabulary to describe size, length, volume, capacity and names of numbers.
- Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work
- Children draw on their experiences in constructing meaning using symbol.
- Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking.
- Children engage with technology for fun and to make meaning.
Victorian curriculum levels F-2: literature
Explore the different contribution of words and images to meaning in stories and informative texts.
Learning intentions
- For children to verbalise their observations.
- For children to learn how to record data over time (photos, drawings, writing).
- To develop children’s vocabulary (e.g. growing, observe, measure).
Assessment of learning
Learning is demonstrated when children:
- record observations using digital or written media
- demonstrate understanding and/or use of content-specific vocabulary during discussions of observations.
Resources
- camera or iPad for recording photos
- seedlings (this could be from a previous learning experience)
- informal units of measurement (e.g. unifix blocks)
- clipboards, writing implements
Group size
Individuals or small group (2-5 children) with adult support.
Differentiation
Differentiation should be based on prior assessment of the child/children’s communication skills. Examples of differentiation:
- provide children with the option to draw, write or take photographs.
- some children may also benefit from extension of concepts through questions about gardens at home, measuring their own height and observing change.
- see sustained shared thinking for more information.
Experience process
- Clearly articulate the learning intention. This may be best done during group/circle time depending on the group of children and their interests.
- Begin discussion about how to record what is happening with the plants. Ask for the children’s thoughts.
- If children need more scaffolding, suggest using photographs to document each day, using concrete objects to measure and record or draw each day.
- Model how to record what a seedling looks like by drawing it yourself.
- Provide children with materials: (clipboards/paper/pencils) or iPad/camera to make their first observation.
- Continue to do this over a number of days.
Going Further
- Children can compare their observations with each other’s growth observations.
Reflect/review
Reflective questions for educators may include:
- What learning has occurred? How do you know?
- What have you realised about the child’s interests, knowledge, and capabilities?
- In discussion with colleagues, what would you plan next to consolidate or extend children’s learning?
Additional/alternate resources for this learning experience
- The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
- Measuring Angels by Lesley Ely and Polly Dunbar
Related learning experience plans and videos
Links to sections