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Lesson Plan
Search For Activities
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- April 2006 Activities -
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Spring is arriving, and it’s a super opportunity to
encourage new learning activities. Here are some suggestions
to teach children using “hands-on” exercises.
#1 Easter Table
Centerpiece
Get ready to get
your hands dirty with this Spring activity. You will prepare
a table centerpiece to use for Easter and early Spring.
Planting and watching new growth is a learning experience
that enables children to be part of a process. This project
encourages a child to record information while observing the
results.
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You
will need a container of potting soil, (a lined
basket works well) and grass seed.
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Wheat
grass and rye grass are quick growing and ideal
for this project. A scoopful of seed was
purchased for 34 cents at a garden store.
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Place
the seed on the soil and then cover with ˝ inch
to 1 inch of soil.
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Ask a
child what is needed for the grass to grow . . .
water and light. Mist the seed and place in a
sunny indoor spot. By planting 15 days before
the holiday, you should have grass for your
Easter centerpiece. Water the grass at least
every other day.
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Observe with a magnifying glass to see growth.
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Keep
track of one blade and see how fast it grows in
24 hours. Measure the growth.
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Use
different types of water (tap, distilled,
bottled) to see if more growth happens with a
certain type of water.
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Be
creative in this project by checking the pH of
the soil with a litmus paper, counting the
blades of grass in a one inch circle, and any
other ideas that involve observation skills.
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(Click photos to enlarge image.) |
#2 Real Grass
Spring Basket
This real grass Spring Basket can be used as the family’s
Easter basket.
- Have a child decorate eggs and place in the
grass basket.
- Add jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, candy
eggs and other decorations that the whole family
can enjoy.
- Children enjoy placing these objects in the
basket and will be beaming at their table
centerpiece when company arrives. They planted,
watered, and decorated the grass and should be
proud!
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(Click photo to enlarge image.) |
#3 Tower of Hanoi
Watch Video
In 1883 a French mathematician named
Edouard Lucas published a puzzle named the Tower of Hanoi.
This puzzle today introduces computer science students to
recursive functions and recurrence relations. This puzzle
can also teach preschoolers through adults about patterning.
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You will need 3
pegs. We used 3 pencils stuck in small plastic containers
and 3 to 7 washers.
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The object of the
game is to move all the washers from the first peg to the
third peg.
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You may only move
one washer at a time and must follow size order. A bigger
washer may not go on top of a smaller washer.
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Begin by using 3
washers and keep track of how many moves it takes to get all
3 washers to the third peg.
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Ask if a pattern
is noted.
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The goal is to
move the 3 washers in 7 moves. This would be an easy level
of difficulty.
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More washers add
to the difficulty:
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4 washers = 15
moves minimum – MODERATE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
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5 washers = 31
moves minimum – HARD
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6 washers = 63
moves minimum – MORE CHALLENGING
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7 washers =
127 moves minimum - TOUGHEST
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You may also set a
timer and see how quickly you can solve the puzzle.
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(Click photos to enlarge image.) |
In stores or on the web, you can purchase the game Tower of
Hanoi and
you can play online.
Let me
know by e-mail what your favorite activity was this month. I am compiling information for a resource book
and want your input. Thanks.
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