Ears, Whiskers and Tails
Foundation Stage
Statement of Intent We intend to give the children opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world through enhanced and enriched experiences and the learning environment. Our focus for this project is allowing the children to develop an understanding of similarities and differences between different animals and environments. We will look at size comparison and shapes within the maths. Early Learning Goal Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes.
Core Books: Dear Zoo, Walking through the Jungle, Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see?, Little Rabbit Foo Foo
Vocabulary:
Zoo, zookeeper, Similarities, differences, same, different, camouflage, environment, nocturnal, pattern, fur, scales, skin Animal names Trunk, claw, feather, stripy, spots, hoof, ears,
If you were to make yourself camouflaged, what would you look like? Why do some animals have to be camouflaged? How is a zebra different to a giraffe? What would be your perfect pet? Can you write a letter to the zoo asking for a pet? What zoo animals can you name?
Dear Zoo - Trip to Woburn Safari Park Impact of Ignite: To observe and talk about living things and discuss the similarities and differences between where they live.
Possible Lines of Direction: Drawing animals and discuss the different patterns on each animals. Creating a zoo around the classroom. Writing our own ‘Dear Zoo’ books. Writing recounts of our trip to the zoo. Weighing animal food out Collaging animals and scenes Doubling and halving problems using animals
Enhancing the Environment:
Animal skins and patterns. Animal figures Small world zoo Photographs of our trip to Woburn Safari Park. Weights and scales
Can you make a new setting for the book? Can you match items/animals to the setting? How do the settings in the book differ? Why are some animals able to live in cold/hot environments? Which environment would you like to live in and why? Who is the key character? Can you name different environments that animals live in?
Walking Through the Jungle – Create the scenes from the book around the classroom Impact of Ignite: To allow the children to think about different environments that animals can live. To inspire writing with descriptive words.
Possible Lines of Direction:
Writing descriptions of environments Creating large scale collages/paintings of different environments Investigating different elements of the environments e.g. ice Creating own verses for the Walking Through the Jungle song Counting animals in 2s Ordering numbers Creating environments using appropriate shapes (3D)
Enhancing the Environment:
Non- fiction books about different environments animals can live in Non- fiction books about different animals found in the book Small world environments around the room Ice and sand out Small books out for the children to create their own story Musical instruments for children to play whilst singing the song
Can you create your own poem about an animal? What can you see if you sit in different places? Why bears live in different places around the world? Can you describe different bears? Which bear would you like to be and why? Can you name different bears around the world?
Brown Bear, Brown Bear. What do you see? – Day of dressing up as bears Impact of Ignite: To start to think about the differences with bears. To think about rhyme and alliteration and then to write their own.
Possible Lines of Direction: Drawings/paintings of bears. Model-making with clay, play-dough, junk etc... Size comparison of bears using Goldilocks and the three bears Create own poems using rhyme and alliteration Create rhyming strings Colour mixing Look at Kandinsky
Enhancing the Environment:
Non – fiction books about bears Photographs of different bears Bear masks Rhyming games out Rhyming books out for children to read Colour wheels for children to make
Can you create a set of open, grow, believe targets for Little Rabbit Foo Foo? What sort of people care for animals? What would happen if Little Rabbit Foo Foo said he was sorry? If he had been friendly? Can you make a classroom vets surgery? What do vets need to help animals? What sort of animals do they help? Can you name the characters in the story?
Little Rabbit Foo Foo – Worms, goblins and tigers all bandaged up and get a vet to visit Impact of Ignite: To encourage the children to think about who can help animals that are hurt or ill. To inspire simple sentence and story writing.
Possible Lines of Direction:
Writing their own versions of the story. Adding and subtracting with the characters from the story Labelling parts of animals Look at forest animals using The Gruffalo as a book to focus. Creating forest settings Look at class rules and focus on target cards – can Rabbit Foo Foo earn his?
Enhancing the Environment:
Vets surgery Forest setting Books about animals out for children to read Small world forest Animals out for children to play with Small books for children to create Target cards out for children to use
Entitlement – Foundation 1 Area of Learning
Possible Learning Outcomes
Communication and Language
Maintains attention, concentrates and sits quietly during appropriate activity. Joins in with repeated refrains and anticipates key events and phrases in rhymes and stories. Uses language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences in play situations. Links statements and sticks to a main theme or intention. Introduces a storyline or narrative into their play. Listens and responds to ideas expressed by others in conversation or discussion. Understands humour, e.g. nonsense rhymes, jokes.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Initiates conversations, attends to and takes account of what others say. Explains own knowledge and understanding, and asks appropriate questions of others. Aware of the boundaries set, and of behavioural expectations in the setting. Beginning to be able to negotiate and solve problems without aggression, e.g. when someone has taken their toy. Is more outgoing towards unfamiliar people and more confident in new social situations.
Physical Development
Usually dry and clean during the day. Shows some understanding that good practices with regard to exercise, eating, sleeping and hygiene can contribute to good health. Usually dry and clean
during the day. Shows some understanding that good practices with regard to exercise, eating, sleeping and hygiene can contribute to good health. Experiments with different ways of moving. Travels with confidence and skill around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment.
Literacy
Hears and says the initial sound in words. Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together and knows which letters represent some of them. Links sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet. Enjoys an increasing range of books. Gives meaning to marks they make as they draw, write and paint. Writes own name
Maths
Recognise some numerals of personal significance. Recognises numerals 1 to 5. Counts up to three or four objects by saying one number name for each item. Counts actions or objects which cannot be moved. Counts objects to 10, and beginning to count beyond 10. Counts out up to six objects from a larger group. Selects the correct numeral to represent 1 to 5, then 1 to 10 objects. Selects a particular named shape. Can describe their relative position such as ‘behind’ or ‘next to’. Orders two or three items by length or
height.
Understanding of the World
Remembers and talks about significant events in their own experience. Knows some of the things that make them unique, and can talk about some of the similarities and differences in relation to friends or family. Can talk about some of the things they have observed such as plants, animals, natural and found objects. Developing an understanding of growth, decay and changes over time. Shows care and concern for living things and the environment. Knows that information can be retrieved from computers Completes a simple program on a computer. Uses ICT hardware to interact with ageappropriate computer software.
Expressive Arts and Design
Introduces a storyline or narrative into their play. Plays alongside other children who are engaged in the same theme. Plays cooperatively as part of a group to develop and act out a narrative. Constructs with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources. Uses simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately.
Entitlement – Foundation
2
Area of Learning
Possible Learning Outcomes
Communication and Language
Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events. Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events. Children listen attentively in a range of situations. They listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity. Children listen to instructions and follow them accurately, asking for clarification. They can carry out instructions which contain several parts in a sequence. They use a range of vocabulary in imaginative ways to add information, express ideas or to explain or justify actions or events.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children. Children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others’ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable. They work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules. They adjust their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine
in their stride. Children are confident to try new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. They say when they do or don’t need help.
Children are confident to speak to a class group. They can talk about the things they enjoy, and are good at, and about the things they don’t find easy. They are resourceful in finding support when they need help or information. They can talk about the plans they have made to carry out activities and what they might change if they were to repeat them.
Physical Development
Children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently. Children show good control and coordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
Literacy
Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible. Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.
Maths
Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems. They recognise, create and describe patterns. They explore characteristics of everyday objects and shapes and use mathematical language to describe them. Children count reliably with numbers from one to 20, place them in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number. Using quantities and objects, they add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer. They solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing. Count in 2, 5 or 10.
Understanding of the World
Children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes. Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes. Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions. They know that other children have different likes and dislikes and that they may be good at different things. Children know that the environment and living
things are influenced by human activity.
Expressive Arts and Design
Children sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role play and stories. Children develop their own ideas through selecting and using materials and working on processes that interest them. They can talk about features of their own and others work, recognising the differences between them and the strengths of others.