Let's go on a safari!
Year Level Duration
Foundation 60mins
Raationale
This lesson aligns with Howard Gardner's idea that bodily/kinaesthetic intelligence assists students to learn and know their bodies. The movement component of this activity promotes development of the body/kinaesthetic intelligence and also helps to enhance spatial intelligence (Pica, 2001). The importance of learning through movement is highlighted by Fauth (cited in Pica, 2001) who says that we retain 20 percent of what we hear, and 90 percent of what we hear, say and do.
Links to AusVELS
At the Foundation Level of The Arts the learning focus includes for students to:
- Express and communicate observations and ideas
- Respond to stimuli from sources such as imagination and observation
- Express and communicate observations and ideas
- Respond to stimuli from sources such as imagination and observation
Prior Knowledge Required
None
Resources required
African Safari Music (see below)
Equipment required
4 x chairs to set up safari Jeep
Camera
Interactive Whiteboard
Pictures of African animals (including lion, zebra, giraffe, elephant, hyena, rhino, leopard, cheetah
World Map or Globe
Camera
Interactive Whiteboard
Pictures of African animals (including lion, zebra, giraffe, elephant, hyena, rhino, leopard, cheetah
World Map or Globe
Introduction to lesson
Have students sitting on the mat.
Show students photo of a lion and ask them to identify it. Continue with the zebra and elephant.
Ask students, "What do these animals all have in common?"
Discuss that they are all African animals and locate where Africa is on the world map or globe.
Continue to show the children the rest of the pictures (some of these may not be as familiar to them) and discuss the different characteristics of the animals. Students should now have an understanding of the different African animals and what they look like.
Show students photo of a lion and ask them to identify it. Continue with the zebra and elephant.
Ask students, "What do these animals all have in common?"
Discuss that they are all African animals and locate where Africa is on the world map or globe.
Continue to show the children the rest of the pictures (some of these may not be as familiar to them) and discuss the different characteristics of the animals. Students should now have an understanding of the different African animals and what they look like.
Main component of lesson
Explain to the class that we will be going on an African Safari!
Set up the room with the help of the students so that there is a big open space for moving around and four chairs in the middle of the room to represent a safari Jeep.
Explain that you are a tourist on a safari who has come all the way to Africa to see some African Animals. You will be driving in the Jeep and when you call out an animal, students will act and move around the room like that animal. Let the class know that you will be taking photos so that a photo board can be created after the activity. Play the African Safari Music to set the scene for the task.
Go through each animal - scaffolding may be required in between each animal and a demonstration from a student would be beneficial so that all students can take part.
Set up the room with the help of the students so that there is a big open space for moving around and four chairs in the middle of the room to represent a safari Jeep.
Explain that you are a tourist on a safari who has come all the way to Africa to see some African Animals. You will be driving in the Jeep and when you call out an animal, students will act and move around the room like that animal. Let the class know that you will be taking photos so that a photo board can be created after the activity. Play the African Safari Music to set the scene for the task.
Go through each animal - scaffolding may be required in between each animal and a demonstration from a student would be beneficial so that all students can take part.
Conclusion of lesson
(Needs to be completed after photos have been printed or uploaded to IWB)
Share the photos of the students on the African Safari. Discuss what the different characteristics of each animal are. Write a caption for each photo as if we are bringing these photos back from a holiday and we are describing to our friends what we saw on the trip.
Share the photos of the students on the African Safari. Discuss what the different characteristics of each animal are. Write a caption for each photo as if we are bringing these photos back from a holiday and we are describing to our friends what we saw on the trip.
Assessment of student learning
Observation of student engagement.
Were the children able to take on the role and chareacteristics of the different animals?
Were the children able to take on the role and chareacteristics of the different animals?