Adult-led activity
Day to day
Observe the sky and record the weather for a week to help the children understand the connection between the sky's colour and clouds and the kind of weather.
Key learning intentions
To gain an awareness of the different types of weather
To understand the concept of time passing through talking about the days of the week
Adult:child ratio 1:whole class
Resources
A weather chart, story props, five books about the weather (chosen from box on p20)
Preparation
* Make your weather chart on a felt-covered board with Velcro-backed cards of the days of the week on one side and weather symbols on the other. To make the most of the learning experience, include symbols of all kinds of weather.
* Create a weather display, including non-fiction books.
Activity content
* At storytime each day, encourage the children to look out of the window and talk about the weather and the colour of the sky.
* Choose the weather symbol which best describes the weather.
* Look carefully at the days of the week on the chart and where to attach the symbol.
* Review the board each day. Talk about the previous day's weather.
* Read your chosen weather story with the children. Look carefully at the colour of the sky in the illustrations and encourage the children to make associations with sky colour and types of weather.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Sky, colour, grey, blue, bright, dull, cold, warm, hot, weather, clouds, today, this morning, this afternoon, tomorrow, yesterday
Questions to ask
What colour is the sky today? What kind of weather are we having today? What colour do you think the sky might be when it rains/the sun shines, etc? Was it raining/foggy/icy, etc yesterday? What kind of weather did we have on Monday/Tuesday, etc? (Refer to chart.)
Follow-up activities
* Look carefully at the clouds in the sky. Clouds reflect weather patterns and play a role in what the weather does. There are three main types - cumulus, stratus and cirrus. Try learning the names and types with the children.
* Make some cloud pictures. Think of ways to represent the cloud types using techniques such as sponge printing or fabric collage. Choose your colour of background paper according to the type of weather being represented.
* Encourage the children to paint pictures outdoors of just the sky, using powder paints. Encourage them to observe and mix the colours and shades that they see in the sky.
* Display the weather chart along with the weather books you choose to read with the children, adding labels such as 'On Monday/Tuesday we read...' to reinforce the sequencing of the days of the week. Include questions in your display such as 'What kind of weather did we have on Wednesday morning?'
* Look at pictures of sunrise and sunset and talk about the colours. The children could paint their own sunrise and sunset pictures.
Starry, starry night
Use music and a work of art to inspire children to create their own individual night sky paintings.
Key learning intentions
To paint from observation
To respond creatively to music and a work of art
Adult:child ratio 1:1
Resources
A print of Vincent Van Gogh's 'Starlight over the Rhone' (or 'Starry Night'), ready-mixed paints, A3 white paper, different-sized paintbrushes, painting aprons, a tape or CD of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'
Preparation
* Set up the painting area attractively. Make sure the children have a good view of the print you have chosen.
* Look carefully at the colours in the print. Match them as well as you can using ready-mixed paints.
* Display your selection of brushes. Make sure they are accessible from where the children are sitting, or standing at an easel.
Activity content
* Have the music playing as you invite each child over to start the activity.
* Look at Van Gogh's painting together. Tell the children what the painting is called. Explain that the Rhone is a river in a country called France.
Look at the scene and discuss the time of day it depicts. Talk about the stars, the colours and the reflections in the river.
* Tell them what the piece of music is called. Listen to it for a while and ask them to picture the sky at night as they do so.
* Ask the children to paint their own version of 'Starlight over the Rhone'
and continue to play the music as they work.
* Use the finished paintings for a wonderful night sky display.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Painting, artist, Van Gogh, night, stars, reflection(s), river, light, dark, moon, moonlight
Questions to ask
What is in the picture? What time of day is it? Is it morning/night time? How do you know? What can you see in the painting? What colours has Van Gogh used? Can you hear the music playing? How does it make you feel?
Child-initiated learning
Outdoors
Additional resources
Turn an outside shed into a night-time sky area. Cover the inside in black paper or material and use fluorescent or foil stars to 'light' up the area.
Attach or suspend a moon. (You could use a glitter ball.) Provide torches for the children to look at the 'sky' and find their way in the dark.
Provide binoculars for the children to look at the clouds and different colours in the sky, and help predict the weather. Explain why the children must never look directly at the sun. Take the opportunity to observe any aeroplanes and birds that pass overhead. (How high do the children think they are flying?)
Make weather boxes - a windy day box, a sunny day box, a rainy day box, for example. Fill them with appropriate resources for the children to use in those types of weather.
Set up a weather vane in the outdoor area.
Have a selection of safe objects such as beanbags and soft balls to throw into the 'sky'. See who can throw them the highest.
Make some toy parachutes and paper aeroplanes, or use polystyrene gliders.
Where is the best place to launch them?
Set off a few fireworks. Watch how high they go. Alternatively, watch a model hot air balloon rise into the sky.
Possible learning experiences
* Becoming more aware of the pattern of day and night.
* Using different senses to explore and observe features of the environment.
* Gaining an awareness of different types of weather.
* Developing throwing and catching skills.
* Developing hand/eye co-ordination when using a range of small equipment.
* Learning safety issues surrounding the sun and fireworks.
The practitioner role
* Model the use of appropriate language for night and day. Talk about the colours in the sky. Ask open-ended questions such as 'What can you see in the sky right now?' Make statements such as 'I wonder why aeroplanes don't fall out of the sky'. You will get some interesting responses!
* Model using binoculars. Tell the children what you can see through them.
Model using a torch - ask the children why they think you need to use one in the dark.
* Model appropriate day and night activities such as getting up and going to bed.
* Talk about the weather, the colour of the sky and the clouds with the children. Increase their awareness of what is happening overhead.
* Encourage children to persist in learning to throw and catch balls and beanbags. Model how to do so, and remind them to keep an eye on the object.
Malleable materials
Additional resources
Add glitter to yellow playdough and roll and cut out stars.
Make salt dough stars and paint them silver and hang them in your role-play area or add them to your 'Starlight over the Rhone' display.
Provide paper for folding into aeroplanes.
Provide materials - string, sellotape, tissue paper and plasticine - for making simple parachutes and kites.
Provide sponges for cloud printing on different 'sky-coloured' paper.
Provide a selection of shiny pieces for collage pictures.
Possible learning experiences
* Learning the technique of rolling using a rolling pin when using playdough, pastry and salt dough.
* Exploring texture and change.
* Developing hand/eye co-ordination.
* Beginning to design and construct and to learn to select appropriate materials to make viable products such as parachutes and kites.
* Exploring printmaking with sponges.
The practitioner role
* Model rolling skills using a rolling pin with the children.
* Model making simple paper aeroplanes, but do let the children take some risks when designing their planes - if the product needs modifying, encourage them to try again. Let them take similar risks when making their parachutes and kites. Support them through the modification process, and don't let them give up.
* Try modelling pattern-making when sponge printing with clouds. However, do remember that clouds form random patterns in the sky, so if you want to explore specific pattern-making, make it a focused activity.
Water area
Additional resources
Colour the water deep blue and add glitter and plastic stars to create a night sky
Beads (to drop into an empty water tray and create the sound of raindrops) Possible learning experiences
* Identifying and talking about features in the sky.
* Investigating objects using their senses.
The practitioner role
* Model appropriate language surrounding the night sky.
* Model appropriate language and ask open-ended questions when the children play with the beads - for example, 'What sound do they remind you of when they fall into the tray?' Model gentle dropping of the beads to make a rain sound.
BOOKS
* After the Storm and One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth (Picture Lion, Pounds 5.99 each)
* Jasper's Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books, 4.99)
* Elmer and the Wind and Elmer and the Butterfly by David McKee (Red Fox, 5.99 and 4.99 respectively)
* First Snow by Kim Lewis (Walker Books, 4.99)
* Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell (Walker Books, Pounds 4.99)
* Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy (MacMillan Children's Books, 4.99)
* The Sky is Blue illustrated by Louise Gardner (Brimax, Ltd, 1.99)
* Action Pack: Night Sky (Dorling Kindersley, 9.99)
* Dinosaurs: In the Sky by Dougal Dixon (Ticktock Media, 2.99)
* Butterfly in the Sky by Chloe Daniel (Friedman Fairfax, 3.99)
