Teaching nonfiction is surprisingly easy with younger learners. Little kids LOVE science, animals, and nature. So for this set up, I created a sensory bin habitat for the life cycle of a frog. My little one couldn’t get enough of it. She played with the bin and carried around the frog (day and night) for a week!
I found most of the setup for my sensory bin at the local Dollar Tree. I started with blue sand (for the water) and split peas (for the land). I separated the two by lining blue rocks (normally for a fish tank) down the middle. Then I added artificial green moss used for terrariums and a few artificial plants. I wanted enough of a contrast, that my daughter could easily see the difference between the water and the land.
When she first sat down for this activity there were a lot of new things on the table, so I started by just letting my daughter explore – the sensory bin, poster, book, and tools (magnifying glass and net). As a teacher, I’ve always found giving kids time to explore first goes a long way. They will be more focused if they’ve already had the chance to look everything over. After a bit of independent exploration, we started by reading our book. “From Tadpole to Frog” (Scholastic Reader, Level 1) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld is a great introduction to the genre of nonfiction. It is informative and factual, but not overwhelming. The photos are colorful and kept her attention and the vocabulary (gills, tadpole) is age appropriate.
On a paper plate, I drew 5 boxes and arrows to show the life cycle. On our second read through this book, I stopped at each phase of the life cycle. I had my preschooler find the figure in the sensory bin and place the figure in a box on the paper plate. Then we talked again about how the eggs turned into the tadpoles and then into the frog. We also discussed how amphibians, like frogs, live in the water and on land.
Next, we took a look at some of our science tools. I like to use the word “tools”, because my little one tends to be more careful than if she thinks everything is a toy. We talked about the rules for using a magnifying glass and a net. (For example, the magnifying glass can break so we have to be very gentle with it. And the net can pick up items, but the sand must stay in the bin.) We talked about the purpose of each tool and explored using them with the frog life cycle figures.
By far, this was one of my favorite activities we’ve done together. It was jam-packed with facts, vocabulary, and my little one was engaged the entire time (which is not always easy with little attention spans!). This one is a must-do! I’m already thinking about other life cycles and habitats we can create.
Little learners today, leaders tomorrow… happy creating!
Want to try this activity out? Just pick up the materials below and have fun!
Are You a New York State Pre-K Teacher?
This lesson aligns with the Next Gen Standards:
- Early Literacy: Reading Text & Literature: Craft & Structure
PKR5: Interact with a variety of genres – Nonfiction
PKR4: Exhibit an interest in learning new vocabulary
MATERIALS:
- Black marker
- Paper Plate
- Frog Habitat Sensory Bin (blue sand, blue rocks, artificial moss, split peas)
- Plastic bin
- Life Cycle of Frog figures
- Magnifying glass/net (optional)
BOOKS: