LEAP Program: Kindergarten
Kindergarten LEAP Curriculum
Currently, students begin LEAP classes during their first grade year. Kindergarten teachers try to incorporate STEAM activities into their classrooms when they can and use Mrs. Hanrahan as a resource!
A collection of lessons, activities and ideas used during the 2018-19 school year.
Next Generation Science Standards: Kindergarten
Centers Ideas for Rotations:
- Dash Robots ("Go" and "Wonder" Apps)
- Keva Planks
- K'nex Blocks
- Lego Wall
- Strawbees
- STEAM Bins (Hashtag Blocks, Magformers, Tangrams, Pattern Play, Engineering Bins, etc.)
- Cubelets
Rocket Unit
- Stomp Rockets, Blow rockets with plastic pipettes, paper airplanes (Launch, force, propulsion)
Halloween Unit "Room on the Broom" book
- Hang clothes hangers by string from the ceiling. With Dixie Cups representing the animals from the story on one side of the hanger, have the kids use unifix cubes to fill up a cup on the other side of the hanger (represents the witch) to balance it. Students can also be using balance scales at the tables to practice measuring things out evenly and making observations about weight and balance.
Snowball Launcher
- Using a toilet paper roll, wrap the snowman TEMPLATE around the roll and tape it. Stretch a balloon around one end. Put a white pom pom in the open end and pull back the balloon to launch the 'snowball' pom pom. (Review force, kinetic energy, position of launcher impacts how far the ball goes...)
Snowflakes
- Read "It's Snowing!" (Just first few pages) Discuss how snowflakes are made. Create snowflakes out of coffee filters. Students can color or watercolor paint them. (2 week project)
"Not a Box" and "Not a Stick"
- 2 week project. Read each book. Have students make new, creative inventions with boxes and sticks.
"What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?"
- Read the book. Discuss animal adaptations and why they need them. Using construction paper or Makerspace supplies, have students make themselves unique tails or create a tail that will replace the current tail of another animal. Discuss why the tail is important, how is it helpful and necessary?
"We Build Our Homes" (Several Weeks)
- Read 3 of the passages about the most interesting birds and how they build their nests. Continue talking about adaptations. Have the students create 'LEAP Lab' nests. Give each pair of kids a container with pipe cleaners, strips of paper, craft sticks, play doh, toothpicks, etc. They should use the rest of the time to try to construct a nest that will hold a small bird.
- The following week, take a nature walk and go outside! Look for items on the ground that birds would actually use to make their nests. Keep it all in a bin or plastic bag. If there is time when you return to the room, attempt to create a nest out of those items. It's hard! Birds can only use their beaks to do most of the work!
- After getting the nest together as much as possible, task the students with creating 'beaks'. They can use any materials they can find to grab items out of our 'Bird Box'. A large box with the leftover nest materials, plus cotton to simulate snow. There are also sunflower seeds, cheerios and gummy worms in the box. Students should try to pinch the actual food items with their beaks that they construct.
St. Patrick's Day Activity: Cup and Spoon Catapults over the Rainbow
- Attach plastic spoons to toilet paper rolls. Launch coins, green pom poms, and tiny shamrocks cut from St. Patrick's Day bead necklaces over the paper rainbow. Students can measure how far they traveled, make estimates, compare and contrast.
St. Patrick's Day Activitys: Centers of Choice
- Create marshmallow and toothpick leprechauns, make a 'toy' or gadget for a leprechaun in the Makerspace, using pipe cleaners and beads, create lucky 'charms', create new, unique leprechaun hats out of construction paper, create a new container for 'gold' out of hashtag blocks or Legos.
"Twenty-One Elephants"
- Do this project during Circus time! Read the book "Twenty-One Elephants" about the fear of the newly constructed Brooklyn Bridge not being able to hold Barnum and Bailey's circus elephants
- Create bridges that will hold 21 "elephants" (animal-shaped learning manipulatives) Students can use cups and cardboard or craft sticks, Keva Planks, K'nex, Lego, etc.
Next Generation Science Standards: Kindergarten
Centers Ideas for Rotations:
- Dash Robots ("Go" and "Wonder" Apps)
- Keva Planks
- K'nex Blocks
- Lego Wall
- Strawbees
- STEAM Bins (Hashtag Blocks, Magformers, Tangrams, Pattern Play, Engineering Bins, etc.)
- Cubelets
Rocket Unit
- Stomp Rockets, Blow rockets with plastic pipettes, paper airplanes (Launch, force, propulsion)
Halloween Unit "Room on the Broom" book
- Hang clothes hangers by string from the ceiling. With Dixie Cups representing the animals from the story on one side of the hanger, have the kids use unifix cubes to fill up a cup on the other side of the hanger (represents the witch) to balance it. Students can also be using balance scales at the tables to practice measuring things out evenly and making observations about weight and balance.
Snowball Launcher
- Using a toilet paper roll, wrap the snowman TEMPLATE around the roll and tape it. Stretch a balloon around one end. Put a white pom pom in the open end and pull back the balloon to launch the 'snowball' pom pom. (Review force, kinetic energy, position of launcher impacts how far the ball goes...)
Snowflakes
- Read "It's Snowing!" (Just first few pages) Discuss how snowflakes are made. Create snowflakes out of coffee filters. Students can color or watercolor paint them. (2 week project)
"Not a Box" and "Not a Stick"
- 2 week project. Read each book. Have students make new, creative inventions with boxes and sticks.
"What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?"
- Read the book. Discuss animal adaptations and why they need them. Using construction paper or Makerspace supplies, have students make themselves unique tails or create a tail that will replace the current tail of another animal. Discuss why the tail is important, how is it helpful and necessary?
"We Build Our Homes" (Several Weeks)
- Read 3 of the passages about the most interesting birds and how they build their nests. Continue talking about adaptations. Have the students create 'LEAP Lab' nests. Give each pair of kids a container with pipe cleaners, strips of paper, craft sticks, play doh, toothpicks, etc. They should use the rest of the time to try to construct a nest that will hold a small bird.
- The following week, take a nature walk and go outside! Look for items on the ground that birds would actually use to make their nests. Keep it all in a bin or plastic bag. If there is time when you return to the room, attempt to create a nest out of those items. It's hard! Birds can only use their beaks to do most of the work!
- After getting the nest together as much as possible, task the students with creating 'beaks'. They can use any materials they can find to grab items out of our 'Bird Box'. A large box with the leftover nest materials, plus cotton to simulate snow. There are also sunflower seeds, cheerios and gummy worms in the box. Students should try to pinch the actual food items with their beaks that they construct.
St. Patrick's Day Activity: Cup and Spoon Catapults over the Rainbow
- Attach plastic spoons to toilet paper rolls. Launch coins, green pom poms, and tiny shamrocks cut from St. Patrick's Day bead necklaces over the paper rainbow. Students can measure how far they traveled, make estimates, compare and contrast.
St. Patrick's Day Activitys: Centers of Choice
- Create marshmallow and toothpick leprechauns, make a 'toy' or gadget for a leprechaun in the Makerspace, using pipe cleaners and beads, create lucky 'charms', create new, unique leprechaun hats out of construction paper, create a new container for 'gold' out of hashtag blocks or Legos.
"Twenty-One Elephants"
Next Generation Science Standards: Kindergarten
Centers Ideas for Rotations:
- Dash Robots ("Go" and "Wonder" Apps)
- Keva Planks
- K'nex Blocks
- Lego Wall
- Strawbees
- STEAM Bins (Hashtag Blocks, Magformers, Tangrams, Pattern Play, Engineering Bins, etc.)
- Cubelets
Rocket Unit
- Stomp Rockets, Blow rockets with plastic pipettes, paper airplanes (Launch, force, propulsion)
Halloween Unit "Room on the Broom" book
- Hang clothes hangers by string from the ceiling. With Dixie Cups representing the animals from the story on one side of the hanger, have the kids use unifix cubes to fill up a cup on the other side of the hanger (represents the witch) to balance it. Students can also be using balance scales at the tables to practice measuring things out evenly and making observations about weight and balance.
Snowball Launcher
- Using a toilet paper roll, wrap the snowman TEMPLATE around the roll and tape it. Stretch a balloon around one end. Put a white pom pom in the open end and pull back the balloon to launch the 'snowball' pom pom. (Review force, kinetic energy, position of launcher impacts how far the ball goes...)
Snowflakes
- Read "It's Snowing!" (Just first few pages) Discuss how snowflakes are made. Create snowflakes out of coffee filters. Students can color or watercolor paint them. (2 week project)
"Not a Box" and "Not a Stick"
- 2 week project. Read each book. Have students make new, creative inventions with boxes and sticks.
"What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?"
- Read the book. Discuss animal adaptations and why they need them. Using construction paper or Makerspace supplies, have students make themselves unique tails or create a tail that will replace the current tail of another animal. Discuss why the tail is important, how is it helpful and necessary?
"We Build Our Homes" (Several Weeks)
- Read 3 of the passages about the most interesting birds and how they build their nests. Continue talking about adaptations. Have the students create 'LEAP Lab' nests. Give each pair of kids a container with pipe cleaners, strips of paper, craft sticks, play doh, toothpicks, etc. They should use the rest of the time to try to construct a nest that will hold a small bird.
- The following week, take a nature walk and go outside! Look for items on the ground that birds would actually use to make their nests. Keep it all in a bin or plastic bag. If there is time when you return to the room, attempt to create a nest out of those items. It's hard! Birds can only use their beaks to do most of the work!
- After getting the nest together as much as possible, task the students with creating 'beaks'. They can use any materials they can find to grab items out of our 'Bird Box'. A large box with the leftover nest materials, plus cotton to simulate snow. There are also sunflower seeds, cheerios and gummy worms in the box. Students should try to pinch the actual food items with their beaks that they construct.
St. Patrick's Day Activity: Cup and Spoon Catapults over the Rainbow
- Attach plastic spoons to toilet paper rolls. Launch coins, green pom poms, and tiny shamrocks cut from St. Patrick's Day bead necklaces over the paper rainbow. Students can measure how far they traveled, make estimates, compare and contrast.
St. Patrick's Day Activitys: Centers of Choice
- Create marshmallow and toothpick leprechauns, make a 'toy' or gadget for a leprechaun in the Makerspace, using pipe cleaners and beads, create lucky 'charms', create new, unique leprechaun hats out of construction paper, create a new container for 'gold' out of hashtag blocks or Legos.
"Twenty-One Elephants": Based on non-fiction true story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Fun engineering challenge with Keva planks!
Next Generation Science Standards: Kindergarten
Centers Ideas for Rotations:
- Dash Robots ("Go" and "Wonder" Apps)
- Keva Planks
- K'nex Blocks
- Lego Wall
- Strawbees
- STEAM Bins (Hashtag Blocks, Magformers, Tangrams, Pattern Play, Engineering Bins, etc.)
- Cubelets
Rocket Unit
- Stomp Rockets, Blow rockets with plastic pipettes, paper airplanes (Launch, force, propulsion)
Halloween Unit "Room on the Broom" book
- Hang clothes hangers by string from the ceiling. With Dixie Cups representing the animals from the story on one side of the hanger, have the kids use unifix cubes to fill up a cup on the other side of the hanger (represents the witch) to balance it. Students can also be using balance scales at the tables to practice measuring things out evenly and making observations about weight and balance.
Snowball Launcher
- Using a toilet paper roll, wrap the snowman TEMPLATE around the roll and tape it. Stretch a balloon around one end. Put a white pom pom in the open end and pull back the balloon to launch the 'snowball' pom pom. (Review force, kinetic energy, position of launcher impacts how far the ball goes...)
Snowflakes
- Read "It's Snowing!" (Just first few pages) Discuss how snowflakes are made. Create snowflakes out of coffee filters. Students can color or watercolor paint them. (2 week project)
"Not a Box" and "Not a Stick"
- 2 week project. Read each book. Have students make new, creative inventions with boxes and sticks.
"What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?"
- Read the book. Discuss animal adaptations and why they need them. Using construction paper or Makerspace supplies, have students make themselves unique tails or create a tail that will replace the current tail of another animal. Discuss why the tail is important, how is it helpful and necessary?
"We Build Our Homes" (Several Weeks)
- Read 3 of the passages about the most interesting birds and how they build their nests. Continue talking about adaptations. Have the students create 'LEAP Lab' nests. Give each pair of kids a container with pipe cleaners, strips of paper, craft sticks, play doh, toothpicks, etc. They should use the rest of the time to try to construct a nest that will hold a small bird.
- The following week, take a nature walk and go outside! Look for items on the ground that birds would actually use to make their nests. Keep it all in a bin or plastic bag. If there is time when you return to the room, attempt to create a nest out of those items. It's hard! Birds can only use their beaks to do most of the work!
- After getting the nest together as much as possible, task the students with creating 'beaks'. They can use any materials they can find to grab items out of our 'Bird Box'. A large box with the leftover nest materials, plus cotton to simulate snow. There are also sunflower seeds, cheerios and gummy worms in the box. Students should try to pinch the actual food items with their beaks that they construct.
St. Patrick's Day Activity: Cup and Spoon Catapults over the Rainbow
- Attach plastic spoons to toilet paper rolls. Launch coins, green pom poms, and tiny shamrocks cut from St. Patrick's Day bead necklaces over the paper rainbow. Students can measure how far they traveled, make estimates, compare and contrast.
St. Patrick's Day Activitys: Centers of Choice
- Create marshmallow and toothpick leprechauns, make a 'toy' or gadget for a leprechaun in the Makerspace, using pipe cleaners and beads, create lucky 'charms', create new, unique leprechaun hats out of construction paper, create a new container for 'gold' out of hashtag blocks or Legos.
"Twenty-One Elephants": Based on non-fiction true story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Fun engineering challenge with Keva planks!