Curriculum Experience Plan

Name: Jackie Henriquez

Activity/Experience Name: Weaving

INTENTIONS FOR LEARNING

Goal(s): Describe the general or long-term developmental focus of this experience.
List the California Preschool Learning Foundation(s) or California Infant/Toddler Learning
and Development Foundation(s) here:
This activity has challenging and developmentally appropriate materials for children. The
materials are familiar (yarn and string) yet they are arranged differently and this is challenging yet
approachable for children. This familiar yet unfamiliar is a concept that children will continue to
see as they grow.

Children will be developing their sense of self-awareness by my reflecting back to them their
abilities in sewing and how this transfers to weaving since it is has similar techniques.

This activity will be in small-groups so that children can receive better instruction from me and
personalized attention.

Objectives: What specific and observable concepts or skills will the child learn, explore, or
discover? The child will be able to List the Preschool DRDP Measure(s) or Infant/Toddler
DRDP measure(s) here:
TCWBAT share space or materials with others in the small-group.

TCWBAT have the opportunity to return to the activity if they would like to.

TCWBAT communicate ideas of how they feel about the activity and their weaving art.

TCWBAT work cooperatively with a familiar adult since the weaving project may require
assistance.

EXPERIENCE PLAN
Activity Description:
This activity is to show children another example of textile and art. Children can explore yarn in a
way that may not have seen before by weaving in a loom. Children will be presented with a
cardboard loom and different colored yarn and I will explain that they will take a piece of yarn and
go under and over the yarn in the loom to create something. Children will have the freedom to
explore the materials in their own way.

I had created my own weaving as an example for myself but decided to not share it with the
children so as to not influence what they might do with the yarn and with the looming. I didnt
want children to think that my example was the only way to weave.

*Please photograph or video-record this experience and collect anecdotal notes.

Invitational Set-up: How will the experience be presented to invite participation or provoke
interest? (Provide a photograph of the set-up).
I asked children individually if they wanted to try a new activity with me. I showed them each
individual piece of the activity (the loom and the yarn) and I worked with them as they worked with
me to explore the new activity.

Specific vocabulary, teaching strategies, and open-ended questions you will keep in mind
(Using your textbook and/or Curriculum Frameworks, list specific ways you will promote
problem-solving and critical thinking beyond a simple recall of facts):
Instruction will be in small groups rather than large groups to maximize the amount of instruction
a child can receive.

Children can share their ideas on what they would like to do with the weaving and which colors or
materials they would like to use.

Children will adhere to developmentally appropriate expectations for behavior during this activity
including self-control and self-regulation.

Children will receive feedback and coaching about their efforts in weaving.

Possible questions: What would happen if you didnt go over-under and under-over? What
happens if you add another color? How do you think we can connect these strings together?

How is this experience personalized (i.e. modified) to meet the varying developmental and
individual needs of the children in your class? (e.g., older children, younger children,
specific needs or interests?)
This experience can be personalized by the colors of yarn the children can choose and how they
choose to use the materials.

Younger children will need more attention and older children can have more independence in the
way they handle the materials.

Specific materials needed that are not already accessible to children:

Cardboard looms
Yarn or string
Scotch Tape

REFLECTION/EVALUATION

What did you do well?

I explained to the children that they could do whatever kind of design they were interested in and
they could explore the yarn and the loom in the way that they wanted to. I told the children there
was no right or wrong way to do this, but to go over and under the strings in the loom.

How did the children respond to the experience presented? (Describe your observations
of childrens words and actions) What worked? What was difficult? Were there any
surprises?
I thought that the children would be more interested in the activity. The classroom has a sewing
table that the children are interested in and I thought that this weaving would be an extension off
of that. The children that did participate liked to explore the yarn and colors and they created
knots around the strings of the loom.

What was difficult was creating buy-in. Rather than showing the children at circle time I asked
children individually if they wanted to participate. I chose not to do a group experience because I
felt that with a fewer number of children would be easier to explain what to do. Another thing that
was difficult was that there were scissors on the table that became a distraction. The scissors

*Please photograph or video-record this experience and collect anecdotal notes.

were out so that we could cut the yarn, but there was a pair with scalloped edges and there was
paper on the table and the children wanted to use those new scissors instead of trying the
weaving. The children were very interested in the scissors and the hole punch which I was not
expecting.

I was surprised that the adults in the classroom were interested in the weaving!

What additions or changes would you make if you were to do this activity again? What did
the children teach you (e.g. about curriculum, teaching, or children)?
If I were to do this activity again I would have pieces of yarn already cut and out and displayed. I
would introduce this activity to the entire group and I would then explain that only three children at
at a time could participate.

The children taught me, again, to be flexible and to be open to different ways of doing things.
The children seem to be more interested in making loops around the loom rather than to go over
and under all the way across.

*Please photograph or video-record this experience and collect anecdotal notes.

*Please photograph or video-record this experience and collect anecdotal notes.