Learning Opportunity Planning Form

(Avoid opportunities associated with holidays)

Student Name: Gina Brower

Resource Used:

DeVries, R., & Sales, C. (2011). Ramps & Pathways. Washington DC: NAEYC.

MacDonald, S. (2001). Block Play The Complete Guide to Learning and Playing with Blocks. Beltsville MD: Gryphon House Inc.

Phelps, P. C. (2012). Let's Build Strong Foundation in Language, Math, and Social Skills. Lewisville, NC: Gryphon House Inc.

Date to be presented: 10/20/17

Site Supervisors Signature _________________________________________ Date __________________

It is required to discuss your final written plans with your site supervisor and obtain a sign-off signature one week before presenting this learning opportunity.

Primary Curriculum (content) Area: Block Area

Learning Opportunity Name: Ramps and Pathways
Brief description/type:
This is about how children can create a way to build ramps and pathways in their creations in the block area.
WHO Its For:
Three to Four 5 year olds
List specific accommodations/adaptions:
Allow the children to do the activity on a vertical or slanted surface, if appropriate
Check the height of the tables and chairs to make sure that childrens feet touch and that table tops are at
their stomach level
Make sure that the activity is age-appropriate
WHY-Rationale:
In block area, children negotiate the use of the materials, determine how many children can work comfortably in the
area, care of the materials, and follow the rules for building safely.
Objective(s): By participating in this opportunity, the children will
Regulate owns emotions and behavior
Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination
Demonstrates positive approaches to learning
Standard(s):
K-PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces and interactions

HOW to Prepare: What you need:

MATERIALS:
Paper towel rolls
Tape
Scissors
Different sized balls or marbles
TIME: 15 minutes
SETTING: Free choice
SET UP/SPACE: Free choice Block Area

HOW to Teach:
Introduction: Tell them "I'm going to build with the blocks today and I'd like you to help me. Ask them if them have
ever built ramps with the blocks. I would show the children a book about the Ramps and Pathways and they could look at
it.
Teaching steps:
1. Tell them we are going to build ramps and pathways in the block center during free choice.
2. Show a book of ramps and pathways.
3. Show them examples of others ramps and pathways.
4. Have the child build a ramp or pathways within the carpet area.
Closure & Transition:
I would ask if they have ever seen these in real life. Ask if they could think of places that have ramps. The transition
would be to have the child recall a ramp they have seen before and how did they use it.

HOW to Assess and Document

Objectives
Regulate owns emotions and
behavior
Demonstrates fine-motor
strength and coordination
Demonstrates positive
approaches to learning
Assessment Documentation:
Evidence of Learning How to Document This Evidence
Children might
Children might recognize the ramps to Anecdotal Record
past experiences
Children might balance blocks to keep Record the Video
the ramp from falling.
Children might be able to not get Anecdotal Record
upset when the ramp doesnt work.

Anecdotal Record:
The children started to be interested in the beginning of the activity when I put it out to play with in the block area.
The first three children werent having patience in getting the ramp build to out the marbles and wooden beads down it.
I saw one of the children start to come up with ideas to build a ramp and to fix it when the marbles and wooden beads
would get stuck.
Evaluation:
What evidence of childrens engagement and learning did you see during this learning opportunity? How were the
objectives met?
He became interested by building up their ambition to help me create a ramp then I had the child take apart the ramp
and had him build his own ramp. Then I helped him build-up the blocks to use them as stands to hold them up. He never
got discouraged when it doesnt work. He would keep trying new ways for the marble to work. He would use his
coordination and fine-motor skills to make the blocks stay to hold up the ramp while the wooden beads or marbles would
go down them.
What did you learn from planning and presenting this learning opportunity?
a) About the learning opportunity itself:
The learning opportunity was a success in a way that only one child was participating with the learning opportunity and
the others were wanting to play with the house and people that were in the block area. The only child the participated
was the child I am observing for the child portfolio. The only bad thing I thought about this learning opportunity was the
cardboard towel rolls were stopping the wooden bead and the marble from getting to the end. I adapted to the problem
on the part with the tunnel piece by placing a piece of duct tape on both ends, so the marble could roll better down the
ramp.
b) About children:
The children that came to the block area start to be interested in the learning opportunity for a while, but lost interest
when one of the children started to get upset because I had to switch the pieces around to work better. The only child
that stay until the end. The child that stayed with the learning opportunity was very interested in taking apart and
building his own ramp. He would try different sizes of marbles to different sizes of wooden beads.
c) About your own abilities:
On my own ability on this learning opportunity was good because I let the children do their own ramps and pathways. I
just engaged in their learning by giving suggestions with their design in their ramps. I thought I was well planned out
with the materials and the design of the learning opportunity.
Evaluate this learning opportunity as a whole. Share suggestions, as discussed with your site supervisor, for improvement.
a) As I reflect on this learning opportunity, I feel my strengths were:
My strengths on this learning opportunity is to have the children build their own ramps without me helping them
experiment with the marbles and wooden beads. I thought I explained this learning opportunity to the children b showing
them on what was expected. I also that it was good when I saw one of the children start to give suggestions on how to
do this activity.
b) As I reflect on this learning opportunity, I realize that I could improve by:
I felt I could improve on how to get more children engaged in this activity. I thought the other three children that went
to others toys were not interested in the activity that I made for the block center.