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Teacher Work Sample
How do toddlers explore cause and effect relationships with

materials that produce light and shadow?
Rebecca Trehus
March 7- May 5, 2017
Colorado State University Early Childhood Center

Young Toddler Classroom
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Table of Contents
Section Page
Setting and Context 3
Topic and Rationale 9
Goals and Objectives 11
Backwards Design Considerations 12
Standards Chart 14
Assessment Tools 19
Learning Plan and Web Design 20
Lesson Plans 21-87
Assessment Data and Analysis 90
Student Teaching Reflection 93
Teaching Philosophy 97
References 99
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Setting and Context
My student teaching experience was completed at the Colorado State University Early
Childhood Center (ECC) in the Young Toddler classroom. My role at the ECC for my student
teaching placement was slightly different than a traditional student teaching experience as I am
employed full time as a Classroom Teacher in the Young Toddler classroom. In my role in the
classroom, I am primarily responsible for implementing State of Colorado licensing standards
and NAEYC accreditation standards in a play based curriculum, providing classroom
management while guiding and supporting Assistant Teachers, and documenting student learning
through assessment tools and sharing outcomes at parent-teacher conferences, in addition to
other classroom responsibilities.
Culture and Community Context
The ECC is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy and therefore reflects the Reggio
Emilia guiding principles in daily practice. Of these guiding principles, the Reggio Emilia
philosophy embraces an aesthetically pleasing and developmentally appropriate learning
environment, a teacher as researcher pedagogy, utilizes documentation to display student
learning and an emergent curriculum to support student learning. Additionally, one of the most
foundational guiding principles of the Reggio Emilia philosophy is the view of the child as a
capable learner. This view directs the design of the classroom environment and implementation
of the learning curriculum. The Young Toddler classroom environment is designed to support a
young toddlers growing autonomy with child sized furniture, developmentally appropriate
routines and daily practices, and a constructivist view to learning.
The ECC is the lab school associated with Colorado State Universitys Human
Development and Family Studies department. The Reggio-inspired approach, in combination

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with being so closely aligned to the university and their NAEYC accreditation, makes the ECC a
unique setting in Northern Colorado.
Fort Collins is a medium sized town close to the foothills in Northern Colorado and is an
active town. Fort Collins census data reveals that there are 161, 175 estimated residents in the
city, 89 percent of which identifies as Caucasian (United States Census Bureau, 2015). The city
maintains extensive biking and hiking trails surrounding the city, and the community emphasizes
healthy living. As Fort Collins is a university town, there are many shops and restaurants in town
that promote a community feel in the area. The university students and the families that live in
Fort Collins are integrated in the community. Some major attractions in the Fort Collins area are
Horsetooth Mountain and Reservoir to the west, Lory State Park to the north, and various natural
parks and open spaces surround the city. Additionally, being in Colorado, many community
members enjoy winter sports in the more mountainous region of the state. The opportunities for
outdoor activities drive the active lifestyle that community residents enjoy.
School Support Structure
The administration team at the ECC comprises of an Executive Director, Director of
Operations, Assistant Director, Operations Coordinator, and a Receptionist. The Director of
Operations and the Assistant Director provide classroom support as needed, while the Operations
Coordinator and Receptionist support parents, teachers, and students as they transition into and
out of the building.
The ECC employs two lead teachers in each classroom, the Mentor and Classroom
Teachers respectively. The Classroom and Mentor teachers are full time employees and are
responsible for the day-to-day functions of the classroom. Additionally, the ECC employs
Assistant Teachers who are typically university students working on a part time basis. Assistant
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Teachers support the Classroom and Mentor Teachers to provide developmentally appropriate
routines and activities as they develop classroom management skills. As the ECC is a lab school,
students completing a variety of fieldwork placements for university credit also inhabit the
building on a semester basis and include interns, practicum students, literacy fieldwork students,
and honors students. Students utilize their fieldwork placement to obtain first-hand experience
working with children in a structured setting.
Parents are considered partners at the ECC and as such the ECC maintains an open door
policy for parents and families. Parents are often invited into the classroom for projects and
family lunches, and are free to use the observation booths as they please. Parent involvement is a
large part of the ECC community.
School Demographics
The ECC serves various community members in the Fort Collins area, however the
population largely consists of families that are associated with Colorado State University.
Although specific demographic information on the ECC is unavailable, the population of the
ECC reflects the largely homologous population of Fort Collins.
The ECC participates in various programs to support families within the Fort Collins
community. For example, the ECC provides tuition assistance for families that are university
students through the CCAMPIS program. Additionally, the ECC has been identified by the
Colorado Department of Education as being a quality level four school and has been invited to
participate in the Colorado Preschool Program (CPP). CPP seeks to provide high quality early
care settings to children and families who are at risk for starting elementary school unprepared.
The ECC has one classroom participating in CPP.

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According to the Departments Annual Report, in 2016 the ECC served 153 children
from 139 families in the Fort Collins community (2016). Of these 139 families, 72 identified as
CSU faculty/staff, 18 identified as CSU student parents, and 63 families identified as community
members (Colorado State University Department of Health and Human Services, 2016). The
ECC is housed within the department of Human Development and Family Studies at CSU and is
a not-for profit entity.
Classroom Environment
The Young Toddler room is a warm and inviting, home-like environment that is designed
around the image of the toddler. Everything in the classroom is developmentally appropriate to
support young toddlers in their growing autonomy and curiosity. The classroom maintains
NAEYC sight and sound regulations at all times, and is designed to be conducive to these
requirements. The classroom displays documentation of childrens learning primarily through
artwork, pictures, and quotes of childrens words. Soft music, natural lighting, and the use of
natural materials contribute to the home-like environment.
The Young Toddler classroom had ten total children enrolled for the spring 2017
semester, with a total enrollment capacity of ten children on each day. Toddlers between the ages
of 12 and 24 months who are walking independently are enrolled in this classroom. Of the ten
children in the classroom, five were male and five were female. Families have the option of
choosing between a full time or part time contract, which resulted in four children in the
classroom coming on a part time basis, and six children in the classroom attending on a full time
basis. Nine of the families in the class identified their child as being Caucasian, one family in the
class described their child as both Caucasian and Hispanic/Latino.

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The Young Toddler classroom utilizes an emergent and play based curriculum. Play
experiences are set up as provocations by teachers with intentionality in the materials chosen and
the display of the materials for the children. Teachers observe childrens interests in the
classroom and use provocations to extend these interests. Materials in the classroom are set up in
aesthetically pleasing ways, in order to be inviting and engaging for children. Toys and materials
in the classroom are displayed on low, open shelves to encourage childrens free exploration.
School-Wide Policies and Management Considerations
The ECC utilizes positive guidance strategies to promote appropriate behavior in the
classrooms. The entire school utilizes positive guidance strategies as a framework for guiding
child behavior, while each class differentiates this framework to the developmental
appropriateness of their age group. Language in the infant toddler program is slightly different
than language directing behavior in the preschool classrooms, although they all encompass the
positive guidance strategies outlined by the school. Examples of guidance strategies in the
Young Toddler Room include the use of choices ("Do you want to put the baby in the basket or
the truck on the shelf?"), redirection strategies, specific verbal directions ("It's time to wash your
hands"), and the use of 'First, Then' statements ("First we wash our hands, then we eat snack").
Teachers support childrens navigation of peer interactions with positive language and
modeling of appropriate behavior. School guidance practices are used with the orientation
toward teaching children responsibility for their behavior in developmentally appropriate ways.
Teachers set firm and caring boundaries for children with the childs safety always in mind.
Choices are provided for children frequently and are utilized during times of challenging
behaviors to promote a sense of autonomy for children. Choices are always appropriate. In a
situation where a child may have pushed another child in the toddler classroom the teacher
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would respond with Hands are not for pushing friends. Do you want to push a truck or the
scooter? Teachers model language development by frequently stating what the child does, such
as saying You put your blanket in the basket! Thank you for taking care of our classroom,
instead of relying on Good job statements. Redirection is also a tool teachers use frequently to
de-escalate situations between children.

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Topic and Rationale
The leading question for this long-term investigation was: How do toddlers explore cause
and effect relationships with materials that produce light and shadow? The teacher candidate
derived this question through observations of toddlers where children engaged in actions that
produced consistent results. Examples of these behaviors included pushing the button on the
water fountain to start the stream of water, pushing toys behind shelves in the classroom,
dumping the ball bin onto the floor and watching the balls roll away, and rolling trucks off tables
so they fell to the floor. Cause and effect explorations are common in the toddler years, and are
described by the Colorado Early Learning Guidelines as the developing understanding that one
event brings about another (p. 46). The teacher in the classroom wanted to extend this interest in
a purposeful way with new and inviting materials, and settled on a light and shadow exploration
as a medium for children to investigate cause and effect relationships.
Experiences with light and shadow were offered on both a small-scale basis, such as push
lights, the use of twinkle lights in areas of the classroom, and using flashlights, and a large-scale
basis, which included the use an overhead projector. Exploration with materials that produce
light and shadow has been described to not only influence science and math development, but
heavily influences learning within all developmental domains (Chaill, 2008). In her book,
Lewin-Benham shares her thoughts on the positive impacts light and shadow experiences have in
early childhood. She states, These early experiences with light and shadow are rich. They grab
childrens attention, keep it focused, and challenge the eye, hand, and fingers to coordinate.
(Lewin-Benham, 2014, p. 157).
The intention of the teacher candidate during this investigation was to offer experiences
and materials conducive to prompting cause and effect explorations from the children with
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engaging materials while supporting the development of math, language and literacy, physical,
social, emotional, and cognitive development standards in the classroom. The project followed
the schools emergent curriculum as it was fueled by childrens interests and actions with the
presented materials.
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Goals and Objectives

Project Goals
Students will explore materials that create light and shadow through use of their senses,
including touch, sight, kinesthetic and proprioceptive experiences.
Children explore cause and effect relationships with actions that produce consistent
results, and change their interactions with materials to produce new outcomes
Students will manipulate light and shadow through small scale and large scale
experiences
Students will work individually and alongside peers during play experiences utilizing
materials that produce light and shadow.
Students demonstrate their understandings, engage in relationships with classroom
community members and interact with materials in developmentally appropriate ways.
Students incorporate language and literacy, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical
development standards into play experiences.
Project Objectives
Students respond to language of peers and adults with verbal and nonverbal responses,
indicating understanding of verbal language.
Children communicate with babbling, single words, and two to three word phrases during
play experiences
Children engage during read aloud experiences by gesturing, directing their eyes toward
the book, and occasionally offering words that describe what is happening in the pictures.
Children change their interaction with an object based on their experience with that
material and information gathered from their senses, particularly when exploring cause
and effect relationships.
Students integrate physical activity, including both fine motor and gross motor abilities,
into their play with light and shadow materials.
Students engage with peers and adults during play experiences.
Students use verbal language to describe their abilities and those of their peers.
Children transition through familiar classroom routines with ease, particularly when
adults prompt children as to what is coming next.
Children engage in emerging numeracy development by indicating understanding of the
concepts of one, two, and more and offer simple prepositional language to describe
spatial relationships.
Children translate what they know about cause and effect relationships into their
negotiations with others and engage with peers in order to provoke particular responses
from them.
Children incorporate light sources as inspiration for creating art with various colors and
materials.
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Backwards Design Considerations

Essential Questions
Overarching Questions Teacher Considerations
How do toddlers change the way they What types of behaviors do children engage in
interact with light to produce different when using materials that produce light and
patterns of light? shadow?
What fine motor actions do toddlers use to

create shadows on a small scale?
What do you think will happen if you move How can teachers set up an environment
the object in front of the shadow? conducive to exploring an objects shadow, not
just the object itself? How will toddlers react
How do toddlers move materials in light to under these circumstances?
produce changes in their shadows?
What whole body actions do toddlers How does working with materials that produce
engage in during light and shadow play? light and shadow challenge toddlers to use the
materials in new and inventive ways?
How do children use light and shadow as How do using natural sources of light change
an inspiration for art experiences? students engagement with light and shadow?
Do children translate their knowledge of cause Do children participate in certain behaviors to
and effect relationships when negotiating with provoke a particular response from peers?
peers?
How do children negotiate with peers while
using materials that produce light and shadow?
How do children interact with peers during How does working with light and shadow
light and shadow experiences? materials engage students in verbal and
nonverbal communications with peers and
adults?
How can teachers encourage children to look
past the materials to the light and shadow they
produce?
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Understandings
Students understand that they can control their actions to produce different or similar
results
Students will understand communications from peers and teachers and demonstrate this
understanding by responding to peers and teachers in developmentally appropriate ways.
Students demonstrate a willingness to engage with materials in new and inventive ways.
Students will obtain strategies for producing light and shadow with various materials and
will employ these strategies through play experiences.
Knowledge (Students will know)

The meaning of words and phrases used by peers and adults and demonstrate
understanding by responding with language or materials in an appropriate manner
Their own feelings and begin to know the feelings of others and will demonstrate this
awareness by communicating with babbling, single words, and two-to-three word phrases
during play experiences
Students will make connections using knowledge of cause and effect and will
demonstrate this understanding with actions that produce consistent results and will test
this theory using actions that produce new results
Children engage in emerging numeracy by using the concepts of one, two, and more
Skills (Students will be able to)
Use verbal and nonverbal forms of communication with peers and adults
Interact with books in developmentally appropriate ways during group time
Use information obtained from their senses to change the way the interact with a material
Engage their large and small muscles using a variety of movements and materials
Interact with peers and adults during play experiences utilizing materials that produce
light and shadow
Refer to themselves and others while engaging in peer experiences
Respond to 1-2 directions given by adults and will transition through familiar classroom
routines easily
Children demonstrate understanding of prepositions by responding to spatial language
produced by adults, and may contribute simple prepositions to describe the location of an
object
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Teacher Work Sample Standards Alignment Chart
Colorado Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines, 19-36 Months
Teaching Strategies Gold, Ages 1-2
Developmental Standard Project Objective Lesson # Corresponding
Domain TSG Objective
Language and
Literacy
Development
Standards
1. Receptive 1. Demonstrate Students 4, 9 8.a
Language understanding of respond to
the meaning of language of
others comments, peers and
questions, adults with
requests, or verbal and
stories. nonverbal
responses,
indicating
understanding
of verbal
language.
2. Expressive 1. Communicate Children 1 9.a.

Language in a way that is communicate
understandable to with
most adults who babbling,
speak the same single words,
language they do. and two to
three word
phrases
during play
experiences
4. Interest in 1. Listen, ask Children 2 17.a.

Print questions, or engage
make comments during read
while being read aloud
to. experiences
by gesturing,
directing
their eyes
toward the
book, and
occasionally
offering
words that
describe what
is happening
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in the
pictures.
Physical
Development
Standards
1. Perceptual 1. Quickly Children change their 1,7 11.d.
Development and easily interaction with an
combine the object based on their
information experience with that
received from material and
the senses to information gathered
inform the from their senses,
way they particularly when
interact with exploring cause and
the effect relationships.
environment.
2. Gross Motor 1. Move with Students integrate 3 4. & 5.
Development ease, physical activity,
coordinating including both fine
movements, motor and gross
and motor abilities, into
performing a their play with light
variety of and shadow
movements. materials.
Students integrate 1, 7.a

3. Fine Motor 1. Coordinate physical activity, 4,5,7
Development the fine including both fine
movements of motor and gross
the fingers, motor abilities, into
wrists, and their play with light
hands to and shadow
skillfully materials.
manipulate a
wide range of
objects and
materials in
intricate ways.
4. Health 1. Participate in Students integrate 3
physical activity physical activity,
including both fine
motor and gross
motor abilities, into
their play with light
and shadow
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materials.
Social Development
Standards
1. Interaction with 1. Interact Students engage with 2 2.a.
Adults with adults to peers and adults
solve during play
problems or experiences.
communicate
about
experiences or
ideas.
2. Interaction with 1. Engage in Students will 4 2.c.
Peers simple work individually
cooperative and alongside
play with peers during play
peers experiences
utilizing
materials that
produce light and
shadow.
5. Social 1. Talk about Children 6 2.b.

Understanding their own communicate
wants and with babbling,
feelings and single words, and
those of other two to three
people. word phrases
during play
experiences
Emotional
Development
Standards
3. Recognition 1. Show an 8 3.a.
of Ability understanding Students use verbal
of their own language to describe
abilities and their abilities and those
refer to those of their peers.
abilities when
describing
themselves.
6. Impulse 1. Sometimes Children transition 8 3.b.
Control exercise through familiar
voluntary classroom routines
control over with ease,
actions and particularly when
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emotional adults prompt

expressions. children as to what is
coming next.
Cognitive
Development
Standards
1. Cause-and- 1.Demonstrate Children explore 1,2, 12.b.
Effect an cause and effect 10
understanding relationships with
of cause-and actions that
effect by produce
making consistent results,
predictions and change their
about what interactions with
could happen materials to
and reflect produce new
upon what outcomes
caused
something to
happen
1. Combine Children explore 3,5,6, 12.b.
simple actions cause and effect 10
to cause relationships with
things to actions that
happen (9-18 produce
Months consistent results,
Standard) and change their
interactions with
materials to
produce new
outcomes
2. Spatial 2. Show Children engage in 5,7 12. a.

Relationships: understanding emerging numeracy
The of words used development by
developing to describe indicating
understanding size and understanding of the
of how things locations in concepts of one, two,
move and fit in space. and more and offer
space. simple prepositional
language to describe
spatial relationships.
3. Imitation 2. Imitate simple Students engage with 3

actions that they peers and adults
have observed
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others doing at an during play

earlier time. experiences.
4. Number 1. Show some Children engage in 8 20.b.
Sense understanding emerging numeracy
that numbers development by
represent how indicating
many and understanding of the
demonstrate concepts of one, two,
understanding of and more and offer
words that simple prepositional
identify how language to describe
much. spatial relationships.
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Assessment Tools
Both summative and formative assessments took place during the course of the
lesson plans. Formative assessment tools such as observation, picture and video documentation,
and anecdotal notes were used to informally assess and document childrens progress towards
meeting the learning targets. Following each provocation experience photos and childrens
quotations were assembled into a classroom daily journal. Classroom journals document
childrens learning each day and were sent electronically to parents as a form of informal
assessment. Summative assessments were conducted through Teaching Strategies Gold
documentation in the form of Developmental Checkpoints were conducted prior to the project
initiation and again in the final weeks of the semester.

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Learning Plan
Prior to the project start three engagement provocations were provided to measure the
childrens interest in light and shadow materials. The formal exploration of light and shadow
began with children exploring the presence of light and shadow separately. Then teachers
provided opportunities for children to engage with light and shadow in various ways: big body
movements, art experiences, exploring the materials inside and outside, creating lightscapes on
the projector, interacting with projections, and exploring properties of materials (colored, clear,
opaque, reflective). At the end of the experience, teachers set up the gym to encompass all of
these experiences in a culminating, Levels of Light invitation in the gym where children
engaged with creating lightscapes on light tables and on the projector surface, and engaged with
the projections using big body movements.
Web Design
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Teacher: Rebecca Trehus Date: March 7, 2017
School: CSU ECC Grade Level: Young Toddlers

Content Area: Morning Provocation
Title: The Presence of Light Lesson #:_1_ of _10_
Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard)
CELDG Children ages 19-36 months
Physical Development Standards

1. Perceptual Development
1. Quickly and easily combine the information received from the senses to inform the
way they interact with the environment.
3. Fine Motor Development
1. Coordinate the fine movements of the fingers, wrists, and hands to skillfully
manipulate a wide range of objects and materials in intricate ways.
Cognitive Development Standards
1. Cause-and-Effect
1. Demonstrate an understanding of cause-and effect by making predictions about what
could happen and reflect upon what caused something to happen
Language and Literacy Development Standards
2. Expressive Language
1. Communicate in a way that is understandable to most adults who speak the same
language they do.
Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select
applicable questions from standard)
What can you do to the light to turn it on? To turn it off?
What happens when you flash the light on an object?
What happens when you put the flashlight closer to the object? What if you move the flashlight away
from the object?
How could you make the light look bigger? How could you make the light look smaller?
Concepts and skills students master: (Understandings, Big Ideas, Unit objectives)
Children communicate with babbling, single words, and two to three word phrases during play
experiences.
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Children change their interaction with an object based on their experience with that material and
information gathered from their senses, particularly when exploring cause and effect
relationships.
Students integrate physical activity, including both fine motor and gross motor abilities, into
their play with light and shadow materials.
Children explore cause and effect relationships with actions that produce consistent results, and
change their interactions with materials to produce new outcomes
Toddlers begin to develop an understanding that they can manipulate an object to produce consistent
results.
Toddlers change the way they interact with materials in order to change the products from the materials.
Toddlers change the way they interact with materials that produce light in order to create
different patterns of light.
Evidence Outcomes: (Knowledge/ Skills, Lesson Objectives)
Every student will be able to:
After experimenting with different sizes and types of lights, toddlers will be successful in using their and
hands to work the flashlights, and will change the way they interact with the light in order to create
changes in the light the flashlights cast.
Assessment of Evidence Outcomes: (How will you assess the selected lesson objectives (general
explanation, you will go into more detail at the end of the lesson plan)
Children will use their fingers and hands to manipulate buttons and switches on different types of light.
Children will make simple inquiries about what happened with light using one or two words.
Children will change the way they shine the lights to create different light patterns on surfaces.
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Planned Lesson Activities

Activity Name TWS Lesson 1: The Presence of Light
Approx. Time and Materials 45-60 Minutes
Quiet background music

Camera
Pen and Paper for documentation
Move Table to Carpet area

White Butcher paper taped to wall
10 total lights of different sizes and types
Tape to secure lights on Table Surface
Loose parts for sensory table (Black, White, and Transparent Circular objects)
Twinkle lights on underside of sensory table
3 Small Mirrors
Light Table:
Dolls and Dollhouse pieces
Anticipatory Set The lesson will be set up as a morning provocation for the toddlers to explore. Lights on the left side
The hook to grab students attention. of the classroom will be off, with shades drawn to create a mini light studio in the nook area near the
These are actions and statements by the air vent. Different lights will be set up and secured onto a table surface, while other lights will be free
teacher to relate the experiences of the standing for the toddlers to move.
students to the objectives of the lesson, To
put students into a receptive frame of A second area will be prepared in the sensory table to engage students with open ended materials
mind. with direct light on the materials.
To focus student attention on the
Small dolls and wooden doll house furniture (familiar classroom items) will be set up on the light
lesson. table as a third area to engage in.
To create an organizing
framework for the ideas,
principles, or information that is
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to follow (advanced organizers)

An anticipatory set is used any time a
different activity or new concept is to be
introduced.
Procedures 1. Set up: Draw shades on left side of classroom. Move one of the rectangular tables near the vent
(Include a play-by-play account of what area of the classroom. Be mindful of creating a space that will accommodate several children at a
students and teacher will do from the time. Set up 1 or 2 solid toys to cast shadows. Set up the lights at different angles and tape them
minute they arrive to the minute they leave down, casting their lights on different surfaces.
your classroom. Indicate the length of
each segment of the lesson. List actual Sensory table: transparent and opaque loose parts. Twinkle lights taped to underside of sensory table.
Tape twinkle lights to the underside of the sensory table. Set up the loose parts in an inviting way in
minutes.)
the sensory table. If possible, create shadows using the loose parts.
Indicate whether each is:
-teacher input Teachers will take turns engaging with the children and supporting documentation through the use of
-modeling digital photography, anecdotal observation notes, and anecdotal narratives. Teachers will document
-questioning strategies what the children are doing, their actions including their hand motions, their words, and how their
-guided/unguided: actions change throughout the provocation.
-whole-class practice
-group practice 2. As children arrive they can explore either area of the classroom freely. Teachers can invite children
-individual practice to the provocations by saying Did you notice what is set up near the climber? What do you think is
-check for understanding in the sensory table today?
-other
As children engage with the materials, adults in the classroom will ask engaging questions such as:
What happens when you push the button? What happens when you flash the light on an object? What
happens when you put the flashlight closer to the object? What if you move the flashlight away from
the object?
If the provocations are too easy for children, adults can encourage children to cast the light onto
objects to create shadows. Teachers will draw attention to the shadows and encourage the children to
move the shadow. How can you make the shadow move?
If the provocation at the table is too difficult, teachers will model how to turn the lights on and off.
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Additionally, Teachers can use hand over hand support to turn lights on and off.
3. When morning provocation time is over, teachers will encourage children to tidy up the
provocation areas. Teachers will close the sensory table and invite children to the carpet area for
morning meeting.
4. At morning meeting, teachers will incorporate flashlights into the circle time, using a light to shine
on children as we sing hello and then using a light to shine on the book the students choose.
Teachers will read Hooray for Fish and use the flashlight to shine on the different pictures as we read
the book.
Closure
Those actions or statements by a teacher When morning provocation time is over, teachers will encourage children to tidy up the provocation
that are designed to bring a lesson areas with a familiar chant routine (Put the loose parts in the sensory table put the flashlights on
presentation to an appropriate the table. March, March, March to the carpet). Teachers will close the sensory table and invite
conclusion. Used to help students bring children to the carpet area for morning meeting.
things together in their own minds, to
make sense out of what has just been While children and teachers tidy up, teachers can ask questions about the childrens experience with
taught. Any Questions? No. OK, lets the light materials.
move on is not closure. Closure is used:
To cue students to the fact that they have What happened when you moved the flashlight closer/farther away? What did you notice about the
arrived at an important point in the lesson sensory table and how the objects looked? I saw you used your fingers to push the button. Do you
or the end of a lesson. think you could use your fingers to push this button too?
To help organize student learning
To help form a coherent picture and to
consolidate.
Assessment Following the morning provocations, teachers should be able to answer four primary questions.
How will you know if students met the -To what extent did students use their hands to manipulate the flashlights and loose parts?
learning targets? Write a description of -In what ways did children demonstrate their ability to change their interactions with materials to
what you were looking for in each produce different results? What did children do that demonstrates their ability to manipulate materials
assessment. to produce consistent results?
-Teachers will record the childrens verbal communications throughout the provocation. To what
extent did children communicate verbally while using the materials?
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Differentiation To modify:
To modify: If the activity is too advanced Teachers will model how to turn the lights on if children have difficulty with this.
for a child, how will you modify it so that Teachers can use hand over hand support to turn lights on and off.
they can be successful? To extend:
To extend: If the activity is too easy for a Teachers will encourage children to cast the light onto objects to create shadows. Teachers will draw
child, how will you extend it to develop attention to the shadows and encourage the children to move the shadow. How can you make the
their emerging skills? shadow move?
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Post Lesson Reflection

To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to justify your level
of achievement)
All children engaged with the light and shadow materials in at least one area of the classroom.
Anecdotal notes of the experience reveal that children used both verbal and nonverbal
communications throughout the provocations. Wiley bopped around a lot during the morning,
preferred to mouth objects extensively, and didnt engage with as much focus as usual. I am
considering how the impact of not having a sensory material out may contribute to his focus
during freeplay time.
Wiley, Adam and Silas used the flashlights in a swinging motion downward onto the push lights.
This effectively turned the lights on and off, while also making a loud banging sound. This
indicates that children do in fact use materials in new and inventive ways to produce new results.
Repetition of this behavior indicates that children are capable of repeating behaviors in order to
produce consistent results.
What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you were to teach
again?
I am glad I incorporated the use of the light table at the last minute, so as to create an additional
space to explore in a calmer area of the classroom. Also, the use of the flashlight during morning
meeting provided an easy and necessary form of redirection for a few children who had a
challenging time engaging during the story.
What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content, etc.)
Towards the end of the provocation and throughout the following days (the sensory table
remained set up with these materials for the remainder of the week) the toddlers exhibited
interest in placing the lights underneath or on top of different objects and peeking into the object
to see the light. A nice extension of this provocation would be to adhere the different sizes and
types of lights to different sized tubes for the children to peek in. Also, incorporating
kaleidoscopes into the classroom would create a similarly engaging experience.
28
Teacher: Rebecca Trehus Date: March 21, 2017

School: CSU ECC Grade Level: Young Toddlers
Content Area: Morning Provocation
Title: The Presence of Shadow Lesson #:_2_ of _10_
Social Development Standards

1. Interaction with Adults
1. Interact with adults to solve problems or communicate about experiences or ideas.
4. Interest in Print
1. Listen, ask questions, or make comments while being read to.
1. Cause-and-Effect
Tell me about what you see. What do you think is making this design?
How can you use the shadow in your play?
What do you think will happen if you move the object in front of the shadow?
What do you see on the floor when you put your body in front of the light?
Teacher Considerations: How can teachers set up an environment conducive to exploring an
objects shadow, not just the object itself? How will toddlers react under these circumstances?
Children engage with adults during play experiences using verbal and nonverbal communication,
including the use of gestures, sounds, words, and reacting with materials to an adults wonderings or
suggestions.
29
Children participate in group read aloud experiences by offering simple words or sounds related to what
they see on the page or what is being read/pointed out by the adult.

(Create your own lesson objectives from the standard, follow the ABCD format)
While exploring the shadows on the floor and interacting with the water table, children will interact with
adults by responding to their inquiries in developmentally appropriate and inquisitive ways including
using verbal and nonverbal communication.
While at Morning Meeting, children will demonstrate their emergent literacy skills by participating with
the book by gesturing, pointing at the pictures, responding verbally with one or two words to teacher
prompts, and occasionally contributing language related to the book.
Children play near adults, offer language to communicate about their experiences, and respond to adults
inquiries and suggestions with materials.
Children demonstrate emergent reading skills by participating with the book by gesturing, pointing at the
pictures, responding verbally with one or two words to teacher prompts, and occasionally contributing
language related to the book.
Children demonstrate an eagerness to explore cause and effect with light and shadow by interacting with
the shadows on the floor with both big body movements and engaging in play with materials set up in the
cast shadows.
30

Activity Name The Presence of Shadow

Camera
Pen and Paper for documentation
Sensory Table:
Reflective sheet, taped to bottom of table
Water
Black, white, and transparent circular loose parts from Lesson 1
Hardwood Floor:
Move tables to side of classroom
Overhead Projector
Textured material to cast shadows on overhead projector
Wooden building blocks
Morning Meeting:
Shadow Book
Flashlight
White sheet
Anticipatory Set The lesson will be set up as a morning provocation for the toddlers to explore. The overhead projector
The hook to grab students attention. will be set up on the teacher counter, out of childrens reach. Textured material will be placed on top to
These are actions and statements by the cast a shadow onto the wooden floor below. Classroom tables will be moved to provide a novel and
teacher to relate the experiences of the enticing area of the classroom for children to explore shadows on a big scale.
students to the objectives of the lesson,
To put students into a receptive frame of A second area will be prepared in the sensory table to engage students with circular loose parts
mind. (familiar objects) with water and reflective material beneath. A need for a sensory provocation emerged
following Lesson 1 to engage particular students.
To focus student attention on
the lesson.
31
principles, or information that
is to follow (advanced
organizers)
introduced.
Procedures 1. Set up: Move classroom tables up against the cabinets in the classroom. Place the overhead projector
(Include a play-by-play account of what on top of the wooden teacher counter, plugged into the nearby outlet. Place textured material on top and
students and teacher will do from the turn the projector on. Cast the light and shadow from the projector onto the floor below.
minute they arrive to the minute they
leave your classroom. Indicate the Sensory Table: Reflective material was already taped down as it was used in previous provocations.
length of each segment of the lesson. Add warm water until about 2 inches in depth. Float the loose parts in the water.
List actual minutes.)
Teachers will take turns engaging with the children and supporting documentation through the use of
Indicate whether each is: digital photography, anecdotal observation notes, and anecdotal narratives. Teachers will document
-teacher input what the children are doing, their actions including their hand motions, their words, and how their
-modeling actions change throughout the provocation.
-questioning strategies
-guided/unguided: 2. As children arrive they can explore either area of the classroom freely. Teachers can invite children
-whole-class practice to the provocations by saying Did you notice what is set up near the tables? or What do you think is
-group practice in the sensory table today?
-individual practice
-check for understanding 3. As children engage with the materials, adults in the classroom will ask engaging questions such as:
-other Tell me about what you see. What do you think is making this design? How can you use the shadow in
your play? What do you think will happen if you move the object in front of the shadow? What
do you see on the floor when you put your body in front of the light?
If the sensory table provocation is too easy for children, encourage them to explore which
objects float and which sink, what happens when the objects spin in the water? What do
32
children see at the bottom of the sensory table? If the sensory table provocation is too difficult,
teachers can encourage the children to use the different materials to scoop and dump the water.
What happens when the different objects are used? Which ones scoop the easiest?
If the shadow on the floor is not engaging enough teachers can encourage children to move
their bodies on the shadow to cast new shadows. Building blocks will also be set to create
small scale shadows. If the provocation is too easy, teachers can challenge children to build
with the blocks to create shadows on a small scale.
When morning provocation time is over, teachers will encourage children to tidy up the provocation
areas. Teachers will close the sensory table and invite children to the carpet area for morning meeting.
The tables will also be moved back into position so that snack can be set up while morning meeting
occurs.
At morning meeting, teachers will first sing the greeting song. Then, teachers will read the shadow
light book and will use the flashlight to create the shadow images onto a white sheet. Teachers will
draw attention to the pictures and prompt children to participate by asking questions related to the
images that are cast on the sheet. Although children will be sitting, be prepared for them to approach
the sheet.
When the book is finished, teachers will sing songs while children wash hands in preparation for snack.
Closure
Those actions or statements by a When morning provocation time is over, teachers will encourage children to tidy up the provocation
teacher that are designed to bring a areas with a familiar chant routine (Put the loose parts in the sensory table put the flashlights on the
lesson presentation to an appropriate table. March, March, March to the carpet). Teachers will close the sensory table and invite children to
conclusion. Used to help students bring the carpet area for morning meeting.
make sense out of what has just been While children and teachers tidy up, teachers can ask questions about the childrens experience with the
taught. Any Questions? No. OK, lets materials.
move on is not closure. Closure is
used: What happened when you put your body on the shadow? What did you notice about the round objects
To cue students to the fact that they in the sensory table? I noticed you. Why do you think that happened?
have arrived at an important point in
the lesson or the end of a lesson.
33

consolidate.
Assessment Following the lesson, teachers should be able to answer three primary questions:
How will you know if students met the 1. To what extent and in what ways did children engage with adults during the provocation?
learning targets? Write a description of 2. In what ways did children engage with the book (and shadows) during morning meeting?
what you were looking for in each 3. How did children interact with the shadows on the floor with both big body movements and engage
assessment. in play with materials set up to cast shadows?
Differentiation If the sensory table provocation is too easy for children, encourage them to explore which
To modify: If the activity is too objects float and which sink, what happens when the objects spin in the water? What do
advanced for a child, how will you children see at the bottom of the sensory table? If the sensory table provocation is too difficult,
modify it so that they can be successful? teachers can encourage the children to use the different materials to scoop and dump the water.
To extend: If the activity is too easy for What happens when the different objects are used? Which ones scoop the easiest?
a child, how will you extend it to
develop their emerging skills? If the shadow on the floor is not engaging enough teachers can encourage children to move
their bodies on the shadow to cast new shadows. Building blocks will also be set to create
small scale shadows. If the provocation is too easy, teachers can challenge children to build
with the blocks to create shadows on a small scale.
34

of achievement)
Children engaged with teachers throughout the entire lesson. When Becca asked A.N to please
put the objects back in the sensory table, he collected three spools, walked over to the water
table, and dropped them in. Although he didnt respond to the prompt verbally, he did react
appropriately to the directions with his actions. On the other hand, S.W held up a red block and
said, blue. Becca asked, What other color could it be? S.W. replied Red! These two
examples indicate that children engage with adults during play experiences using a variety of
developmentally appropriate strategies.
During the book, four children moved their bodies closer to the sheet to engage with the story,
while two children provided language based on the pictures they saw. This indicates that children
engage with print during whole group times.
During this series of provocations, the sensory table was more engaging for the majority of the
children, however children did continue to return to the light area of the classroom. Children
created elaborate block buildings in the light, and added animals and small dolls to extend their
play. An unexpected challenge with this set up was that children had to be in a particular position
toward the light in order to see the shadows that were being cast.
again?
These provocations were repeated the next day with the group of MWF children and were highly
successful. A consideration when planning on T/R is that children tend to come in more slowly,
closer to snack, therefore children have less time to engage with materials on T/R. It will
absolutely benefit children to have multiple exposures to these materials for the duration of the
project.
A couple of children expressed interest in the light projector itself. Experiences to explore the
projector as a tool in addition to exploring the projector to create shadows with big body
movements would benefit childrens continued exploration of light and shadow.
35
Teacher: Rebecca Trehus Date: March 24 and 31, 2017; April 7, 2017
School: CSU Early Childhood Center Grade Level: Young Toddlers
Content Area: Small Group
Title: Creating Shadows with Big Body Movements Lesson #:_3_ of _10_
Physical Development
2. Gross Motor
1. Move with ease, coordinating movements, and performing a variety of movements.
4. Health
1. Participate in physical activity
Cognitive Development
1. Cause-and-Effect
1. Combine simple actions to cause things to happen
3. Imitation
2. Imitate simple actions that they have observed others doing at an earlier time.
Understandings: (Big Ideas)

Children use big body movements in their explorations of cause and effect by pushing objects, pulling
objects, moving over objects, balancing on objects, and moving with purpose around objects.
During these big body movements, children observe movements modeled by adults and replicate these
movements in their play.
Children change the way they move their bodies in order to produce changes in their shadows.
What happens to your shadow when you reach up high? When you bend down low?
What do you notice about your shadow when you climb on the mats? When you dance, bend, reach, etc?
What happens when you move closer to the wall, or farther away?
How could you make your shadow taller? How could you make your shadow smaller?
Evidence Outcomes:
36
Every student will be able to: (Create your own lesson objectives from the standard, follow the ABCD
format, using student voice)
While using gym mats and climbing equipment in the gym, children will engage in gross motor
movements independently and will mimic movements modeled by adults present.
While using gym mats and climbing equipment in the gym, children will change the way the move their
body which will produce changes in their shadows and will begin to connect that they can control their
shadow based on their movements.
List of Assessments: (Write the number of the learning target associated with each assessment)
Children play near adults, observing their movements and mimicking these movements at least one time
in their own play experiences. Evidence of this includes: hearing adults language and responding with the
appropriate body movement and/or seeing an adults movement and attempt to recreate the movement (an
approximation of the movement is appropriate).
Children participate in at least 3 types of gross motor movements throughout the provocation (run, jump,
climb, crawl, balance, push, pull, bend, reach, spin, etc.)
Children respond to adults inquiries about changing their shadow with an appropriate movement or with
verbal language at least one time during the experience.
37

Activity Name Creating Shadows with Big Body Movements

How long do you expect the activity to last and what
materials will you need? Camera
Paper and pen for documentation purposes
Gym mats
Climbing Bridge
Balance beam
Overhead Projector set on a table

Long power strip cord
Second and Third Exposure:

All above materials
8 transparent plastic cups, three set on the projector with the five remaining available for
the children.
Anticipatory Set For the first exposure to this provocation, a small group of children will start in the gym
The hook to grab students attention. These are and will engage with the materials in addition to other climbing materials available. The
actions and statements by the teacher to relate the second half of the class will join the children in the gym and the whole class will engage
experiences of the students to the objectives of the in the climbing experiences.
lesson, To put students into a receptive frame of
mind. For the second and third exposure to this provocation, children will be invited to the gym
To focus student attention on the lesson. quietly for a small group experiences. Children in Group A will have an opportunity the
To create an organizing framework for the first day, and the children in Group B will have an opportunity to engage with these
ideas, principles, or information that is to materials on a second day.
follow (advanced organizers)
An anticipatory set is used any time a different After morning snack, a small group of children will make their way to the gym to
activity or new concept is to be introduced. participate in the provocation. Another day, the groups will switch and the second group
will be invited into the gym while the other group engages in a different small group
activity.
Children will arrive to the overhead projector set up and turned on in front of an array of
38
climbing equipment, placed in front of a blank wall.
Group A:
Helena
Wiley
Jacob
Katelyn
Group B:
Aubriana
Inga
Silas
Adam
Procedures Teacher Actions Student

(Include a play-by-play account of what students and Actions
teacher will do from the minute they arrive to the Set up: Arrange climbing mats and equipment a few feet in front of the
minute they leave your classroom. Indicate the length west wall of the gym. Set the projector on a low table and plug it in on
of each segment of the lesson. List actual minutes.) the other side of the equipment, covering the cord with an additional mat
Indicate whether each is: to prevent tripping.
-teacher input
-modeling During: Teachers invite children to the equipment and allow them to
-questioning strategies explore for several minutes with minimal interruption of their
-guided/unguided: investigation of the set up.
-group practice Teachers will support childrens activity by offering a helping hand
-individual practice when needed, offering suggestions for ways they can move their bodies,
-check for understanding and modeling gross motor movements.
-other
After children have had an opportunity to get some initial energy out,
teachers will ask prompting questions, drawing the childrens attention
to the shadows their bodies are casting on the wall behind them.
Questions will include: What happens to your shadow when you reach
up high? When you bend down low? What do you notice about your
shadow when you climb on the mats? When you dance, bend, reach, etc?
What happens when you move closer to the wall, or farther away? How
39
could you make your shadow taller? How could you make your shadow
smaller?
Teachers will narrate what children are doing and will model language
and inquiry by verbalizing their own noticings and wonderings. For
example, I notice that when I move by body like this, my shadow gets
bigger. I wonder how you could make your shadow look bigger?
Expect children to be interested in the projector itself, and support their

exploration of this tool.
Exposure 2 and 3: Incorporate small transparent cups, three set at

different levels on the projector to cast shadows at different levels
behind the climbing materials with the additional cups available to
extend the children's experience.
When it is time to transition out of the gym, teachers will give the
children a heads up, letting them know a transition is coming ( For
example Toddlers its time to say goodbye to the gym. We will come
back soon. Now its time to march to the door.) Teachers will turn off
the projector and chant a familiar transition cue and children will be
directed to the door to go back to the classroom (March, march, march
to the door).
Teachers will tidy the area after the first group in preparation for the
second group of children.
When children are transitioning back to the classroom teachers will ask
questions and revisit what actions the children were making and how
these actions impacted their shadows.
Closure
Those actions or statements by a teacher that are When children are transitioning back to the classroom teachers will ask questions and
designed to bring a lesson presentation to an revisit what actions the children were making and how these actions impacted their
appropriate conclusion. Used to help students bring shadows.
things together in their own minds, to make sense out
of what has just been taught. Any Questions? No. What happened when you moved closer to the wall? What about when you moved away
OK, lets move on is not closure. Closure is used: from the wall? How did you make your shadow look bigger / smaller?
To cue students to the fact that they have
40
arrived at an important point in the lesson or

the end of a lesson.
To help form a coherent picture and to consolidate.
Differentiation To modify:
To modify: If the activity is too advanced for a child, Helping hand while using gym equipment m
how will you modify it so that they can be successful? Modeling movements for children
To extend: If the activity is too easy for a child, how
will you extend it to develop their emerging skills? To extend:
Encourage children to challenge their bodies in new ways (e.g. stand on one foot, bend
down on the balance beam)
Encourage children to freeze their motion to engage core muscles and challenge
balancing.
Assessment
How will you know if students met the learning Children play near adults, observing their movements and mimicking these movements at
targets? Write a description of what you were least one time in their own play experiences. Evidence of this includes: hearing adults
looking for in each assessment. language and responding with the appropriate body movement and/or seeing an adults
movement and attempt to recreate the movement (an approximation of the movement is
appropriate).
Children participate in at least 3 types of gross motor movements throughout the
provocation (run, jump, climb, crawl, balance, push, pull, bend, reach, spin, etc.)
Children respond to adults inquiries about changing their shadow with an appropriate
movement or with verbal language at least one time during the experience.
41

To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to justify
your level of achievement)
Group A:
Each child demonstrates interest in different aspects of the provocation, engaging with
the materials in their own creative way. Helena continuously climbs on the square
climber. Katelyn crawls across the climbing mats, looking at the shadows on the wall
behind her. Jacob is intrigued with the transparent materials on the surface of the
projector and uses his fingers to move them, looking to the wall to check his work. Wiley
is fascinated by the source of the light. He checks the arm of the projector, discovers light
on the ceiling, moves to the window and looks back at the wall. He finds a small hole in
the side of the projector and places his left index finger in, saying, yight!
During the provocation each child engaged in climbing and balancing, walking on
uneven surfaces, walking on hard surfaces, in addition to squatting near the projector,
walking quickly around the gym, flapping their arms like birds, reaching up, and bending
down.
Children responded to adults suggestions and inquiries with both actions and language.
When Helena was asked, "What do you see?" she pointed to her shadow and said, "Me!"
When Wiley looked out the window and said, "Bird!", Becca responded with, "Let's flap
our arms like birds over here" (flapping her arms and moving toward the gym mats).
Wiley and Jacob respond by flapping their arms and 'tweeting'.
Jacob says, "shadow!." Becca says, "How many do you see?" Jacob responds by counting
1-6, in correct order.
All four children in Group A meet the lesson objectives.
Group B:
When this group of children encounters the big body experience in the gym, they
transition between engaging with the projector itself and the shadows on the wall. Adam
pointed to his shadow and said, I did it! Aubri and Inga took turns climbing on the cube
and giggled when they both were able to climb up successfully. As children move the
clear loose parts on the projector, Silas moves his body on the cube climber and pats the
wall. Silas moves his arm to the new location of the shadow and continues to pat the wall
where the moving shadows are shown.
When Inga was looking at her shadow on the wall, I asked her, What do you see? She
responded by putting her hand on her shadow, turning with a bright smile and in an
excited voice said, ME!
All four children in Group B meet the lesson objectives.
What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you were to
teach again?
42
Since this lesson had three stages, taking place on three days, there was time to make
additions and changes between the exposures. For example, after the first exposure, it
was evident that some children were drawn to the projector itself and had little interest in
climbing. I differentiated for this in the second and third exposures by offering the
transparent cups that could be moved and manipulated on the surface of the projector.
Additionally, offering the cups also provided a nice extension for the children climbing
on the mats as it gave them something tangible to reach for, challenging their movements
and drawing their attention to the shadows on the wall.
Exploring the projector with different materials without the climbing mats would be a
natural next step for a future lesson. Also, revisiting this experience with less structured
questions and having the opportunity to record what children do naturally with these
materials would be an interesting extension to this provocation.
Creating shadows with big body movements outside with natural lighting would be an
interesting contrast to creating shadows with the projector and would be an engaging
experience, particularly for the children who demonstrated interest in the climbing mats
over the projector (Helena and Katelyn).
43
Teacher: Rebecca Trehus Date: April 6, 2017

Content Area:
Title: Painting Shadows From Natural Sources of Light Lesson #:_4_ of _10_

2. Interaction with Peers
1. Engage in simple cooperative play with peers
1. Coordinate the fine movements of the fingers, wrists, and hands to skillfully manipulate a
wide range of objects and materials in intricate ways.
1. Receptive Language
1. Demonstrate understanding of the meaning of others comments, questions, requests,
or stories.
What do you notice about what's on the paper?
What might you create with the paint?
How can you use the shadows in your painting?"
Teacher Considerations: How do children use light and shadow as an inspiration for art
experiences? How do using natural sources of light change students engagement with light and
shadow?
Students respond to language of peers and adults with verbal and nonverbal responses, indicating
understanding of verbal language.
Children interact with peers and adults during play experiences.
Students integrate physical activity, including both fine motor and gross motor abilities, into
their play with light and shadow materials.
44
Students will work individually and alongside peers during play experiences utilizing materials
that produce light and shadow.
While engaging with paint materials outside, children will be able to use their fingers and hands to make
marks with paint brushes on paper and interact with peers in a small group setting using verbal and non
verbal communication.
Children respond to inquiries, questions, and suggestions from their peers by: using materials in
accordance to the suggestions from their peers, offering words and sounds, and using nonverbal strategies
of communication (including smiling, furrowing eyebrows, eye contact, nodding, shaking their head).
Children interact with each other during small group play experiences, engage in parallel play, and begin
to engage in simple cooperative play.
Children use their hands to make marks with paint, they use paintbrushes with whole hand grips, and may
begin to make refined movements with the paintbrushes using a primitive three finger grip.
45

Activity Name Painting Shadows From Natural Sources of Light
Camera
Red, Yellow, and Blue Paint

Paint trays
Different sized paint brushes
Smocks
White paper - 2 large pieces, several 8.5 x 11 sheets
Drop cloth
Colored window blocks (red, blue and yellow only)

Picnic table
Washcloths and soapy water for clean up

Anticipatory Set This experience will be set up as a provocation on the playground. Children will be invited to paint at
The hook to grab students attention. the picnic table 3-4 at a time, while the remaining children engage with the other materials on the
These are actions and statements by the playground.
teacher to relate the experiences of the
students to the objectives of the lesson, Colored window blocks will be arranged at the edge of the table, off of the paper. White butcher paper
To put students into a receptive frame of will be set with primary colored paint displayed in paint trays with different sized paint brushes
mind. available on the table.
the lesson.
organizers)
46

introduced.
Procedures Set up: Lay down the drop cloth and tape the paper to it. Set the colored window blocks up at the edge
(Include a play-by-play account of what of the picnic table so their shadow is cast onto the paper. Arrange the paint brushes and paint trays
students and teacher will do from the beautifully on the paper.
leave your classroom. Indicate the During: Children are invited to engage with the paint and are able to explore for several minutes with
length of each segment of the lesson. minimal interruption of their preliminary investigation of the paint. As children create marks teachers
will encourage and facilitate peer interactions by narrating during the peer interactions.
Indicate whether each is: As children paint, teachers can challenge their artistic process by asking, "How can you use the
-teacher input shadows in your painting? What do you notice about what's on the paper? What might you create with
-modeling the paint?"
-questioning strategies
-guided/unguided: Children will rotate through the painting experience, switching places as children finish their work and
-whole-class practice new children approach. If children want to keep painting, 8.5x11 sheets of paper can be offered.
-group practice
Clean up: As children indicate they are finished with the paint, teachers will help them clean their
hands with the wash cloths and soapy water. The paper will be set in a drying spot outside of the
-check for understanding playground while the picnic table is cleaned up. As children are washing their hands, teachers will ask,
-other "What did you think about using shadows for painting?"
When the painting experience is finished, children can play freely on the playground until it is time to
go back to the classroom for lunch.
Closure
Those actions or statements by a As children are washing their hands, teachers will ask, "What did you think about using shadows for
teacher that are designed to bring a painting?"
lesson presentation to an appropriate
conclusion. Used to help students bring
make sense out of what has just been
47
taught. Any Questions? No. OK, lets

used:
To cue students to the fact that they
consolidate.
Assessment
How will you know if students met the Children respond to inquiries, questions, and suggestions from their peers by: using materials in
learning targets? Write a description of accordance to the suggestions from their peers, offering words and sounds, and using nonverbal
what you were looking for in each strategies of communication (including smiling, furrowing eyebrows, eye contact, nodding, shaking
assessment. their head).
Children interact with each other during small group play experiences, engage in parallel play, and
begin to engage in simple cooperative play.
Children use their hands to make marks with paint, they use paintbrushes with whole hand grips, and
may begin to make refined movements with the paintbrushes using a primitive three finger grip.
Differentiation Different sized paint brushes will be available for varying physical needs of the children. If a child
To modify: If the activity is too chooses a small paint brush and is having trouble, a large handled brush will be offered. Children will
advanced for a child, how will you also likely use their fingers and hands to paint.
modify it so that they can be successful?
To extend: If the activity is too easy for
develop their emerging skills?
48

of achievement)
When I set up this provocation outside, it was a windy day, and the breeze had the paper blowing
around and knocked the blocks down. Also, the position of the morning sun made it difficult to
cast the colored shadows far enough for the children to engage with them at the table and there
was limited space available. These factors seemed like it made it difficult for children to engage
with the paint. H and W, who typically engage with paint for long periods of time and with great
focus spent a very brief time with these materials. Alternatively, Au and J spent a lot of time with
the paint. Au preferred to use blue paint, while J used red paint. Interestingly, when I went back
and reviewed the photographs, Au was sitting closest to a blue shadow, and J closest to a red
shadow. This made me wonder if the shadows impacted their color choice in their artwork.
I prepared a second presentation with these materials in the classroom the following day, as I felt
it would allow the children to engage more with the shadows. I placed red, blue, and yellow
blocks on the projector and cast the colored shadows onto white paper on the table. I again
offered paint and paint brushes. Again, it seemed that children were drawn to using the same
color of paint that was being cast closest to them. For example, K engaged with these materials
for the majority of the morning. Her first paper was primarily red with very few specks of blue
and yellow. Interestingly, she sat directly to the left of the large red shadow.
The first time we painted shadows, we did so outside in small groups with natural light and
colored window blocks. This proved difficult on a breezy day. The next day, we decided to try
again using the projector in the classroom. The result: spectacular artwork in an array of colors.
Between the two presentations of this provocation all learning standards were met. Children
responded to adult inquiries, used their fingers and hands to yield paintbrushes, and interacted
with each other throughout the experiences.
again?
I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to make changes to the lesson based on the children
and to engage them with similar materials in two different settings. I would like to continue to
explore shadows with natural light, as this aspect of the provocation was lost when we moved the
experience inside.
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To accommodate an outdoor shadow experience, it would be interesting to offer the paint again
on the large picnic table on the sidewalk with large pieces of cellophane hung to cast large
colored shadows outside.
Also, using water and paintbrushes would meet the same learning targets but would provide an
easier to facilitate experience for children to engage with painting shadows outside.
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Content Area: Outdoor Whole Group Provocation
Title: Tracing Shadows with Water and Paint Brushes Lesson #:_5_ of _10_

1. Cause-and-Effect
1. Combine simple actions to cause things to happen (9-18 Months Standard)
2. Spatial Relationships:
2. Show understanding of words used to describe size and locations in space.
What does your shadow look like?
Where do you have to put your body to paint the shadow?
What do you see when the shadow moves away? Whats left in its place?
Teacher Consideration: How do using natural sources of light change students engagement with
light and shadow?
Toddlers begin to understand that when they move their body, their shadow also moves.
Toddlers understand spatial and prepositional language such as: next to, near, behind, in front of, close,
far, big, small
Toddlers use their fingers and hands to hold and manipulate paint brushes
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While investigating shadows of peers and adults on the playground sidewalk, children will be able to:
Hold a paintbrush with a whole hand grip or a primitive three finger grip
Respond to spatial and prepositional language by moving their body in the appropriate direction
or looking for a friend that is described in a specific location
Children notice changes in their shadow based on their movements, and intentionally move their
body to produce changes in their shadow.
Toddlers demonstrate their understanding of spatial and prepositional language by responding with
appropriate movements to teacher inquiries and responding with verbal and nonverbal communication.
Children use their hands to make marks with paintbrushes, they use paintbrushes with whole hand grips,
and may begin to make refined movements with the paintbrushes using a primitive three finger grip.
Children respond to changes in their shadow with verbal and nonverbal strategies, for example: watching
intently for a short period of time, pointing to their shadow and those of peers and adults, and/or making
one or two word comments describing their shadow.
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Activity Name
Tracing Shadows with Water and Paint Brushes
Camera
Different sized paint brushes (10)

2 medium sized containers of water
Plastic animal figures
Anticipatory Set A teachers shadow will be traced on the sidewalk area of the playground with water, with one
The hook to grab students attention. container of water next to it and a variety of paintbrushes set out in an aesthetically pleasing way.
These are actions and statements by the Teachers will step back and first observe children while they engage with these materials. After
teacher to relate the experiences of the children have had a few moments to explore the paint brushes and shadow tracing, teachers will
students to the objectives of the lesson, encourage children to explore how to trace each others shadows on the sidewalk.
To put students into a receptive frame of
mind.
the lesson.
organizers)
introduced.
53
Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account of what Set up: Fill two containers with water, hold one out of reach as a back-up. Place the container of water
students and teacher will do from the on the ground and trace a teachers shadow on the sidewalk.
leave your classroom. Indicate the When children arrive to the playground they will be encouraged to explore these materials freely.
length of each segment of the lesson.
After children have had a few moments to explore the paintbrushes and shadow tracing, teachers will
encourage children to explore how to trace each others shadows on the sidewalk. If this proves too
Indicate whether each is: difficult, teachers can provide props to trace the shadows of, such as animals or familiar trucks from the
-teacher input playground.
-modeling
-questioning strategies While children play and explore their shadows, teachers will model the play by using the paintbrushes
-guided/unguided: to trace the childrens shadow, narrating their noticings and wonderings aloud for the children to hear.
-group practice Clean up: When interest wanes or it is time to clean up to go inside teachers will dump the water out of
-individual practice the containers and encourage children to place their paintbrushes into the bucket with a familiar chant.
-check for understanding
-other
Closure
Those actions or statements by a
teacher that are designed to bring a When it is time to clean up teachers will dump the water out of the containers and encourage children to
lesson presentation to an appropriate place their paintbrushes into the bucket with a familiar chant.
things together in their own minds, to Teachers will observe childrens interactions with shadows following the activity, particularly as the
make sense out of what has just been class transitions up the ramp back to the classroom for lunch and will ask guiding questions such as: Do
taught. Any Questions? No. OK, lets you notice the shape of this shadow on the sidewalk? What would happen if we traced these shadows?
used:
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consolidate.
Assessment
How will you know if students met the Toddlers demonstrate their understanding of spatial and prepositional language by responding with
learning targets? Write a description of appropriate movements to teacher inquiries and responding with verbal and nonverbal communication.
what you were looking for in each Children use their hands to make marks with paintbrushes, they use paintbrushes with whole hand
assessment. grips, and may begin to make refined movements with the paintbrushes using a primitive three finger
grip.
Children respond to changes in their shadow with verbal and nonverbal strategies, for example:
watching intently for a short period of time, pointing to their shadow and those of peers and adults,
and/or making one or two word comments describing their shadow.
Differentiation Different sized paint brushes will be available to encourage all children to participate.
To modify: If the activity is too Hand over hand support will be available if children have trouble holding the paint brush.
advanced for a child, how will you
modify it so that they can be successful? Teachers will support childrens development of prepositional language by gesturing and pointing (if
To extend: If the activity is too easy for needed) when describing the location of a peer or shadow.
develop their emerging skills? If children are having difficulty with the shadows of their peers, provide props to trace their shadows of
instead, such as the familiar plastic animals or trucks that are already on the playground.
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1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to justify
your level of achievement)
On the playground the toddlers used water and paintbrushes to paint shadows on the sidewalk.
We also incorporated animals into our shadow painting. Austen said, Zebra, shadow. We
practiced developing prepositional language as teachers embedded prepositional words and
phrases such as: next to, beside, on top of, and underneath. When Adam heard underneath he
responded by putting a paintbrush and giraffe figure under Beccas legs.
After this experience, Holly moved toward the gate. She stomped her foot while looking at the
ground. She moved her right hand up near her face, again watching the movements of her
shadow. Then, she waved briefly and smiled when her shadow mimicked her motions. Holly
discovers her shadow on the sidewalk in the natural light.
All present children (six) engaged with the paintbrushes and water in some way. Helena
extended her interest in the materials by adding rocks to the area to paint with water. Holly used
the large flat paintbrush to splash in the water bucket. Adam manipulated the animals with his
hands and responded to my spatial inquiries with them. Jacob balanced a large flat paintbrush on
an animal figure which casted an interesting shadow on the ground. Austen was intrigued by the
animal shadows on the ground. Wiley engaged briefly with the water but preferred to hunt for
bugs in the grass area.
This group of children has a quickly developing understanding of spatial concepts and responds
appropriately to adult inquiries with materials to demonstrate this awareness.
2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you were to
teach again?
Painting the shadows on the sidewalk worked well for Jake and Austen, while other children
were interested in the materials but were less engaged with the shadow component of this
provocation. It may be engaging for children to have shadows set up out of reach that would cast
a non-moveable shadow for children to paint.
3. What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content, etc.)
After a few provocations focusing on shadows outside and painting shadows, it would be
interesting to go back to the projector work and revisit creating shadows with different materials
on the projector. Previously children have explored clear, round materials on the projector. Using
a mixture of clear and opaque materials on the projector to cast a variety of shadows might peak
childrens interest in the light and shadow project.
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Content Area: Whole Group Provocation
Title: Creating Designs on the Projector While Negotiating with Peers
Lesson #:_6_ of _10_
5. Social Understanding
1. Talk about their own wants and feelings and those of other people.
Emotional Development Standards
6. Impulse Control
1. Sometimes exercise voluntary control over actions and emotional expressions.
1. Cause-and-Effect
What could you tell your friend if youre waiting for a turn?
How can you let your friend know how youre feeling?
What materials did you use in your design?
How can you use these different objects on the projector?
What do you notice about the shadow your work is casting?
How does the pattern on the wall change when you move this item? What happens if you move this item?
Teacher considerations: Do children translate their knowledge of cause and effect relationships when
negotiating with peers? Do children participate in certain behaviors to provoke a particular response from
peers?
Children engage with peers in order to provoke particular responses from peers, translating what they
know about cause and effect relationships into their negotiations with others.
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Children participate in conversational turns with peers, particularly to communicate about their feelings
and those of others during play experiences.
Children change their interaction with an object based on their experience with that material and
information gathered from their senses, particularly when exploring cause and effect
relationships.

While experimenting with new materials on the projector and light table, children will negotiate with
peers with adult support using positive strategies, calm voices, and verbal communication.
Children will engage in conversational turns with adults in order to communicate about their feelings and
those of their peers during play experiences.
Notice changes in light patterns when they move and make changes to object placement on the projector.
Children navigate strong emotions with adult support in order to resolve social challenges that arise
during play experiences.
Children utilize words and phrases with peers spontaneously, (i.e. mine!, back, no stop etc.) or they
repeat them after an adult has offered them (I feel sad, grumpy, happy etc.) to describe their
feelings or the feelings of others.
Children demonstrate understanding of changes in light patterns by moving materials and looking to the
light cast to check their work, providing words to describe the light, or using facial expressions and
gestures.
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Activity Name Creating Designs on the Projector While Negotiating with Peers
Children have been navigating peer interactions in the classroom, and have recently had some
strong feelings and emotions negotiating with peers around use of materials. Frequently,
children take items from each other, run in the opposite direction, and then throw the object
behind a shelf where it cannot be retrieved by the child. This experience will provide support
with turn taking and trading light and shadow materials. Many different types of materials in
low quantities will provide opportunity for children to practice negotiating with peers in a
supportive setting.
Camera
Clear and opaque loose parts

Projector (power switched taped to on position)
White sheet as backdrop taped to wall (if setting up in classroom)
This provocation can be explored in the classroom environment or in the gym, depending on gym
availability.
Light Table
Transparent boxes, set as blocks
Transparent bowls for nesting
Anticipatory Set While children are eating snack, teachers will prepare the materials and bring the projector into the
The hook to grab students attention. classroom. Children will engage with the materials following snack instead of going outside, as the
These are actions and statements by the weather is forecasted to be rainy later in the week.
students to the objectives of the lesson, After children are finished with snack, they will be invited to explore the materials on the light table
To put students into a receptive frame of and projector.
59
mind.
the lesson.
organizers)
introduced.
Procedures Set up:

(Include a play-by-play account of what -Arrange the transparent blocks and bowls on the light table.
students and teacher will do from the -Set the projector on the stage area where children will be able to reach the light surface. Display the
minute they arrive to the minute they opaque and transparent objects neatly on the surface of the projector. Cover the projector cord with a
leave your classroom. Indicate the small rug to prevent tripping.
As children explore the materials, teachers will scaffold peer interactions and will encourage children to
use calm, quiet voices to negotiate with peers. Teachers will draw attention to the childrens emotional
Indicate whether each is:
responses and will model language for children to communicate about their feelings. Teachers will use
-teacher input familiar language to scaffold and support these peer interactions: What could you tell your friend if
-modeling youre waiting for a turn?, How can you let your friend know how youre feeling?, Look at your
-questioning strategies friends face. How are they feeling?, What can you say next time?.
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice As children explore the projector and its light pattern on the wall, teachers will inquire about the
-group practice childrens work: What materials did you use in your design?, How can you use these different
objects on the projector?, What do you notice about the shadow your work is casting?. Teachers will
also encourage children to periodically check the light pattern on the wall asking questions such as:
-check for understanding How does the pattern on the wall change when you move this item? What happens if you move this
-other item?
60
When it is time to clean up, teachers will give the children a heads up and will unplug the projector.
Teachers will chant a familiar clean up phrase and will support children as they tidy the materials.
When the classroom is clean, teachers will transition children to the carpet for a short debriefing
conversation and book prior to lunch.
Closure
teacher that are designed to bring a Before the book on the carpet, teachers will engage children in a short conversation about the materials
lesson presentation to an appropriate on the projector, such as asking children what their favorite object was on the projector, making
conclusion. Used to help students bring connections between the material and their light/shadow pattern (What did the feather look like when
things together in their own minds, to it was cast onto the wall? I noticed friends using ____ materials. What type of pattern did they make?)
make sense out of what has just been Teachers will also draw attention to the positive peer interactions that took place during the experience.
used:
consolidate.
Assessment
How will you know if students met the
learning targets? Write a description of Children utilize words and phrases with peers spontaneously, (i.e. mine!, back, no stop etc.) or
what you were looking for in each they repeat them after an adult has offered them (I feel sad, grumpy, happy etc.) to describe
assessment. their feelings or the feelings of others.
Children demonstrate understanding of changes in light patterns by moving materials and looking to the
light cast to check their work, providing words to describe the light, or using facial expressions and
gestures.
Differentiation Teachers will differentiate their language to scaffold peer interactions. To challenge students, teachers
61
To modify: If the activity is too will provoke children to contribute their own language Tell your friend how you feel
advanced for a child, how will you To modify for students, teachers will model the language and provide a framework for the children to
modify it so that they can be successful? use to negotiate with their peers You can say mine or back please, You look frustrated. How do you
To extend: If the activity is too easy for feel now?
develop their emerging skills? A variety of materials are offered to engage students of all levels and interests.
62

of achievement)
This provocation was presented twice to children. The first day we presented the materials in the
late morning before lunch. The children didnt engage with the materials purposefully and I
spent all of my time trying to redirect children and very little time engaging with children in
intentional ways. The second time I presented these materials we chose the early morning
provocation timeframe. The children were dropped off in the gym environment and had the
whole morning to explore the materials. This went much better, although the structure of being
dropped off in the morning didnt allow for a lot of peer negotiations, however it did provide a
better opportunity for children to engage with the materials in the gym.
All children utilized language during the provocation (light-Wiley, line-Katelyn, one,
two- Austen) but the language emphasized what the children saw and experienced over peer
interactions.
again?
The second time I presented these materials I incorporated books in another area of the gym and
some climbing equipment to provide a variety of ways for children to interact with the materials.
This seemed to also engage parents with the materials. Each parent that dropped off during this
experience engaged with the light and shadow materials. I think this also enhanced childrens
engagement with the materials.
If I were to present this provocation again I would do so in a small group setting, and I would
very intentionally separate some big personalities (Adam, Wiley, Silas, Jake) in the classroom.
Also, it would be interesting to group children in mixed age groups to promote peer guidance as
an engagement tool for Holly specifically.
I would like to provide another whole opportunity for children to engage in different areas of the
classroom with light and shadow. Perhaps it would be beneficial to revisit painting, which is a
familiar experience, with light and shadow to engage the more sensory oriented children and
provide familiar materials when presenting new experiences.
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Content Area: Co-Teaching Whole Group
Title: Exploring Art Materials with Light Below Lesson #:_7_ of _10_

1. Perceptual Development
1. Quickly and easily combine the information received from the senses to inform the
way they interact with the environment.
2. Spatial Relationships
2. Show understanding of words used to describe size and locations in space.
Children explore the creative arts using a variety of artistic activities which allow children to
use their imaginations, creativity, and express ideas in a variety of mediums. (CELDG, pg. 105)
Teacher Considerations: How do children incorporate light presented below/above their workspace into
their artwork?
Children incorporate light sources as inspiration for creating art with various colors and materials.

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Every student will engage with art materials and creative experiences in either location in
developmentally appropriate ways.
Children hold art materials using a variety of grips including a whole hand grip, primitive three finger
grip, pincer grip, or may roll the art materials on the paper.
Children demonstrate awareness of the light source by commenting or pointing to the light, reacting
purposefully with art materials, and/or attending for long periods of time.
Use verbally or appropriately respond to prepositions and spatial language with art materials.
65

Activity Name Exploring Art Materials with Light Below
Approx. Time and Materials 45 Minutes
Camera
iPad
Paper and pen for documentation
White butcher paper- one small piece, one large piece
Large clear table, borrowed from room 11

Colored twinkle lights
White computer paper
Tape
Water color paint
Paint brushes
Paint tray
Sensory table, covered

White twinkle lights
Push lights
White paper taped underneath
Black and gray oil pastels
Mirror
White computer paper
Anticipatory Set The following lesson will be set up as a whole group provocation following morning snack.
The hook to grab students attention.
These are actions and statements by the
To put students into a receptive frame of
mind.
66

the lesson.
organizers)
introduced.
Procedures Children will begin the day outside on the playground. Around 9:00 we will transition into the
(Include a play-by-play account of what classroom to begin diapers and prepare for Morning Meeting and snack. Following snack, children will
students and teacher will do from the engage in art experiences in two separate areas of the classroom, the sensory table and a clear light
minute they arrive to the minute they table (which will be set up in the table area of the classroom.) Erin and Becca will co-facilitate the
leave your classroom. Indicate the engagement with art materials, while support staff and students will assist with management of the
length of each segment of the lesson. provocation, photographing the experience, helping children to wash their hands, and hanging art to
dry.
Indicate whether each is: Set up: Arrange colored lights in large clear table with Plexiglas cover. Tape white butcher paper to the
-teacher input top of the Plexiglas with individual white paper arranged for childrens work spaces. Arrange the small
-modeling sensory table with the white lights and tape the smaller piece of white butcher paper underneath.
-questioning strategies Arrange the large mirror below to reflect the childrens work.
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice Large Table
-group practice Teachers can support children by offering white computer paper on top of the butcher paper,
-individual practice photographing the childrens work, refilling paint trays, and supporting turn taking and space
-check for understanding negotiations.
-other
Small Table
Children may be interested in drawing upside down or on the mirror below. Teachers can support
children by offering white computer paper on the mirror, photographing the childrens work, and
supporting turn taking and space negotiations. Teachers may need to model writing upside down.
Closure
Those actions or statements by a When it is time to clean up, teachers will help children wash hands. Children can help to put materials
67
teacher that are designed to bring a in the cleaning bucket. After the two areas are cleaned up, children will be invited to the carpet for
lesson presentation to an appropriate books and songs before lunch. When children head to the carpet, a teacher will begin preparing lunches.
used:
consolidate.
Assessment
learning targets? Write a description of Children hold art materials using a variety of grips including a whole hand grip, primitive three finger
what you were looking for in each grip, pincer grip, or may roll the art materials on the paper.
assessment. Children demonstrate awareness of the light source by commenting or pointing to the light, reacting
purposefully with art materials, and/or attending for long periods of time.
Differentiation Different sized paint brushes and different locations of the classroom will be intentionally set up to
To modify: If the activity is too interest and engage learners of all abilities.
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This co-teaching model provocation was lead by myself and my cooperating teacher, Erin. An intern
student and practicum student were also present during the provocation.
Debrief Notes:
I agree with Erin that the timeframe has been difficult to facilitate structured provocations and small
group activities. I noticed when Erin started setting up the painting area that most of the children
followed. It does seem challenging during this time of the day to have separate areas set up for smaller
groups. Once everyone got settled though it seemed to work really well to have multiple areas set up.
That being said, I was happy with how engaged the children were, even if it was for a shorter amount of
time. I was also really impressed with Brennas co-facilitation and her classroom management.
At the sensory table children were eager to make marks with the pastels. Adam made dots with a white
pastel while Katelyn practiced making long and short marks with a dark colored pastel. At first I had to
model for children how to lay under the table to make marks on the paper below. When Adam laid below
he said, whoa! and looked toward the light. This was really the only engagement I noticed with the
light, however I did notice more of the childrens marks with the dark pastels on the darkened spots of the
paper, which I thought was interesting.
I dont know why I didnt think of flipping the sensory table sooner! That seemed to really engage Inga
with the pastels, she didnt want to clean up!
of achievement)
Children engaged with art materials in both areas of the classroom. After reviewing the photos of
the provocation I noticed that most of the children used different grips with the different
materials. For example Jake used a whole hand grasp with the oil pastels but a more refined grip
with a thin paint brush. Inga and Katelyn both used a fairly refined three finger grip with the oil
pastels. When children were drawing with the oil pastels upside down their grip seemed to suffer
and become more of a whole hand grasp on the drawing tool. I also noticed that both Wiley and
Jake used their left hand to draw with the oil pastels where they typically prefer to use their right
hands for day to day experiences.
The only explicit interaction with the light I noticed was when Adam said, Whoa! when he
looked under the sensory table. I noticed at the painting area that the lights seemed to reflect off
the mirror behind. I do wonder if the childrens engagement with painting the mirror stemmed
from the reflections the mirror produced.
again?
If I were to set this provocation up again I would definitely choose a different time of day, either
early morning provocation time or a late afternoon provocation time to engage children during a
69
quieter, less busy time of the day. I would also have flipped the sensory table insert sooner to
engage children more easily with the oil pastels.
I wonder if the set up of the paper under the table impacted childrens grip on the art tools and if
this deterred children from engaging in this area.
After exploring the colored lights in the clear table I think it would be interesting to explore color
with light materials. For example using cellophane to create a layered collage or using colored
markers on the projector. So far during this exploration of light our focus has been on clear,
white, black, and reflective/silver materials. Our investigation of color with light, particularly
with the projector, has been limited.
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Provocation Planning Form, Room 105

Name: Rebecca Trehus
Date submitted: 04/24/17 Date implemented: 04/24/17
Title: Building Shadows with Blocks Outside
Observation: What? What are children saying, doing? What observations is this based on?
Continuation of our light and shadow project. Children have been engaging with different types
of blocks and building materials in the classroom. I wanted to provide an extension of a familiar
building interest with a new aspect: shadow work.
Question: (finding intention for provocation)

How does using natural light impact childrens engagement with light and shadow experiences?
Hypothesis: What do you predict the children will do and learn from this?
I expect children to initially explore the block structure, build with the blocks by moving pieces
that are already set up, to perhaps notice the shadows on the table, and to eventually knock the
structure down in order to create their own block and shadow structures.
We are continuing to explore cause and effect tendencies, specifically we are focusing on
actions that produce consistent results and engaging in new actions to produce new results. I
anticipate children will transfer some of this prior knowledge into this experience.
Setting: Where will you offer this? Why?
I will set up the blocks by stacking them in order to create an array of shadows on the picnic
table outside. I want to provide an intentional space on the playground for children to engage
with if they choose not to climb or dig in the sandbox during our playground time.
Materials:
Colored blocks
Picnic table
Procedure: (what is going to happen first? Facilitating provocations is more than just
observing, how are you going to engage students? How will you extend their learning? How
are you going to close your lesson?)
1. First I will arrange the blocks on the picnic table. I imagine this will draw childrens
attention to the blocks at the table. If it does not I will invite children to come to the
picnic table.
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2. As children engage with the blocks I will narrate their actions and ask questions to
expand their thinking, such as: I notice this shadow is round. What happens if you put
that block over here?
3. If/when children knock down the block structure I will encourage them to build their own
structure: What could you build with these?
Extensions: (how can you extend their learning?)
Encouraging children to build by describing block locations using prepositions and spatial
language (What if you move the round blue block thats next to the square one?)
Simplifications: (how can you make it easier?)
Hand over hand support
Building structures for them to knock down
Essential Questions: (Open-ended Qs to ask children to provoke thinking)
I wonder what happens to the shadow when you move this block?
Where could you move this block to make the shadow taller?
Reflection: What happened? Did it go like you thought? Did anything not go well? Why?
What will you try again next time? What will you change for next time?
Although this was a quick exploration with the blocks, Adam engaged with the shadow and
block structure for an extended period of time. As Adam played, Wiley and Katelyn briefly
joined in as well. Adam was interested in stacking the blocks in different ways and moving the
blocks into new locations. When I pointed out that one of the shadows was round and another
was pointy, Adam repeated the word pointy. He also said, Tall after I asked him about
putting the tall block on top of another block.
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Content Area: Whole Group Provocation
Title: Exploring Color with Cellophane Shapes Lesson #:_8_ of _10_
4. Number Sense
1. Show some understanding that numbers represent how many and demonstrate
understanding of words that identify how much.
Emotional Development Standards
3. Recognition of Ability
1. Show an understanding of their own abilities and refer to those abilities when
describing themselves.
6. Impulse Control
1. Sometimes exercise voluntary control over actions and emotional expressions.
What do you see? What types of shapes do you see?
How many shapes do you see?
What kinds of shapes will you make ?
Tell me about what youre working on. What would it look like if you added this (square, triangle,
rectangle)?
Its time to clean up now. Will you put the away, or the ?
Children explore shapes and color over light using clear cellophane loose parts.
Children engage in emerging numeracy by using the concepts of one, two, and more
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Children transition through familiar classroom routines with ease, particularly when adults
prompt children as to what is coming next.
Students use verbal language to describe their abilities and those of their peers.

While engaging with clear colored cellophane shapes, children will engage in emergent numeracy by
counting up to ten (not always in order), children will verbalize their accomplishments and those of their
peers.
When children are finished playing they will demonstrate their ability to transition through familiar
routines, particularly when teachers offer a verbal reminder or advanced notice of the upcoming
transition.
Children demonstrate their developing number sense by counting (not always in the correct order) and
may begin to engage in one-to-one correspondence by pointing to objects as they count. Appropriate
counting at this age may sound like, one, two, three, five, nine, ten! Children also demonstrate their
understanding of numerical concepts by using words like, one, two, more to describe materials they
have or materials they desire.
Children demonstrate their ability to communicate about their accomplishments and those of peers using
both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication, including: smiling, laughing, clapping, and using
simple phrases with inflection to demonstrate their excitement and pride in their accomplishment (saying
I did it!, Becca, look!).
Children demonstrate their ability to transition through familiar routines by following simple two step
directions. Children who resist initial transition respond to specific choices offered by teachers (Its time
to clean up. Do you want to put away the giraffe or give the baby a hug and put it in the basket?)
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Activity Name Exploring Color with Cellophane Shapes
Approx. Time and Materials 60-75 minutes of Free Play Time
Camera
Light Table, 3-4 Chairs

Colored Cellophane Shapes, Laminated
Tape
Keyboards and phones

Bugs and soil in sensory table
After children have explored the shapes on the light table, children will be given an opportunity to
explore the projected shapes in Lesson 9.
Anticipatory Set The light table will be pulled away from the wall to create four work spaces for children to engage
The hook to grab students attention. with. The light table will be set up with some shapes laid out with others on a tray.
These are actions and statements by the All materials will be set up as a provocation for the children to engage with during the free play
teacher to relate the experiences of the timeframe in the morning.
To put students into a receptive frame of Other areas of the classroom will also be set up for play. Keyboards and phones with buttons will be
mind. displayed on the stage area, and bugs and soil will be open in the sensory table for children to explore.
the lesson.
organizers)
introduced.
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Procedures Set up: Pull the light table away from the wall and add four chairs to the space. Set a few of the
(Include a play-by-play account of what laminated shapes out onto the light table, with the tray of extra pieces set in the middle.
students and teacher will do from the
minute they arrive to the minute they Children will be welcomed to engage with the materials for as long as they like. As children create new
leave your classroom. Indicate the shapes and designs with these loose parts, teachers will photograph their creations and tape them
length of each segment of the lesson. together to be used for the projections the following day. Children can also be encouraged to tape their
creations together. As children explore the colored shapes teachers will facilitate their engagement by
asking inquiry questions, including: What do you see? What types of shapes do you see? How many
Indicate whether each is: shapes do you see? What kinds of shapes will you make ? Tell me about what youre working on.
-teacher input What would it look like if you added this (square, triangle, rectangle)?
-modeling
-questioning strategies As children play, teachers will embed shape names and will smile and nonverbally reassure children.
-guided/unguided: Children have recently been exclaiming, I did it! when they accomplish a task. Teachers will provoke
-whole-class practice language by prompting, You did! Tell me about it!
-group practice When it is time to clean up, teachers will facilitate tidying up the area by asking children to tidy up
-individual practice specific items. The class has been working on helping with clean up and teachers have been exploring
-check for understanding techniques to engage the children in more clean up time. Teachers have made clean up a fun game by
-other spying an item that needs to get put away and asking if children see it too. When children spot the item
they are encouraged to put it away.
Closure
Those actions or statements by a When it is time to clean up, teachers will facilitate tidying up the area by asking children to tidy up
teacher that are designed to bring a specific items. The class has been working on helping with clean up and teachers have been exploring
lesson presentation to an appropriate techniques to engage the children in more clean up time. Teachers have made clean up a fun game by
conclusion. Used to help students bring spying an item that needs to get put away and asking if children see it too. When children spot the item
things together in their own minds, to they are encouraged to put it away.
taught. Any Questions? No. OK, lets As children clean up teachers will thank them for tidying up the area and will make sure to link the
move on is not closure. Closure is praise to the outcome: You cleaned up now no one will trip on it!
used: Teachers will also bring attention to children who are cooperating with the clean up process and
To cue students to the fact that they childrens accomplishments of tidying up the room.
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consolidate.
Assessment
How will you know if students met the Children demonstrate their developing number sense by counting (not always in the correct order) and
learning targets? Write a description of may begin to engage in one-to-one correspondence by pointing to objects as they count. Appropriate
what you were looking for in each counting at this age may sound like, one, two, three, five, nine, ten! Children also demonstrate their
assessment. understanding of numerical concepts by using words like, one, two, more to describe materials they
have or materials they desire.
Children demonstrate their ability to communicate about their accomplishments and those of peers
using both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication, including: smiling, laughing, clapping,
and using simple phrases with inflection to demonstrate their excitement and pride in their
accomplishment (saying I did it!, Becca, look!).
Children demonstrate their ability to transition through familiar routines by following simple two step
directions. Children who resist initial transition respond to specific choices offered by teachers (Its
time to clean up. Do you want to put away the giraffe or give the baby a hug and put it in the basket?)
Differentiation A variety of sizes of cellophane shapes will be available to engage all levels of learners.
To modify: If the activity is too
advanced for a child, how will you To modify: Teachers will model creating shapes next to children and will narrate what shapes they are
modify it so that they can be successful? using while they construct with the cellophane shapes.
a child, how will you extend it to To extend: Teachers will challenge children to increasingly create complex 2-Dimensional structures
develop their emerging skills? and to label what they have created.
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of achievement)
Three children engaged with the materials during this provocation; Silas, Wiley, and Aubri. Silas
pointed to three circles and said, one, two, three! Then he held up a red piece and said, A red
one!. Aubri held up two blue circles, one clear and one shiny and said, That one is a blue one
too. That ones shiny too! Blue one, Becca! Wiley held up a red semi-circle and said, The
moon! The sky!
Children meet the lesson objective of demonstrating developing number sense. When I asked
Aubri how many circles she had she held up two and said, two, three! When I asked Silas the
same question he correctly counted, one, two, three. This demonstrates that children are
beginning to understand that numbers have meaning, yet they dont always connect numerals to
quantities correctly yet.
All three children engaged with the materials enthusiastically and spoke with inflection in their
voice when I prompted about their engagement with the cellophane shapes. Aubri (Blue one,
Becca!) and Silas (A red one!) demonstrate their ability to share their accomplishments
verbally, while Wiley smiles and provides language about what he sees (Aw, shiny!)
All children in the room (6 total at this time) demonstrate success when transitioning to the next
routine after morning play.
again?
I was excited that children engaged with the materials purposefully and with great focus for
several minutes. I didnt anticipate that children would layer all of the shapes in a pile as opposed
to just a few, however this added to their play and introduced experiences with color mixing.
Next time I would consider having children use a limited amount of shapes to begin to keep the
integrity of making shapes, however the children did explore making different designs and
engaged with the different colors and properties of the shapes. Overall I think this was a very
successful provocation.
For the next provocation I would like for children to explore layered color on the projector and to
interact with shapes projected onto the wall with big body movements. Some children could be
creating shapes at the light table which would then be projected onto the wall for children to
explore.
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Teacher: Rebecca Trehus Date: May 1, 2017

Content Area: Small Group
Title: Exploring Color with Cellophane Shapes on the Projector Lesson #:_9_ of _10_
1. Receptive Language
1. Demonstrate understanding of the meaning of others comments, questions, requests,
or stories.
2. Gross Motor Development
1. Move with ease, coordinating movements, and performing a variety of movements.
How can you move your body to match the shape on the wall?
What do you notice about the color on the wall?
Children change the way they move their bodies in order to mimic shapes projected and cast similar
shaped shadows.
Children use big body movements in their explorations of light and shadow by watching their shadows
movements, changing their moments to produce changes in the movements of their shadows and
engaging in familiar movements to produce familiar shadows (reaching, running toward wall).
Students respond to language of peers and adults with verbal and nonverbal responses, indicating
understanding of verbal language.
Children interact with peers and adults during play experiences.

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Children will interact with colored shape projections that they have previously created with familiar and
new big body movements.
Children use both familiar and new gross motor movements to interact with and mimic the shapes that are
projected onto the wall, including: reaching, walking/running toward the wall, bending, making a T with
arms, spreading legs, etc.
Children demonstrate an understanding of adults language, comments, and requests by responding
physically (changing their physical movements), responding verbally using single words or simple two-
three word phrases, and responding nonverbally by nodding, smiling, waving, etc.
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Activity Name Exploring Color with Cellophane Shapes on the Projector
Camera
Colored Cellophane Shapes from Lesson 8

Images of childrens creations from Lesson 8
Anticipatory Set Children will be invited to the gym to revisit previous materials in a new orientation: projected onto the
The hook to grab students attention. wall.
These are actions and statements by the
teacher to relate the experiences of the Photographs of childrens creations with the cellophane shapes will be displayed along with their
students to the objectives of the lesson, actual creations in the gym next to the projector. The projector will be on top of a table where children
To put students into a receptive frame of will have more limited access to the surface.
mind.
the lesson.
organizers)
introduced.
Procedures Set up: Photographs of childrens creations with the cellophane shapes will be displayed along with
(Include a play-by-play account of what their actual creations in the gym next to the projector. The projector will be on top of a table where
students and teacher will do from the children will have more limited access to the surface.
minute they arrive to the minute they Teachers will engage children with the projections themselves and will encourage children to
81
leave your classroom. Indicate the manipulate their bodies to match the shapes that are cast onto the wall.
List actual minutes.) As children explore the colored projections with their bodies teachers will take photos and notes,
Indicate whether each is: observe childrens play, and ask prompting questions such as: How can you move your body to match
-teacher input the shape on the wall? What do you notice about the color on the wall?
-modeling Certain children have been observed to only focus on the projector during these experiences in the gym.
-questioning strategies The intent of this experience is for children to really engage with the projections themselves. Children
-guided/unguided: can be expected to be curious about seeing what is on the table. Teachers can adapt the lesson to engage
-whole-class practice children with the shapes by putting the projector in a reachable area for small amounts of time or by
-group practice incorporating a small light table in the gym with cellophane shapes on it so children can engage with
-individual practice materials in two areas.
-other When it is time to go back to the classroom teachers will support childrens ability to tidy up the area.
Teachers will chant the familiar, march, march, march to the door to transition back into the
classroom.
Closure
Those actions or statements by a When it is time to go back to the classroom teachers will support childrens ability to tidy up the area.
teacher that are designed to bring a Teachers will chant the familiar, march, march, march to the door to transition back into the
lesson presentation to an appropriate classroom.
things together in their own minds, to When children are transitioning back to the classroom teachers will ask questions and revisit what
make sense out of what has just been actions the children were making and how the shapes projected on the wall impacted their movements.
taught. Any Questions? No. OK, lets I noticed you put your arms out when you saw the two lines on the wall
used:
consolidate.
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Assessment
learning targets? Write a description of Children use both familiar and new gross motor movements to interact with and mimic the shapes that
what you were looking for in each are projected onto the wall, including: reaching, walking/running toward the wall, bending, making a
assessment. T with arms, spreading legs, etc.
Children demonstrate an understanding of adults language, comments, and requests by responding
physically (changing their physical movements), responding verbally using single words or simple two-
three word phrases, and responding nonverbally by nodding, smiling, waving, etc.
Differentiation To extend: Teachers will encourage children to challenge their bodies by moving in new and inventive
To modify: If the activity is too ways and encouraging children to take risks (standing on one foot)
modify it so that they can be successful? To modify: Teachers will model an action and will encourage children to mimic it.
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of achievement)
Jake looked at the photos and said, I see Wiley. I see Adam, too! Aubri hat. The toddlers
commented on the shapes and colors of the projections. This is a triangle Aubri said, A big
one! Silas was less engaged with the materials initially, however after observing his peers
engage with the projector he too decided to explore the colored projections.
Primarily the children utilized fine motor movements to manipulate the cellophane shapes. They
were more interested in holding them up to the light than using their bodies to mimic the
projections shapes. Aubri did reach up to touch a blue circle projection on the wall and Jake and
Silas bent down to look more closely at a low projection.
The toddlers contributed a lot of language with the experience in the gym and demonstrated
receptive language by answering my questions appropriately. At one point the group migrated to
the other side of the gym. I reminded them by saying, Today we are only using the projector
area of the gym. Come back over please. All three children returned to the area without
additional prompting or adult help.
Interestingly, today the children were equally as engaged with the projections as they were with
the surface of the projector. It seems that having it on a high table helped keep children engaged
with the projections themselves, as opposed to manipulating materials on the surface of the
projector.
again?
Initially I wanted all the children to engage with the shapes on the light table before they
explored them on the projector. In order to maintain group size I ended up inviting Jake with this
group of children as well, even though he hadnt explored the colored cellophane shapes
previously. Next time I would like to have a light table station nearby where children can explore
the shapes on the light table and then transition to exploring their projections.
It would be exciting to revisit this experience with a different group of children, perhaps
including Aubri in the next group as she was the most engaged with the experience today. Also,
setting up two areas of the gym to engage all different types of interests for a slightly larger
group (5 children) would be an interesting adaptation/extension of this experience.
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Teacher: Rebecca Trehus Date: May 5, 2017

Content Area: Whole Group
Title: Levels of Light Lesson #:_10_ of _10_

1. Cause-and-Effect
How is the light projector different than the light table?
How is the projector the same as the digital projector?
How can you use the materials from the light table on the projector?
Students explore materials that create light and shadow through use of their senses, including
touch, sight, kinesthetic and proprioceptive experiences.

Every student will engage with light and shadow in at least one area of the gym.
85
Children engage with light and shadow materials on the small scale using their fingers and hands and
may grasp, pinch, pat, pull, and/or turn materials with their hands.
Children engage with light and shadow materials in large scale ways using big body movements and
manipulating projections and lightscapes with their bodies.
Children explore how to create consistent and new results by repeating familiar actions (dumping,
throwing, stacking, etc.) with similar materials or in similar environments, and using new actions (sliding
materials, layering materials etc.) to create new results.
86

Activity Name Levels of Light
Camera
Pen and paper for documentation
Digital projector with moving image to interact with (west side of the gym)
Overhead projector
3-5 Light Tables (east side of the gym)

Clear, white, black, reflective loose parts
Cellophane shapes
Colored window blocks
Large Mirror
Anticipatory Set Children will be invited to the gym to engage with the light and shadow studio for 30 minute increments
The hook to grab students attention. several days in a row. Teachers will document what children do each day and how their actions with
These are actions and statements by the materials stay the same or change. The area will remain set up for as an open invitation for all
teacher to relate the experiences of the classrooms in the building to explore. Teachers will document how each age group participates with
students to the objectives of the lesson, the materials with the hopes of creating documentation about how children of all ages explore light and
To put students into a receptive frame of shadow materials.
mind.
the lesson.
organizers)
87
introduced.
Procedures Set up: Teachers will acquire borrowed light tables on Thursday afternoon and will bring them into the
(Include a play-by-play account of what gym following the RPM. All materials will be organized based on color in the gym space with photos
students and teacher will do from the printed of material organization to maintain the aesthetic of the room. Documentation of the toddlers
minute they arrive to the minute they exploration with light and shadow will be displayed on preschool sized table inside the gym. A notice
leave your classroom. Indicate the of rights will hang on the gym door, inviting children and adults to use the space with care and
length of each segment of the lesson. intentionality.
As children explore this area teachers will photograph and record anecdotal notes of childrens
Indicate whether each is: engagement in the space.
-teacher input
-modeling Teachers will encourage children to use materials from different areas on the projector and to make
-questioning strategies inferences about the projections each type of material will create (colored, dark, light, round, etc.)
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice When children are finished in the space each time teachers will facilitate tidying up the space to prepare
-group practice it for the next group of children.
-other
Closure
teacher that are designed to bring a When children are finished in the space each time teachers will facilitate tidying up the space to prepare
lesson presentation to an appropriate it for the next group of children.
things together in their own minds, to Teachers will document how children participated in the studio space and how these interactions
make sense out of what has just been changed/stayed the same over time.
used:
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consolidate.
Assessment
How will you know if students met the Children engage with light and shadow materials on the small scale using their fingers and hands and
learning targets? Write a description of may grasp, pinch, pat, pull, and/or turn materials with their hands.
what you were looking for in each Children engage with light and shadow materials in large scale ways using big body movements and
assessment. manipulating projections and lightscapes with their bodies.
Children explore how to create consistent and new results by repeating familiar actions (dumping,
throwing, stacking, etc.) with similar materials or in similar environments, and using new actions
(sliding materials, layering materials etc.) to create new results.
Differentiation Different materials in several areas of the gym will be available to engage children of all ages and
To modify: If the activity is too abilities in the light studio space.
89

of achievement)
We transformed our gym space into a light and shadow studio where the children engaged with
all the different types of light materials that we have been exploring this semester. Each light
table housed different, yet familiar materials, including: cellophane shapes, clear cups, and black,
reflective, and clear loose parts. Children transferred materials from the light tables and the
materials shelf to explore their projections using the overhead projector. A light table was
propped on its side in one corner of the room with sensory bottles and window blocks available.
Adam looked very closely at the sensory bottle before deciding to pick it up. When he handled
the bottle the contents swirled around and he said, Whoa! We used the sensory bottles in front
of the window, the side of the projector, and on the light tables. Jake enjoyed looking for his
picture and pictures of friends in the book documenting our project. Silas pointed at the easel and
said, This is light.
I wasnt able to set up the digital projector due to space limitations, however the experience was
incredibly successful without it. Children engaged in all of the different areas of the gym and
with all the materials. I was excited when children began integrating all of the different materials
in the gym into their explorations on the different surfaces.
again?
I am planning to revisit this experience each day for the next week to document how childrens
interactions with materials stay the same or change over repeated exposures to the studio space.
The next time I present these materials to children, I would like to do so in a small group who all
enter the space at the same time. We started the morning in the gym and children were dropped
off in the studio space. This was very effective this morning, but I wonder how childrens
interactions in the space may have been different if we all entered the same time.
For the next lesson, I am envisioning continuing to work in the gym studio space with these
materials and adding materials to the experience, such as drawing on the easel with the lights
behind to revisit this concept from a previous experience. I am also interested in using the
digital projector to project scenes for the children to engage with , especially to investigate how
this may influence childrens dramatic play.
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Assessment Data and Analysis

Teaching Strategies Gold is the assessment tool that the ECC uses. Pre-Assessment data
for this unit was collected from checkpoint assessments that were completed February 3, 2017.
Lessons for the unit began on March 7, 2017. Post-Assessments took place in the form of
Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) documentation and semester checkpoints and were completed at
the finale of the unit lessons. Assessments took place in the form of student rankings on the
Developmental Domains and Objectives, as provided by TSG. Student growth was measured
according to student rankings in Social-Emotional, Physical, Language, Cognitive, Literacy, and
Mathematics developmental domains. Seventeen TSG standards were used for pre-and-post
assessments. Hollys data was not calculated in the data analysis as she joined the classroom
halfway through the project.
TSG utilizes a numerical scale in combination with color coded bands to indicate
developmental appropriateness of each developmental objective. Developmental
appropriateness and student age for each objective was taken into account when student growth
was being assessed. Children were not expected to rank outside of their developmental level,
however on occasion growth was measured outside of the childrens developmental level. Pre-
and-post assessment scores are given in the tables below.

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Assessment Data Table
Pre-Assessment Data, TSG Ratings on Developmental Dimensions

Child Adam Aubri Austen Helena Inga Jacob Katelyn Silas Wiley
Note: N.O. = Not Observed
TSG Class
Dimension Average
2a 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 4.89
2b 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2.11
2c 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
3a 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 1.78
3b 2 2 N.O. 3 N.O. 2 2 2 2 2.14
4 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 3.78
5 4 4 3 4 N.O. 5 4 4 4 4
7a 4 5 3 5 3 4 4 4 4 4
8a 3 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 3 3
9a 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 3.67
11d 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
12a 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
12b 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 2.78
17a 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2.11
20b 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1.33
21a 2 2 1 3 1 2 2 2 2 1.89
21b 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1.11
Post-Assessment Data, TSG Ratings on Developmental Dimensions
Child Adam Aubri Austen Helena Inga Jacob Katelyn Silas Wiley
Note: N.O. = Not Observed
TSG Class
Dimension Average
2a 5 6 5 6 6 5 6 5 6 5.56
2b 3 4 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3.44
2c 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 2.56
3a 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2.44
3b 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 5 3 4.22
4 4 5 4 5 4 4 5 4 4 4.33
5 5 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 4.44
7a 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 5 4 4.33
8a 5 6 5 6 5 5 5 5 5 5.22
9a 5 5 5 5 4 5 4 5 4 4.67
11d 4 5 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 3.89
12a 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 2.89
12b 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3.33
17a 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3.22
20b 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 2.56
21a 3 4 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 3.11
21b 3 4 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 2.78
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Growth was measured in every domain assessed as demonstrated by classroom averages in the
pre-and post-assessments. Dimensions 3.b and 8.a had the most growth during this timeframe;
however each dimension had noticeable growth during the duration of this project. Class average
growth is displayed in the graph below.
TSG Pre-and Post-Assessment Data Comparison

6
5
TSG Objective Level
3
Pre-Assesment
2 Post-Assesment
0
2b
8a
2a
2c
3a
3b
7a
9a
4
5
21a
12a
17a
11d
12b
20b
21b
TSG Dimension
Increases in childrens objective levels are likely not isolated to the current project and
may also be due to childrens continued developmental growth combined with numerous
classroom experiences and provocations presented during the spring, 2017 semester.
Additionally, children in the classroom are on the older age range to be enrolled in the classroom
and will be transitioning to the Older Toddler room at the end of the semester. These variables
may have impacted the amount of growth children presented on the spring TSG checkpoint.
Documentation of student learning was shared with families and school staff in the form of daily
journals and are included in the appendix (appendix A).

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Student Teaching Reflection

Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines light as, something that makes vision
possible. Perhaps not surprisingly, throughout this exploration many things became clearly
visible to the teacher candidate, namely childrens curiosity to make things happen, to bring
about consistent and new results, and both children and adults desire to explore new materials.
Childrens exploration of cause and effect seemed to change during the course of the project. At
the start of the project children were interested in the source of the light (Lessons 1, 2, 3).
Towards the end of the project children were more interested in manipulating the materials and
using the light as an inspiration for other play (Lessons 7, 9). Children engaged in the cause and
effect process throughout the project. In Lesson 1 children used their fingers to turn different
types of lights on and off. Silas used a small flashlight, a large push light, a small push light, and
a large flashlight to create light. Each of these lights required a different motion to turn it on and
off. In Lesson 3 Jake was intrigued by the clear objects on the surface of the projector and used
his fingers to move them, looking to the wall to check his work. Alternatively, in Lesson 4
children moved away from focusing on the light and used light as an inspiration for paint. The
childrens engagement seemed to shift after this experience. The projector seemed to be less
novel, and therefore there was more engagement with the actual projections from more children
following this experience. In Lesson 9 children spent an equal amount of time utilizing the
projector and interacting with the projections. Aubri spent her time layering the colored
cellophane shapes on the surface of the projector. Then she would turn and look at the wall, often
pointing and excitedly explaining what she saw. This indicates to me that some of the children
mastered the process of manipulating objects on the surface of the projector and noticed changes
in the projections cast. This also demonstrates childrens awareness of cause and effect
relationships and their growth during the project.

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Throughout the course of the project children were presented and engaged with many
new types of materials. I was very intentional about providing materials slowly over time so that
children would have an opportunity to explore materials individually before using them to create
lightscapes and shadows. Exploring the materials alone first seemed to support childrens use of
the materials to create lightscapes and shadows. Also, the project utilized a lot of loose parts,
which was something I had wanted to incorporate into the classroom more regularly for a long
period of time. One of my main goals with this project was to encourage children to utilize a
more abstract approach to materials and to notice the shadow beyond the objects casting them.
This became a challenge early in the project as children at this age are very sensory oriented in
their interactions with materials, therefore tend to focus on the material over the shadow it is
casting. This was a consideration I had identified at the beginning of the project and so I decided
to challenge myself to create a personal goal to design provocations and set up materials in a way
that would entice children to engage with their shadows. This required me to think critically
about areas of the classroom and of the materials I was presenting to the children. For example, I
felt strongly at the beginning of the project that I wanted children to engage with the projectors
light before they had the opportunity to manipulate objects on the surface to create a lightscape.
For this reason in Lesson 2 I set the projector out of reach and placed a textured material on top
to create a patterned lightscape on the floor where building materials were present. This
experience was successful for play as children integrated other toys and classroom items into
their interactions with the blocks, however teachers had to inquire about the light and asked
questions to prompt childrens engagement with the light and shadows.
It wasnt until the last few weeks of project that children seemed to begin to notice the
projections and natural shadows independent of teachers prompting and inquiry. This shift may
95
have been due, in part to the older nature of the classroom in the spring semester. Alternatively,
the project endured from February 7, 2017 until May 5, 2017 which is a considerable amount of
time for the age and developmental level of the children in this class. The long-term approach for
this project also likely contributed to childrens awareness of light, shadow, and color,
particularly when children worked with the projector in Lesson 9.
Facilitating this investigation of light and shadow was both intriguing and challenging. At
the ECC there are many individuals planning and implementing provocations in the classroom.
This created a consistent challenge of organizing and managing time for the light and shadow
explorations, particularly for the small group experiences. Although the
Monday/Wednesday/Friday class seemed to need the small group experiences more, they were
harder to facilitate with classroom coverage and ratios on those days. I am familiar with the
school setting and lab school culture and have been a member of this community for several
years. That being said, the most difficult aspect of this project was managing the numerous staff
and university students in the classroom during intentional and guided light and shadow
experiences. I continued to struggle with being planned for flexibility and allowing the children
to investigate materials freely, as I felt the university students werent necessarily facilitating the
intentionality and lesson standards provided in the lessons. I attempted to alleviate some of this
tension by sending classroom support staff the lesson plans ahead of time, however this attempt
didnt seem to help much. During one co-teaching provocation it was evident that the presence of
the university students was more invasive to the childrens experience as opposed to being a
facilitating member of the play. This also seemed to manifest itself in the students use of digital
photography to document the childrens experience and the aspects of the experience the
university students drew attention to. In one of the projector sessions the teachers were more
96
engaged with the lightscape than the children, which seemed to deter children from utilizing the
space. I am looking forward to continuing this exploration through the summer, where there will
be fewer adults in the room to manage during provocation experiences.
Another challenge I experienced during the experience is aligning an emergent
curriculum that embeds standards and student interests with a formal lesson plan template.
Typically in this school setting teachers offer a single question for a project and then document
childrens engagement with materials and their peers during experiences. Standards are met
based on childrens interests and the teachers guiding questions and inquiries. However, the
formal aspect of the work sample lesson plan made the project feel more teacher directed than I
am comfortable with in this setting. I am looking forward to moving forward with the project
with a more flexible approach and allowing the children explore materials on their own terms
and documenting their approaches to light and shadow materials.
My next step for the project will focus on utilizing movement of light and projected
scenes on the digital projector in order to investigate how these experience impact childrens
dramatic play. On a recent morning the children heard a baby crying in the hallway and went to
get babies from the basket. I pulled the laptop and brought up a short video of a mother bathing
her baby. The children were enthralled watching the baby and rocked and shushed their baby
dolls as they watched. I wonder about how having natural scenes as a backdrop may influence
childrens dramatic play.

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Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is strongly aligned with the fundamental principles that the
Reggio Emilia Philosophy maintains. This foundation has led me to believe that one of the most
important factors in Early Childhood Education is the process of building positive relationships.
Developing relationships with materials, with peers, and caregivers is of primary importance in
early childhood. I believe children who develop problem-solving skills, social skills, and
responsibility for their actions grow into adults who are respectful of others, who are capable of
standing up for what they believe in, and adults who arent afraid make mistakes because they
understand that making mistakes promote opportunities for growth.
My philosophy of teaching demonstrates that I am dedicated to viewing children as
capable individuals, collaboration with parents and colleagues, and development of the whole
child. I believe children have the right to be respected, children have the right to feel safe and
loved, and children have the right to curiosity and exploration. I believe that being an educator
requires love and understanding. I believe that supporting autonomy is a crucial aspect to being
an early childhood educator. I believe that the world needs more creative thinkers, who can
respect differences in opinion and know how establish positive relationships with others and that
these skills develop early in development and should be supported in early childhood.
Because I maintain these beliefs about children and education, I am committed to
offering high quality care and educational experiences for young children; fostering creativity
and independence for students in a safe and engaging environment, and cultivating positive
relationships with children, families, teaching colleagues, and the surrounding community.
Image of the child is extremely important to me. I strongly believe in viewing children as
capable beings. I have observed how this practice empowers children, offers them freedom to
98
make choices, and allows children to recognize that they can be in command of their learning. I
believe children should be communicated with in a respectful manner, in a way that is
developmentally appropriate and facilitates their understanding. I rely on positive guidance
strategies in my practice to modify behavior and to promote an environment of mutual respect
that is responsive to student needs.
I also believe in the value of collaboration and working within a teaching team to solve
problems, develop new ideas, and reflect on current practice. I engage in respectful interactions
with others and view teaching as a reciprocal process. I value other teachers experiences,
thoughts, and ideas and seek to work in partnership using a strengths based perspective to
overcome challenges.
I believe effective educators seek to facilitate the development of the whole child and that
the domains of development are interconnected in their very nature. As an Early Childhood
Educator and Masters Candidate my focus on my students is as much on their social-emotional
development as it is on their academic growth. Providing developmentally appropriate teaching
practices and providing students with a just right, right now challenge is of utmost importance
to me. I also maintain that educators must have high ethical standards, a professional disposition,
and the willingness to go above and beyond what is required.
Overall, I am dedicated to students and strive to provide the best care and educational
experience that I can for young children. I seek to bring professionalism, joy, and enthusiasm to
the classroom environment each day. I hold my values of image of the child, collaboration with
others, and using developmentally appropriate practice close, while continually seeking new
knowledge and opportunities to reflect on current practice in order to provide excellent
educational experiences for young students.

99
References
Chaill, C. (2008). Light as an introduction to bid ideas. In K.V Canton (Ed.), Constructivisim
across the curriculum in early childhood classrooms: Big ideas as inspiration (pp. 13-
36). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Colorado Department of Education. (2015, October 9). Colorado early learning and development
guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.cde.state.co.us/early/eldgs
Colorado State University Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). Early Childhood
Center annual review. Retrieved from http://www.ecc.colostate.edu/news-
events/files/annual-report/2016/304804_ECC-AnnualReport-2016-www%20(003).pdf
Lewin-Benham, A. (2014). Infants and toddlers at work: Using Reggio-inspired materials to
support brain development. New York: Teachers College Press.
Merriam-Webster. (2017). Definition of light. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/light
United States Census Bureau. (2015). Quick facts Fort Collins city, Colorado. Retrieved from
http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/0827425

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Teacher Work Sample

How do toddlers explore cause and effect relationships with

Colorado State University Early Childhood Center

Topic and Rationale 9

Goals and Objectives 11

Backwards Design Considerations 12

Learning Plan and Web Design 20

Lesson Plans 21-87

Assessment Data and Analysis 90

Student Teaching Reflection 93

Setting and Context

classroom, I am primarily responsible for implementing State of Colorado licensing standards

and NAEYC accreditation standards in a play based curriculum, providing classroom

through assessment tools and sharing outcomes at parent-teacher conferences, in addition to

other classroom responsibilities.

Culture and Community Context

philosophy embraces an aesthetically pleasing and developmentally appropriate learning

environment, a teacher as researcher pedagogy, utilizes documentation to display student

routines and daily practices, and a constructivist view to learning.

Development and Family Studies department. The Reggio-inspired approach, in combination

unique setting in Northern Colorado.

School Support Structure

The administration team at the ECC comprises of an Executive Director, Director of

Operations, Assistant Director, Operations Coordinator, and a Receptionist. The Director of

out of the building.

working with children in a structured setting.

large part of the ECC community.

ECC reflects the largely homologous population of Fort Collins.

The ECC has one classroom participating in CPP.

a not-for profit entity.

requirements. The classroom displays documentation of childrens learning primarily through

natural materials contribute to the home-like environment.

class described their child as both Caucasian and Hispanic/Latino.

School-Wide Policies and Management Considerations

de-escalate situations between children.

Topic and Rationale

as a medium for children to investigate cause and effect relationships.

(Lewin-Benham, 2014, p. 157).

Goals and Objectives

Backwards Design Considerations

What fine motor actions do toddlers use to

Knowledge (Students will know)

2. Expressive 1. Communicate Children 1 9.a.

4. Interest in 1. Listen, ask Children 2 17.a.

Students integrate 1, 7.a

5. Social 1. Talk about Children 6 2.b.

emotional adults prompt

2. Spatial 2. Show Children engage in 5,7 12. a.

3. Imitation 2. Imitate simple Students engage with 3

others doing at an during play

assessment. Summative assessments were conducted through Teaching Strategies Gold

initiation and again in the final weeks of the semester.

the projections using big body movements.

Teacher: Rebecca Trehus Date: March 7, 2017

School: CSU ECC Grade Level: Young Toddlers

Physical Development Standards

Planned Lesson Activities

Approx. Time and Materials 45-60 Minutes

Quiet background music

Move Table to Carpet area

to follow (advanced organizers)

Post Lesson Reflection

Teacher: Rebecca Trehus Date: March 21, 2017