LEP 3
Lesson Title: Playdough Cutting
Domain: Motor Skills
CCSS or State Standards:
Resources and Materials:
(can be attached)
Objective:
What students will know and be able to do stated
in student friendly language (use Bloom’s and
DOK levels for higher level thinking objectives)
Essential Question(s):
Over-arching questions of the lesson that will
indicate student understanding of concepts/skills
What is it you want the students to learn/know?
Why?
Inclusion Activity:
Describe an activity that will ensure that all
students and their voices are included at the
beginning of the lesson.
Sequence of Activities:
Provide an overview of the flow of the lesson.
Should also include estimates of pacing/timing.
Instructional Strategies:
Research-based strategies to help students think
critically about the concept/skill
EDU 3710 Nicholas Anderson
Grade/Period: Pre-K
ECSE
SEP.PD.6
Multi-colored playdough (separate),
scissors
I can: identify the color of playdough.
I can: roll the playdough into the length of a hotdog
I can: cut the playdough with scissors into pieces
I can: use my pointer finger and thumb to squeeze the playdough
to help shape a flat piece of playdough
Does the student have the skills to follow along with the lesson?
Can the student cut using scissors, having the motor skills to do so?
Can the student flatten the playdough piece they cut with their
pointer finger and thumb?
The teacher will pull out a few different colors of playdough for the
students to choose from. If a student gets upset that someone else
is using a color that they want the playdough will be divided into
two so two can use the same color.
Teacher directed: pull the playdough out and identify the color, tell
the students what we will be doing: rolling the playdough into a
hotdog shape, then cut it with scissors into xx number of pieces,
then using the pointer finger and thumb to squish the playdough to
flatten the cut pieces. After all pieces are flattened have the
students ball up the playdough and return it to the container.
Guided practice: will follow the above instructions but the teacher
will help where the student needs it.
Independent practice: the student will have to show the teacher
they can do the activity. Students will be allowed to choose the
color they want to work with.
Allowing the students to cut at this grade level can be challenging,
especially in an ECSE setting. You can only encourage the student to
use the scissors correctly by demonstrating how to hold the scissors
LEP 3 EDU 3710 Nicholas Anderson
properly. In this environment you will have students that have not
mastered the skills to do this properly and might require aid in
cutting. I.e., a student might need to use both hands to use the
scissors to cut so the teacher will have to hold the hot dog shaped
playdough for them to cut.

Assessment:
List both formative and summative assessments
that you will use to assess student understanding.
Formative assessments are given during
instruction (check for understanding), summative
are after completion of instruction (how will you
grade – quiz, test, project, paper, presentation,
demonstration, etc.).
Formative: The student will demonstrate that they can follow
instructions or do as the teacher does. Rolling the playdough out,
cutting with scissors, and pinching the playdough into a flat piece
are all guided by instructor assistance.
Summative: Resetting the activity the students can roll out the
playdough into the hot dog shape, be able to cut and flatten the
pieces of playdough by pinching motion without teacher
assistance.

Differentiation:
Describe who will need additional or different
support during this lesson, and how you will
support them. Differentiated instruction could
include testing accommodations, preferential
seating, segmented assignments, a copy of the
teacher’s notes, assignment notebook, peer
tutors, etc.
Work one on one with a student, the main lesson was set up for
two students at a time to gauge the sharing and teamwork as
requested by the CT. For those who cannot pinch or cut use a
variation of methods to help. I.E. teacher holds the playdough for
the student so they can cut it. If they cannot pinch with the pointer
and thumb, then allow them to squish the playdough with three
fingers and attempt to work on the two-finger approach.

Summary, Integration and This lesson was also a great lead in for color identification and
Reflection: counting, but the primary focus was to use motor skills to cut and
List the way that you will bring students together pinch the playdough.
to integrate and reflect on their learning from this
lesson

Reflection:

This was the first lesson I was able to get through the whole class with, it is also worth noting we only

had 6 of our 10 students in class for this lesson. The activity was suggested by the CT to introduce motor skills

with the students as we have alternated cutting activities. Playdough certainly has a way into a child heart as

they worked very well with this lesson. I was proud of this lesson because it promoted an opportunity to

engage the students with not only myself but another friend in the classroom. Using Child 1 and Child 2 as an

example, they were able to follow directions well. Child 2 struggled with the scissors but demonstrated a

willingness to learn and attempt to do it right. Usually, Child 2 demonstrates anger and frustration if he could

not do something the way he was asked to do it, but this was not the case. As an element of sharing in this
LEP 3 EDU 3710 Nicholas Anderson
lesson they both wanted the blue color. Child 2 almost got upset by this, however I provided a compromise,

that we split the playdough in two and they could both have blue. I was not prepared for the willingness to do

so but these kiddos continue to amaze me. These two were the easiest to follow along in completing the

activity.

My next set were Child 3 and Child 4. Child 3 has regressed from the last time he was in this ECSE class.

Hence why he has returned to our classroom. Child 4 has down syndrome and is also from a home that only

speaks Spanish. Child 3 was able to follow the directions for half of the activity. This is where I think the lesson

should have been refocused to one-on-one, but he surprised me in showing Child 4 how to roll her playdough.

Neither child demonstrated that they were able to cut so we spent time pulling the playdough apart and trying

to use our fingers to squish the playdough flat. Child 4 understands some, and I wish I were more fluent in

Spanish to see if me speaking in Spanish would aid her in following directions. I plan to work one on one with

these two separately in the future when we do this activity again. I notice it is difficult at times to get these

students to work on activities when it is play time. It might be beneficial to include this in activities time in the

morning before breakfast.

Children 5 and 6 could not concentrate or follow instructions at all. I attempted to explain, show, help

them, and let them do it on their own. Child 6 usually goes off and dances on her own during playtime, no

engagement with others and rarely does activities. You can call her name multiple times and she simply

ignores you. It is like this most of the time with the CT, paraprofessional, and me. Though I showed both

children what to do it was clear that I was not going to get anywhere though I kept trying. In reflection of this,

I think with the students that have a greater learning disadvantage that perhaps they should be teamed up

with someone who can do the activity, and who would want to help.