Lesson Plan - Special Gifts, Evaluation

What Happened?

After initially brainstorming ideas about what presents they could give to a baby, I asked the children to think about which present they felt they would enjoy making for a baby. At this point, I was amazed at the children’s enthusiasm and inventiveness. Some children thought that they could compose a lullaby, paint a picture, or make a teddy bear or mobile. However, one child felt that as he enjoyed working with batteries and bulbs, he would enjoy making a night light for a baby, which had previously not been suggested. Some children naturally decided to work together to make a lullaby while others felt it was more appropriate to work individually. One group even decided to combine making a mobile and composing a lullaby to make a musical mobile!

To make the session more manageable, some groups designed their gift first so that I could provide all the necessary equipment. This was particularly relevant for the groups making baby toys or night lights which I had not even thought of myself! The groups composing lullabies either composed using a grid to record an instrumental piece or wrote words which we then edited and then added musical accompaniments to.

The children really enjoyed learning through activities which took account of the multiple intelligences. They felt they had “ownership” over the project and enthusiastically expressed their ideas in different ways. They worked co-operatively and produced work which extended beyond my expectations. All the children were very focused and motivated by their work and the atmosphere in the classroom was very infectious.

The thought provoked using this approach was amazing whether it be the words used in the lullabies, the problem solving strategies used to create night lights, teddy bears or mobiles, or the designing involved with creating a picture for the nursery.

The overall feedback from the children was that they had really enjoyed this approach. It also allowed us to evaluate our own skills and learning strategies. In the feedback session, some children showed how they were very proud of their gifts while others felt that they perhaps should have opted for another solution. For example, one child felt he would have enjoyed making a night light rather than a teddy bear and sewing! This developed into a discussion about our own “gifts” or “talents” which neatly led into the next lesson based upon “invisible gifts”.

The session also made the children more aware about the thought process involved in giving gifts and the happiness it can create. This was a very worthwhile lesson and one I feel the children will remember!