EED278 Individual Social Studies Activity

30 Points Possible
Name: Francisco Rodriguez
Topic/Title of Activity: Truffula Trees
Target Age Group: 3-5
Part One: Preparation
Personal purpose for completing SOCIAL STUDIES activity with children (1pt):
The purpose of the activity is for children to understand aspects of the environment and the
issues that it faces. Through this activity children will gain knowledge on the actions we have
and the impact it can cause the environment. Through this lesson children will be able to make
connections to the importance of taking care of the environment and how they can make a
difference. The purpose is also to understand the significance and the impact trees have on the
environment and on the animals and people that live in it. After reading the book I want children
to engage in meaningful conversations related to the topic. I would like them to share what they
have learned and to make connections to their personal experiences.
Child objective for implementing SOCIAL STUDIES activity (1pt):
The child objective is to demonstrate
Their ability to understand the causes cutting down trees can have on the environment
How they can make a difference in taking care of the environment.
Making connections between the book and their personal experiences

Anticipated Child Outcome (2pt):

The children will be able to
The outcome of this activity is for children to form an understanding on the importance of taking
care of the environment and how trees and plants help support other forms of life. Another
outcome is for them to form connections between the book the Lorax and personal experiences.
By the end children should have an idea on the role trees play in the environment. They should
be able to name a few reasons as to why trees help sustain the environment and who depends on
them. They should also be able to participate in meaningful conversations on how they can make
an impact on the environment. They should also be able to point out what went wrong in the
Lorax and how they can avoid something similar happening in their environment.
Materials needed and instructions (2pts):
The materials needed for this activity is the Lorax book because prior to commencing the activity
children need to read and understand the events of the book. Next is the materials for making the
truffula tree which are glue, cardboard paper, pipe cleaner straws, multi-color cotton balls, and
playdough. The teacher will cut out circles out of the cardboard paper 5 inches in diameter. Then
the children will form a ball out of the playdough and stick it to the cardboard paper. They will
then cut the pip cleaner straws in half and intertwine two different colors. After they will stick
the pipe cleaner in the playdough and glue one cotton ball on each of the straws. The final
product will be a truffula tree that resembles the trees from the Lorax.
DAP instructional strategies and accommodations (2pts):
7.Ask Questions
8.Give assistance
10.Give directions
The activity was introduced to the children by giving directions on how they were going to
utilize the materials that were at hand. Then as they went about completing their tree we would
provide assistance if they were struggling with a step in creating their truffula tree. As they were
completing the tree I would as them questions relating to the book to see what they remembered
and to listen to their responses. I wanted them to understand what they were creating and on a
deeper level the importance of taking care of trees and what they bring to the table.
Social Studies State Standards Addressed (identify at least 2 for Social Studies 2pts):
Strand 2 Community Concept 2: Rights, Responsibilities and Roles within the Community.
Children were able to recognize that they play a role in the community by keeping the
environment by keeping it clean and taking care of trees. They understood the importance of
planting trees and a few children talked about how they helped their parents plant trees and
plants in their backyards. They also made connections with their personal routines where they
regularly have roles and responsibilities. They compared it to cleaning up and taking care of
toys in their classroom. They also identified that people and animals rely on trees and the fruits
that they produce in order to eat.

Strand 2 Community Concept 3: Geography

The children were aware of geography because they discussed where they saw trees and plants.
One child mentioned that the park where her mom takes her has many trees and plants. Another
child said that they had a grapefruit tree in their backyard. The book was a great to get them to
think about their surroundings and the location of plants and trees. Children also attempted to
give me directions to the park where they say trees and one child even described what the
surrounding looked like on the way to the zoo because he said there were many trees there.
Identify one standard in a different learning domain that is addressed by this activity (1pt).
Strand 1 inquiry and application Concept 4: Communication
One of the more important purposes of this activity was to get children to discuss and
communicate amongst themselves and with us their understanding of the environment and to
share personal experiences. After the book the children were able to reflect on the importance of
taking care of trees by watering them, not cutting them down, and planting more trees. They
made connections to the book and said that if we loiter and cut down trees we would ruin our
environment just like in the book. They interpreted information by saying that trees werent just
good for making the environment pretty but also because it provides food and they gained an
understanding that trees help to produce fresh air that we need to breath.

Part Two: Field Test with Children

Describe or provide specific examples of childrens responses/behavior (2pts):
During circle time when children were reading the book they had questions as to why they were
cutting the trees and what the Lorax looked like. They raised their hands to answer why they
thought the environment turned out the way it did in the book. They would also make
connections to their own experience by stating what kind of threes they have seen and some
mentioned they had trees that produced some sort of fruit at home. When the began making their
Truffula tree they had comments about how they liked the colors that they choose for their trees.
They would also engage in imaginary play by saying their trees would produce a specific kind of
fruit.

Based on your observations, identify modification or variations and why (2pts):

Based on my observations maybe I would ask more questions related to the book. I would also
record their responses on to how the scenario of the book played out. I would also ask questions
like how could they have avoided ruining their environment. Overall I feel like the activity
played out the way I wanted it too and children were very engaged in conversation.

Provide the questions/statements you asked to extend higher order thinking (2pts):
Some questions that I would ask would be how do plants and trees grow? I also asked what fruits
do trees produce and have you seen any in person? Why are trees important to the environment?
Do animals live of the fruits produced by trees like in the Lorax? How do we make more trees?
How can you make a difference in your environment?
List other curriculum areas that may expand or support this activity (2pts):
Assessment of activity (3pt):
I wanted children to observe what was going on in the book so they could make connections to
their environment. I also wanted children to analyze the importance of trees and the role that they
play. The outcomes I was hoping to see were that they would engage in conversations related to
the book and for them to explain their interpretation of the events in the book.

Implementation Evidence (2pts) Include a picture(s) of your implemented activity within the written summary.
Part Three: Class Presentation (4pts) with Props (2pts) on Due Date