Early Childhood EarthShake Lesson Plans


Lesson Plans

Instructional Resources

Vocabulary

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion


Pre-Assessment

30 Minutes (Optional)

Objective: Students will complete a pre-assessment.

Materials Needed: Assessment demonstration folder, children’s assessment folders, wipe off markers, record sheet

Introduction: Let students know that they will begin their lessons using the NoRILLA machine. Today they will complete their pre-assessment to show what they already know.

  • Some students will take pre-assessment 1, while others will take pre-assessment 2.

  • Students complete their pre-assessment.


Lesson 1: NoRilla introduction

30-45 Minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will complete the Play mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, pre-built blocks and visual sequence card

Visual Sequence Card

Lesson Plan In Action at COTRAIC Headstart


Lesson 2: height

30-45 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will complete the Compete mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  5. Students will focus on learning about how height affects stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, pre-built blocks, Duplo blocks and visual sequence card.

Visual sequence Card


Lesson 3: Base width

30-45 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will complete the Compete mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  5. Students will focus on learning about how base width affects stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, pre-built blocks, Duplo blocks and visual sequence card.

visual sequence card

Lesson Plan In Action at COTRAIC Headstart


Lesson 4: Weight

 

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will complete the Compete mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  5. Students will focus on learning about how having more weight on top affects stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, pre-built blocks, and visual sequence card.

Visual sequence card


Lesson 5: Symmetry

30-45 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will complete the Compete mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  5. Students will focus on learning about how symmetry affects stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, pre-built blocks, Duplo blocks, Duplo base mat with divider and visual sequence card.

visual sequence Card


Lesson 6: Play Mode

30-40 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will complete the Play mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  5. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, pre-built blocks, and visual sequence card.

Visual Sequence Card


Lesson 7: Student Centered TEST MY TOWER

30-40 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will interact with the Test My Tower mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  5. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  6. Students will get to build their own towers and test them on the earthquake table.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, pre-built blocks, Duplo blocks, and visual sequence card.

Visual Sequence Card


Lesson 8: Duplo Letters

30-40 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will complete the Compete mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will build upper case alphabet letters and test for stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, Duplo blocks, Duplo alphabet cards and visual sequence card.

Visual Sequence Card

Duplo Alphabet Cards


Lesson 9: Making trees

30-40 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Test My Tower mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will build different tree structures and test them for stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, Duplo blocks, Duplo tree cards, paper plates, toilet paper rolls, tissue paper.


Lesson 10: Building Bird Nests

40 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Explore mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will build a bird nest that will hold eggs when shaken.

Materials Needed:  NoRILLA, play-doh, natural materials (twigs, grasses, etc.) wooden or plastic eggs


Lesson 11: Soap Bubbles

40 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Explore mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will test and see which type of soap makes more bubbles.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, two leak-proof plastic containers, liquid laundry detergent, powder laundry detergent, soap bubble tally sheet.

Soab Bubble Tally Sheet


Lesson 12: How Many Hats?

30-40 minutes 

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Explore mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will predict the maximum number of hats that will stay on the head form.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, paper hats, hats from home, birthday hats, hat form.


Lesson 13: Mixing Oil and Water

40 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Explore mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6.  Students will experiment with different mixtures of liquids to see which ones separate.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, leak-proof containers, funnel, water, oil, food coloring, dishwashing soap.


Lesson 14: I’m a Builder!

30-40 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Test My Tower mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will build different architectural structures and test for stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, Lakeshore Architecture materials.


Lesson 15: Three-Little Pigs

30-45 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will complete the Play mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  5. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  6. Students will make a connection between literature (The Three Little Pigs) and testing houses for stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, bins of different building blocks; Duplo, Lincoln Logs, Unit blocks.


Lesson 16: Famous Buildings

30-45 Minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will observe the procedures of NoRILLA.

  2. Students will complete the Compete mode.

  3. Students will take turns with peers.

  4. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  5. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  6. Students will learn about Famous Buildings and build and test them using different materials.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, Famous Buildings picture cards, Can You Build This? cards unit blocks, Duplo blocks.

Can You Build This? Card

Famous Buildings Picture Cards


Lesson 17: Monsters from trash

30-45 Minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Compete mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will create monsters from recycled materials to test for stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, recycled cardboard boxes, craft paper, glue, markers.


Lesson 18: Bowling Pins

30-45 Minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Explore mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will use water bottles filled with different amounts of water and learn how weight on top versus bottom affects stability.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, 6 recycled plastic bottles, water, permanent markers, funnels, measuring scale, numbered bottle chart (mark each bottle with a line for measuring the amount of water to add, gradually increasing from no water to a full bottle and corresponding numerals 1-6).


Lesson 19: 3-D Creations

30-45 Minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Explore mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will build bridges or different 3-D creations using recycled materials and see which ones are stronger.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, recycled items: boxes, tubes, paper, etc. craft paper, glue, markers.


Lesson 20: Ball Shapes

30-45 Minutes

Lesson Objectives:

  1. Students will interact with the Explore mode.

  2. Students will take turns with peers.

  3. Students will communicate with peers and adults.

  4. Students will use the scientific method; predict, observe and explain.

  5. Students will try different ways to solve a problem.

  6. Students will test different shaped and textured balls to see which ones will stay on the table longer.

Materials Needed: NoRILLA, balls of different shapes, sizes, materials and weights.


Post-Assessment

 

Lesson Objectives: Students will complete a post-assessment.

Materials Needed: Children’s assessment folders (make sure it’s ready for each child to mark), wipe off markers, record sheet