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CURRICULUM
GUIDE
Unit Title: The Rainbow
Story and Other Important Things
Grade Levels: K
Subject/Topic Areas: Literacy and language arts,
science (the water cycle)
Key Words: Science, water, weather, rainbow, choral
reading, singing
Unit Designers: Joanne Cleary, Lisa Troy
School: Tobin School
Time Frame: 2-3 weeks
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Click here for Teacher
Resources:
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Link to Massachusetts
Standards:
Language Arts #1 (discussion), #2 (questioning, listening,
contributing), #4 (vocabulary and concept development), and
#18 (dramatic reading and performance). Science: Asking
questions about events in the environment, talking about why
and what would happen if?, Discuss observations with
others.
Brief Summary of Unit
(including what students will understand as a result of this
unit)
Students will develop and perform a play that helps them
remember and summarize the water cycle segment of their
science curriculum for the year in a form they can
communicate to others (performance/language arts). It is
part of a full year of integrating science, literacy and the
arts in classroom learning.
Drama Strategies
Painting backdrops, oral presentation, performance,
focusing theater games, choral reading
Key Concepts (What statement(s)
clearly expresses what I want students to know and
understand?)
- Every student contributes something when you put on a
play, and every character is important and has something
to say. Performing for people is a way of showing them
who you are and what you can do, and telling them
something interesting about the world.
- Water can be frozen or liquid or a gas; it can
evaporate and condense. Water never leaves us&emdash;it's
always in a continual cycle. Water and phenomenons of
nature&emdash;like weather and rainbows&emdash;are
closely related.
- A rainbow is an arc or circle that includes all
colors and occurs when sunlight reflects off raindrops,
mist or spray.
Essential Questions (What
specific questions will guide this unit and focus teaching
and learning?)
- Where does water go when it "dries up"?
- Where does rain come from?
- What makes colors?
- What do I know about rainbows now that I didn't know
at the beginning of the year?
- How can I show what I know so that other people can
understand?
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Students will know
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Students will be able
to
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Facts and information about
where rainbows come from, the water cycle, color
and light
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Explain scientific phenomenon
such as rainbows, evaporation, and color in
dramatic form to an audience of parents and
peers
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Beginning acting techniques
such as vocal variety and articulation
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Perform short skits so they
can be heard and understood
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How to present themselves on
stage
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Show self-confidence in front
of groups
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The vocabulary of weather and
science terms relating to water and light such as
evaporation or condensation, refraction
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Integrate science and
language arts skills; increase
vocabulary
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How to take turns and do
simple sequences of actions to illustrate songs or
poems
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Develop skills in reading and
patterning
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How to decorate
costumes
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Improve scissors skills,
color knowledge
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Beginning
stagecraft
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Have confidence in oral
presentation, able to sequence dramatic events,
work together as a team
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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT
UNDERSTANDING:
Summary of performance tasks and
projects
- Students paint backdrop for play that includes
elements of the ater cycle: clouds, rainbow
- Students help design and decorate costumes
- Students memorize and perform "Somewhere Over the
Rainbow" and a song about the water cycle ("The Water on
the Earth Goes Round and Round")
- Students perform play for parents
Summary of quizzes, tests and
prompts.
- Students completed several science experiments posing
questions such as:
Where does the water go?
--An experiment in which students weigh and measure a
foam alligator as it both absorbs water and dries out
Where does the ice go?
--An experiment where students measure and weigh snow
or ice as it melts
What makes color?
--Experiments with color and light, color spectrum
experiments
Other Evidence (e.g.
observations, work samples and dialogues)
- Teacher's observations of student's behavior at
rehearsals staged in front of other people
- Video of performance
- Parent feedback
SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES:
What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will
equip students to develop and demonstrate the desired
understandings?
Ongoing/preliminary activities:
- Drama games and activites (suggestions in resources)
to help students learn focus, coordination, vocal
articulation, projection, and sequencing of
movement.
- Reading stories and books about science (list in
resources).
- Performing experiments about the water cycle, light
and color.
1. Teacher helps students make a list: What do we know
about water?
- Help students remember any water experiments,
observations, or stories about water.
2. Teacher reads story, "How the Sky's Housekeeper
Wore Her Scarves" (a porquoi story).
3. Plot making: teacher helps students figure out what
are the important parts of the story? Who are the
characters? What kinds of actions are there?
4. Teacher condenses story into simple script (or use
script in resources).
5. Class all helps paint a backdrop for the play,
using the elements in the water cycle and images from the
story.
6. Class learns poems about water and songs:
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "The Water on the Earth
Goes Round and Round" (in resources).
7. Teacher reads adapted play to class; casts play by
putting each character's name in a can and having each
child pick a character to play.
8. Teacher, together with class, make and decorate
costume pieces for each character. What would they wear?
What kinds of accessories would the character have?
9. The first rehearsal: Narrator (teacher) reads story
and directs each child in their actions. Teacher sends
script home with each child with his/her parts
highlighted so that family can help actor learn
lines.
10. Adding songs: Teacher leads rehearsal, adds in
songs.
14. Dress rehearsal: Class practices play in front of
another class in full costume.
15. Performance!!
What resources are helpful and/or
necessary to accomplish this curriculum?
Books
Any age-appropriate books about water, science or
weather
How the Sky's Hoiusekeeper Wore Her Scarves by
Patricia Hooper
Tom's Rainbow Walk by Catherine Anholt
Skyfire by Frank Asch
Rainbow Goblins by Ul De Rico
What Color Was the Sky Today? by Miela Ford
Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
Colors by Heidi Goennel
Gold at the End of the Rainbow by Wolfram
Hanel
Theordoric's Rainbow by Stephen P. Dramer
Moonbow of Mr. B. Bones by Patrick Lewis
Boy Who Swallowed a Rainbow by Trevor Romain
Gift of Driscoll Lipscomb by Sara Yamaka
Max Paints the House by Ken Wilson
Ned's Rainbow by Melanie Walsh
Wizard and the Rainbow by Kath Vickers
Penguins Paint by Valerie Tripp
Rain Talk by Mary Serfozo
An Ordinary Day by Sally Mitchell Motyka
Websites
• For lyrics to "The Water on the Earth Goes Round
and Round," go
to:www.capecodgroundwater.org/watercyclesong.pdf.
• Rainbow information sites:
www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/blynds/rnbw.html (includes photos
of rainbows as well as lots of excellent information and
experiments)
Materials
• Science experiment materials (crystals, spray
bottle, light sources, color wheels, etc.)
• Props and costumes for performance
• Paint and paper to create backdrop
Curriculum developed by the Department
of Drama and Dance, Cambridge public school teachers and
Studebaker Theater artists involved with the Cambridge
Public School Drama Collaborative, a project funded in part
by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. CPSDC
is a multi-year teacher training program that helps teachers
integrate drama into the curriculum.
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