• tell whether sounds are the same or different.

• recognize that letters represent sounds and that Aa has its own sound.

Per class

• Ants Facts Sheet  (View)
• Ants Go Marching Song  (View)
• Apple Graph  (View)
• Miss Aa's Song  (View)

• Bag with Aa items

• Four Glue sticks

• Chalkboard/ 2 pieces of Chalk/ 1 eraser

• Four Apples, Apple Juice, Apple Pie

• One Knife

• Corn Meal in small bag

• Tray with sides

• Green, Red, Brown, and Gray Paint and paint brushes

• Large four foot alligator cut out of bulletin board paper

Per Student

• Alligator Puppet  (View)
• Ant Counting Worksheet  (View)
• Anthill Worksheet  (View)
• Homework Note  (View)
• Lines and Circles  (View)
• Miss A Poster  (View)
• Aa Assessment Sheet  (View)

• Brown lunch bag

• 5 Wikki Stix

• One Manila Paper - large

• Tissue paper in red, green, and yellow cut into apple shapes

• Large cut out A’s – cut from large manila paper or large construction paper

• Two Tissues

   

• 15 Bingo Chips

Not Specified

• Indicators  (View)

• diagonal - Line that goes down or up and also sideways
• across - Line that moves from left to right (from side to side)
• ants - Insects that live in our yards and sometimes come into our homes. They live in colonies in anthills.
• alligator - Animal with dry scaly skin a long tail and sharp teeth

Set-up Directions:

Prior to class, the teacher posts the Miss Aa Poster and the Miss Aa Song on the chalkboard or easel in the circle area. A bag of items that begin with Aa should be collected and placed next to the teacher’s chair. The worksheet, Lines and Circles, which is needed to form the letters Aa should have been duplicated and cut out, and there should be one piece of dark construction paper for each student and one for the teacher to demonstrate. A large A should be drawn on construction paper then duplicated for each student. Other supplies that are needed include one paper plate per student, two tissues per student, a glue stick, and pencils, crayons, and washable markers. An area of the chalkboard should be available for the teacher to work one-on-one with students and there should be two pieces of chalk and an eraser.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

The teacher will introduce the lesson and motivate students by showing them the Miss Aa Poster and by teaching them Miss Aa's Song, which is sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It Clap You Hands."

Activity 1 - Miss Aa

Teacher introduces students to Miss Aa Poster who has a cold. The teacher will point out that the A shape is part of her body and that she is wearing a necklace with the lower case a. She has a tissue in one hand and she has a finger going across under her nose. Students are asked how they feel when they are about to sneeze. “Sometimes people try to catch their sneeze by putting their finger under their nose. The sound that you make is the aaaaaaaa sound. When you are sneezing you need a tissue. This keeps the germs from going into the air and spreading your cold. Cross-curricular health information is shared with students. Tissues need to be put into the trash can and not left on tables and other places where people will come into contact with them. If you sneeze into your hand because you couldn’t get to a tissue in time, you should wash your hands to get rid of the germs. When I talk about the sound that Aa makes, I place my finger under my nose (teacher demonstrates) to help you remember the sound. Let’s try it.” Teacher asks for a choral response. "The sound that "a" makes is _________.” If students have a difficult time making the sound, additional practice time will be allowed. “Let’s all place a finger under our nose and make the Aa sound, the sneezing sound.”

Activity 2 - Forming the Letter Aa

Students will be seated on the floor in the circle area each with a piece of dark construction paper and two long lines, two short lines and a circle. The lines and circles are from the Lines and Circles worksheet. The teacher will model making the upper case A using the terminology “diagonal, diagonal, across” as the letter is formed. Monitor students as they assemble their Aa and give individual assistance as needed. Next, the teacher will model making the lower case “a” by placing the circle first and then adding the small line next to it. Students will assemble their lower case “a.” This project gives excellent information about students’ perceptual skills. The teacher glues her model on her construction paper and explains that she will be leaving her model at the center and that each student is going to again assemble their Aa’s from the model and this time they will glue them to their papers. “We have worked together to make our Aa’s, now you will have a chance to try making your Aa’s by yourself at the center. My Aa will be there as a model.” The papers, lines and circles are collected and taken to the center area.

Activity 3 - Center Activities

Prior to sending the students to the various stations, review each activity's directions with the students. The teacher should decide the grouping of students in advance. The groups should consist of students with varying abilities.

Students will go visit the following centers:

(1) Face with Tissue Center: Small paper plates (inverted) are faces. Students draw hair, eyes, eyebrows, using pencils, crayons, or washable markers. Next, the students will glue a tissue over the nose and mouth to “catch” a sneeze.
(2) Large A on construction paper. Students will tear a tissue into tiny pieces to fill in the Aa. This, again, is to help students associate the "aaaaa" sound with sneezing and tissues.
(3) Aa center – Students will assemble and glue letters together using the lines and circles from the Lines and Circles worksheet. It is helpful to have a Paraprofessional at this center to help students be successful.
(4) Chalkboard:  Teacher defines diagonal, across, down, circle and models making these strokes. Students practice these strokes (hand-over-hand, if needed).

Wrap Up:

As students take their projects to their cubbies, the teacher will ask students what letter they worked on today and ask them how they can remember what sound it makes. “I can remember that Aa’s sound is the sound that I make when I _____?” (sneeze) If students are unable to answer, the teacher again places her pointer finger under her nose as a visual cue.  Teacher will lead a discussion that answers the daily challenge question.

Set-up Directions:
Prior to class, the teacher needs to have Miss A Poster and Miss A’s Song in front of the circle area. The teacher needs to have assembled the following prior to the beginning of the lesson: the book, An Apple a Day by Melvin Berger, a large A printed on 8 ½" X 11" manila paper and duplicated for each student, four apples (one small apple to use for printing apples on the large A, one small container of applesauce, one apple juice, and a small apple pie (fried pie would do), one copy of the Apple Graph with colored rectangles, 5 Wicki Stix per student, corn meal on a cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan), apples cut out of red, green, and yellow tissue paper for each student to make a collage,and 8" X 11" paper per student for the collage. Also needed are a knife and glue.

 

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

“Yesterday we met Miss Aa, and she had a cold and was always sneezing. We can make an A with our fingers. Let me show you.” Using the right hand make an upside down V (pointing to the floor) using index finger and middle finger. Using the index finger of the left hand, cross the V in the middle so that you have created an A. Do you remember what sound Aa makes?" Teacher puts her finger under her nose as a visual cue to evoke the aaaa sound made when “catching” a sneeze. "Today we are going to be talking about apples, another word that starts with Aa. Apples are healthy foods that will be good for Miss A and for us. We are going to taste apples fixed in different ways to decide which way we like them best."

Activity 1 - Miss A's Song

While singing Miss A’s Song, point to the words. It is sung to the tune of the song, "If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands." "Miss A’s Song helps us remember her sound and some words that begin with Aa. Let’s sing Miss A’s Song together.”

Activity 2 - Learning About Apples

The teacher will read the book, An Apple a Day by Melvin Berger, to help students learn about how apples grow and the uses of apples. At the end of the book, the teacher says, “We learned that apples can be eaten in different ways. They can be eaten raw, as applesauce, as apple juice, and as apple pie. Today at snack time we will taste each of these and you will vote for the one that is your favorite. I will give you each a colored rectangle and you will place it on our graph above the one you like the best. When everyone has chosen their favorite way to eat an apple, we can see which one the class liked the best. We have learned how apples grow and what they can be used for."

Activity 3 - Examining Parts of an Apple

“Miss Aa likes to eat apples and they are a very healthy snack. You can eat the apple with the peel on or it can be peeled. The parts of the apple that you don’t eat are the stem, the core and the seeds. We are going to cut an apple in half to see what it looks like on the inside. I’m going to cut down beside the stem of the apple to the bottom so that we can see the skin, and the seeds.” Teacher cuts apple to expose the seeds and so students can see the outer layer of skin. She then passes a half around the circle, asking the students to say, “Apple begins with the "aaaa" sound so it starts with Aa. During center time, we will use the two halves to make apple prints by dipping them in paint and printing them on large A-shaped papers. "It is now time for our centers. Now we know what an apple looks like on the inside and what parts to eat and which parts we don’t eat.”

Activity 4 - Center Time
Prior to sending the students to the various stations, review each activity's directions with the students. The teacher should decide the grouping of students in advance. The groups should consist of students with varying abilities.

Center Activities include:
(1) Apple Collage – Students will paint 8 x 11 inch paper with white glue and then place different colors of tissue paper apples onto the paper in an arrangement of their choice.
(2) Apple Printing – Students will make apple prints on large A’s cut out of 8 1/2”x 11” manilla paper. Centers one and two will be located at the opposite end of a work table so that the paraprofessional can supervise two children at one time (one in each center).
(3) Aa Center - Students will construct Aa's out of Wicky Stix from a model and then write them using a finger to write in corn meal on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with raised sides with verbal cues "diagonal, diagonal, across" and "circle, small line."
(4) Computer Center – Students can work on the Buildability lesson, The Letter Aa, if a computer is available in the classroom.

At the end of center time, students will assemble in a circle and share a product they have created.

 

Wrap Up:

“Today we learned that apple starts with Aa and has the “aaaaaaa” sound. What letter does apple begin with? What is the sound of Aa? I want you to look at home to see if you can find something small that begins with the “aaaaa” sound that you could bring to school in your backpack or a picture of something that begins with Aa. This afternoon during snack time we will be tasting apples and we will be filling in our graph. We will place it on our chalkboard to remind us which is our class' favorite way to eat apples.”  The teacher will lead a class discussion that answers the daily challenge question.

Set-up Directions:

Before the lesson begins, make sure that Miss A Poster and Miss A’s Song are in front of the circle. Duplicate one per student of the Anthill Worksheet and the Ant Counting Worksheet, one copy of the Ants Fact Sheet, and one copy of the Ants Go Marching song. Also, have the book, Secrets of the Animal World: Ants by Andrew Llamas. Also needed are pencils, crayons, washable markers, and paper. If a computer is available in the classroom, have the Buildabilty Lesson, The Letter Aa, ready for student use.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

(Students seated in circle) “Yesterday we learned that Miss Aa likes to eat apples. Do you remember what letter says “aaaaa?” Let’s take a look at the pictures and items that you brought in from home that begin with “a.” Students will share their item with the class. "Thank you for sharing with the class. Look up at our Miss A Poster. There are some small insects around Miss Aa. They are ants. Have you ever been on a picnic and seen ants? They are very interesting!”

Activity 1 - Miss A's Song
Sing Miss A’s Song while pointing to the picture symbols. “This song helps us to remember Aa’s sound and words that begin with Aa.”

 

Activity 2 - Learning About Ants
The teacher tells the students basic facts about ants (from Ants Fact Sheet) and can show pictures from books such as, Secrets of the Animal World: Ants by Andrew Llamas. “We have seen what ants look like and have learned about how they live. Who can tell me some facts about ants?”

 

Activity 3 - The Ants Go Marching

“We are going to sing the Ants Go Marching Song. The pictures will help you sing the words with me.” After the students have sung the song, the teacher helps students to see that the words rhyme and that it is also a counting song about ants. Now that we have read about ants and sung about ants, we are going to do some center activities.”

Activity 4 - Center Activities
Prior to sending the students to the various stations, review each activity's directions with the students. The teacher should decide the grouping of students in advance. The groups should consist of students with varying abilities.

Students will go visit the following centers:

(1) Ant Hill Sheets – Students help each ant find its way to the surface from its room by drawing a line from the ant to the surface.
(2) Ant Counting Sheet - Students count ants and draw a line from the group of ants to the ant hill that has the corresponding number.
(3) Writing Aa’s - Students will work one-on-one writing Aa’s first with their finger in corn meal and then on the chalkboard, following the directions: diagonal, diagonal, across and circle, short line.
(4) Art Center - Students will go outside to draw pictures of ants if paraprofessional is available to supervise. If not, have pictures and books or students to look at in order to draw their pictures. The teacher should provide paper, crayons, and washable markers.
(5) Computer Center – Students will work on the Buildability Lesson, The Letter Aa, if the classroom has a computer.

At the end of center time, students will assemble in a circle and share a product they have created.

 

Wrap Up:

“What insects did we learn about today? What is the beginning sound of the word ants? What letter makes the sound "aaaaaaaa?" When we look at the Miss A Poster we can see that the ants are headed for her apple. I hope she eats it before they get to it!”

Set-up Directions:

Prior to the beginning of the lesson the teacher should have the Miss A Song and Miss A Poster in the front of the circle area. The Alligator Puppet should have been duplicated for each student. Brown lunch bags and white paper should be available for each student. The teacher should have drawn and cut out a large alligator out of white bulletin board paper, approximately four feet long, and have it on a work table ready for students to paint, two at a time, giving all students an opportunity to contribute. Supplies that are needed include brown and gray paint, paint brushes, stapler, glue, and the books Never Kiss an Alligator by Colleen Stanley Bare and There's an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer. The Buildability lesson, The Letter Aa, should be ready on the computer if a computer is available in the classroom.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

“Yesterday we talked about an insect that was very small. Do you remember the name? What letter did it start with? Today we are going to learn about a large animal whose name begins with Aa. Here is a picture. Do you know what kind of animal it is?”

Activity 1 - Miss Aa's Song

Students will sing Miss A’s Song as they have at the beginning of each lesson. Students will sing the song while the teacher points to the words. "Miss Aa’s Song helps us remember her sound and words that begin with Aa.”

Activity 2 - Real Alligators
The teacher will read the book, Never Kiss an Alligator by Colleen Stanley Bare. If this book is unavailable, another book can be substituted which gives simple facts about alligators. "We have learned about what real alligators look like and how they live. Now we are going to read a different kind of book about an alligator.”

 

Activity 3 - Pretend Alligators
Teacher shows the cover of the book, There’s an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer, and asks the students if they think this book will be real or pretend. After assuring students that alligators do not live in bedrooms under beds, the teacher reads the story. "We now know that there are fiction (pretend) and non-fiction (true) books about alligators."

 

Activity 4 - Writing the letter Aa

“Look at the Miss A Poster. She is thinking about an alligator that eats Aa’s. Let’s review how we make our Aa’s. We always begin our big A at the top and we go diagonal, which means to the side, diagonal, across. Our little a is a circle and a short line that goes down." Teacher demonstrates on chalkboard. The teacher writes the upper and lower case letters again having students repeat the directionality words, diagonal, diagonal, across and circle, short line going down. "We need to be able to make diagonal lines, across lines and straight lines going down to make Aa’s.”

Activity 5 - Center Time

Prior to sending the students to the various stations, review each activity's directions with the students. The teacher should decide the grouping of students in advance. The groups should consist of students with varying abilities.

Students will go visit the following centers:

(1) Alligator Puppets - Students will cut out the patterns from the Alligator Pattern worksheet. The bottom of the brown lunch bag is folded in half. Staple the top snout to the top portion of the folded brown bag. Staple the bottom snout to the lower portion of the folded bag bottom (within the fold). The children can make teeth and paste them around the top and bottom of the mouth. A Paraprofessional works with students who are very limited in their fine motor abilities. Students who have better fine motor skills can be paired with students who having difficulty with fine motor skills. Students could write an A in the alligator’s mouth since our alligator likes to eat Aa’s.

(2) Painting - Pairs of students will take turns painting the large alligator with brown and gray paint.
(3) Chalkboard – Students will practice writing Aa’s with the teacher.
(4) Computer Center – Students will work on the Buildability Lesson, The Letter Aa, if the classroom has a computer. 


Closure Statement: “Center time is over. When our class alligator is dry, we will place him in the hallway. I hope you had fun making your alligator puppets.”

Wrap Up:
What animal did we talk about today? What letter does it start with? What sound does that letter make?

 

Set-up Directions:

Prior to the lesson, the Miss A Song and the Miss A Poster should be in front of the circle area. The teacher should duplicate the Miss A Poster and the Letter Aa Assessment Sheet for each student. Pencils and bingo markers, for students who are unable to draw circles around the Aa’s, should be provided. The book Elizabeth and Larry by Marilyn Sadler should be available for story time.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

Sing Miss A’s Song. “Miss Aa’s song reminds us of the sound of the letter Aa and words that begin with the letter Aa.”

Activity 1 - Story - Elizabeth and Larry
“Yesterday we read one fiction book (not true) and one non-fiction book (true). I want you to look at the cover of this book and tell me if you think that today’s story about an alligator is real or pretend. What makes you think so?” Teacher reads the story Elizabeth and Larry by Marilyn Sadler. When the book is finished, have the class decide if the book was fiction or non-fiction.

 

Activity 2 - Assessment

“All week we have been working on learning one letter. We have been singing Miss A’s Song and looking at our Miss A Poster. Today we are going to be coloring the Miss A Poster and taking her home. I will be working with you one at a time." The paraprofessional will seat children at work table and supervise coloring while the teacher calls children one at a time to identify the letter A and give the sound. Students who complete their coloring early can turn the paper over and draw some things that begin with the letter “a.” Students will use the Aa Assessment Sheet by circling the Aa’s or using the bingo marker to mark the Aa’s. Teacher can also ask students who are capable to make an Aa on the chalkboard or the paper. If students are developmentally not able to make an Aa, the teacher can make the letters and ask the students to tell the names of the strokes that she is making.

Wrap Up:

“Today we will take our alligator puppets and Miss Aa sheets home. We have been able to find the letter Aa when it is in with other letters and now I would like for you to tell me the sound of the letter Aa. You can see that the Miss Aa Poster has an apple, ants and alligator to help us remember that all of these start with the letter Aa."  Teacher will lead the discussion that answers the class challenge question posed at the beginning of lesson one.