Review one of the lesson plans provided in your resources (Giant Encyclopedia of Lesson Plans).  What parts of the lesson you have chosen foster curiosity and creativity?  What are 2-3 ways you would differentiate resources or centers for children that are ready for more challenge or need more help?

  

I Am Special Learning Objectives The children will: Learning Centers 1. Feel good about themselves. 2. Learn that they are all unique and different. 3. Find their own special talents. Circle or Group Time Activity Pass an unbreakable mirror around and let each child find one or more thing that they like about themselves. Let each of them take a turn describing to you what they like. For example, "I like my hair.""I like my eyes, and so on. Write the children's names and their descriptions of their features that they like on paper and then hang them up in the classroom for all to see. Art Set out wiggle eyes and collage materials beside several face shapes cut out of construction paper. Encourage the children to decorate face shapes to look like themselves. Blocks Tape individual photos of each child on blocks for use in the Blocks Center. Dramatic Play Set out a prop box containing old hairstyling materials that have their cords cut off, like curling irons, hair dryers, and so on. Add unbreakable mirrors, combs/brushes (disinfect after each use), pretend nail polish, rollers, hairnets, and salon aprons. Let children have fun creating hairstyles for each other and pretending to be salon stylists. Literacy Take full-body photos of each child, develop, cut out their body shapes, laminate them, and add magnets to the backs of each child shape. Write each child's name on construction paper and laminate it, adding a small magnet to the back Set out the photos and names so the children can match them.