Features of organizing and conducting observations in the middle group of kindergarten
Communication between children and nature also has ideological and ideological significance. The accumulation of real, reliable ideas, understanding of the interconnections of natural phenomena lies at the basis of the subsequent formation in children of elements of a materialistic worldview.
The variety of natural objects allows the teacher to organize interesting and useful activities for children. In the process of observing, playing and working in nature, children become familiar with the properties and qualities of objects and natural phenomena, learn to notice their changes and development. They develop curiosity.
Preschoolers are encouraged to use the acquired knowledge and skills in practice: the children moisten the sand, pour water on the snow to create durable buildings, coat the bottom of streams and canals with clay to retain water. In the process of this activity, further improvement of knowledge and development of mental abilities occurs.
The formation of a child’s personality is positively influenced by work in nature. This is the most accessible type of work for children, which has a tangible and significant result. By caring for plants and animals, the child shows concern for nature. In work there is an active process of cognition and application of acquired knowledge. In the process of working in nature, the child’s health is strengthened and his psyche develops. At the same time, the role of the teacher is very important - his ability to create conditions that ensure the activity and independence of each student when exploring nature. The influence of nature on the development of a child’s personality is associated with the formation of certain knowledge about its objects and phenomena. Knowledge about nature helps the child navigate the qualities, characteristics and properties of various objects. Therefore, if we talk about the tasks facing a teacher introducing children to nature, the first among them will be the formation of an elementary system of knowledge in children. The system of knowledge about nature includes knowledge about its objects and phenomena (their characteristics, properties), as well as connections and relationships between them. Knowledge about nature in preschool children is formed at the level of ideas, which reflect significant, but externally expressed features, connections and relationships. The development of a cognitive attitude towards nature in children is associated with the assimilation of a knowledge system. It manifests itself in curiosity, the desire to learn as much as possible.
The role of knowledge in the formation of labor skills and abilities is great. Knowing about the needs of plants and animals, that these are living organisms that need to be taken care of, the child will strive to master various ways of caring for plants and animals and choose them correctly in a given case.
Knowledge about nature encourages children to treat it with care. Good deeds and actions are reinforced by the awareness of the correctness and necessity of such behavior for the purpose of protecting nature. However, a caring attitude towards nature cannot be formed only on the basis of knowledge. Labor in nature is a manifestation of active care for it.
Hence the second task - the formation of labor skills and abilities in children. Children's understanding of the need to create certain favorable conditions, based on knowledge and supported by strong work skills and abilities, creates the basis for a genuine love for nature. Labor skills and abilities acquired in childhood are not destroyed - they are further improved, turning into more complex types of work. Children's work in nature produces real results. This is what attracts children to him, arouses joy and a desire to care for plants and animals.
The third task is to develop children’s love for nature. This task arises from the humanistic orientation of education in our society and the need to protect nature - the urgent concern of all humanity. Caring for nature presupposes the manifestation of good deeds and actions in cases where it is necessary, and for this, children must know how to care for plants and animals, what conditions to create for their favorable growth and development. Of particular importance for the formation of a caring attitude towards nature is knowledge about a living organism, the ability to distinguish it from objects of inanimate nature.
A caring attitude towards nature is associated with the development of observation, that is, when cultivating in a child a feeling of love for nature, one must strive to ensure that the child does not pass by this or that phenomenon that causes anxiety, so that he actually shows concern for nature.
The formation of a caring attitude towards nature also depends on the ability to perceive it aesthetically, that is, to be able to see and experience the beauty of nature. Aesthetic perception is ensured by children’s direct “live” communication with nature. Observing the beauty of natural phenomena is an inexhaustible source of aesthetic impressions. It is important to show children the aesthetic qualities of natural phenomena, teach them to feel beauty, and express value judgments associated with experiencing the beauty of observed phenomena.
All of the listed tasks facing the teacher are closely interconnected - they must be considered and solved in a complex manner. The complexity and diversity of these tasks require the teacher to be able to use a variety of methods of working with children (observation, play, work, reading and storytelling, organizing experiments, conversation, etc.) in their interrelation.
2.4 Features of the development of observation activities in middle preschool age
Preschoolers of the fifth year of life differ from toddlers in physical and mental capabilities: they are more confident in all manifestations, possess initial independence skills, have more stable attention, more developed perception and thinking, better understand and reproduce the speech of an adult, and are capable of the first volitional efforts.
Pupils in the middle group already have some stock of specific ideas about nature. Looking at surrounding objects, they are able to perceive them in detail. However, independent observation at this age is still imperfect. Children cannot identify characteristic features of difference or see common features in several objects. Pupils in the middle group gradually learn to accept the observation task set by the teacher. And if this task coincides with practical activity, then it is perceived quite easily, for example: “The hamster will live with us, we will learn to care for it.”
During observation, children listen to the teacher’s questions and, following the plan given by him, examine the object. As a result of observation, with targeted guidance, each of them can create a holistic image of the observed object and give its verbal description.
The increased perception capabilities of five-year-old children make it possible to complicate the content of observation. Children are taught to consider not only animals, but also plants, and they can offer one or two objects at the same time. Now, during observation, each child (or a small group and 2-3 people) receives an object (or several) for individual consideration. This is the so-called observation using handouts. Starting from the middle group, long-term observation of the development and growth of animals and plants is organized.
The scope of ideas that are formed during observation in the middle group also expands significantly. Children continue to be introduced to the appearance features of some plants and animals, the components and characteristic features of each of them are highlighted. By watching animals, children also learn about how they move, what they eat, and where they live. Gradually, preschoolers begin to understand some connections and relationships between natural objects. On this basis, it becomes possible to develop knowledge about some adaptations of animals and plants to the environment.
Observation in the middle group begins with the teacher setting a cognitive task, which often coincides with practical activities, for example: “We will look at a rabbit and learn to care for it,” “Let’s look at a fish and draw it.” During observation, the teacher uses various techniques to help him focus the children’s attention on the appearance features, life manifestations of the animal, and establish the necessary connections and relationships.
Questions to children are widely used, which will no longer necessarily be related to the actions of the animal during feeding, playing, etc. Pupils in the middle group are able to hear questions addressed to them and answer them, distracting from the manifestations of animals that cause immediate interest . In addition to questions aimed at clarifying knowledge about the main parts of objects, their features (Who is this? What color is the fur? What is the shape of the body? etc.), questions should be asked aimed at children establishing elementary connections and relationships between natural objects, so called search questions, for example: why does the telescope fish swim slowly, but the guppy swims quickly? Why does a hamster climb ladders so deftly?
Particular attention should be paid to developing in children the ability to talk about the results of observation. For this purpose, the teacher thinks through techniques that activate children’s speech: asks the same question in different versions to different children, invites them to pronounce difficult and new words in chorus, choose the most accurate designation of a feature from two or three proposed by the teacher, etc. Children teach to compare objects based on differences and similarities.
In the middle group, children’s personal experiences also begin to be used. For example, while examining a kitten with a child, the teacher asks the child to remember what color the kitten lives in their home, what it likes to eat, how it plays, how the child takes care of it, etc. This technique contributes to the emergence of interest in observation, the desire to share experienced impressions, and the formation of generalized ideas about animals.
During observation in the middle group, it is recommended to use riddles, songs, nursery rhymes, and poems related to the content of the lesson. The teacher can invite children to remember poems they know and read them to their peers.
Children in the middle group begin to learn simple ways to care for plants and animals; therefore, during the observation, the teacher can ask them to perform simple labor actions: feed the fish (bird), wash the feeder (drinker), etc.
Children need to form a clear idea of the observed object, knowledge of some ways to care for it, and a caring attitude. Therefore, when completing the observation, you should use questions to find out how the children acquired knowledge. Questions need to be formulated in such a way that they are interesting to the children and lead to a generalization of the knowledge gained. For example:
“Tell me how we will take care of the rabbit” or “How will you recognize a bullfinch if you see it on the street?” The result of observation can also be the practical activities of children: reflection of the observed object in a drawing, caring for it in a corner of nature.
In the middle group, observations of plants are carried out more widely than in the younger group. Examination of plants can be organized during labor: for example, invite children to examine the seeds before planting. In the middle of the year, they begin to organize observations of plants for educational purposes (in the classroom). An example of such an activity would be “Examining and comparing begonia and aloe.”
2.5 Methodology for organizing and conducting observations of various types with children 4–5 years old
Recognizing observation. Management of observation consists of preparing the teacher and children, conducting the observation itself and consolidating the ideas received by the children.
The choice of object of observation is made by the teacher depending on the requirements of the kindergarten program. At the same time, in order to correctly select objects available for observation, it is necessary to take into account the level of development of observation skills in students of this group. In choosing objects, the teacher is guided by the timing of the onset of various phenomena in the nature of the local region. Next, the teacher specifies the amount of knowledge that needs to be formed in children as a result of the upcoming, as well as subsequent (repeated) observations.
It is important to think about how the observation will be organized: with all children or with a subgroup, whether all children will have handouts (branches, seeds, vegetables, fruits) or only the teacher. Equally important is the preparation of observation objects. You cannot observe a restless animal that is afraid of children. First, you need to think about how to ensure a calm environment during observation, where to place a cage with a bird or an aquarium so that the children can see clearly, and the teacher can freely act with the object.
Children should be interested in the upcoming observation. Techniques that arouse interest are varied: for example, on the eve of watching a fish, the teacher can invite the children to wash and charge the aquarium with him, before showing them the rabbit, peel vegetables for him. Children's interest is awakened after talking about the animal that will be brought to the group and asking riddles about it.
When conducting observations, the teacher builds his activities taking into account three main stages. At the first stage, it is necessary for students to gain a general understanding of the object. Children are given time to examine it in detail. Pupils must satisfy their curiosity, find out what it is, and express their attitude towards it.
At the second stage, the teacher, taking into account the age capabilities of the children, uses a variety of techniques to identify the properties, qualities, signs of an object, behavioral characteristics and lifestyle of the animal, the state of the plant, etc., and establishes the necessary connections.
The teacher asks the children questions, makes riddles, offers to examine the object, compare one with another. Work activities, play techniques, as well as poems and excerpts from works of art are widely used. This causes children to have an emotional attitude towards the observed object.
By observing an animal, preschoolers learn about its behavior and various manifestations. Examination of a plant begins with highlighting its brightest parts (flower, stem, leaves). Then the features of their external structure (size, shape, nature of the surface, etc.) are considered in order. The teacher thus teaches children to observe systematically. (Watching a rabbit, etc...)
Walk “Observing flowers in a flowerbed”
Walk “Observing flowers in a flowerbed”
Goal: Educational: - to form an idea of the diversity of inanimate nature; - learn to admire growing flowers. Developmental: —
develop the ability to generalize based on essential features;
- develop speech, activate vocabulary; - expand your understanding of plant parts. Educational: -
cultivate a responsible attitude towards nature;
- cultivate a caring attitude towards the beautiful creations of nature. Progress of the walk. Mystery.
The meadow is just like a chintz scarf of all colors - You won’t understand where the butterfly is, Where the living flower is. Forest and field in greenery, blue river, White, fluffy clouds in the sky.
Children.
In summer.
Educator.
- Guys, today I invite you to take a walk and look at our flower beds. (Children go to the flower beds.)
Listen to the poem.
I walk through a green meadow, the dew dries on the leaves, the wind sways the grass elastically, and I hear the voices of flowers. They whisper: “Don’t tear us, don’t, don’t crush our flexible stems. We are a delight for the eyes and the heart, an adornment of our native land.”
Educator.
- Guys, listen to the riddle.
Mystery .
The leaves bend in a spiral, And huddle together, And above them are those flowers, Not buds, but perfumes, What kind of flowers are these?
Children.
Lily (Invite the children to look at the flowers and remember the names.)
Because of their long stems, lilies are always planted inside the flower bed so that the flowers look beautiful among the shorter flowers at the periphery of the flower bed. The lily has a lot of lanceolate leaves, collected in a basal rosette, from which emerges a tall straight stem with an elegant flower. Lily flowers are orange, snow-white, tiger (speckled with black spots), etc. The root of the lily is a bulb. On a large lily flower it is very good to see the parts of the flower. The larger the flower, the better its parts are visible: the petals of the corolla, located on the receptacle, are large and orange; large black stamens with pollen sacs at the tips; in the middle there is one tall pestle.
Find identical flowers (lilies and petunias) and flowers collected in inflorescences. (Children find flowers).
Educator.
Listen to the riddle and say “What flower are we talking about?”
Mystery.
We bloom alone, summer
And we decorate the garden.
We look like velvet
Everyone will be happy to see us. (Marigold.)
Consider the differences between these colors.
Educator
.
All flowers are pleasing to the eye and decorate the surrounding space. Let's remember the poems.
1. We will water all the flowers on a hot, clear summer day. We will take care of the flowers so that they always bloom.
2. In spring and summer, here and there, flowers bloom to the joy of everyone: In the forest, in the field - wild, Fragrant, beautiful, alive. That's why I don't pick flowers. And you?
Didactic game “Flowers Shop”
Purpose:
to teach how to group plants according to their place of growth and describe their appearance.
Progress of the game.
Children play the roles of sellers and buyers. To make a purchase, you need to describe the plant you have chosen, but not name it, just say where it grows. The seller must guess what kind of flower it is, name it and the department of the store in which it is located (field, garden, indoor), then issue the purchase.
Educator.
- Guys, let's remember the signs. 1. Before the rain, roses and marigolds do not open their flowers. 2. By 8 o’clock in the morning, marigolds open their inflorescences. 3. Marigolds do not open their flowers - it means rain.
Experiment “Plant water requirements”
Children approach the flowerbed and pay attention to the condition of the flowers. Those flowers in flower beds that have not been watered for several days look drooping, the leaves are lowered to the ground. Those who watered stand with their heads held high.
Outdoor game “Developing attention” Purpose
: develop attention.
Progress of the game.
I suggest the children look around them (5-10 seconds) and remember as many colors as possible in order. Then blindfold. Swap the flower and ask them to list it in order as it was.
What changed?
Conclusion:
plants need water.
Labor on site
. Watering the flower beds.
Educator.
It's time for us to return to the group. — What new did you learn today?
Caring for indoor plants
GCD for joint activities with children to organize children's work in nature.
Topic
: “Taking care of indoor plants.”
Target:
Create conditions for consolidating children's knowledge about indoor plants of the group: their names, distinctive features of appearance and techniques for caring for them.
Tasks:
*to help consolidate children’s knowledge about indoor plants of the group: their names, distinctive features of appearance and methods of caring for them using symbols;
* promote the development of the ability to care for plants, using a labor process model for this: set a goal (help the plant so that it feels good again); choose an object of labor (a plant with drooping leaves, the ground is dry, gray, select tools and material; perform labor actions in the correct sequence (hold the watering can with both hands, place the spout on the edge of the pot, pour over the entire ground, little by little, wait until the water is absorbed and will appear on the pallet); get the result (a watered plant that will soon feel good);
* promote the development of a desire to take care of indoor plants, an understanding of the need to help a living being.
Materials used in the lesson:
Demonstration - schematic models - cards with symbols of plant care techniques, operational cards.
Distribution - Aprons for each child, tools: rags for each child, a basin with water, watering cans with water, sticks for loosening the soil, oilcloths, a sprayer.
Enrich your vocabulary with the following words: plant care, watering, pan, settled water, lump of earth; fix the names of the plants: clivia, balsam.
Preliminary work.
Observation of a plant (familiarity with the features of appearance, structure, observation of plants in favorable and unfavorable conditions (lack of moisture, a series of experiments to identify the moisture needs of plants, observation of the work of a teacher in watering plants in a corner of nature (familiarity with the model of the labor process).
Methodical techniques:
1. Problematic situation with the use of a game character.
2. Talk with children about the basic needs of indoor plants.
3. Examination of plants to identify distinctive features of appearance and methods of caring for them, using symbols.
4. Organization of the labor process using models - operational maps.
5. Joint work of children, help from the teacher.
6. Summing up the results of joint activities.
Progress of joint activities with children.
1 part
Carlson's game character arrives, sad (he flew into an open window while ventilating during nap time). Says hello to every child.
Educator. Our Carlson is somehow sad. Let's ask him what happened.
Carlson. He tells his story of how he flew past the garden and saw such beautiful and well-groomed flowers on the windowsills outside the windows. With him on the roof lives his only flower, which was given to him by his friend Baby, but something happened to him, he probably got sick.
My favorite plant was as beautiful as in the picture (model shows)
and now it’s like this (shows the plant)
I don’t know what happened to it, I feel sorry for the plant, that’s why I’m crying.
Educator. Children, do you feel sorry for the plant? Let's take pity on him, tell him kind words: good, don't cry, we will help you, you will become beautiful and healthy again.
Educator. Why did Carlson's plant become like this? What do plants need to feel good? Listen to what the plant is asking for. Carlson, your plant needs to be looked after and it will get better.
Carlson. But I don’t know how to care for plants, and now my plant will probably die.
Educator. Can we help Carlson? How? (We can teach him how to care for plants.) Shall we teach Carlson how to properly care for plants? (We will;)
part 2
Educator. How do we want the plant to feel? (Okay.) So that it becomes what? (With the children they say: so that the plant feels good, so that the leaves look up, so that the stem looks up, so that the ground is moist.) In order not to forget about this, we will put a picture (the model is a plant in good condition)
Educator. What plant is it now? (The plant is being examined: the condition of the leaves, stem, soil.) In order not to forget what kind of plant it is now, we will put a picture (the model plant is in an unfavorable condition)
The plant needs help as soon as possible. What else do we need for this? To do this, you need to choose the right tools or assistant objects.
Carlson. I know what's needed. (Brings an empty watering can. The empty watering can is examined and why it cannot be used for watering is discussed.)
Educator. Which watering can should you take? Water is filled into the watering can in advance so that the water settles and is at room temperature. What other helper items do we need to help our plants? Children name the remaining objects. In order not to forget what we need, we will put a picture (model - tools: watering can with water, oilcloth, basin with water, rags, stick for loosening the soil, sprayer)
Now what are we going to do?
Children: And now we will take care of the plants.
Educator: Correct, but first, we must consider the plants we have chosen for care (Clivia and Impatiens) and determine what our plants love and what kind of care each one needs. And the cards that are glued to each pot of a houseplant will help us with this. (Plants are examined, the name of the plant, distinctive features of appearance are recalled, methods of caring for them are determined using symbols.)
Carlson: Well, now can we start caring for the plants?
Educator: Yes, but only for this, we need to remember where we start, because caring for a plant is not only watering it.
Children: First, we take care of the leaves of Clivia, we wipe the leaves, and we spray the leaves of balsam, then we wipe the pots, then we wash the trays, after that we loosen the soil in the pots and only lastly water the plants. (If children find it difficult to determine the sequence of methods for caring for plants or have forgotten something, draw the children’s attention to the operation cards)
Educator: Well done, guys, you clearly remembered all the steps to care for plants, now you can start working, but first everyone needs to put on their aprons and roll up their sleeves. Now we will distribute who will do what work, I will help you. (After distributing responsibilities, the children go to the table with tools and choose an assistant object for themselves) And you, Carlson, watch carefully and remember what the guys are doing.
Children perform tasks under the supervision of a teacher, the execution of actions goes as far as watering.
Carlson. I remembered how to water, can I show you? (Holds the watering can with one hand, pours water on the leaves, under the roots, wants to pour all the water out of the watering can at once.)
Educator. Why can't you water the leaves? Why do you need to water the soil? (Children explain and show how to water correctly.)
Educator. How much water will we pour?
Carlson. Until it's all over! (Children explain to hold the watering can with both hands, place the spout on the edge of the pot, pour it all over the ground, little by little, wait until the water is absorbed and appears on the tray. Children, focusing on the model of the labor process, independently water the plants
Carlson, together with the teacher, observes the children’s work, asks clarifying questions. In case of difficulties, the teacher comes to the children’s aid. At the end of the lesson, the teacher and the game character check how the children watered the plants.)
Educator. What will the plant become if we have cared for it properly? (Children explain.) In order not to forget, let’s put a picture (the model is a plant in good condition
drowning).
Part 3
Educator. Carlson, we helped your plant, taught you how to care for indoor plants, now it will get better. We showed you on some plants in our group how to care for plants, what conditions are required for different plants and what care is needed to make them look like in the picture. (Shows a model - the plant is in good condition.) Educator. Soon our plants will become as beautiful and healthy as in the picture. (Shows the model a plant in a favorable condition.) They will feel good. Today we did two good deeds: we helped the plants (listen to what they tell you) and taught Carlson how to care for his plant.
Carlson. Thank you guys, now my plant will always feel good. I'm very happy about this.
Educator. Guys, are you glad that you helped the plants? (Emotionally share the joy of the children.) Let's give Carlson this flower in memory of us - Clivia, so that his flower will have more fun, so that he is not alone. And you, Carlson, don’t forget to take care of your plants and come visit us again! Goodbye! .
Follow up work:
Continue:
1. to form a conscious attitude towards work, ways to achieve the goal with the help of operational cards;
2. develop the perception of indoor plants as living beings - notice their unfavorable state, discover the insufficiency of conditions for their life in the process of observations in everyday life, using “Models of the functions of living organs”, D/ games “Confusion”.
3. cultivate interest and love for plants, the desire to care for them both in specially organized classes and in joint activities with children
