Alligator Patterns and Curriculum Integration
It’s springtime, and many preschool teachers teach life science lessons that involve eggs. But it’s not just chicks that hatch! Take some time to talk with young children about egg-laying reptiles like alligators. After discussing alligators and their eggs, you can complete this integrated math/art lesson.
Help children cut out construction-paper rectangles, squares, triangles, and circles and glue them together to make an alligator. Be sure to name the shapes and discuss their attributes. Along the alligator’s back, have children arrange paper squares in an AB pattern, such as the pattern shown in the photo (black/black, yellow/yellow). Ask children to glue down the squares as patterned bony plates. When you’re done, you not only have adorable alligators, you have integrated your curriculum to teach shapes and patterns.
Curriculum integration is an important aspect of helping young children gain a variety of academic and social skills. Because Beth and I know this, integration is at the heart of The InvestiGator Club curriculum. For example, units like Finny, Feathery, Furry Friends help you use animals as a springboard to teach children skills in language, literacy, mathematics, science, creative arts, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, physical health and development, social studies, and technology. One lesson often incorporates more than one content area. For example, you might read aloud a picture book as an introduction to a math lesson. In this way, literacy and math are combined naturally. Integration is a wonderful approach to teaching!
On a fun note, It’s worth mentioning that at the InvestiGator Club, we are especially fond of alligators. Dilly Gator, the founder of the club, is an alligator herself.
