Ashell collection is a valuable natural resource in any early years setting. Encourage the children and staff to bring in examples of shells they find on holiday or during visits to the seaside, and extend this collection by buying a few larger shells with unusual shapes or textures (www.specialistaggregates.com has a wide selection). Ensure that all the shells are washed thoroughly in hot soapy water and dried well before the children handle them.
Children have natural curiosity about their world, and a project on shells is an exciting way to stimulate this curiosity. For children to gain maximum benefit from this project, consider ways of providing a variety of shells to encourage child-initiated imaginative ideas and investigations in different play areas.
Approach
The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (page 11) emphasises the importance of providing children with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning opportunities. This project:
* identifies adult-led activities, to introduce or develop children's understanding of the topic through stimulating, meaningful experiences which offer challenge
* suggests ways to enhance areas of core provision, to consolidate children's learning about the theme. It is the practitioners' role to make daily observations of children's learning which inform individual child profiles and future planning. Children should be encouraged to use the resources to support their own learning. This means that the possible learning outcomes will be wide-ranging and varied
* advocates that settings should be organised and resourced using a 'workshop' approach so that children can access resources autonomously and independently.
Adult-led activity
Out of their shell
Help the children to discover the purpose of a shell by conducting observations of living creatures with shells.
Key learning intentions
To show understanding of how information can be found in non-fiction texts to answer questions about where, who, why and how To show curiosity and observation by talking about shapes, how they are the same or why they are different To find out about, and identify, some features of living things, objects and events they observe
Adult:child ratio 1:4
Resources
* A collection of shells of different sizes and shapes * two large coloured buckets * books with pictures and written information about creatures with shells, such as snails, turtles, tortoises and whelks * garden snails * grass, soil and small plants * magnifying glasses * fish tank * mark-making materials
Preparation
Collect some garden snails and put them in a tank surrounded by similar vegetation to the habitat in which they were found.
Activity content
* Spread the shells out on the floor and invite the children to gather round them. Begin by talking generally about the shells and spend time handling and comparing them. Look for differences in their size, shape, colour and texture.
* Using the coloured buckets, sort the shells into two groups, for example, large and small or rough and smooth.
* Introduce the books and explore pictures of living creatures with shells, asking appropriate questions to stimulate interest.
* Ask the children to move over to the table where the tank of snails is displayed. Watch them for a while and note the children's comments before asking questions to encourage them to think about their observations.
* Discuss the snails' shells. Talk about how a hard shell can protect a living creature. Watch how the snail withdraws into its shell and talk about how this will keep it safe.
* Allow time for the children to use the magnifying glasses and draw pictures of their snail observations, emphasising the need to examine the spiral shell closely.
* Always return the snails to their natural habitat after observations are over.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Shell, hard, shiny, protect, protection, smooth, rough, spiky, curly, spiral, flat, big, little, fat, thin
Questions to ask
* Where do you think the shells came from? Can you think of any creatures you have seen that have shells?
* Do you have a favourite shell picture? Can you show it to us and tell us why you like it?
* How does a snail move? Has a snail got a mouth? What shape is a snail's shell? Why do you think a snail has a shell?
Extension ideas
* Visit a wet fish shop to see examples of creatures with shells, such as crab, winkles, whelks or cockles. Encourage the children to ask the fishmonger questions about all the creatures and talk about what they see, feel and smell.
* Talk about how some living creatures are protected by a hard shell around them. Demonstrate this by showing how a seed can be protected inside a hard outer casing by cracking a nutshell to reveal the seed inside. (Check for allergies first.) Child-initiated learning
Water
Additional resources and adult support
* Spread some shells in the bottom of a water tray and encourage the children to explore the collection.
* Provide buckets, plastic fishing nets and colanders.
* Join the children to talk about what they might do with the new resources.
* Leave children to play freely, returning occasionally to observe play and support ideas with additional resources, if required.
Play possibilities
* Comparing shells by, for example, size, shape, colour and appearance when wet and dry
* Sorting the shells according to size or some other criteria of their choosing
* Counting the shells
* Exploring and observing how shells behave in water by playing with them, for example, observing cockle and mussel shells floating and sinking while trying to sail them like little boats.
Possible learning outcomes
Uses language to organise, sequence and clarify their thinking and ideas
Shows curiosity and observing by talking about the shapes of shells, how they are the same or why they are different
Uses number names and number language spontaneously
Describes the simple features of shells
Talks about what is seen and what is happening
Adult-led activity
Sharing a shell
Organise an activity based on Sharing a Shell, an excellent starting point for discussions about sea creatures and its twin themes of home and friendship.
Key learning intentions
To be confident to try new activities, initiate ideas and speak in a familiar group To handle tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control To use their imaginations in art and design, music, dance, imaginative and role-play and stories
Adult:child ratio 1:4
Resources
* Sharing a Shell written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Lydia Monks (Macmillan Children's Books) * dark blue frieze paper * a range of paper and card in different sizes and colours * powder paint in primary colours and white * colour mixing trays * paint applicators such as sponges and brushes
Story outline
In the story, a tiny hermit crab loves his new shell and decides he doesn't want to share it, particularly not with a blobby purple anemone and a tickly bristleworm. But life in the rock pool proves tougher than Crab thinks, and soon he finds he needs his new housemates, in this rollicking story of sea, shells and friendship.
Activity content
* Read the story to the children and ask questions about the main characters. Use reference books to discover what sort of creatures they are.
* Talk about where the various animals live, what they look like and about their friendship. Encourage the children to make up a similar story together involving an imaginary sea creature looking for a shell to inhabit.
* Invite the children to paint a picture of how the chosen shell might look. What colour will it be? What shape?
* Encourage the children to mix paints until they are satisfied with the colour for their shell, supporting those who are less able with this. More able children might also paint their imaginary sea creatures.
* Ask the children to describe their paintings, and scribe their comments for them. Work together to produce a large display in the creative area entitled 'Shells'. Make a 'sea' background using blue and white sponge prints on a dark blue background and attach the children's pictures to this with the scribed captions alongside.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Names of colours and shades of colour; shell, share, creature, anemone, sea slug, hermit crab, 'blob', 'brush', spiral, curly, smooth, rough.
Questions to ask
* Can you tell us who tries to share the shell?
* What are the characters in the story called? Do you think that their names are suitable? Can you think of different names?
* Can you describe the shell you have painted? What shape is it? Did you mix any colours while you were painting it? Which ones?
Extension ideas
* Provide the children with card, PVA glue and small collage materials, such as sequins, glitter, wool and fabric scraps, to create their own sparkling shell pictures.
* Pierce holes in shells and supply a range of threading resources, such as laces, glittering thread and string for shell necklaces and bracelets.
* Pierce holes in one end of a range of shells and hang them up in groups outdoors to form tinkling windchimes.
Child-initiated learning
Malleable materials
Additional resources and adult support
* Provide shells and a variety of malleable materials - you may wish to offer a different material every day to give the children a wide range of sensory experiences. Play alongside the children at first, modelling ways of playing with the resources.
* Introduce the shells alongside dough or clay so that children can explore the possibilities of combining the two resources.
* Mix the shells with shaving foam or gloop so that children can enjoy tactile exploration.
* Provide shells with papier mache to encourage the children to create unusual three-dimensional sculptures. Supply some shiny materials such as glitter or small sequins to sprinkle on to the finished creations.
* Be ready to supply additional resources requested by the children to extend their ideas.
Play possibilities
* Creating prints and using shells as moulds in dough and clay
* Enjoying tactile experiences such as sliding shells over slippery foam
* Creating sculptures using papier mache as the base and pushing shells on to the surface to change texture and shape. Altering appearance by adding shiny materials such as glitter and sequins
* Using the resources in original ways
Possible learning outcomes
Shows interest in sustained construction activity or by talking about shapes and arrangements
Notices and comments on pattern
Making three-dimensional structures
Beginning to describe texture of things Sand
Additional resources and adult support
* Set up a small-world seaside in a builder's tray. Tape rumpled blue plastic across one end to be the sea and spread wet sand over the remaining space.
* Provide a bucket of shells, yoghurt pot 'buckets', teaspoon 'spades' and small-world characters alongside.
* Urge children to talk about their own experiences of the seaside and shells.
* Provide small-world fish and crab and recycled materials to create models of the 'Brush' and 'Blob' characters that feature in the story Sharing a Shell.
Play possibilities
* Creating imaginary scenarios using the available resources as props
* Noticing prints/patterns made by shells
* Developing their own play ideas based on past experiences of seaside visits, for example, building miniature sandcastles and decorating them with shells
* Making links between the environmental features of a seaside such as sand, shells and sea
* Retelling Sharing a Shell using props or making up stories of their own Possible learning outcomes
Uses talk to pretend imaginary situations and recall previous experiences
Notices and comments on patterns
Notices features of the environment
Engages in imaginative and role-play based on first-hand experiences
Areas of learning
Personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge & understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development