Lisa's Photograph Theme Unit:

I hope you like this unit. This unit includes some of my favorite things to do with
the children, like take pictures and video's of them in their fun times of learning,
playing and exercise time to name a few. If you have activities that would go along
with my theme, Please send my an email and include your name for proper credit
for each activity. Please sign my guestbook for using my ideas. Miss Lisa
dlayton@mo net.com
http://www.oocities.org/Heartland/Acres/7875/



PHOTOGRAPHY UNIT


Activities:

Photo Gallery:

Take each child's photograph during the first week or so of school. Put each photo
in a recloseable bag. On solid color stickers write each child's first name. Attach
the name sticker to the outside of each bag.

Hang the photo's in a special place at the children's eye level. Talk about the
photo's every opportunity you get. Name the children, talk about what they are
doing in the photograph, find the child your looking at in the room and talk about
what she is going at that moment, etc.....


Preschool Keepsake:

Picture this a wonderful reminder of your preschool class! And your students
and their families will also love having these unique photo collages. Simply gather
photo's you have taken throughout the year, being sure to include every student.

Cut and arrange the photos to create a collage on a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper.
Be sure to leave some blank space in the center. Write your school name,
age at time and year in the center space. Then have the color copy made for each
child. What a picture perfect way to remember preschool!

Photo discussion cards:

Take photos through out the month and talk about what is in each picture when
you get them developed.

Writing Frame up:

You will need empty slide frames, construction paper, fine tipped markers or
pencils.

Let a child set a slide from on her paper and draw, color and or write inside of
it. When she or he is finished, let them move the frame and put a photo of them
selves inside of the frame. Put up on the board to display.

Homemade Photo quilt

Take a huge poster board and mark off enough spaces on it approx. 5" x 5" and
let the children draw themselves, one child to a block. When all the children
are done, Hang it up for a photo quilt to display.

Jigsaw Photo Puzzle

1.) Cover the work surface with newspaper.

2.) Open out a greeting card. On the front, in the center, cut out a rectangle
slightly smaller than the photo you would like to frame.

3.) Cut a small area from the back of the card to help you insert and remove
photo's.

4.) Open the card and place it on the newspaper with the inside facing down.
Spread glue over the card front, which will be the front of the frame. Cover
it with a layer of puzzle pieces from an incomplete jigsaw puzzle. Let dry.

5.) Glue on another layer or two of puzzle pieces. Let dry.

6.) Inside, put a small line of glue along the fold, the long edge, and one short
edge but not the edge with the arc. Close the frame.

7.) When dry, glue string to the back to hang the frame. Or cut out two
triangles, 4 inches high and 3 inches wide, from thin cardboard. Fold 1/4
inch of a long side on each triangle, and tape them to the back of the frame
vertically and near the bottom to make a stand.

8.) Insert the photo through the unglued opening.

Photo Postcards:

1.) Ask a parent for photos you may use. They must be at least 3 1/2 inches
by 5 inches.

2.) For each postcard, past an index card or piece of plain paper to the back
of each photo. Be sure to past the edges down securely.

3.) Draw a line down the middle of the plain paper or index card to separate
the address side of the card (on the right) from the message side (on the
left).

4.) Add lines for the address and message, if you wish. Fill in the message
and address, add a postcard stamp and mail photo postcard to the child's
parents or grand parents, etc. (Also, can take photo's of children at your
daycare or preschool during favorite activities and use them.)
Photo Mobile:

1.) Collect photographs of the children in your daycare or preschool, etc....

2.) From heavy construction paper or poster board, cut two matching stars for
each photo. Cut an opening for the picture in one star of each pair.

3.) Use colored markers, sequins, glitter, or crayons to outline the stars and
the openings.

4.) Glue the photographs inside the openings of the stars. Glue a matching
star to the back of each photo. If you'd like have each person autograph
his or her star photo.

5.) Punch a hole for each star at the edge of a plastic foam plate. Punch a hole
in each star.

6.) Tie stars to the plate with yarn. Punch holes in the center of the plate and
thread yarn through them to hang the mobile.

Happy Birthday Photo Surprise:

1.) Fold a sheet of construction paper in half. Turn the paper so the fold is at
the left or at the top.

2.) Cut a hole about 1 inch wide in the front of the card.

3.) Glue a small photograph in the center of the hole, to the inside of the card.
Make the hole larger, if necessary, so the photo fits through the hole good.

4.) Open the card. Inside, draw a flower, clown's face, rabbit, or whatever each
child chooses to do. Decorate the front of the card with markers, crayons,
paper cut outs, stamps or stickers. Give the card to someone special!

Photo Book Marks:

1.) Cut out as many pieces of poster board (each about the size of a bookmark)
as there are children in your preschool.

2.) Draw a different child on each piece, using crayons, colored pencils, or the
markers (making the clothes colorful).

3.) Now cut out faces from photographs and glue them on the bookmarks.

4.) Give a parent one of the children's homemade bookmarks.

Blocks of Photo's:

1.) Take photographs of each child full length and get developed.

2.) Now cut the outline of the child out.

3.) Hot glue the photographs to blocks.

4.) Put them in your block area or doll house area.

Photo Buckets :

1.) Get a large ice cream bucket or coffee can for each child. Write his or her
name on the outside. Attach a photograph of the child under or above their
name. This is good if a child doesn't know his name yet in letters.

2.) Give the children their buckets. Have them put the buckets along the wall or
in their cubbies(helps recognize their lockers and belongings).

3.) During the day, when the children have something to take home, artwork,
newsletters, special notes, etc. have the children put them in their take
home buckets. At the end of the day, have the children transfer the things
in their buckets into their backpacks.

Photo and Name Activity:

1.) From a teachers supply store or company, depending on the season, you can
purchase wall displays. For example, if it is Christmas, you can buy a huge
Santa Clause or etc.. Have it laminated.

2.) Now take snow flakes ( or which theme small item comes with it) and then
add a photograph of each child to put in the middle of the snowflake. Now
have all the snowflakes laminated.

3.) Attach the snow man to your wall.

4.) Cut strips of Velcro (comes in strips with 2 sides) and attach one side two
each snow flake and the other side to the Santa. Make sure to spread all
the Velcro out over the Santa evenly.

5.) Now write each child's name either above or below the photograph.

5.) Each morning when the come in, have all the snow flakes in a box as they
enter your activity place. Let them sort through the snowflakes and find
their snowflake. Let them go and put it on the Santa anywhere (they are
learning how to recognize their names by words and identify with their own
photographs, also learning fine motor skills to be able to attach it to the
Santa.

Names and Photographs Game:


You'll need a large Can decorated with wall paper and large name cards for each
child and a photograph attached to the name card.

Activity: Put all the name cards in the can. Pull out one card and hold it up for
everyone to see. Those who want to call out what name is on the card can. And
those to small will recognize the photo. You read the name, too. Have that child
come up and get his or her name and photograph card. Let that child who guessed
the right child, pull out the next card and hold it up for everyone to see.

Continue playing until all the children have their name cards. Call each child and
let him bring his name card back and put it in the pumpkin. Now all the cards are
back and the game is ready to play again anytime you want.

Musical Photographs Shapes:

Cut a different shape and size of colored posterboard or construction paper for
each child present. Lay the photograph shapes on the floor in a circle. Have the
children stand around the outside of the shapes. Start the music and have the
children walk around the shapes. When the music stops, everyone sits on their
shape and photograph. Start the music and continue playing.

Happy Bulletin Board:

A bright new bulletin board is eye catching and welcoming. Use ideas such as
these on it. On a bright blue background, add as many flowers, at different
heights, as there are children, or an apple tree, crooked and gnarled, with an
apple for each child. Later you can ask parents for small pictures (nonreturnable)
and place a child in each flower or apple. When the bulletin board is changed, the
pictures can be set aside to use for holiday gifts or collages. Another idea for
a bulletin board might be small houses (one for each child) scattered over the
board with an address and telephone number on each and the child's pictures in
the center.

Drive to your relatives house:

Cut a long sheet of white butcher paper to fit one of your rectangular tables. Tape
it down. Using colored markers, draw several different squares along the edges.
Have each child bring a photo of their grandmother, grandfather, mother, father,
pet, cousins, aunt, uncle, best friend, etc......... Now, put a photograph over each
square. Do this with all the photographs (approx. 6 10). Have the paper laminated.
Now put out a box full of small cars. Let the children have fun driving to their
favorite places to visit. Send home for Christmas present of birthday. Let the
children draw roads from photograph to photograph, parking on their favorite
people.

written by Miss Lisa copyrighted to the Buddy Pages 1998

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