Zooming Bees
Emergent Literacy
Rationale:
This lesson is
designed to help children identify /z/, the phoneme represented by Z. Students
will learn to recognize /z/ in spoken words through a meaningful representation
(a bee zooming by hand motion) that they can associate the sound of /z/ with.
Students will practice the grapheme Z and z. They will also practice isolating
the phoneme in spoken words and finding it in text.
Materials:
-Paper
-Primary Paper
(whole class)
-Pencils (Whole
Class)
-Colored Pencils
- Song "Zany's Z's"
on overhead
- Enlarged letter Z
-Tongue Tickler
(Zooming Zebras Zig-Zag to the Zoo) on chart
- Assessment Sheet
PROCEDURE:
1.) Introduce lesson
to the class: Say: " Today we are going to learn about the letter Z! We find the
letter Z in many words. In order for us to read our books and write words, we
need to find out what Z looks like and what sound it makes!" Hold hop the letter
Z and explain that it looks like a zig- zag when written.
2.) Say: Let's
pretend we are a bee zooming in the air /z/ /z/ /z/. (Pretend your hand is a bee
zooming by). Do you notice what your tongue does when you say /z/ . When we say
/z/ our tongue touches right at the top of our teeth.
Can you show me this /z/.
3. Say: Now I am
going to show you how to find /z/ in the word
zebra.
I am going to say Zebra really slow, and I want you to listen for the
zooming of the bee. ZZ-e-bra. One more time, ZZZZZ-eeeee-bbraaa. Did you hear
it? I felt my tongue touch the top of my teeth when my voice box came on.
4. Say: Let's try a
tongue tickler together (point to chart).
Zooming Zebras Zig-Zag to the Zoo.
Everybody say it together with me three times. Now I want you to say it again,
but this time we are going to stretch out the /z/ sound when you hear it.
ZZZZoming ZZZZebras
ZZZZig-ZZZag to the ZZZZZooo.
5. Call on students
and ask how they know the answer to the following:
Do you hear /z/ in zero or
one
Do
you hear /z/ in zap or tap
Do
you hear /z/
in silly or
crazy
Do you hear /z/ in gaze or
stare
5. Next, have
students get out their primary paper and pencils.
Say: We use the
letter Z to spell /z/. A capital Z looks like a big zig-zag. (Show them the
letter Z). To write a capital Z first start at the rooftop and draw a big seven
down to the sidewalk, and then go back. Now
I want you to write a Capital Z. A lowercase z looks just like a capital Z. When
we write the lowercase z , start at the fence and write a seven all the way down
to the sidewalk, and then go back. Now I want you to write a lowercase z. (Go
around and check everyone's Z's) After I look at your Z's I want you to practice
writing them both ten times by yourself.
6. Say: "Let's look
at a song that uses the /z/ sound. Show song lyrics on overhead. (attached). I'm
going to sing it one, then I want you to following along and sing it with me.
Every time you hear /z/ I want you to buzz like a bee.
Zany
Z's
(Tune: London Bridge)
Zany Z's are zipping by,
Zipping by, zipping by.
Zany Z's are zipping by,
Zip! Zap!
Zoom!
Zany zebras are zipping by,
Zipping by, zipping by.
Zany zebras are zipping by,
Zip! Zap! Zoom!
8. Model an example of Zoo on a notecard. Ask the students if it says Zoo or
Moo. Tell them that while they are working on their worksheet they are going to
come up individually.
Does this say tap or zap?
Does this say zero hero?
Does this say Zebra or Cobra?
9. For assessment,
give the students a worksheet (attached) and colored pencils. Have the students
complete the worksheet by coloring the pictures that start with the letter Z.
While the students are working on this call them up each individually to read
the phonetic cue cards from #8.
References:
Text/ Song:
Child Fun. "The
letter Z Activity Theme- Songs, Poems, and Finger Plays".
http://www.childfun.com/index.php/activity-themes/alphabet/172-the-letter-z-activity-theme.html?start=4
Worksheet:
Kid Zone.
http://www.kidzone.ws/imageschanged/kindergarten/z-as-begins2.gif
Murrary, Bruce. "Brush Your Teeth with F."
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/sightings/murrayel.html
Sarah Dansak.
Zipping Zig-Zag Zippers With Zebras.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/journeys/dansakel.htm