Introduce the topic by comparing daytime and night-time
Adult-led
Explore images and feelings about day and night.
To encourage children to talk about what they know and understand about the differences between day and night
Adult:child ratio 1:6
Resources
A wide selection of pictures, photographs, art prints and picture books showing day and night scenes; tape recorder or dictaphone; observation pad for recordingchildren's comments; writing and drawing materials.
Preparation
Select a good range of images. Magazines, colour supplements and advertisements can often be a useful source of dramatic pictures. Art prints of landscapes (for example, by Turner or Whistler) are also a good stimulus for discussion about changing light.
Step by step
* Spread the pictures out - a carpeted area is a good place for this activity.
* Allow the children lots of time to pore over the pictures.
* Select a daytime picture and ask the children how they know the time of day. Acknowledge all their answers, not just those referring to sky or light.
* Do the same with a night-time image.
* Ask the children to sort the pictures into the two categories - you might need a third for 'don't knows' or 'in between'.
* Encourage the children to look closely at the images and talk about light and dark. How do they feel about day and night? What do/don't they like and why? Why do they think the changes occur?
* When the children comment on 'sleeping' and 'waking', ask them if they know of people who work at night and sleep during the day. Help the children to explore how they feel about this and to consider how important it is that some jobs are done throughout the night.
* Move on to talking about animals. Do they know any nocturnal animals?
* Ask the children to draw their own images of day and night.
* Mount these and the discussion pictures. You might like to mount them separately to highlight the sorting activity, or together. Most importantly add the children's comments to the display. Using speech bubbles is effective particularly if you add the children's photographs or pictures of the originals alongside the comments.
Stepping stones
* A child with little experience may choose to observe others before feeling ready to contribute themselves. They may show interest in the pictures and images and comment on personal experience.
* A child with more experience will probably be more aware of the features of the pictures, able to comment on differences and able to sort images. They may contribute to the discussion with comments based on personal experience and may begin to explore conceptual ideas and respond to questioning.
* An experienced child will demonstrate their conceptual understanding and knowledge through discussion and will probably raise questions. They will show awareness of the value of sleep. They will show interest in adult comments and will probably retain new information.
Extension ideas
* Ask the children to help you draw up a 'knowledge map' with the heading, 'What we know about...'. You can do separate ones for day and night, if you prefer.
* Begin by asking the children to tell you what they know about daytime and night-time. Record their comments as a 'brainstorm' or 'web' showing them how aspects of knowledge are interlinked.
* Accept all comments, but challenge them to think and question more deeply by asking how they know something might be true and how we can find out if something is true. Acknowledge when you don't know something.
* Suggest ways of verifying information or finding out more, for example, going to the library, asking someone else, searching the internet. Their comments will probably include reference to the sun and moon, stars, lights, clocks, sleep, bedtime, playing, going to school or nursery. As there's always a likelihood that the children may become too focused on just listing things (for example, animals that sleep during the day), have some questions ready to move on the discussion. For example, How do we know when to get up? What if there were no clocks? Where does the sun go at night? Remember that all the children's comments are valid and are a reflection of their current knowledge and conceptual understanding.
* Revisit the 'map' at a later date and let the children discover just how much they (and the adults!) have refined their knowledge of the topic.
* Copies of 'knowledge maps' on all topics can be collected in a large format book that you and the children can refer to again and again.
2 Time for bed
CHILD-INITIATED
Encourage the children to explore bedtime in their small-world and role-play as part of related child-initiated activities.
Resources
* Small-world toys, including people and furniture.
* Role-play toys, such as dolls; cuddly toys; baby bottles; prams and pushchairs; blankets; clocks; timers; beds; cushions; sleeping bags; pyjamas and nightdresses; empty hot water bottles; books for telling bedtime stories; shoe boxes and washing powder-tablet boxes, to use as story boxes; fruit boxes to use as dolls' beds; and large blocks and planks for child-sized beds.
* Selection of stories about bedtime,for example, Can't you sleep little bear? by Martin Waddell and Barbara Firth (Walker Books, 4.99); the poem on the back of Nursery Topics; tape/CD player; tapes and CDs of bedtime stories and lullabies; 'womb music' and other ambient tapes that encourage relaxation.
Play suggestions
* Use the shoe boxes to create night-time and daytime story boxes for small-world play. Encourage the children to decorate them appropriately (for example, paint them a dark or light colour and stick on night or day pictures) and label them. The boxes can be used separately or linked to encourage exploration of the concept. Make bits of fabric and junk available for adapting as beds and blankets.
* Encourage the development of bedtime role-play by pretending to have a snooze yourself. Tell the children to use a sand timer to know when to 'wake' you. n Ask the children to construct a bed that will be big enough for an adult to take a nap, or small enough for a teddy.
* Encourage the children to set up 'bedrooms' in the outdoor area. Provide holdalls or wheeled shopping baskets to transport resources in and out of doors.
* Use old wooden coat hangers attached to dolls' cots to create cradles. Encourage the children to think of ways to help babies sleep, for example, by rocking, lullabies and stories.
* Set up a 'snooze corner' with cushions, soft toys, blankets and a tape or CD player with related music, stories and books. This could also be a calm place for an overwrought child to take 'time out' or for a distressed child to cuddle up with an adult. Use soft fabric, voiles or saris as drapes to enhance the effect.
Possible learning outcomes
* Observes others using the resources
* Uses materials for their own purposes
* Engages in imaginative play alone or with others
* Develops story lines and character
* Refers to personal experience in play
* Shows awareness of the concept of day/night in their play
* Uses problem-solving strategies and resourcefulness, for example, when constructing a bed
* Shows awareness of time, clocks and day/night routines
* Uses the materials with care
* Uses resources to relax
* Shares the resources and co-operates.
