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Rose3 Learning Experience Easter Wheat Field

"Learning Experience" activities and suggestions that will empower and enable you as educators to support multicultural education using the principles laid out in the new ELYF Framework.

Please find below free valuable, insightful and practical ways that multiculturalism may be brought into your early years learning environment on a daily basis using the "Early Years Learning Framework" (EYLF). 

Each article includes:

• Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) Outcomes
• Key Learning Area Links
• Extension Ideas
• Equipment required
• Instructions
• Global Kids Oz Linked Resources

 All articles on this page have been kindly created and modified specifically for Global Kids Oz use by Rebecca Perkins of Rose 3 Learning Experience, all articles are subject to full copywright guidelines and may only be used within a classroom environment and not to be used for any other article content for any other reason, permission to copy or use this content for anything other than a EYLF setting must be approved in writing by Rebecca Perkins of Rose 3 Learning Experience. To access more learning experiences supporting the full ELYF program please contact Rebecca directly on 0402 284 581 or go to her website www.rose3.com.au

Objective:  For children to germinate their own grains of wheat

Materials

Saucer, meat tray or similar for each child.

Cotton wool.

Grains of wheat

Instructions

1. Wet the cotton wool, and place on the saucer.

2. Add the wheat and dampen.

3. Choose either a light place, for bright green wheat, or a dark place for very light coloured wheat. (Traditionally the wheat is germinated in a dark place.)

4. Use your ‘field’ of wheat, to display your decorated eggs.

Early Years Learning Framework Outcomes*

Outcome 1: Children

• develop their emerging autonomy and inter-dependence by germinating their own grains of wheat.
• learn to interact in relation to others and their environment with care, empathy and respect, by gaining an appreciation of how plants such as wheat germinate.

Outcome 2: Children

• become socially responsible by showing respect for their learning environment, taking care of their wheat and   helping it to grow.
• respond to diversity with respect as they learn that this is a traditional Easter activity in Eastern European countries.

Outcome 3:  Children

• become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing by taking part in a gardening experience alongside others.
• become aware of fairness through sharing the trays, cotton wool and wheat.

Outcome 4     :  Children

• develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity and cooperation, by exploring and learning about wheat and how it grows, while sharing resources with others.

Outcome 5 : Children

• interact verbally and non-verbally with others as they prepare their wheat for germinating, and watch it grow over time.

Key Learning Areas, Skills and Knowledge

Pre-Numeracy (Mathematics)

Sequencing– what is the correct order of steps to complete this experience?

Length– observe and/or measure the wheat’s growth.

Literacy/Vocabulary (English)

Speech– discussing observations, asking questions.

Vocab– seeds, germinate, grow.

Health and Physical Education

Fine Motor Skills– wetting cotton wool, sprinkling seeds on.

Health– wheat can be very healthy for us, but some people can be allergic to wheat products.                   

Science

What does wheat need to germinate and grow?

How is the wheat different when grown in a dark or a light environment?

SOSE (Studies of Society and Environment)

Wheat is a part of many foods we eat. What kinds of foods are made from wheat?

Who grows wheat?

Where is wheat grown?

The making of the Easter Wheat Field is an Eastern European custom. Look at a world globe to find countries such as Bosnia and Croatia.

 Extension Ideas

Discuss different things wheat is used for.

Use some wheat in cooking, or taste wheat.

Look at some pictures or books on wheat growing

Global Kids Oz Linked Resources

Europe Geo Puzzle           World Maps

Little Red Hen and the Grains of Wheat (traditional tale from Russian and Eastern Europe)

My Mothers Sari (Lithuanian)