Benchmark Videos
Experimenting with Balls
Video & Background
The children in this clip attend a mixed-age early childhood center sponsored by a public university. In the early fall, their teacher, Lisa Lee, planned activities to interest them in a possible project on balls. During circle time, the children played a guessing game about balls (see What's in the Box?), and then Lisa introduced an activity that was to take place at choice time—experimenting to see how high the balls might bounce. Once they were outside, the children selected various balls and tested how high each ball would rebound once thrown. Notice how Lisa challenges the children to hypothesize about how high their balls might bounce, and before they test each ball.Transcript
Click arrow to play video.
Lisa Lee: Today at project time I’m going to be outside, and I’ll take the outside symbol and turn it over, and I have five friends to come out with me. And I’ve got all kinds of balls, and we’re going to….
Transition to outdoors
Lisa Lee: (Pointing to a ball.) How about this one with the holes?
Treyshaun: Baseball.
Lisa Lee: Baseball. It’s called a whiffle ball, really.
Claire: Basketball.
Lisa Lee: Basketball. Well, we’re going to see how far they bounce.
Treyshaun: What is this?
Lisa Lee: That one’s a volleyball. You play that one where the net is up and you get it over the top of the net.
Maddie: (Picking up the volleyball.) I want to see the volleyball.
Lisa Lee: You want to try the volleyball first?
Claire: (Reaching for the basketball.) I want to try the basketball.
Treyshaun: (Picking up a soccer ball.) I want to try this one.
Caleb: (Reaching for a ball.) I want to try this one.
Lisa Lee: Okay, you each pick one. Okay, why don’t you guys all sit up there, except for Maddie, and we’ll try Maddie’s first. (Pointing to the tunnel.) You can sit right here on the tunnel. Maddie, you come over here (pointing toward wall). Now, let me get a marker, and I’ll mark it on the wall for you. Okay, you bounce it as high as you can, and I’ll see where it goes.
(Maddie bounces a ball.) You guys think it was about here (pointing to a place on the wall) where it was at the top of its bounce?
Group: Yes.
Lisa Lee: Okay, and we’ll put volleyball right there (writes on wall with chalk), because that’s what you guys said it was.
Treyshaun: Why, why are you drawing that on the wall?
Lisa Lee: Well, we’re going to see which one’s going to be the highest.
Treyshaun: Me.
Lisa Lee: You think the basketball’s going to be the highest ball, bouncing? All right. You try it out.
(Treyshaun comes to the wall.)
Lisa Lee: Okay, give it a big bounce. (Treyshaun bounces the ball.) Whoa! That was way up here on the window (marking with chalk).
Travis, come on--let’s try the rubber ball. You’ve got the medium-sized rubber ball. Do you think it’s going to go higher or lower than that sized rubber ball (pointing at another ball).
Travis: (Holding the ball above his head.) High.
Lisa Lee: High. Okay, let’s see.
(Travis bounces the ball.)
Whew! Do you think it was ‘bout up to here again? I’m going to have to get something to stand on, you guys are bouncing them so high. Claire, you haven’t bounced your ball, yet. Do you think it’s going to go higher than the highest one we have?
(Claire bounces a ball.)
Lisa Lee: (Marking wall with chalk.) Right about there is where it is. So that’s the biggest rubber ball, so we’ll put “big rubber ball.” All right.
Do you think it’s going to go higher than the one we have or lower? Treyshaun, do you think it’s going to go higher than the one we have or lower?
Treyshaun: Lower.
Lisa Lee: (Pointing to Travis.) What about you?
Travis: Lower.
Lisa Lee: (Pointing to Maddie.) What about you, Maddie?
Maddie: Big.
Lisa Lee: Higher. You think it’s going to go higher. Caleb, what do you think? Do you think the ball’s going to go higher than the volleyball, or lower than these balls here?
Caleb: Up.
Lisa Lee: Up higher? Okay (handing volleyball to Claire). Okay, push it really hard down.
(Claire bounces the ball.)
Whoa, it bounced about up to here (pointing). Last time it was here (pointing to a mark from a previous bounce). So, it just depends on who’s bouncing it I think. Huh?
Higher or lower? Wow! You got it all the way up to here (marking on the wall).
Travis: Can I test this one?
Lisa Lee: Yup.
Treyshaun: Can I test this one?
Lisa Lee: Yup. Hang on to it (pointing to Claire). Not at the same time, though. Wait until Treyshaun’s out of the way.
(Ball bounces very high.)
All: Whoa!!!
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Benchmark Description | How Benchmark Was Met |
|---|---|---|
Language Arts |
Understand that pictures and symbols have meaning and that print carries a message. |
Children recognized that chalk marks and writing indicated how high various balls had bounced. |
Mathematics |
Demonstrate a beginning understanding of measurement using non-standard units and measurement words. |
Predicted how high different balls would bounce, and teacher marked height of bounce with chalk for them. |
Mathematics |
Show understanding of and use of comparative words. |
Predicted whether ball would bounce higher or lower than another ball. |
Mathematics |
Sort and classify objects by a variety of properties. |
Classified balls. |
Science |
Use senses to explore and observe materials and natural phenomena. |
Gauged height of bounce with vision. |
Science |
Make comparisons among objects that have been observed. |
Compared how high each ball bounced. |
Physical Development and Health |
Follow rules and procedures when participating in group physical activities. |
Children waited on the tunnel until it was their turn to bounce a ball. |
Physical Development and Health |
Demonstrate ability to cooperate with others during group physical activities. |
Children waited on the tunnel until it was their turn to bounce a ball. |
This video clip was made possible by STARnet Regions I & III with funding from the Illinois State Board of Education.
This section of the Illinois Early Learning Web site links to activities related to the Benchmarks in the Illinois Early Learning Standards. We expect that early childhood professionals and parents will use these ideas in ways appropriate to their children and their setting. We are sure that you will find many ways to adapt these activities into themes, projects, and units in your program or at home.
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Spanish: Experimentos con pelotas
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