Benchmark Videos
What's in the Box
Video & Background
The children in this clip attend a mixed-age early childhood center sponsored by a public university. Their teacher, Lisa Lee, began a project on balls with the children in the early fall. Many young children are not accustomed to forming questions, so Lisa has developed a guessing game in which children use questions to help them guess what is in the box. In this clip the children guess what type of ball is in the box. Notice how attentive the children are as they play this game. Circle time begins quickly without a lot of time spent organizing the children in rows or having them sit on spots.Transcript
The children organize themselves.
Lisa Lee: All right. Remember you have to ask me questions that I can answer either yes or no to. Do you want to hear it first? Here’s what it sounds like (shakes the box).
Zoe (4.2 years old): Is it a train?
Lisa Lee: No, it’s not a train.
Clare (4.11 years old): Does it have blue fur?
Lisa Lee: No, it doesn’t have blue fur (shakes box). (Responds to raised hand.) Teyshaun?
Teyshaun (5.1 years old): Is it a ball?
Lisa Lee: (Shaking the box.) Yes, it’s a ball.
Alex (4.7 years old): It’s a ball?
Lisa Lee: Yes, but now you’ve got to find out what kind.
Teyshaun: Is it a ball with, with….with holes?
Another adult: Ask questions about what the ball might look like.
Lisa Lee: Because now you know it’s a ball, but now you’ve got to find out what kind of ball it is.
Clare: (Raising hand.) Is it a ball from the marble maze?
Lisa Lee: Guys listen, does it sound hard?
Joseph (4.4 years old): Is it a tiny bouncing ball?
Lisa Lee: (Periodically shaking the box.) It is a bouncing ball, and it’s smaller than it normally is. (Responding to Vivian’s raised hand.) Vivian?
Vivian: Does it have… is it purple… is it black?
Lisa Lee: Parts of it are black. Not all of it, though. (Responding to Alex’s raised hand.) Alex?
Joseph: Is it a triangle ball?
Lisa Lee: (To Alex.) What’s your question?
Alex: Ummmmm…. Is it a ball?
Lisa Lee: It is a ball. Remember, I’m asking you now what kind it is.
Joseph: Is it like a baseball?
Lisa Lee: No, it’s not a baseball.
Adult: Did anybody ask about what color it is?
Lisa Lee: I said it has black on it, but it’s not all black. Alex, do you have another question?
Alex: Is it a football?
Lisa Lee: Football? No, not a football. (Responding to Vivian’s raised hand.) Vivian?
Vivian: Is it a basketball?
Lisa Lee: It is a basketball! You’re right, it’s a ball! Normally it’s bigger than this, isn’t it. And look…
Alex: I see basketball, I see basketball.
Lisa Lee: You can see it after I’m done with it; when we take it outside I can leave it out. It has black on it. It has little black stripes on it, and it does bounce. This week we’re talking all about balls and sports.
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Benchmark Description | How Benchmark Was Met |
|---|---|---|
Language Arts |
Listen with understanding and respond to directions and conversations. |
Children listened to sounds of ball shaking in box and hints provided by the teacher. |
Language Arts |
Communicate needs, ideas and thoughts. |
Children guessed what type of ball was in the box. |
Language Arts |
Relate prior knowledge to new information. |
Children used their prior experiences with the guessing game and with balls to guess the contents of the box. |
Language Arts |
Communicate information with others. |
Children used a question format to communicate. |
Social/Emotional Development |
Exhibit persistence and creativity in seeking solutions to problems. |
Children continued to come up with new guesses until the mystery was solved. |
Social/Emotional Development |
Use appropriate communication skills when expressing needs, wants and feelings. |
Children raised their hands to get a turn, and phrased their guesses as questions. |
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.
An Illinois Early Learning link to a Web site does not imply an endorsement by the Illinois Early Learning Project or the Illinois State Board of Education of any product, resource, or service on that Web site.
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Spanish: ¿Qué hay en la caja?
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