Megan Stewart

Due 11/20/14

Learning Experience Plan for Building Language Skills

1. Learning Experience name and description:
Graph: Would you let the pigeon drive the bus?
This experience is going to graph the childrens decision of whether the
pigeon should drive the bus or not, based on the book; Dont Let the Pigeon
Drive the Bus.
2. Whos it for?
Panda class, 2 - 3 year olds, 10 children.
3. Activity Rationale:
I chose this activity to encourage literacy. The children love to listen to books
and ask questions about them. So I decided to take this book about
transportation and dictate their responses to it. I thought it would be a good
literacy opportunity for the children to put their own names on the graph.
4. Objectives and Big ideas activity is derived from:
Objective 8. Listens to and understands increasingly complex language.
Objective 9. Uses language to express thoughts and needs speaks clearly
and tells about another time or place.
Objective 10. Uses appropriate conversational and other communication skills
engages in conversation.
Objective 17. Demonstrates knowledge of print and its uses uses and
appreciates books.
5. This activity respects their diversity because I allow the children to make their
own decision. If a child does not want to participate because they are shy, I
wont make them.

Megan Stewart
Due 11/20/14
6. Prepare for the experience:
Book, paper with graph posted on wall, markers to draw on the graph, each
childs name on a separate piece of paper so they can tape them on the
graph. It will be during circle time.
7. I will start off the activity by reading the book; Dont let the Pigeon Drive the
Bus. Then after I read the book I will ask the children if they enjoyed the book
and what they thought of it. I will tell them that we are going to make a graph
and decide whether the pigeon should drive the bus or not. I will read the
question to them and pass out their names on pieces of paper. I will invite the
children one at a time to come up to the board and put their name on the
side of their choice, whether it is yes or no. Then I will ask them why they
chose that answer.
8. Talking points:
While reading the book, I can talk about vocabulary words in the text. I can
also ask them questions about the book.
I could ask the children if they had ever rode on a bus?
I will talk to the children about making a graph to visually show everyone
what our opinions are.
Another point, would be to ask why they chose to allow the pigeon to drive
the bus or not.
9. Open-ended questions:
Why would you let the pigeon drive the bus?
Why wouldnt you let the pigeon drive the bus?
Where can you go on a bus?

Megan Stewart
Due 11/20/14
10.A few vocabulary words to introduce are pigeon, driver, steering wheel, rear
(bus), and front.
Evaluation:
1. I asked the children, How do you feel about a pigeon driving a bus? The
children laughed and said, I think its funny. A child asked why the
pigeon wanted to drive the bus. I replied, The driver of the bus wanted to
take a break and the pigeon wanted to try to drive. I asked them, Has an
adult ever told or asked you not to do something? Some children nodded
yes. So I said, This pigeon was told not to drive but he really wanted to.
Have you ever wanted to do that thing an adult told you not to do? The
children were laughing and said yes. One child said no.
2. This was just a simple graphing activity, so yes the children used it in the
way I anticipated. Some children didnt understand the concept of putting
their name on the side that said what they were choosing. Those two
children liked that they got to come up and put their name on the paper
though. Another child realized that his name was upside down, so he fixed
it. This showed me that he understood the way that text is read.
3. I didnt make any modifications to the activity.
4. I learned that some children understood the concept of meaningful text,
because they knew which direction the text was supposed to look. I
learned that one child didnt know what I was asking but he liked buses so
he responded, I want to drive the bus. I also learned that some children
related the story to personal experiences with pigeons. One girl said,
Pigeons always land on my house and eat it. so she didnt want the
pigeon to drive the bus. I accomplished the objectives and the experience

Megan Stewart
Due 11/20/14
went well because the children were engaged and responded to my
activity. Maybe later in the year when they are writing their names more
they can write their own names on the paper.