Oviparous and Viviparous Animals, A Creative Movement/Yoga Sorting Activity {Freebie}

I have been invited to guest teach at a school near Santa Fe, New Mexico tomorrow.  I am currently visiting my husband in Santa Fe.   Can you believe it is snowing here in April?!  I am SO excited to guest teach!  I was asked to lead the children's yoga part of their morning routine.  I wanted to to integrate some science and reading skills into the lesson since I only get a half hour to teach my new friends!  This is what I came up with...


Firstly, I was inspired by this book that I just adore.  I don't think I'll have time to read it to them but I am going to take it with me just in case!

I am going to talk to the kiddos about oviparous and viviparous animals.  Oviparous animals are those that lay eggs that mature in their environment.  Viviparous animals give birth to live babies.  


I bought some plastic eggs and made little animal tags to go in each one.  Some of the animals are oviparous and others are viviparous.  Each student will take a turn cracking an egg and reading the animal to the class.  Then I will show them the yoga move for each animal.  You can do this with your class too.  Even if you don't know the yoga posture for each animal you can just let your students make up a silly movement for each animal.  They'll love it and movement is good for the heart!

After we do the yoga movement we will sort the animal into either the oviparous or viviparous container.  My new friends will get to practice classifying!


I found the containers, eggs and the basket at Joann'f for 50% off today!  
Did you know that Joann's offers a 15% discount to teachers?!  I used that as well!

Of course I will need to use some management strategies tomorrow.  How else would I be possibly be able to choose one of my new friends to pick the next egg?  

I saw this idea on pinterest over the summer... from Kathleen at Growing Kinders!  Thanks Kathleen!

So I made these to go with my lesson for tomorrow.  My new friends will write their names on the tags and then I can pull them out of the little container.  

My little lucky duck stuffed animal will help me talk the kiddos through a guided relaxation.  All the kids will lay on their backs and I will talk them through a deep relaxation story.  Then lucky duck will go around with me and gently peck on their cheeks to help me wake them up!  So sweet :)

To begin the end meditation I will tell them some fun clues so they can practice their inferring skills.  They'll each get another egg with something inside.  I will tell them that it is light, comes from an oviparous animal, sometimes you tickle someone with it, they are sometimes stuffed inside a coat or pillow.  What is it?  

Did you guess a feather?  Then you were right!  You are so SMART!!

I will show them how to use a feather to help them with a breathing meditation.  You can see my post here to learn more about feather breathing!

{Click here to download the documents for this activity!}

  

Inspired and uplifted through Yoga

I'm back!  I've been in beautiful New Mexico for the month of June.  Every summer my hubby and I as well as 2,000+ other amazing souls from over 40 different countries go to New Mexico to attend 3HO's Summer Solstice Yoga Festival.  I've learned a lot from attending these festivals and made some really great connections with people from all over the world. 

This year I have been particularly inspired by this incredible book:

(Click on the book for a link to purchase it.)

I'm inspired through this book because as a part of my Masters program I need to work with secondary students and this is the perfect curriculum!  I will be working with the high school students teaching them yoga, meditation and art!  This is a fabulous book and even has a chapter to do Yoga and Art with children!  

Last school year I used Yoga a lot and it was my saving grace!  One of the techniques that came in very handy I learned from a mentor of mine Shakta Kaur Khalsa.  She is the author of several books including

 (click on the picture for a link to purchase the book)

I had several students that have a difficult time managing their emotions appropriately and would have violent outbursts.  This little trick helped one student in particular go from having meltdowns several times a week that would last for several hours to a meltdown once or twice a month and with this breathing technique they could calm down in five minutes or less.

How to teach Feather Breathing:

First, gather craft feathers with stiff top feathers and soft fluffy bottom feathers.

Next, show students how to hold the feather in both hands five or six inches away from their mouth.

Demonstrate how to blow on the bottom fluffy feathers while thinking the word calm.  Continue breathing long, slow and deep allowing the belly to expand on the inhale and squeezing all the air out on the exhale. 

Tip: If a student is so upset that they won’t hold onto the feather, let them calm down a little bit and then just start tickling their face, neck and arms until they are calm enough to grab the feather.

You can also use the feather to help students wake up!  To do this have the students blow on the top stiff feathers quick and strong.  Have them inhale deeply to end.  They can meditate on the word energized while they breathe.

..Check out the guest blog I wrote for What The Teacher Wants about children's yoga HERE...

I leave you with a picture of some of the Utah attendees from last years Solstice.  :) 

Oh ya, when we got home at one o'clock in the morning we arrived to a flooded house due to a broken kitchen pipe :(  So for the last week my hubby and I have been doing a complete kitchen renovation!  Our refrigerator was sunk into the floor! 

Thanks for stopping by!  I've had a blast getting all caught up on the fabulous teaching blogs!  I can't believe how fast this summer is going by!  

Let me know if you have any questions about teaching yoga in your classroom, I'd love to help!!