Caps for Sale

Materials

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

box

approximately five each of red, gray, brown, and blue baseball caps (ask the children's families for loaners or donations)

one checked cap

Instructions

1. Ask the children to sit in a circle. Display two large sheets of poster board in
the center of the circle.
2. Give a different colored marker to every other child in the circle. Note: Explain
that it is important to put caps back on markers so they don't dry out.
3. Direct the children to pass the markers around the circle. After about 30
seconds, begin the music. When the music starts, whoever is holding a marker
names its color and draws a simple design on one of the two pieces of chart
paper in the center of the circle.
4. Stop the music and invite the children to make their marker "whisper." At that
time everyone listens closely as the eight children "click" the cap tightly on
their marker and then return to the circle.
5. Repeat the activity several times until everyone has had an opportunity to draw
and "make a marker whisper."
6. Afterwards, display the posters of colorful art at the front of the classroom.
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
l Give one child a marker, and then put the marker caps on the floor in a row.
Can the child name the colors of the marker caps? Can each child find the
marker cap that matches her marker?
l Can the children write their names using different markers for each letter?