- pictures of roller coasters/people riding roller coasters
- Roller Coaster (book)
- down
- fast
- ramp
- roller coaster
- up
MA Standards:
English Language Arts/Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners during daily routines and play.
English Language Arts/Language/L.PK.MA.1: Demonstrate use of oral language in informal everyday activities.
English Language Arts/Language/L.PK.MA.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, listening to books read aloud, activities, and play.
Head Start Outcomes:
Language Development/Receptive Language: Attends to language during conversations, songs, stories, or other learning experiences.
Language Development/Expressive Language: Uses language to express ideas and needs.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Language 2: Participate actively in discussions, listen to the ideas of others, and ask and answer relevant questions.
Talk Together: Roller Coaster Ride
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
STEM Key Concepts: A ramp or an inclined plane, is a surface with one end higher than the other; An object placed on an inclined plane will roll, slide, or stay put.
ELA Focus Skills: Speaking and Listening, Vocabulary
Display the cover of the book Roller Coaster and ask children what they notice. If necessary, point out that children and adults are on a roller coaster, a kind of ride that goes very fast and dips high and low. Explain that roller coasters are usually at amusement parks or “fun” parks.
Hold up and refer to a picture of a roller coaster as you talk about a time you or someone you know rode a roller coaster for the first time. Then ask questions such as,
- Have you ever been to an amusement park and seen a real roller coaster? Invite those who have to describe what it looks like (big, scary, hilly) and what it feels like.
- Do you think the roller coaster cars go fast or slow? What makes you think so? (The people in the picture look like they are going fast!)
Focus on the roller coaster. Explain (and act out) that people on a roller coaster go up and down and that they often put their hands up during the ride. Say, Let’s pretend we are riding a roller coaster. Have children raise their hands up high and sit up straight as they act out going up in the roller coaster. Then have them crouch down low as they go down the ramp!
English Language Learners: Some languages do not have the /l/ sound and the word “roller” may be difficult for them to pronounce. Exaggerate the sound and point out the position of your mouth an tongue to help children hear and pronounce /l/ in “roller.”