Grade Level

Preschool (age 4-5)

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

20 students

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Unit

Wheels and Wings Adventure – Lesson 8 of 12

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Lesson Title

Storytime: Adventures in the Sky

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Lesson Description

Students will listen to an engaging story about flying adventures. The lesson incorporates interactive discussion that encourages children to share their feelings and thoughts about the story, enhancing vocabulary, listening comprehension, expressive language, and social-emotional skills aligned with preschool Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and New Jersey Early Learning Standards.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate active listening skills while being read to (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.PK.2)
• Retell key details of a story (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.PK.2)
• Express personal feelings and thoughts about a story (Social-Emotional Development)
• Use new vocabulary related to flying and aircrafts during discussion (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.PK.6)
• Engage in cooperative speaking and listening with peers (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.PK.1)

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Standards Alignment

Standard Code	Description
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.PK.2	With prompting and support, retell familiar stories.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.PK.3	With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, major events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.PK.6	Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading, and being read to.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.PK.1	Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about pre-K topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
New Jersey Preschool Standards - Approaches to Learning/Social and Emotional Development	Demonstrate awareness of emotions and express feelings in appropriate ways.

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Materials Needed

• Picture book/story titled Adventures in the Sky or a similar age-appropriate flying-themed story
• Large chart paper or whiteboard and markers
• "Flying Adventures" themed worksheet (attached below)
• Crayons and pencils
• Carpet or designated reading area for students

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather students on the carpet in a cozy reading circle.
• Briefly introduce the story: “Today, we are going to listen to a fun story about flying high in the sky! Let's see what adventures await!”
• Introduce new vocabulary that will appear in the story: airplane, pilot, clouds, wings, sky.
• Show pictures or real objects (toy airplanes) if available to generate excitement and context.

2. Storytime Reading (15 minutes)

• Read the story Adventures in the Sky aloud at a slow, expressive pace.
• Pause after major story events to ask predictive or reflective questions such as: “What do you think will happen next?”, “How do you think the pilot feels flying above the clouds?”
• Encourage students to point to pictures and repeat vocabulary.

3. Discussion and Emotional Expression (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a circle discussion about the story. Questions to guide:
  • “What was your favorite part of the story?”
  • “Have you ever been on an airplane? How did it feel?”
  • “How do you think you would feel if you were flying?”
  • “Can you tell me a word that means ‘happy’ like the pilot was when flying?”
• Reinforce vocabulary and model using full sentences from children’s responses.
• Validate all feelings shared and model appropriate emotional words (happy, excited, scared, curious).

4. Worksheet Activity (10 minutes)

• Hand out the "Flying Adventure" worksheet focusing on matching and coloring related to aircraft and cars (see worksheet below).
• Instruct children to color airplanes and cars and match simple shapes or pictures.
• Circulate and verbally encourage correct use of vocabulary: “Can you point to the wings on the airplane?”
• Provide support as needed.

5. Closing & Sharing (5 minutes)

• Invite a few children to share what they drew or matched on their worksheet.
• Recap the story briefly: “We read about flying in the sky. We learned new words, and shared our feelings!”
• Preview next lesson: “Next time, we’ll find out all about wheels on cars and bikes!”

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Assessment

• Observe children during discussion for ability to express feelings and thoughts verbally.
• Monitor participation during story and responses to comprehension questions.
• Review worksheets to check ability to recognize objects and follow instructions.
• Utilize anecdotal notes on vocabulary use and social engagement.

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Flying Adventure Worksheet

Theme: Vehicles on the Ground and in the Sky

Instructions:

1. Color all airplanes blue.
2. Color all cars red.
3. Circle the objects that have wings.
4. Match the airplane to the cloud by drawing a line.

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| Drawings included on worksheet: |

• Several simple cartoon airplanes
• Several cartoon cars
• Clouds
• Lines to match airplane to clouds

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This worksheet aligns with New Jersey Preschool Early Learning Standards for Language and Literacy and Approaches to Learning by promoting vocabulary acquisition, fine motor skills (coloring), and shape/object recognition.

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Reflection and Teacher Tips

• Prepare backup activities like a finger-play song about airplanes for if time permits or early finishers.
• Use expressive tones, gestures, and props during storytime to keep engagement high.
• Encourage shy students with gentle prompts during sharing.
• Display vocabulary words visually in classroom after lesson as word wall.
• This lesson builds foundational language and emotional literacy essential for future reading and social competency.

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This lesson is designed to delight young learners while closely following Common Core related pre-K readiness standards and New Jersey’s state curricular benchmarks. Enjoy lifting your students’ imaginations sky-high!