Unit Plan-Sense of Touch (NO PICS)

MAXWELL UNIT PLAN-TOUCH
I Can Feel!
A Unit on the Sense of Touch: Infants
Sarah Maxwell: Educare
Spring 2015

Name: Sarah Maxwell
Date: Spring 2015. Start: January 22, 2015 End: February 28, 2015
UNIT INFORMATION
Grade/Subject: Infants
Unit Name: I Can Feel!
Length of Unit:
4 weeks (20 class days)
Mondays, Wednesdays,Thursdays (1/2 days), Fridays
STANDARDS
Infant and Toddler Guidelines
Domain Component Indicator
Cognitive (3) Exploration and Discovery Uses senses to explore people, objects
and the environment.
Cognitive (3) Problem Solving Experiments with different uses for
objects.
Physical and Motor
Development (4)
Fine Motor Development Uses hands or feet to make contact
with objects or people.
AZ Early Learning (Science)
S1C1a: Exhibits curiosity about objects, living things, and other natural events in the
environment by using one or more senses.
Teaching Strategies GOLD
11d: Shows curiosity and motivation (TSG)
GUIDING QUESTION
**Include 2 paragraph explanation of your guiding question and why it is important to
help the students understand the concepts
The guiding question throughout this unit is “why do we touch things?” This is a question
that will be answered through use of indoors and outdoors, classifying objects by soft and
hard by touching, by using familiar household items, and by using every other opportunity
unplanned to explore as the teacher. Since these infants and young toddlers are touching
things to understand their world, I can facilitate that understanding by providing materials,
opportunities, various environments, and information through conversation.
Although the children likely learn more through touching objects than from the teacher
talking about objects, I need to provide some sense to things that do not make sense to
them, like why pressing a button makes sound. Even if I am not talking, modeling how to
use objects will validate them—even if they used it differently than I, because I will accept
anything they give me.

BENCHMARK LESSONS
*Include summaries for three lessons
(possible student generated question
(N/A FOR INFANTS so will address possible actions)
Lesson 1:
The first lesson has to do with soft and hard items. Specifically regarding the
sense of touch, I want to see if the children want to use their hands or mouth
more. I will engage students by reading aloud a Touch and Feel book and will
talk about the textures shown, and how the book is hard but the textures are
mostly soft. The objective will be: All children will use hands to touch at least
75% of objects and toys available to them (the other 20% may be with their
mouth). Since the students do not speak more than babbling, possible student
generated actions could be: hitting the harder items on other surfaces and/or
putting softer items to their cheek or mouth.
Lesson 2:
Instead of focusing on a category (soft and hard, preferences, household
items, and outdoor items), I just want this to be about their use of fine motor
grasping. This is a slightly more broad approach to what materials are brought
in, but I want to see how the children reach for and grasp items, even if the
items end up in their mouth. The objective will be: At least 80% of the time the
children will grasp items in front of them (the other 20% items will be placed in their
hands or they will not grasp). Since the students do not speak more than
babbling, possible student generated actions could be: hitting items but not
grasping them or taking items to grasp them and put them in their mouth.
Lesson 3:
Based on the fairly specific objective from lesson 1 and the somewhat broader
goal for lesson 2, I have decided I will meet somewhere in the middle; I plan
to focus on still their sense of touch and not necessarily one of the four
categories (soft and hard, preferences, household items, and outdoor items),
but I will see if I can challenge them to use two or more body parts (hand and
foot, hand and mouth, mouth and foot, etc) to touch items. I know enough
about these children to know they have a preference for which they touch, and
I think this is an appropriate goal. The objective will be: All students will use at
least one body part to touch at least one item. They will be measured with the
attached checklist (artifact 1). Since the students do not speak more than
babbling, possible student generated actions could be: using only their
preferred body part to touch and no others or perhaps that hand and mouth
will be most used, since typically the children pick up items with their hands
to put in their mouth.
PLANNING FOR ALL LEARNERS
**Include an explanation of your strategy for planning for all students, including those
with diverse learning needs (including any accommodations or differentiation that will be
implemented) in approximately 2 paragraphs

There is a child with torticollis, a condition that has him leaning his head to one preferred side
and possibly affecting formation of his skull. For him, everything I plan will have to be
implemented on the side he does not prefer, because it is possible and necessary for him, just not
very comfortable.
Most of the students, if not all of them, are exposed to either a non-English language at home, or
to more than one language at home. For these students, they will have exposure to English and
Spanish (and a few Somalian words occasionally, like when greeting mom and dad at drop off)
in the classroom when experiences are happening, even ones not related to the unit, so there is no
feeling of inconsistency.
Some of the students are technically young toddlers, and all but one of them will be over one
year old by May or so, so these children will need safe access to walkers and things that promote
gross motor skills—but they will need to be watched carefully around less mobile infants.
*May have focus on one infant, but different days may be different child. Will involve as many
students as can, the whole time*
ASSESSMENT
**Include 1-2 paragraph explaining your formative and summative assessments
At the end of the unit, I will evaluate where the students are based on formative assessments
throughout individual lessons, observational notes, and a summative assessment (artifact 1). My
goal is that all infants have all domains covered at least once throughout the unit. The students
will not know the meaning of the domains, but I want them to remain engaged. I want them to
know that they have senses, those senses help them understand the world, and that their sense of
touch is powerful. Rigor for the students who are less than a year old (and for those who already
turned one) translates mostly by a large expanse of new materials—materials that cannot be
defined into just soft or hard, or are just used in a certain place. The use of varied materials, and
in different settings and times of day, will gratify both the need for rigor and the sensitivity of
student preferences.
As for formative assessments, some will be observational notes for Teaching Strategies
Gold (TSG), which is specifically designed to observe children at all domains and levels. Other

formative assessments include charts and student data forms (artifact 3, artifact 4). These types
of assessments will help me determine what interests the students have in what items and
materials, how are they touching and using the items and materials, and how I can make this
newer next time.
See Artifacts 1, 3 and 4
TECHNOLOGY
**Describe a possible technology that you may use to assist the students’ learning
Technology is not applicable in an infant room, or even through preschool classrooms. The
closest thing to technology is using media players to play songs, which have only so much to do
with the sense of touch. Instead, there will be opportunities to use a lot of equally stimulating
visuals—they just will not be electronic. Likely, I will at one point or another have to prepare
materials ahead of time, like something as elaborate as creating a bubble wrap ball with tape and
bringing it in. In this way, these students will see finished products that display inventive ways in
which materials can be used. More likely, though, we will experiment with materials within the
classroom together, giving them ownership and allowing for ample modeling space. As much as
can be done, pictures will be taken and printed so these students can come in each day, each
week, and see their exploration. They may not talk much, but they sure see and they often point
to pictures they are in with their families from around the class; if they see what they’ve done
with my unit plan materials on the walls, they will see that everything they learn is honorable
enough to display.
I expect that these infants probably are exposed to technology at home, so I want to
balance their experiences with as many non-electronic items as I can. I have the luxury of simply
using items as natural as crib walls, blankets, and the sweater I wear, to items more abstract or
manufactured like shredded paper in a basket, bubbles in the sink, and baby food paint. There is

flexibility, too, to use materials that invigorate other senses that are not the sense of touch
because I will not limited them to just touching something if they are interested in a song they
hear. In fact, infants who bounce to music can still be feeling the music, even though it isn’t by
their hands, which is an opportunity for me to challenge their thinking, even if they cannot
articulate something back to me.

Narrative
A general goal throughout the whole unit is to involve as many of the infants as possible.
In an infant room, things are already unpredictable—even sleeping and eating, which are
typically routine, can satisfy unplanned opportunities. I can foresee, for example, certain children
preferring household items over outdoor items, so I will be challenged to plan for what may
happen, even if it does not.
Soft and Hard
To engage the infants in something they are already doing but to challenge them into
novelty ideas of those familiar things, the idea here is to use about a week of tactile activities that
have vivid differences—soft items against hard items. There will be curiosity among the
comparison, and the classroom already has a variety of toys and materials for this purpose (i.e.
soft stuffed animals and blankets, and hard noise rings and music players). Throughout the unit,
some of these goals will overlap, because toys and materials, as well as the senses, frequently
appear in life as multiples. For example, infants touching an item with their hands may also put it
in their mouth. Also, blankets are very soft but will be seen again when household items are
discussed. The goal is not to divide anything into categories, but to blend them into a motivating
experience over the course of about a month.
Outdoors
Getting outside is always rewarding for the infants. It always seems to have more
variables, and that will become inquiry with very little effort. This will, at the same time, provide
some challenges because one of those variables are unplanned things that the infants notice on
the ground that could be, at the least, gross, and at most, will be very dangerous. There will be

balancing that occurs here as I as the teacher prompt the child to what they touch outside, why
they chose it, and possible alternatives.
Household Items
Just as likely as it is that these goals will overlap, focuses on different goals during
different weeks may also happen. For example, household items could easily become the first
targeted goal, and not the third, because it provides the most familiarity. Having infants explore
familiar things first could provide the most sense of security, but it could hinder the nature of
exploration. Either way, it will be slightly unpredictable. That is part of this unit—flexibility in
goals and planning. In an inquiry sense, this will provide a challenge because most household
items are very normal to them. On the other hand, it lends itself to an easy transition to the goal
of uses and preferences.
Uses and Preferences
This goal may actually be near the end of the unit, because although infants will gravitate
toward what they prefer from the very beginning, I will get to see if those preferences changed in
four weeks. Not only that, but I will be able to intrigue them with their preferences; I want these
infants to see their preferred items be used in more than way. If they always choose the walker
that lights up, I could push the walker back and forth and press the music player so that walker
can become a means to keep a tempo. Although that example is not very practical, it will invite
them to explore with no limits—unless there is danger.
Flexibility, multiple and varied experiences, and challenging myself just as much as I
challenge them are the things these goals encompass. Their environment will be discovered,
changed, and used in ways they may not have experienced. I have the advantage (and perhaps
disadvantage) of using only their nonverbal language to plan for future activities in the unit. I

want the infants to use all of their senses, even with a focus on the sense of touch; they should
feel stimulated to experiment, and to use their curiosity, not my mere promptings, to develop
their inquisitive instinct.

References
Articles
Eshach, H. (2011). Science for young children: A new frontier for science education. Journal of
Science Education and Technology, 20(5), 435-443. doi:10.1007/s10956-011-9324-1
Although this article endorses science experiences for children in kindergarten and older, the
message is still the same for infants and toddlers that “they should be provided with a variety of
opportunities to participate in inquiry activities” (Eshach, 2001, p. 442). Inquiry and science are,
by nature, things to be most fully experienced with peers and caregivers (if a young child), and
with support through scaffolding. In an infant classroom, especially in a unit of the sense of
touch, there are endless opportunities to scaffold children into new experiences.
Kilfeather, P., Murphy, C., & Murphy, C. (2011). Children making sense of science. Research in
Science Education, 41(2), 283-298. doi:10.1007/s11165-010-9165-6
This is a detailed example of the enjoyment children receive out of scientific discoveries. Hands-
on activities are promoted and essential when it comes to young children and inquiry-based
learning. Infants cannot articulate their understanding or appreciating science, but their first few
years of life are about new experiences and science is the process of those discoveries. Just as
any subject children learn should be relevant to their lives, the frequently-forgotten subject of
science is just as realistically a part of their lives.
Meltzoff, A., Kuhl, P., Movellan, J., & Sejnowski, T. (2009). Foundations for a new science of
learning. Science, 325(5938), 284-288. doi:10.1126/science.1175626
The nature of science allows for learners of any age to experience it, even infants. In fact, before
infants can manipulate the physical world or speak their first words” (Meltzoff, 2009, p. 285)
they implicitly understand and practice scientific encounters. Instinctually, infants begin to
imitate adults and use their physical surroundings as part of their learning—the very thing we
want in inquiry. This article specifically lends itself to learning the five senses.
Murray, M., Baker, P. H., Murray-Slutsky, C., & Paris, B. (2009). Strategies for supporting the
sensory-based learner. Preventing School Failure, 53(4), 245-251. Retrieved from
http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/2284865
05?accountid=4485
This has no direct relation to infants, but has everything to do with sensory-based learners,
which infants are. Even infants can exhibit sensory challenges, like sensory processing
disorder (SPD) or sensory modulation dysfunction (SMD), and since their whole world has to do
with their senses, in teaching and caring for them, sensitivity to how often and which forms of
sensory are available need to be considered.

Nadesan, M. (2002). Engineering the entrepreneurial infant: Brain science, infant development
toys,and governmentality. Cultural Studies, 16(3), 401-432.
doi:10.1080/09502380210128315
Just as infants learn touch by touching, “Infants who are not held and touched” are at risk to not
forming as many “critical connections” regarding brain and nerve communications (Nadesan,
2002, p.405). There was a detailed theme of allowing infants “the correct stimulation . . . during
critical periods of development,” which, in a way, “engineer” their brains to be excellent
(Nadesan, 2002, p. 413). A well-developed discussion on infant stress, cognition, and even more
controversial subjects (like infant mortality) are described and can be considered when in a
classroom of infants who need adequate sensory experiences and caregivers who offer those
experiences.
Fiction Books
Books, P. (2012). Touch and feel: Animals. New York, New York: Parragon Books.
This is a book children, even as young as a few months old, can relate to because they have
heard of or seen these basic animals in their short lifetime. With this book, they can feel them too
with the interactive textures. In a classroom of infants, and even toddlers, anything that
stimulates sensory experiences is essential.
Books, P. (2015). Five little monkeys finger puppet book. New York, New York: Parragon
Books.
It may not be familiar to infants, unless parents have shared this nursery rhyme, but it is a story
any child can enjoy. This isn’t just a book with textures, but is designed with finger puppets to
make the story literally become three dimensional. If a child can actually use the book with their
fingers, it will help develop their hand-eye coordination and increase their motivation in the
story.
Hill, E. (2014). Baby spot: Touch and feel playbook. London, United Kingdom: Puffin Books.
A few things about this book will spark the interest of infants in new sensory experiences: a cute
dog and other familiar animals, colors; various interactive textures; and even a mirror and a flap
that has objects they have seen either in the classroom or at home. It has a combination of
illustration and real-life objects.
Maranke, R. (2008). I feel a foot!. Honesdale, Pa: Lemniscaat.
This story has more learning experiences that do not have to do with the sense of touch than ones
that do, but it allows for a lot of dialogic reading on the teacher’s part—using the pictures to
show touch, even if the author hardly mentions anything about touch. The nature of the plot of

the book is trying to decode the sounds heard in the turtle’s environment, so actually reading it as
it is written could teach the children about other senses and how they help us in our world.
Priddy, R. (2001). Happy baby: Duckling and friends. London, United Kingdom: Priddy Books.
A little less familiar to infants who probably only have exposure to dogs and cats, this book
inspires curiosity because it has textures on every page. Whether vocabulary is built through
reading the text or sensory is targeted by admiring the pictures through touch, this book is
something that infants—and toddlers—can literally use for hands-on learning.
Rescek, S. (2008). Touch & tickle (baby gym). Swindon, United Kingdom: Childs Play Intl Ltd.
Unlike many of the infant books designed to involve the baby in touch and other senses, this
book is more for the parents and for caregivers to implement ideas with. It promotes exercise and
massage appropriate for infants and it, by nature, involves various ways of touching. The
exercises demonstrated in the book will, in multi-faceted ways, develop the infant’s help, but
will also create new experiences for them.
Nonfiction Books
Aliki. (2000). My five senses. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Because this is about all five senses, it of course would be too broad for just talking about touch.
Talking about one sense easily lends itself to all of the senses. On the first page about touch, the
boy is holding a bunny. That one page could teach about touch (why we touch), other senses, and
even animals. This book explains something key as well: “Sometimes I use all my senses at
once.”
Kindersley, D. (1998). Touch and feel: Wild animals. New York, New York, United States: DK
Publishing Inc.
This is a sensory experience for infants, but the illustrations on their own our abstract for the
children, and that develops a strong curiosity for the textures available in the book. Because of
the nature of wild animals, vocabulary will be instilled and even solidified with various hands-on
textures.
Kindersley, D. (2008). Touch and feel: Home. New York, New York, United States: DK
Publishing.
Of course, since this is about touch, it has textures to touch on every page. The best part about
this book, though, may just be the familiarity it could bring these children having objects from a
typical home: teddy bear, towel, curtain, etc. Not to mention it is from the point of view of a
kitten.
Nettleton, P. H. (2004). Look, listen, taste, touch, and smell: Learning about your five senses.

Mankato, Minnesota: Picture Window Books.
This is an advanced extension of the five senses. Not only is it about all of the senses, but it
discusses the organs that perform these functions. Of course, in an infant classroom, it would be
more realistic to use this book as a supplement, like read one page, or just a few words on one
page—using the pictures to support a dialogue with the children.
Parramón, J. M., & Puig, J. J. (1985). The five senses: Touch. Hauppauge, New York: Barron's
Educational Series, Incorporated.
Written in more of an informative narrative format, this book shares about how senses are
experienced more than what they are. It is written more for preschoolers but has strong potential
to still teach infants something through reader explanations. It is also helpfully written to parents
with a “scientific” section that goes into detail.
Walpole, B. (1996). Touch (see for yourself). London, United Kingdom: A & C Black
(Children's books).
This book is less for leisure reading aloud than it is for assisting in planning for sensory
activities. It is reader friendly and naturally scientific with the experiments written within its
covers. It is not a book to read straight through with infants, but more assistive in activity-based
learning.
Other Resources
Anspaugh, D. J., & Ezell, G. (2013). Teaching today’s health. (10th edition). Boston: Pearson
Publishers.
There is a section on page 150 that briefly covers each of the five senses—touch, of course,
being one. This is the only reference that I’d use as a quick reminder before teaching about
touch, because it is so short. It is concise and accurate and has just enough information to set me
in the relevant frame of mind before jumping into a lesson on an infant’s most used sense.
Caulfield, R. (2000). Beneficial effects of tactile stimulation on early development. Early
Childhood Education Journal, 27(4), 255-257.
This resource would be used as a motivator for why touch is so essential, and how it is learned
through experience. It suggests evidence that active alert states increased, crying decreased,
stress levels were lowered and even periods of sleep were lengthened when they were “massaged
or rocked for 12- to 15-minute sessions over a 6-week period” (Caulfield, 2000, p. 256). In this
sense, infants are learning how important the sense of touch is because they have security and
better health.
Developing hands and fingers: An activity guide for under-fives. (2008). Sport New Zealand, 1-
14.

Another example of touch experiences from caregivers is shown here. There are simple activities
that seem like unavoidable, expected normality to do with infants, but they can be intentionally
instructional by using this resource—and by talking about why a caregiver is doing the activity.
Specifically mentioned for infants (because it mentions toddlers as well) are finger games and
even singing songs. There seems to be correlations in this activity list between touch activities
and language.
Parks, L. (2014). Sensorimotor development: Hands-on activities for infants and toddlers. Texas
Child Care Quarterly, 37(4), 1-10.
Messiness is encouraged here. More than just the sense of touch is addressed here, but humans of
all ages use multiple senses at one time. This resource tells me to be mindful of the infants that
“prefer not to be messy”—something not as common. Also, inquiry is naturally encouraged
because infants normally touch—and taste—their surroundings by choice, not by being told to.
However, a caregiver‘s preceding actions, like “touch[ing] an infant’s cheek,” initiates a
response from the infant. In this way, desired behaviors can be prompted (Parks, 2014, p. 21).
Reinhard, K. (2015). Ten ways to teach children about the world without leaving
school. Teaching Young Children, 8(2), 6-7.
One of my favorite resources because not only are there reader-friendly activities listed, but these
activities are realistic—geared toward school, which is a place children are guaranteed to be
influenced, sometimes more than home. However, only a few of the activities have to do with
just the sense of touch.

Big Idea
Engaging the infants in new experiences is the ultimate goal of this unit on the sense of
touch. Naturally, they are using their senses all the time. As adults, that is also true, but infants
barely babble, so they do not have a way to verbalize what they experience—so they touch
(among the other senses). I want them to become problem-solvers and innovators and even to hit
points of disequilibrium when they discover something new or confusing. It is also an
expectation that just as much as the sense of touch will be addressed and used, their other senses
will be equally utilized. I do not want to limit their sensory exploration, but I want to focus on
the sense they exhibit most frequently and most visually to others. As the teacher, I want to make
sure what I prompt in words and what I model in actions I make child-centered, and that the
children sense my acceptance of all of their responses. Because they are practically nonverbal
altogether, I will have to be observant and actively responsive to what they show me. To
encourage them to be innovative problem-solvers, I need to create safe, open-ended problems for
them to solve.
How It Supports Goals and Concepts
The goals of this unit are to teach about items that are soft and hard, about outdoor items
and experiences, about household items and experiences, and to encourage their personal use and
preferences of various items. Everything that is touched is either soft or hard to some degree,
which leaves room for everything being a new experience for the children. It also leads me to
teach easily by comparison, even though they will not concretely understand all of that, they will
be exposed to a wide range of textures. The outdoors cannot really be taught without learning
about the indoors as well, so of course both will be incorporated. However, the outdoors invites a
much less limited approach to inquiry. I cannot control weather, or who will walk by at any

moment, or how plants and bugs and other living things will react to outdoor happenings of
many kinds. I can, however, learn new things with the children and use what I know about the
outdoors to go deeper, to ask questions, and to invite the children to teach me something. In
contrast, household items may be more familiar to the children than some outdoor things, but
that is an advantage. It will hopefully bring a sense of security and trust throughout the unit, and
it will bring relevancy to their lives in the closest way. On the other hand, my eight children
come from eight different households, so it will be a helpful challenge to discover how to
connect with these children in tangible ways. Probably the most important theme of this unit is
the goal of uses and preferences; I want the children to learn that whatever choice they make has
a certain consequence and that they are entitled to their preferences. There will be no activity or
experience without at least two choices available. Inquiry, especially in sensory environments,
cannot effectively be learned when only one choice is available.
It is essential that these children become curious and have opportunities to determine
thoughts and feelings and expressions—even when I cannot hear the vocalize it. I am interested
in teaching them that their hands are not the only things that touch. Their feet touch, and even
their cheeks and other exposed areas of skin can feel too. There are endless possibilities. The
sense of touch caters to fine motor development, to exploration with physical feelings, and to
problem-solving. My job in this unit is to provide the physical space and materials, and
occasionally speak something intelligent. The job of these infants is to react. They will not likely
remember that “touch” is the word that means you feel something, but they will experience that
firsthand (pun intended). There will be intentional actions taken to make use of objects in
multiple ways, and to instill some new vocabulary into their nonverbal comprehension, but the
most applicable use of a unit on the sense of touch is its nature to surprise. There will be a

purposeful reliance on what I did not plan for. It will make planning for unpredictable
occurrences harder, but it will give me more freedom when in teaching mode.
Student-Generated Actions
There will be no questions asked by the students because developmentally, only one or
two words will be uttered at rare times. However, infants communicate all the time. One of the
most obvious possible actions is the child holding up an object to me, maybe with a look of
confusion, and putting the object in their mouth. At the least, they will get a deeper sense of its
texture. Hopefully, I can grab the drool-covered item and model for them, then, one way to use
it. Another possible student-generated action could be looking up when they touch and item and
it produces a sound. This of course would lead easily to talking about the sense of hearing.
The next expected action could be that the child repeats the way they are touching an item—
whether it is because of a consequential sound it makes, or because they like the texture. A
student-generated action in contrast is that they cease their current action. Their preferences will
be made known because they crawl away or cry when disinterested and keep going with
something if they are engaged. Even though there are an unpredictable amount of possible
actions these infants can initiate, one of, the last ones could be that they involve other peers.
Infants will involve their peers by holding up the item to them, or perhaps by getting their
attention (hair-pulling usually works). Getting their peer’s attention could be as academic as
them comparing the hair of their friend to the toy in their hand, or it can be as ordinarily
predictable as effectively getting the attention they wanted. Either way, it is bound to occur when
at play with adventurous materials. I am additionally expecting for student-generated actions I
was not planning for, and those are the things I want to take away. I prefer not just checking off
that they performed a way I had planned, but that I could note when they did not.

Integration
Even though the senses are mostly science-based, there are areas of development always
being taught to: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. These are the areas I want
this unit to overlap into regularly.
On a social and emotional level, touch brings feeling, and feelings bring either comfort or
discomfort. Hopefully, the unit only inspires the former. Nevertheless, unwelcomed situations
occur and I will need to respond to those too. When focusing most of my teaching on the sense
of touch, I need to make sure the environment we inquire and explore in is safe. Then, their
social and emotional development will be as in tact as possible; if it is not, it will not be due to
the unit experiences. Touch on a social and emotional level helps children become aware of self,
and become aware of their peers and caregivers. This is the first place children should be
developed and it never stops. It also goes way past what they physically feel, but for the most
part, touching is their life.
Being in a safe environment lends easily to the integration of physical development.
Obviously, fine motor control will be sharped through touching and holding materials and play
spaces, but there is more to physical elements than that. Some of the infants are standing. Most
of them are doing so by propping themselves up with their hands. Not to mention, their feet feel
the surface on which they stand. If they crawl, their knees feel the surface. When they walk and
fall, they will surely feel that. Touch is really the outcomes of being physical in any way.
Cognitively, the sense of touch is a huge aspect of their approaches to learning. There is
very little to discover if touch were not permitted or expected. Infants know that something new
to them must be touched with their hands or feet or mouth to be known. Exploring, discovering,

problem-solving, and imitating are all ways in which the sense of touch develops cognitive
features of children.
Linguistically, most of what children communicate is through their sense of touch.
Infants will grip your shirt if they are afraid; they pat your back at times when you’re patting
theirs; they hit children who try to take their toy; they clap their hands when they are happy, and
so on. Also, how caregivers touch them expresses language. It is how they know most of their
world.
Specifically, the type of touch that I plan to show throughout the unit that satisfies their
social and emotional needs are when I grab their hands or hold them for the purpose of modeling
something. There might be a time I need to use their hands to help them do something they
cannot do on their own (i.e. pop bubble wrap). For physical purposes, there are mostly going to
be fine motor activities since they touch mostly with their hands and do not have as many gross
motor opportunities, since most of my class is less than one year of age. However, I am not
without plenty of those chances as well. On the cognitive side, curiosity and confusion will often
occur, surely, as an effect of touching various textures and feeling different extremes (pain if
they fall, ticklish goose bumps with soft things). This is slightly more unpredictable and will
leave me with an excitement they will feed off of, especially when I’m modeling and they
imitate. Constantly, the infants and I will communicate with when we touch, how touch, and
what we touch, and why we touch. Certainly, I will have to use my own sense of touch to
communicate my expectations and my responses as much as I use my words because touch is
what these babies understand—sometimes more than words. Even though I will attempt to target
domains as separate goals, in mere minutes all domains could appear in an experience and I may
not have planned for it at all. I want the unit to lead me, not for me to lead a unit.

Building on these developmental domains will be the foundation for their years of
content-heavy schooling kindergarten and onward. These children will be using their senses all
the more but will have a sturdy social/emotional understanding, physical lifestyle, cognitive
processing, and linguistic set of skills. In lieu of teaching these students in their elementary years
and beyond, I have the privilege and great responsibility of instilling the most foundational
domains for their lives. The sense of touch is by far not the ultimate road to those domains, but it
is the most frequent type of knowledge they have of the world.
Summative Assessment
At the end of the unit, I will evaluate where the students are based on formative
assessments throughout individual lessons, observational notes, and a summative assessment
(artifact 1). My goal is that all infants have all domains covered at least once throughout the unit.
The students will not know the meaning of the domains, but I want them to remain engaged. I
want them to know that they have senses, those senses help them understand the world, and that
their sense of touch is powerful. Rigor for the students who are less than a year old (and for those
who already turned one) translates mostly by a large expanse of new materials—materials that
cannot be defined into just soft or hard, or are just used in a certain place. The use of varied
materials, and in different settings and times of day, will gratify both the need for rigor and the
sensitivity of student preferences.
As for formative assessments, some will be observational notes for Teaching Strategies
Gold (TSG), which is specifically designed to observe children at all domains and levels. Other
formative assessments include charts and student data forms (artifact 3, artifact 4). These types
of assessments will help me determine what interests the students have in what items and

materials, how are they touching and using the items and materials, and how I can make this
newer next time.
I am not assessing what the students prefer to touch, or how frequently they touch certain
textures, but am assessing if all domains are being represented as much as possible. If my
formative assessments and summative assessment show me that the domains were missed often,
or certain children were not represented well, that reflects me more than it does the children.
That would indicate I did not provide the opportunities adequately, so I am assessing more
myself than I am assessing them. I will assess myself daily in some way, even if at mere thoughts
of what I did well and what I could improve.
Family Motivation
The first committed action is to inform the parents of my unit—what I’d be doing and
how they can be involved. This letter is attached below (artifact 2). To continue to develop
family participation and motivation, I will create as many lessons and experiences that produce
something visual to put on the walls, or something tangible to take home. Some examples of
things that can be put on the walls or sent home are painted paper, leaves from a tree put onto
contact paper, and pictures of the children actually participating in these activities and
experiences.
The students will hopefully be motivated by a change in materials, and a wide range of
materials—texture, color, and even temperatures (i.e. food). Further, I want them to be able to
use items in inventive ways, like painting with baby food. Although infants only understand so
much of why certain things happen, I will make a concerted effort to speak relevance over
everything they are doing. Just as they will be expected later in school to justify their answers, I
will model justifying why we are doing what we are doing, or using what we are using. Because

I want concrete ideas that students can relate to, I will be observant of what types of toys parents
have their children holding when they drop them off, and how they speak to their child, and other
similar traits because if I can replicate that in the classroom, the children will feel more at home
and will be more engaged.
As parent-teacher conferences continue, the parents will have chances to ask questions,
see artifacts, and even share ideas regarding the unit as it progresses. The children will be present
likely during the conferences, and will be exposed to these conversations and outside of these
conferences will see their work on display. Motivation for the students and their families starts
and continues with personally being excited about the unit—even when things don’t go as
planned. As the unit goes on, there will be a steady stream of interest from myself, which will
feed to the children. Children showing their parents something they may not have done before
will keep the parents motivated.
Tracking Progress
Although infants are perhaps the most observant human beings around, they have no
concrete way of keeping track of their work. Instead, that is my job. I have access to all students
in the class and their TSG observations in all domains, and those domains always have at least
three documentations each quarter. It is a way for me to keep track of where they are easily—
online and with dates, levels, and evidence noted. I also have my observations notebook of
observations for two children that I focus on, since all co-teachers have children we focus on.
Similarly, I also maintain an “Experiences” document that I use to evaluate things that occurred
that were not planned for, and typically involve the children that are not my focus children.
Regarding sense of touch specifically, this unit will allow me to observe these children in
their most comfortable behaviors—touching. When I look at a material I either brought in, or one

I did not bring in but captivated the children, I will be able to connect that material to a reaction
of a child. It is possible the child will hold up the item and shake it, squeeze it, throw it, whatever
they can to learn about it. It is just as possible that a child will ignore it, look at it in confusion, or
move on to a new item. Whatever ends up happening, watching the children’s reactions to these
items will come easily.
I will use how I track student progress to assist in further planning. These students will
show me how they use what they touch to interact and react with other students, how they imitate
me and problem-solve, how they use the materials to communicate needs and wants, and their
capacity to use the materials in physical ways. My expectation is I will be seeing just as much
tasting, seeing, smelling, and hearing from them as I will see touching.
Technology and Alternative Materials
Technology is not applicable in an infant room, or even through preschool classrooms.
The closest thing to technology is using media players to play songs, which have only so much to
do with the sense of touch. Instead, there will be opportunities to use a lot of equally stimulating
visuals—they just will not be electronic. Likely, I will at one point or another have to prepare
materials ahead of time, like something as elaborate as creating a bubble wrap ball with tape and
bringing it in. In this way, these students will see finished products that display inventive ways in
which materials can be used. More likely, though, we will experiment with materials within the
classroom together, giving them ownership and allowing for ample modeling space. As much as
can be done, pictures will be taken and printed so these students can come in each day, each
week, and see their exploration. They may not talk much, but they sure see and they often point
to pictures they are in with their families from around the class; if they see what they’ve done

with my unit plan materials on the walls, they will see that everything they learn is honorable
enough to display.
I expect that these infants probably are exposed to technology at home, so I want to
balance their experiences with as many non-electronic items as I can. I have the luxury of simply
using items as natural as crib walls, blankets, and the sweater I wear, to items more abstract or
manufactured like shredded paper in a basket, bubbles in the sink, and baby food paint. There is
flexibility, too, to use materials that invigorate other senses that are not the sense of touch
because I will not limited them to just touching something if they are interested in a song they
hear. In fact, infants who bounce to music can still be feeling the music, even though it isn’t by
their hands, which is an opportunity for me to challenge their thinking, even if they cannot
articulate something back to me.
Partial Lessons and Experiences
Lesson1
Standard:
 Uses hands or feet to make contact with objects or people.
Objective (Explicit):
 Students will use their hands to touch or hold various objects that are soft or hard.
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable):
All children will use hands to touch at least 80% of objects and toys available to them (the other 20% may
be with their mouth).
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):
 Basic fine motor control (grasping an object, reaching)
 Curiosity (looking at item or person of interest)
 Knowledge that they have hands, a body part
 Sense of autonomy from separate objects and people
Lesson2
Standard:
 Uses hands or feet to make contact with objects or people
 All child(ren) will grasp items placed in front of them

At least 80% of the time the children will grasp items in front of them (the other 20% items will be placed in
their hands or they will not grasp).
Lesson3
Standard:
 The student will use their hands or feet to touch items of various textures.
All students will use at least one body part to touch at least one item.
 Ability to maintain balance (with teacher’s help) if stand
Lesson4
Standard:
 Uses senses to explore people, objects and the environment.
 11d: Shows curiosity and motivation (TSG)
 The students will use their hands or feet to touch items of various textures outdoors.
All students will use at least one body part to touch various items to explore the sense of touch.
Lesson5
Standard:
 Experiments with different uses for objects.
 The students will use their hands to use touch or use at least one object indoors and outdoors.

All students will touch or use objects in more than one way (i.e. hitting the object on a table and later
squeezing it).
 Basic knowledge of cause and effect (If I touch this, it will make this sound)
See Artifact 5: Calendar of Lessons
Reflection
Reinforcements
Upon reflection of this several-week-long unit on the sense of touch, my immediate
response is that I was able to stretch one sense fairly far—farther than I thought I’d be able.
There are specific TAP indicators that were strongly mastered on a consistent basis.
Activities and materials. Activities for these children involved not much more than
supplying materials and areas of play. The only thing that had to be seriously considered and
followed through was bringing in various materials on a regular basis, especially if I thought it
might be their first exposure to them. The categories of this unit—soft and hard, outdoor,
preferences and choices, and household items—helped in planning what materials to bring. In
general, I tried to divide these categories into distinct lessons, but often they’d overlap. That was
okay! The materials often were new to the children, sustained their interest, are relevant in their
use in the children’s homes or classroom, promoted curiosity and choice, and were at times not
provided by the school.
Academic feedback. The materials would have only been fun if not for use of academic
feedback. Relying mostly on the student actions made the materials not only fun but useful. Most
of my planning left plenty of room for the children to explore, and not just receive information.

When I brought in some kitchen items, I talked about something I learned about one of the
children that very morning. I did not plan to connect the pot and spoon to him having eggs his
grandma made, but it was one of the most applicable things mentioned. One of my first lessons
was focused on only one child, and he got to explore three very differently textured items. I
planned to talk about the different textures of the items, but his preference was the sticky tape
ball. And he got distracted quickly by a cracker snack a peer was having, so my lesson ended up
being about the texture of the cracker, and about all of the senses he was using at that moment.
No written feedback was given for the students, but the oral feedback that was given was
frequent and specific.
Refinements
Even though I incorporated other senses in generally frequent and relevant ways, I still
could have more evenly involved all senses. Specifically, making the unit purposeful, and not
just easy ad obvious because the children naturally touch all the time, was something that can be
broken into two TAP indicators.
Teacher knowledge of students. Aside from the instance of the child’s egg breakfast
being mentioned during his exploration of the pot and spoon, very little else regarding the
children’s home life and culture were implemented throughout the unit. A co-teacher regularly
spoke what I was saying, but in Spanish, but that was as far as cultural considerations went.
Admittedly, I did not even think about how to involve the Hispanic and Somalian cultures at all
aside from bilingual translation. The knowledge I used was based on their preferences in the
classroom and instincts as an infant or young toddler, but outside considerations were neglected.
Standards and objectives. I had an excitement to show the infants materials, especially
if they were brought from my own home. However, that excitement sometimes prevented me

from making it a practical experience. The standards and objectives were very broad for the most
part, and that is not necessarily a detriment. It did, however, make my vision unclear. Also, I did
not challenge these children and I did not provide many, if any, expectations for them. In an
inquiry sense, I felt having expectations would limit what they gained, but I realize having some
expectation is still better than none at all.
Next Steps
From beginning to end, even though I intended to involve as many children as possible, I
seemed to focus on only one or two of the children mostly. Even when most or all children were
present, that was the case. Ultimately, it did not affect any of the children noticeably because I
know every one of them had at least one valuable exposure to the unit. I would still like to
address what children are participating equally. I’d have two or three children, and only be
talking to one for a few minutes. When activities last less than ten minutes that is too long to
focus on one child. There was also a somewhat minimal application for the young toddlers. My
activities centered a lot on the infants (under age one) and even when the unit began, about half
of the students were already one or slightly older.
Another next step would be to actively involve parents in ideas for what items their
children prefer to touch at home, and could possibly bring in from home. I could also ask the
parents what items in the class are called in their home language, because no language is
prohibited here. There would be more ways to connect the activities and materials to the
children’s home and culture, but not clear ones. I’d have to take a step of taking time to reflect
and gain insight from others and online for those missing pieces.
All of these preceding steps point to the lack of purpose I had occasionally throughout the
unit. I did well at using what the children could do, but I did not challenge them enough or build

upon what they could partially do enough. Making the materials and activities purposeful also
would involve me confidently bringing in concepts not necessarily related to the senses. I forgot
at times that everything is new to them, and their senses aid in their investigation and are not
merely things to be explained. Explaining more concisely and watching more observantly would
encompass whatever lacked in this unit and would strengthen what was gained through this unit.

Artifact 1: Summative Assessment
Child Domain Targeted Most
*Social/emotional (SE), Cognitive (C),
physical (P), language (L)*
Dates and/or names of lessons

Artifact 1: Summative Assessment (Completed)
Completed after Lesson8
Child Domain Targeted Most
*Social/emotional (SE), Cognitive (C),
physical (P), language (L)*
Dates and/or names of lessons
Ismael Language Lesson 1, lesson 3
Nathan Physical and
Cognitive
Lesson 8
Daniella Physical Lesson 1, lesson 2
Munib Language Lesson 4, lesson 5
Axel Social/Emotional Lesson 6
Muhammad Physical Lesson 7
Rayan Social/Emotional Lesson 2, Lesson 6
Zainab Language Lesson 6

Artifact 2: Parent Letter
Dear Parents,
I want you to be aware that for the next few weeks, I will be using classroom materials very
intentionally to teach your child the sense of touch. I will focus on their hands and feet to explore
various textures and items we currently have in the class and will talk to them about different
uses of the items, about soft and hard items, and so on.
If you have any questions, comments, or even ideas, feel free to talk with me in person at drop-
offs and pick-ups, or ask my co-teachers to relay anything from you to myself.
Thank your for letting me teach your child!
Sarah Maxwell
Estimados padres de familia ,
Yo quiero que seas consciente de que para las próximas semanas , estaré utilizando materiales de
clase muy intencionalmente para enseñar a su hijo el sentido del tacto . Me centraré en sus manos
y pies para explorar diferentes texturas y elementos que tenemos actualmente en la clase y vamos
a hablar con ellos acerca de los diferentes usos de los artículos, sobre los elementos blandos y
duros , y así sucesivamente .
Si tiene alguna pregunta , comentario o incluso ideas , no dude en hablar conmigo en persona en
bajadas y pick- ups , o pedir a mis compañeros de profesores para transmitir nada de ti a mí
mismo .
Gracias por dejarme tu Enseñe a su hijo !
Sarah Maxwell

Artifact 3: Formative Chart 1
Checklist
Student Level
E= Exceeds/M= Meets/A= Approaches/ F= Falls Far Below
*See Student Achievement Data Form for
criteria and scores*
Notes (if any)
(i.e. “This student touched far more than
one item in more than one way”)
EXCEEDS: This student touches at least one item with their hands and their feet (and their mouth,
though not necessary).
MEETS: This student touches at least one item with just their hands or just their feet (and their mouth,
APPROACHES: This student touches at least one item immediately with just their mouth (aside from
using their hands to put in their mouth).
FALLS FAR BELOW: This student does not touch any items in any way (hands, feet, mouth), even
when presented to them.

Artifact 4: Student Data Form
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTDATA FORM
Attach or describe evaluative criteria for the lesson (submit examples with lesson plan, if
available). Ifexamples ofstudent work are not available, provide a description ofthe
work/outcomes expected in each category
Analysis ofStudent Work/ Achievement Data
Complete this section after the lesson is
complete.
Exceeds
(attach student work sample from this category
and label it “Exceeds”)
Description of student work that “exceeds the
standard”
Number of Students who Exceed:
Percent of Total Class:
Students:
Meets
(attach one student work sample from this
category and label it “Meets”)
Description of student work that “meets the
standard”
Number of Students who Meet:
Students:
Approaches
category and label it “Approaches”)
Description of student work that “approaches
the standard”
Number of Students Who Approach:
Students:
Falls Far Below
category and label it “FFB”)
Description of student work that “falls far
below the standard”
Number of Students who Fall Far Below:
Students:

Artifact 5: Calendar of Lessons
Week LessonOrder Objective (Evidence of mastery explained in more detail within
lessonplans)
3 (1.19.15-1.23.15) 1 Students will use their hands to touch or hold various objects that are
soft or hard at least 80% of the time.
4 (1.26.15-1.30.15) 2 All children will grasp items placed in front of them at least 80% of the
time.
5 (2.2.15-2.6.15) 3
4
The students will use their hands or feet to touch items of various
textures at least one time.
The students will use their hands or feet to touch items of various
textures outdoors.
6 (2.9.15-2.13.15) 5
6
The students will use their hands to use touch or use at least one object indoors
and outdoors.
Each child will use their hands to indicate their preference of toy or material at
least once.
7 (2.16.15-2.21.15) 7 The students will use their hands to touch items of various textures indoors
and/or outdoors.
8 (2.23.15-2.27.15) 8 Each child will use their hands to indicate their preference of household
kitchen items by holding up at least one item.

Artifact 6: Formative Chart 2 (this will be modified for different lessons)
Child
Only children present will be included
Amount of items touched
out of 4 presented and others available
(amount may be higher than 4)
Hands to Mouth Ratio
If touched with hand once, and touched with
mouth twice, the ratio would be 1/2

Artifact 7: Full Lessons (8)
Some changesmay have been made since the partial lessons were shown above (pages 23-35)
Lesson1
Teachers:
Sarah Maxwell
Subject:
Fine Motor Development: Sense of Touch
(STEM Unit)
Standard:
 Students will use their hands to touch or hold various objects that are soft or hard at least 75% of the
time.
All children will use hands to touch at least 75% of objects and toys available to them (the other 20% may
be with their mouth). If asked if an item is soft or hard, pointing to or picking up the correct item 50% or
more.
Basic fine motor control (grasping an object, reaching)
Curiosity (looking at item or person of interest)
Knowledge that they have hands, a body part
Sense of autonomy from separate objects and people
Key vocabulary:
Touch
Hands
Feel
Squishy
Compare
Goggles (if use)
Materials:
Touch and Feel: Home (book)
Play toys/materials available
 Blanket/quilt
 Hard rings
 Fish tank
 And so on
Engage (Make content and learning relevant to real life and connect to student interest) *Get pics*
Teacher will read “Touch and Feel: Home” to the infants that are interested and gathering around. Teacher
will read the title and say “This book has a hard cover” (knock on it). New words will be introduced and
illustrations will be explained. Teacher will think aloud while modeling touching the texture within the
book. “This is very soft. But let’s see what the next page feels like.”
Explore
Teacher Will:
Observe what objects the child(ren) gravitate
toward during play.
Student Will: *Get pics*
Play with the provided toys or materials provided
for them.
Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation
Team Teaching.

As student becomes disinterested in an item, I will place items near him/her that vary in texture.
Nathan, due to his torticollis, will have to have materials placed to his least-preferred side (right).
Explain
Teacher Will:
As applicable to soft and hard, comments will
be made:
“You chose a squishy ball to touch. Squishy
means it is a kind of soft.”
“Compared to that last toy, this one is a little
harder.”
“Which toys do your hands like better? Since
you grabbed another soft toy maybe you like
soft better.”
Student(s) will respond to statements and
questions by:
 Holding up the item they are interested
with
 Use the item (i.e. pound it against the
floor)
 Put the item in their mouth to explore it
further
 Move on to a different item
Team Teaching.
As student becomes disinterested in an item, I will place items near him/her that vary in texture,
but additionally more comments will be made to inspire potential responses from the child,
especially regarding two simple choices: “Do you want this squishy ball more or this noise ring
more?”
Most students will need to hear instructions and statements or questions in Spanish.
Elaborate
Teacher Will:
More talking with the child will occur here.
Using opposite items (i.e. a bouncy squish ball
and a set of goggles), the teacher will touch the
items. Teacher will hold items in front of child
to see if they grab it, touch it, make a face at it,
etc. Teacher may even model gently dropping
each item to the floor to compare. “Why did
this ball bounce but the goggles didn’t?”
Possibly imitate the actions of the teacher OR
will grab the items OR will crawl to a different
item.

Team Teaching.
As child(ren) pick or avoid items they enjoy, similar items will be brought to the area and can be
used and/or talked about (“These are both soft but this one doesn’t bounce…I wonder why!”). For
those losing interest, the story book read earlier can be brought back out to compare items they had
felt during play and the child can touch the textures in the book again as the teacher explains
something from the classroom that also feels like that texture.
Evaluate
Most of what the children touch will be touched with their hands not just their mouth. See Chart Below.
Child
Only children present will be
included
Amount of items
touched
out of 4 presented and others
available (amount may be
higher than 4)
Hands to Mouth Ratio
If touched with hand once, and
touched with mouth twice, the ratio
would be 1/2
Ismael 4 3/1
Nathan 3 1/2
Daniella 3 2/1
I realized through this introductory lesson that this was a very basic concept, but I wanted
to start at this simple goal of touching with hands and mouth. It is what these children do
naturally. This is the second week the children have even been at the school even though the
semester stated three weeks ago, so I still feel I have yet to know these children. Only a few of
them were even at school. I noticed that the hand to mouth ratios were all different. This may be
attributed to the somewhat broad and very achievable goal that was primary for the lesson.
Only soft and hard items were presented I (see pictures 1 and 2), so anything more
abstract like sticky tape or gooey “gak” (glue and liquid starch) would not be included. Per the
objective of 75% of the items being touched with the hands, only one child achieved that
expectation. One of them approached and the other one preferred his mouth. I notice he likes the

texture of wet wipes in his mouth. Next time I hope to see more children and to find a more
specific, meaningful goal.

Lesson2
Teachers:
Sarah Maxwell
Subject:
(STEM Unit)
Standard:
 Uses hands or feet to make contact with objects or people
 All child(ren) will grasp items placed in front of them at least 80% of the time.
At least 80% of the time the children will grasp items in front of them (the other 20% items will be placed in
their hands or they will not grasp). Mastery is not dependent on picking up a specific item but just to use
their fingers to grasp any item. However, if they are asked to pick up a specific item from at least two
choices, mastery would be at least 50% correctly pointed to or picked up.
Key vocabulary:
Touch
Hands
Feel
Compare
Grasp
Hold
Materials:
Play toys/materials available
 Goggles
 Rings
 Blocks
 Cloth
 Water-filled bug toys
 Books …and so on…
Engage (Make content and learning relevant to real life and connect to student interest)
I will grab an item that plays music and will model grasping it. I will say “I like this toy so I’m going to play
it as I hold it.”
Explore
Teacher Will:
“I want you to try this.” I will place the item in
front of the child and see if they use it, and if
they pick it up like I did.
Student Will:
Watch as I place the item in front of them, start
to use it (whether by holding or not)
OR
Will lose interest in the object and pick
something else up.
One teach, one assist.
As student becomes disinterested in an item, I will place items near him/her that vary in texture.

Explain
Teacher Will:
“You know why I liked that toy? It makes
music and also it is hard and I like hard things. I
also like some toys that are soft, like this one.” I
will find a soft toy or item (i.e. a purple cloth).
“This toy is soft and hard in a way because it
has water in it and I can hold it like this”
(model) “and it feels soft even though it has a
hard outside.”
Student Will:
Watch and listen as I explain why I like certain
toys that are soft and/or hard.
I will leave toys available for the child at all times and will put in their hands if they need.
Elaborate
Teacher Will:
I will talk less and will leave *various items*
available to the child, in front of him/her. If
need, I will place items in front of their face to
see if they need me to place in their hands. I
will only comment on what they do.
“You chose one of the toys I like. That one is
soft.”
“You are touching a very hard toy.”
“Your hands are touching all these toys.”
“This is how we hold things, just like you’re
doing!”
*Various items*
Purple cloth
Goggles
Rings
Books
etc
Student Will:
Pick up some of the items
If a child wants to explore more deeply, I will take an item or toy and touch it to a different part of
their body (i.e. their cheek) so they can feel it that way. They may grab it from me then too.

Evaluate
As I observe, I will see if the child picked up most items when placed in front of them or if they needed me
to place it in their hands first.

Child
included
Amount of items grasped
out of 6 presented and others available (amount
may be higher than 6)
Ismael 5
Nathan 3
Daniella 4
Rayan 2
Muhammed 4
This lesson focused on more fine motor than it did on how they touch items (lesson 1).
This is still early in the year, so I still feel I have yet to know these children. At least more of
them were present. I noticed that this goal does not necessarily measure accurate levels of
grasping, since some of the lower scores (Rayan, 2) may have been attributed to her preferring
only 2 objects, and not that she could not grasp the others; in fact, she may not have even cared
to use the other items.
Per the objective of 80% or more of the items being grasped, only one achieved. Two
came close, one grasped half the items, and one approached. Again, this has a lot to do with my
observations regarding preferences; the ones who grasped more items mostly just had more
interest in more items. Next time I hope to see more children still, and I hope to find an even
stronger, more accurate, objective that is not discriminant by the preferences of materials.

Lesson3
Teachers:
Sarah Maxwell
Subject:
(STEM Unit)
Standard:
 The students will use their hands or feet to touch items of various textures at least one time.
All students will use at least one body part to touch at least one item. They will be measured with the
attached checklist and are expected to use hands or feet.
Key vocabulary:
Touch
Hands
Feel
Sense(s)
Bubble wrap
Tape
Sticky
Hard
Soft
Ornament
Circle
Hear
Materials:
 My checklist to keep track of student
participation (attached)
 Sensory items: bubble wrap, sticky tape
ball, hard heart ornament, soft stuffed
animal or blanket
I will take the new-to-them materials (bubble wrap, ornament) and lay them out within reach with the not-
new materials (sticky tape ball, blanket, and anything else soft and hard).
Explore
Teacher Will:
Observe what objects the child(ren) gravitate
toward during play.
Student Will:
Play with the provided toys or materials provided
for them. They will use whatever part of their
body they prefer to explore the items.

One teach, one assist (or 3 assist).
Supplying multiple materials of various textures.
Explain
Teacher Will:
I will respond to their actions:
“You probably haven’t seen this before. This
is bubble wrap, which makes a sound when
you pop it.”
“This tape ball is sticky and soft in a way, isn’t
it?”
“Did you feel that on your hands when you
touched it?”
“I see you put this in your mouth to explore
it.”
“This ornament is really hard and smooth
huh?”
“You can touch it by using your hands or
feet.”
Student Will:
questions by:
with
 Use the item (i.e. pound it against the
floor)
further
 Move on to a different item
especially regarding two simple choices: “Do you want this heart ornament or this soft toy more?”
as I hold the items in front of them.
Elaborate
Teacher Will:
More talking and modeling with the child will
occur here.
“Look, I love bubble wrap. If I press this circle
it makes a popping sound,” model pressing,
“so I can touch it and I can hear it.” … “I think
this is pretty soft too. Want to try?”
If the child seems interested, I will take their
Student Will:
 Try to touch/press the bubble wrap
 Pick up the bubble wrap
 Move to a different item (one I’ve laid
out or not)

hand, place it on the bubble wrap, and place
my hand on top of theirs to help them press it.
A further extension could be that I stand the
child up (if they can) and place their feet on
the bubble wrap, as I continue holding their
hands. If necessary, I will model stomping on
the bubble wrap.
As child(ren) pick or avoid items they enjoy, similar items will be brought to the area and can be
used and/or talked about (“These are both soft but this one doesn’t bounce…I wonder why!”).
For those losing interest, a story book can be read to compare items they had felt during play and
the child can touch the textures in the book as the teacher explains something from the classroom
that also feels like that texture.
Evaluate
I will use the attached checklist below (as well as the information from the student achievement data form)
to evaluate how the students participated and what level they fall.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA FORM
Attach or describe evaluative criteria for the lesson(submit examples with lesson
plan, if available). If examples of student work are not available, provide a
description of the work/outcomes expected in each category
Analysis of Student Work/ Achievement
Data
Complete this section after the lesson is
complete.
Exceeds
(attach student work sample from this
category and label it “Exceeds”)
This student touches at least one item
with their hands and their feet (and their
mouth, though not necessary).
Number of Students who Exceed: 0
Percent of Total Class: 0
Students: N/A
Meets
category and label it “Meets”)
with just their hands or just their feet (and
their mouth, though not necessary).
Number of Students who Meet: 2
Percent of Total Class: 100%
Students: Ismael, Daniella
Approaches
category and label it “Approaches”)
immediately with just their mouth (aside
from using their hands to put in their
mouth).
Number of Students Who Approach: 0
Students: N/A
Falls Far Below
category and label it “FFB”)
This student does not touch any items in
any way (hands, feet, mouth), evenwhen
presented to them.
Number of Students who Fall Far Below: 0
Students: N/A

Checklist
Student
Only those present or participated
Level
E= Exceeds/M= Meets/A= Approaches/ F= Falls Far Below
*See Student Achievement Data Form for
criteria and scores*
Notes (if any)
(i.e. “This student touched far more
than one item in more than one way”)
Ismael Meets He had less interest in one
item than I thought he
would, and more in another.
He touched all materials at
least once.
Daniella Meets She had only a small
duration of interest at the
end, and only with one
presented material. She also
touched a rough saltine
cracker to put into her
mouth.
INFO FROM DATA FORM:
EXCEEDS: This student touches at least one item with their hands and their feet (and their mouth,
MEETS: This student touches at least one item with just their hands or just their feet (and their mouth,
APPROACHES: This student touches at least one item immediately with just their mouth (aside from
using their hands to put in their mouth).
FALLS FAR BELOW: This student does not touch any items in any way (hands, feet, mouth), even
when presented to them.
This lesson focused most on how items were touched or used. This gave the children as
much freedom as possible, and they got to look at very different textures: Bubble wrap, a smooth
heart ornament, sticky tape ball, and although unplanned they also got to touch rough saltine
crackers. There were about four students present, but only two were in the vicinity of this
activity. My language was very much more focused on the senses—not just the sense of touch—

and had everything to do with their actions. This activity felt student-led. All I did was lay out
materials and talk to them.
Per the objective of touching at least one object with at least one body part, both met. I
somewhat regret having feet as one of the expected body parts because none of the children used
their feet to touch. They are older infants so maybe that is why. Also, although the objective was
more concrete, it lacked sensibility. Part of the activity had to do with various textures, so
expecting them to touch at least one item is too basic. I should have expected them to experience
them all—again making it more challenging. Progress on my part is being made, and the children
so far have been very involved.

Lesson4
Teachers:
Sarah Maxwell
Subject:
Cognitive: Exploration and Discovery (STEM
Unit)
Standard:
 11d: Shows curiosity and motivation (TSG)
 The students will use their hands or feet to touch items of various textures outdoors.
All students will use at least one body part to touch various items to explore the sense of touch with at least
2 different textures.
Key vocabulary:
Touch
Hands
Feel
Sense(s)
Hard
Soft
Tree
Leaves
Sidewalk
Grass
Crawl
Legs
Knees
Hear
Wind
Materials:
Playground and outdoor time (even if not the
playground but in courtyard)
Possible book: I See Colors! (in classroom)
Because the infants are fairly used to routine, we will get the strollers and place them in front of the door, to
get them to see we will be going outside soon.
Explor
e
Teacher Will:
Observe what objects the children gravitate
toward during play outside. If they are in the
Student Will:
Explore their outdoor environment in and out of
the stroller.

stroller and they reach out their hand to touch
the tree leaves, I will ask “Do you feel the
leaves in your hand?” If they are out of the
stroller, crawling, I will make note of how they
can feel where they are crawling from the touch
of their legs and knees.
For students who are not as mobile, I will hand them various objects (leaves, loose grass, etc). I
will touch them on their hands and feet with those objects.
For students who are mobile, I will follow them and have them safely touch anything they decide
to. I may prompt them more with questions, even though they cannot verbally respond, and I can
watch what they do. For example, I may ask, “do you like how this plant feels more, or this one?”
They may point, if engaged and comprehending, or they may not respond at all and indicate they
want a new area or item.
Explain
Teacher Will:
I will respond to their actions:
“These leaves make a sound when wind blows
through it, like when you shake it. You can feel
and hear them.”
“Did you feel that on your hands when you
touched it?”
“I see you put this in your mouth to explore it.”
“This sidewalk is harder than the grass.”
“You can touch it by using your hands or feet.”
Student Will:
questions by:
with
 Use the item (i.e. imitate me touching
leaves)
further
Move on to a different item or area
especially regarding two simple choices: “Do you want this blade of grass or do you want to crawl
around more?”

Elaborate
Teacher Will:
More talking and modeling with the child will
occur here having to do specifically with the
outdoors:
“Being outside is one of the best ways to use
our senses. We can touch things, but we can
feel things like the wind on our skin.”
“Sometimes, we use other senses at once, like
smelling and touching a flower.”
“We can also feel things with different body
parts—hands, feet, even your mouth!”
“Thank you for this piece of grass. I like how it
feels, so soft.”
Student Will:
Use their hands and feet to touch items and their
area. They may hold up items to me to have me
interact with the item too, in which case I’d
respond with some of the suggestions on the
left.
As children pick or avoid items they enjoy, similar items will be brought to the area and can be
used and/or talked about (“These are both soft but this one doesn’t feel as soft…I wonder why!”).
For those losing interest, a story book can be read when indoors to compare items they had felt
during play outdoors, or to compare just by looking at things we likely saw outside. Possible book:
I See Colors! (in classroom)
Evaluate
Through observation notes, I will make note of any curiosity exhibited (i.e. the student holding up an item I
did or did not mention). Also, notable touch-related things will be written in my observation notebook
regarding what they initiate to touch—with or without my promptings. Possible pictures will be taken as
well, if I can catch them touching something on their own.

Child
included
Amount of textures touched
out of 4 presented and others available (amount
may be higher than 4; PRESENTED: grass, tree,
leaves, sidewalk)
Ismael 4
Nathan 2
Daniella 1
Rayan 1
Muhammed 1
Munib 2
This lesson focused on outdoor textures. I still have not seen all of the children due to
many different absence reasons, but more of them are here at once than ever since this unit
started. I noticed that this goal turned into what similarly was an issue in lesson two, where
preferences of area of texture prevented some of them from experiencing all available textures.
This time though, I am more okay with that because, for one, they were outside not inside, and
they also can gain a lot from only one or two areas. Also, the ones who scored ones all fell asleep
to bottles on the hill while we are outside, so they simply were not awake for the whole activity.
Per the objective of using at least one body part to touch at least one texture, they all met.
The ones with one, who fell asleep, could have easily experienced two textures, and would gain
more from comparison, but next time I expect more materials can be used—not necessarily in
quantity, but in textures and areas (outside and inside, not just one or the other). I hope to see all
of the children at once, to have more opportunity to gain insight and observations about the
class’s sense of touch and other senses. See some images below (pictures 1, 2 and 3).

Lesson5
Teachers:
Sarah Maxwell
Subject:
Cognitive: Problem Solving (STEM Unit)
Standard:
 Experiments with different uses for objects.
 The students will use their hands to use touch or use at least one object indoors and outdoors.
All students will touch or use objects in more than one way (i.e. hitting the object on a table and later
squeezing it). Mastery is at least 2 ways for at least one object.
 Basic knowledge of cause and effect (If I touch this, it will make this sound)
Key vocabulary:
Touch
Hands
Feel
Sense(s)
Soft
Hard
Ring
Song
Music
Wooden
House
Small
Materials:
I See Colors book
Any toys in play areas
Playground or courtyard
I will begin to read I See Colors, making pointed use of the hole on each page that gives us a hint of what is
on the next page. The purpose here is to engage students in touching the pages and listening to what I am
saying about each page. I will say things like “The picture on the next page looks like it might be the sky.
We see the sky when we go outside,” “The kite on this page feels like the cardboard page, but in real life it is
soft!”
Explore
Teacher Will:
Whenever the child loses interest, I will observe
what items they start going toward and
touching.
Student Will:
Pick up objects they crawled/walked to, or that
were put near them.

For students who are not as mobile, I will put various objects near them. I will touch them on their
hands and feet with those objects and put them down to get them to pick it up, if they want.
For students who are mobile, I will follow them and have them safely touch anything they decide
to. I may prompt them more with questions, even though they cannot verbally respond, and I can
watch what they do. For example, I may ask, “do you like how this toy feels more, or this one?”
They may point, if engaged and comprehending, or they may not respond at all and indicate they
want a new area or item.
Explain
Teacher Will:
I will model how I use certain objects in more
than one way. For example, I may pick up the
book I read and will read a page, and then I will
look through the page hole to look at them. “See
I am holding this book with my hands, I can
feel it. But I am using it in different ways.”
I may pick touch a noise ring and put it on the
standing cylinder it comes with, and then I may
press play on a song and use the ring as part of
the music. “I am touching this ring when I
shake it and I touch it when I play the song to
make music.”
Student Will:
Watch how I use my object(s) and possibly
imitate how I use them.
As student becomes disinterested in an item, I will explain what they decide to use or touch and
how they could use it different ways, and I may show them. I may ask students who are engaged to
show me how to use a nearby item to see if they use it in inventive ways, or in ways I had not
shown them.

Elaborate
Teacher Will:
Take the children outside. We will make
connections to things we touch and use in more
than one way at our playground or in the
courtyard.
“This small wooden house can be used to help
you stand. But you can also knock on the house
with your hand too!”
“I can touch this grass when I sit here, like
when you crawl and feel the grass in your
hands. I wonder how we can use or touch the
grass a different way…”
Student Will:
Explore the outdoor items either by imitating
me or by using and touching other objects I do
not model.
As children pick or avoid items they enjoy, similar items will be brought to the area and can be
used and/or talked about (“These are both soft but this one doesn’t feel as soft…I wonder why!”).
For those losing interest, they can be in a wagon or small car to get a different perspective of the
outdoors.
Evaluate
Through observation notes, I will make note of any objects used in more than one way, or in ways I had not
expected.
Child
included
Amount of items
Presented
Limitless based on indoors and
outdoors
Highest amount of uses for
any of the presented objects
Ismael 4 2
Nathan 5 2
Daniella 4 1
Munib 2 1

Muhammed 3 1
Rayan 3 1
This lesson focused on how many different ways items can be used. For infants, I had to
be very lenient in terms of what could be considered a “use.” Basically, if an infant took a hand
wipe and waved it back and forth, then put it on his head (Nathan did this), I accepted that as two
uses. Most of the children only used items in one way, despite the leniency; in other words, I saw
them just pick up and item, or just hit the item with their hands, or just use the item to hit another
item. I noticed that when we were outside, anything they children explored seemed to only be
used in one way. It was inside that the children used items in different ways. I thought outdoors
would be the area to promote various uses, but upon reflection, I attributed that most of the
outdoor items being bigger and heavier than our indoor materials, thus limiting their uses.
Per the objective of using any items in more than one way, only two met. This is less than
I expected. I thought every child would have at least two uses. However, I realized after the fact
that I watched and talked more than I modeled more than one use of items. If I had modeled
more, perhaps they would have imitated that pattern. I hope to see all of the children at once still,
to have more opportunity to gain insight and observations about the class’s sense of touch and
other senses.

Lesson6
Teachers:
Sarah Maxwell
Subject:
Physical: Fine Motor Development (STEM
Unit)
Standard:
 Each child will use their hands to indicate their preference of toy or material at least once.
Each child will at least three times touch, reach or point, or pick up an item they want.
 Knowledge of what they like and dislike
 Knowledge of how to show their wants and needs
Key vocabulary:
Touch
Hands
Feel
Sense(s)
Reach
Point
Materials:
More than one type of baby food
More than one book (any)
More than one type and/or color of toys
The children will be engaged since they will come into the class hungry. I will ask them if they want type A
baby food or type B. I will hold up both in front of them to see how they indicate their preference.
Explore
Teacher Will:
Lay out several books and toys to see first of all
if the children are going toward the books or the
toys. I will observe who is picking what, and
how.
Student Will:
Make their preferences known without any
prompting from me; they may or may not use
their hands to indicate it.
Supplication of various materials for all learners.

Explain
Teacher Will:
I will explain how to show preferences through
modeling. I will put two books in front of me,
for example, and will say “I like both of these
books since I read them before, but I want this
one because the pictures have textures on them,
so I am going to pick this up with my hands.” I
will pick up the book as I say that. If the child
showed me earlier that they used their hands to
do what I did just now, I will say “You did this
(too) when you touched the toy you wanted,
even though more than one choice was given to
you.”
Student Will:
Listen and watch me, while likely playing with
another toy/book, or they will try to take my
book. Also, they may try to get me to hold
them.
For children who are interested in the item they have, more explanation will have to do with what
they are holding/using than how I am showing preference. On the other hand, if they turn attention
to my modeling, I can let them have my toy or hear me read to them.
Elaborate
Teacher Will:
I will lay out very different toys or books or
other items in front of them. I will ask them to
show me which one they want. I will see how
they decide to show me what they prefer. I will
be very specific in what I say.
“You are using your sense of touch to feel
which object you like better so you can decide.”
“You can reach or point to show me which one
you want more.”
Student Will:
Show me which item they want by touching,
reaching or pointing, or picking up an item they
want. Some students will make a short scream
or babbling sound, especially if I am holding
something they want.
Supplication of various materials for all learners.
Evaluate
The children who did not show me their preference with their hands at all will be the ones I make note about.

It is not a huge concern for me since I expect all of them will. However, even if they do not, I am more
concerned that they show preference in some way than none at all.

Child
Only children present will
be included
Amount of items
Presented
Limitless based on
indoors
Ways preference was indicated for
any items
touch, reach or point, or pick up
Ismael 4 Touch, pick up
Daniella 3 Touch, point, reach
Muhammed 1 Touch, reach
Rayan 3 Touch, reach, pick up
Axel 2 Touch, pick up
Zainab 3 Touch, point
This lesson focused more on how preference was indicated, not how many preferences or
how many items were preferred. All students indicated in more than one way. Other than Ismael
and Axel having identical preference indicators, the ways in which the children showed
preferences all varied. I noticed that Ismael has been one of the most involved students in my
activities. He especially enjoyed the use of these window-like toys that have a red tint (see Image
1 below).
Per the objective of using hands to indicate preference at least three times, all but two of
them met. I was not too surprised at how each child indicated preference because upon designing
this activity, I had a general knowledge of how each child has shown me preference. I hope to
see all of the children at once still, to have more opportunity to gain insight and observations
about the class’s sense of touch and other senses.

Lesson7
Teachers:
Sarah Maxwell
Subject:
Cognitive: Exploration and Discovery (STEM
Unit)
Standard:
 The students will use their hands to touch items of various textures indoors and/or outdoors.
All students will use their hands to touch various items to touch their item(s) of preference at least 3 out of 5
times choices are presented to them.
Key vocabulary:
Touch
Hands
Feel
Sense(s)
Hard
Soft
crawl
Prefer(ence)
Like and dislike
Materials:
Any books, toys, and practical items (blanket,
cup, etc)
Outdoor playground or courtyard items (toys,
carts, plants, etc)
I really model a simple use of preference by putting 2 or more books in front of me, and then I will pick one
up and start to read it.
Explore
Teacher Will:
I will observe what the children’s reactions are.
I will vocalize what I notice them doing, but
will not urge them any way and will not explain
too much about things too technical.
“You are taking my book because you also
prefer to have this book.”
“I see that you do not prefer these books,
because you crawled to the piano toy.”
Student Will:
Show me through touching or grabbing
provided materials what they want to explore.

Unit Plan-Sense of Touch (NO PICS)

Unit Plan-Sense of Touch (NO PICS)

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