TT: Thematic Unit: Let's Go Shopping

There is so much scope for integration when covering the theme of shopping with infants! Here are some of the shopping centered activities that were undertaken by me in my own senior infant classroom.

1) Oral Language Development: 
Add a play shop area to the classroom for use during structured play and put price tags on all the items in it (1c - 20c). Have real/plastic coins for them to use when paying.

2) Maths: Money (1c up to 20c) 

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• Talk about the different characteristics of various coins and play 'what's the mystery coin' games as a class and in pairs. Have them listen to the characteristics of the coins and name the coin me/their partner is talking about. 
• Play feely bag games to identify various coins (using size recognition mainly).
• Play bank and exchange 1c coins for a single coin (to make them aware of the value of each coin).
• Sort coins in terms of value.
• Use coins to buy items from a shopkeeper in their groups. 
• Add coins to solve problems and see how much money you have in a wallet (Put dots on coins to remind us of their value and aid counting of money).
• Have the children fill these laminated piggy banks with coins their group have been supplied with. Make quantities of 2c-10c using 1c, 2c, 5c and 10c coins. Use this as a class activity or add it to your daily/weekly Maths station activities to ensure repetition and frequent revision.
• Keep a class piggy bank as a reward scheme for a week and count the money at the end of each day to see if they have enough to buy a class 'prize'.

3) Creative/Functional Writing: Writing a Shopping List

Read the story 'Wallace's Lists' (see: Wallace's Lists book preview) and talk about all the things one can make lists about. Use words from a food word wall in conjunction with sounding out skills to write their own shopping lists to be used in the play shop.

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4) Gaeilge: Ag Siopadóireacht

• Hide food items for the class siopa in a mála draíochta. Ask them 'An maith leat ___?' after removing each item from the bag and placing it in the shop. 
• Teach the phrase 'cheannaigh tú' by trying to guess what each pupil has bought and hidden from us. They can also describe their actions by saying 'cheannaigh mé___' or 'níor cheannaigh mé ' when a guess has been given. 
• Sing and act out the song 'Cheannaigh mé ___, cheannaigh mé ____, cheannaigh mé ____agus d'ith mé é.' (To the tune of Polly Put the Kettle On). This can be changed to 'Cheannaigh mé ___, cheannaigh mé ____, cheannaigh mé ____agus chaith mé é' when discussing an siopa éadaigh.

5) History: Shops in the Past

Name and discuss grocery shops, pharmacies and sweet shops. Match items sold in each to the correct shop. Look at pictures of what these shops looked like in the past, guess which type of shop it is and note the differences and similarities between the old version and the new version. 

Images do not belong to me. They are used for educational purposes. 

6) Geography: Mapping the Monster's Shopping Trip
Discuss places and things you would see if you took a walk through a town. Listen to the Monster's Shopping Trip on the British Council Website.
Discuss the journey the monsters took, the shops they visited and how you would go about making a map of this journey. Show them how to start by drawing the monster's house and then the road. Discuss things that might be around the road: buildings, bridges, lakes, trees, signs etc. and add the shops mentioned in the story. Then, you can have them create their own map of the Monster's Shopping Trip.

7) Art: Class Bakery
Talk about things you might buy to eat in a bakery. Show them pictures of these foods (cakes, buns, croissants, pies, doughnuts, biscuits, pastries) and discuss different cake designs. Have them create their cakes and pastries from clay. When they have dried, cover them in PVA glue to harden them a little before painting them. Make sure all of the decorations they have added are properly stuck. These pastries/cakes could also be made from homemade playdough in various colours and then baked in the oven to harden them, meaning they wouldn't have to be painted. 

8) Music: 'Let's Go Shopping' Song

"Let’s Go Shopping,

Put on your coat and hat,

Carry your little bas-ket,

Over your arm like that,

And we’ll go walking, walking, walking, walking,

Walking down the street.

Shopping, shopping, shopping, shopping

Shopping for things to eat!

Good morning Mr. Grocer man and how do you do?

(Talking) A very good morning Madam

      What can I do for you?

Id like a dozen new laid eggs,

a pound of butter too,

A nice jar of honey (Doe, doe doe, doe, doe-me)

Here is my money (Doe, doe doe, doe, doe-me)

Good day, (me-doe) (pause)

good day

to you

And we’ll go walking, walking, walking, walking,

Walking down the street,

Shopping, shopping, shopping, shopping,

Shopping for things to eat!"