Unit Books(book links available in
right sidebar menu):
Additional Themed Books:
Social/Emotional Development: Show & Tell Thursdays:
Morning Meeting/Circle Time (daily skill work including:
weather, calendar, counting, ABCs, patterning, colors,
shapes, songs, music, finger plays, rhymes, creative
Movement)
(outside links):
Creative Activities/Art/Music/Drama/Aesthetic Learning
(including Fine / Large Motor Activities):
I've been creating playlists on my iPod with my thousands of
songs. I'm not affiliated in any way with iPod, Apple,
etc. I'm just a happy customer that highly advises
creating a playlist!
I'm trying to figure out how to share the playlists that I
create with you (if you are of the iPod mentality!). Theme Center:
Cognitive/Intellectual Learning:
Language Arts/Literacy Activities/Social Studies:
Science/Math/Social Studies:
Internet Links - supplementary
(outside links - These links have not been
extensively checked for appropriateness for your child.
Please monitor your child anytime he/she uses the internet.):
Depending on your child(ren), consider creating a favorites
folder based on patriotism so you can find the sites quickly
for your child to peruse.
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to keep the lesson plans coming:
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* Mix and match activities to your
child(ren)'s interest(s) offering a balance throughout each day. Use your
child's favorite books as the basis for learning.
Introduce new books for interest. Choose active and quiet activities each
day and be sure to read daily! Tailor activities to
your child's abilities.
Motivation/Introduction ~ First Day of Theme:
Benchmark Skills:
Lessons (one main lesson a day which can be broken
into parts as needed throughout the day):
1. Story: I
like/use the alphabet songs in the book in "Sing and Read" Alphabet Little
Books by Frog Street Press (Use any short /e/ word books).
Find all of the short /e/ words in the book.
Show how to make the Ee sign.
Benchmark Skills:
Ee coloring sheet: Children color in the
capital and lowercase Ee. Talk about the pictures on
the page. Cut out Ee's out of newspapers and magazines
to glue onto the paper.
Favorite Egg Graph (check for allergies): Have
an egg tasting party. Set out
green eggs (!), scrambled eggs, deviled eggs, boiled
eggs, and an omelet for the children to taste and rate
according to preference. Using
egg-shaped cut-outs, have them draw a picture of the one
they liked best (or disliked the most!) and write their
names. Create a graph on the wall with the egg shapes.
Egghead: Using half an egg shell, children can
use permanent markers to draw a face on the eggshell.
Using half an egg shell, fill with dirt, add a few seeds
(Mung beans and alfalfa sprouts are always fast growers if
you want edible sprouts. Grass seed makes a fine
"hair" also.), sprinkle with water and wait. Have the
children think about what will happen to the seeds, how the
egghead will look. (The sprouts will make the "hair".)
Bouncy Eggs: Take a large plastic cup, a raw
egg, and vinegar. Put the egg in the cup and cover
with vinegar. Ask the children to note anything
happening to the eggshell. (You won't have to
encourage them to talk about the smell!) Leave the egg
overnight. [The egg will turn into a rubbery ball from
the chemical change between the calcium in the eggshell and
the vinegar.]
5.
Closure ~ Last Day of Theme:
Story:
Optional story:
Can You Break It?: (A
fun experiment for the parents - and older school children).
See it here. Because of the arches in the egg,
some of the strongest architectural shapes we know of,
putting pressure on the arches actually makes them stronger
as one arch presses against another. Unless the egg
slips and the middle is squeezed, or it has a hairline
fracture, etc. the egg is virtually unbreakable in this
manner.
There are many benchmarks that
will be taught nearly every day, like "Demonstrates willingness to
try new things" or "Shows enjoyment of books and stories and
discussion of them". Throughout the range of activities
offered here, there will be a focus on one or two, although there
are usually many covered in one simple activity. Repetition is
the key with learning - especially in early childhood.
However, even though you may do the same basic activity, it can be
adapted to your child's level, interests, and theme..
