Unit 1: I am in School !

September 2011
VISION During the first unit, students will be learning all about their school. They will learn about their classroom, their friends, and their teachers. They will also be learning how to act in school, and throughout the unit they will internalize the classroom promises and become more independent with classroom routines. Community building activities and guided discoveries will not only get students excited to come to school and excited to learn, but will provide students with the skills they need to navigate our classroom and daily schedule independently. Furthermore, centers will slowly be introduced so that students can begin to explore their curiosities and take ownership of their academic choice. Students will practice expressing their emotions and interacting with peers and adults. By the end of the unit, students and their families will feel connected to and valued within our classroom community. Essential Questions Why do I come to school? What is my schedule at school? Who are the people in my class? How do I get my needs met at school? How do I stay safe at school? How do I use materials in the classroom? How can I express my ideas and feelings? Essential Understandings I come to school to work hard, learn and make friends. I move through the day in a predictable schedule. I can look at our class schedule on the front board to read my class schedule. I know my friends and teachers names and they know me. I need to use my words to express my feelings and needs. There are rules in our classroom that help keep us safe. I stay safe by following our classroom promises and listening to my teachers. All of the toys and tools at school belong to everyone in the class, so I must share them with my classmates and teachers. It is important to take care of classroom materials and put them away when I am done using them.

I can use my words to express to teachers and classmates how I am feeling.

Learning Standards Domain Standard 1.1. Demonstrate a curiosity and willingness to learn Children Will 1.1.1. Explore the rich variety of objects and materials provided to discover how things work, what things do, and why things happen 1.4.3. Make and interpret representations 1.6.1. Respond positively to directions from the teacher 2.2.1. Recognize, describe and express emotions such as happiness, surprise, anger, fear, sadness, needs, and opinions appropriately 2.2.3 Understand routines, know what to do during transitions Unit Objective SWBAT participate actively in guided discoveries of new materials by describing the materials and how they can be used in school SWBAT verbally label their drawings or buildings SWBAT follow directions the first time they are given SWBAT identify when they feel happy, sad, and angry SWBAT explain the steps for calming down SWBAT participate in transition songs SWBAT participate in Small Group Rotation SWBAT following arrival procedure SWBAT line up and walk in line in hallway SWBAT clean up materials appropriately SWBAT stay with the group for 90% of the day

Approache s to Learning

1.4. Engage in purposeful play 1.6. Follow directions and demonstrate independence 2.2. Develop increasing capacity for self-control

Social and Emotional Developme nt

2.3 Engage in positive interactions with others

2.2.4. Respect and care for classroom environment and materials 2.3.5. Participate in group activities

2.4. Demonstrate resiliency skills 3.I.4. Acquire and use increasingly rich vocabulary and language for a variety of purposes (receptive and expressive vocabulary) 3.II.1. Understand and value books and other print materials 3.II.2. Demonstrate knowledge of and appreciation for books 3.III.1. Understand the purposes of writing 4.1. Demonstrate a beginning understanding of numbers and operations and how they relate to one another 4.4. Begin to demonstrate an understanding of shape, size, position, direction, and movement, and describe and classify real objects by shape 5.2. Develop an understanding of the physical properties and uses of materials and

2.4.2. Adjust to new situations 3.I.4.1. Use words to describe concrete objects, actions, and feelings

SWBAT explain the daily schedule in school (with picture cues) SWBAT use 1-2 adjectives to describe novel objects

Language and Literacy

3.II.1.2. Initiate reading behaviors 3.II.1.1 Listen to variety of literature aloud 3.II.2.1. Treat books with care 3.III.1.1. Dictate ideas and stories 4.1.1. Use one-toone correspondence

SWBAT read independently in the library SWBAT sit and listen to read-a-louds SWBAT handle and put books away appropriately SWBAT talk about a picture or event with one detail SWBAT place objects in one-to-one correspondence with another set

Number Concepts

4.4.2. Match, sort, and classify shapes

SWBAT match shapes

Scientific Inquiry

5.2.1. Observe and describe the physical properties and uses of materials and objects

SWBAT participate actively in guided discoveries of new materials by describing the materials and how

objects Social Studies 6.5. Begin to understand how people and things can change over time 6.7. Begin to learn the basic civic and democratic principles 6.5.4. Know and follow the established routines of the day

6.7.2. Make choices and decisions 6.7.3. Demonstrate an understanding of rules and the purposes they serve

they can be used in school SWBAT explain the daily schedule in school (with picture cues) SWBAT consistently follow routines independently SWBAT begin to understand criteria for a good choice SWBAT explain the classroom rules

Sustaining Learning At Home Domain Approaches to Learning At Home Activities Use markers together at home, practicing take off the shoes, put on the hat & listening for the click when putting the shoes back on. Have the family sit down and draw together, have each person share their picture when youre finished, pointing to the different pieces of their picture as they explain it (This is me, this is my friend, this is the doll we were playing with, etc.) Play Emotion Charades! Make faces to act out different emotions, and have fun trying to guess which feeling is being presented. When reading books together, stop to brainstorm how a character might be feeling. Talk about what in the illustration makes you think that, what about the situation makes you think that. How would you feel if you were the character? At dinner time, ask your child about their day at school: What did you have for special today? What centers did you work in today? What friends were you working with in that

Social-Emotional

Language and Literacy

Number Concepts

Scientific Inquiry Social Studies

center? What did you do during outside time today? What stories did you read in class today? What did your classmates bring in to share today? Was there anything new for you to work with in class today? Read! Read! Read! Find a special time to dedicate at least 20 minutes each night to reading together. Have your child hold the book and turn the pages as you read the story. Play Mystery Bag! Place different objects, one at a time, into a paper bag. Without looking, have family members take turns sticking their hand into the bag and using their words to describe what they feel. Can you guess what is in the bag? Point out shapes and colors when you see them in the real world. (Ex. Wow, that Stop Sign is Red! What color is that house? This flower is beautiful, what colors do you see in it? What shape is your sandwich? What shape is the door on our house? etc.) Set the table together. Have your child help you, by giving them clear instructions about placing one set of items on the table at a time. (Put one napkin at each place. Put one fork at each place. Put one cup at each place, etc. ) Cook together! Choose simple recipes to make together and talk about the different cooking tools you are using and what their purpose is. Begin to integrate good choice and bad choice terminology into your discussions of behavior. Ex. It was so helpful of you to share your car with your sister, what a great choice Claire! Ex. Claire, I noticed you grabbed your car out of your sisters hand, do you think that was a good choice or bad choice? What can you do to fix your mistake?

Look at family photos together and talk about each member of the family. Make a special family book with your child. Have them create a page for each family member they choose, drawing a picture or pasting a photograph. Have your child dictate a sentence

for you to write at the bottom of the page. Create a cover, staple the book together and add it to your library at home!