Oral language
Children will understand basic information, including the meaning of several novel words, presented in a book read aloud.
New:
1–2 words (see Be Prepared)
Be Prepared: This is the first of three repeated readings of a book with children. Today’s reading focuses on children’s understanding of basic information presented in the book. In advance of the session, identify all novel words in the book you intend to define for children across three days of reading the book. Select one or two important words to define for children today, especially words that are essential to understanding the book. See the Language/Literacy section of the ELM User Guide: 3–5 Years for additional information. Write the following at the top of the chart paper: Words We Understand.
Now let’s read a book!
[See Week 3, Day 1 of Language/Literacy for a description and examples of how to approach today’s book reading. Key aspects are summarized below:
Geometric and spatial knowledge
Children will strengthen their understanding of basic characteristics of a circle, triangle, and square.
*1 large cutout of the following shapes: circle, triangle, square
*Printables provided
Review:
Offer Week 4, Day 1 to review basic characteristics of circles, triangles, and squares.
Engage pairs of children in finding classroom items in the shape of circles, triangles and squares. This option involves children describing characteristics of shapes.
Open the session by displaying and naming cutouts of a circle, triangle, and square. Trace with your finger the outline of each. Lead children in drawing a circle, triangle, and square in the air.
Explain that today we will work with a partner to find an item in our room that is in the shape of a circle, triangle, or square. Each pair will bring the item they find to our large group area. The pair will stand by the item if it cannot be moved.
Provide each child with a partner. Assign equal groups of children to the three shapes. Example: Assign three pairs of children to find an item that is the shape of a circle, three pairs of children to find an item that is the shape of a triangle, and three pairs of children to find an item the shape of a square. Provide a cutout to any pair of children who seem uncertain about the shape they are to search for. After children return with their item to the large group area, encourage each pair to describe its item. Emphasize that a circle is a round shape. It has a curved edge that is not straight. A square is a shape with four equal and straight sides. A triangle is a shape with three straight sides.
Knowledge of earth and space
Children will understand uses of landfills and recycling.
New:
Be Prepared: Select a common item from your classroom or center that can be recycled. Examples: plastic bottle, clean, used paper, cardboard. If you select a plastic container, make sure it has a recycle symbol.
[Display a small trash can containing trash.]
Trash is something we throw away. Another word for trash is garbage. Sometimes the trash is moved to a dumpster. A dumpster is a big trash container that can be picked up and emptied into a truck.
[Display picture of a dumpster.]
Have you ever seen a dumpster? Tell us about it.
We know that a garbage truck carries away trash. A garbage truck carries away trash after it is put into a trash can or dumpster. The garbage truck takes the trash to a place called a landfill.
Have you ever seen a landfill? Tell us about it.
A landfill is a place to dump trash and bury it with soil. Sometimes a landfill is called a dump. Big machines bury the trash under the ground and cover it with soil at a landfill. A new place for trash needs to be found when the landfill is full of trash.
[Display picture of a landfill.]
Some things that are thrown into a trash can or dumpster can be recycled. When we recycle, we make a new item from something or we use the item again. Things that are recycled do not end up in a landfill.
Things that can be recycled are put in a special basket or box that is taken to a recycling center. The recycling center sends things we no longer need to places that make something new from them.
[Point out the recycling bin in your classroom or center (if one exists)
Display and name an item from your classroom/center that can be recycled.]
We are done using this (name of item). We have two choices about what to do with it. One choice is to throw this (name of item) into the trash can and it will be taken to a landfill. Another choice is to put this (name of item) in a bin that will be taken to a recycling center and made into something new.
[Display book cover.]
Today we are going to read a book about recycling called Why Should I Recycle? The author of the book is Jen Green. The illustrator is Mike Gordon
[Read the book without interruption unless children ask questions or seem confused. At the conclusion of the book, engage children in a discussion of the book’s information with questions, such as the following:]
Today we learned that trash is taken to a landfill. What happens to trash at a landfill? (it is buried in the soil) Many things we throw away can be used to make something new or can be used again. We call this recycling.
Extra support
Enrichment
Supply paper and drawing tools. Encourage children to draw a picture of a trash-related item, such as a trash can or garbage truck.
If your family recycles, point out your recycling bins and the kinds of things you put in them. If you do not recycle, try it for a week. Point out how many things are being recycled rather than going to a landfill.
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Exploring Where We Live
Social Studies
Skill and Goal
Knowledge of social and physical environments
Children will understand that walking is a type of transportation.
Materials
Needed
*Printables provided
Key
Concepts
New:
Review:
Optional
Reading
[Engage children in a brief discussion of why these kinds of transportation are not appropriate for where we want to go. We want to travel a short distance, our center is not located on water, etc.]
There is one kind of transportation we use every day to get from one place to another. We do this in our room when we move from the block center to the art easel. We do this when we move from the housekeeping center to the library center.
What kind of transportation do you think this might be?
We walk. We walk from one place to another place by putting one foot in front of our other foot.
Some people need help moving from place to place.
How can a person who is not able to walk move from one place to a different place? (wheelchair)
We know that a wheelchair helps people who cannot walk or run move from place to place.
Some time ago (Week 15), we made a map of our center’s neighborhood. Remember, a map is a picture that shows where things are located. We are going to look again at a map of our center’s neighborhood.
[Display and review map. Point first to the location of your center. Name other places on the map. Point out where sidewalks would be found on the map.]
[Display picture of man pushing a cart and pulling a wagon.]
In many places people walk everywhere. They do not have other kinds of transportation. They carry items in different ways.
[Display picture of woman using a yoke.]
In other places, people carry things on their heads while they are walking.
[Display picture of girls carrying items on their heads.]
Scaffolding Tips
Extra support
Enrichment
Center Activity
Provide a car mat and cars and trucks in the block center. Encourage children to pretend to drive cars and trucks around the “neighborhood.”
Family Child Care
Take a neighborhood walk. Encourage children to look at the map and decide what place to walk to. If possible, use the map to walk to the place one way, and walk back to your setting a different way.