Catlin Gabel

Homeroom K

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Units

Unit	Essential Questions	Habits Of Mind	Content	Skills and Processes	Assessment	Resources	Multicultural Dimension
Creating a classroom community	In what ways can I be a part of Kindergarten? How can my family be a part of Kindergarten?	Managing oneself Responding to others appropriately Persevering Take appropriate risks Become independent Generate trust Plan Make decisions *Be reflective	What to expect in Kindergarten - fun, safe, new friends Kindergarten classroom set-up and procedures Kindergarten behaviors Learn one another's names Bus safety I will make new friends with the parents of my friends	Managing oneself in school Taking care of self - needs, feelings Making choices Recognize their friends' parents Able to separate from their family How to be safe and have fun in a group Complete tasks working together Represent their thinking and experience through special projects and art activities	Children make individual journals, class books, and experience charts about their field trips Can the children identify their classmates?	Field trip to Hoyt Arboretum Field trip to Sauvie's Island *Field trip to Audubon Society	*All kindergarten families are involved in the classroom activities and field trips; a fall term study of ourselves and our families culminates in a kindergarten family open house
Families	What makes a family? What do families do together? How is my family special? What is my special place in my family?	Creativity Thinking & materials organization Reflection Self-direction Problem solving Interest in others	Names and roles of family members There are many kinds of families Different physical characteristics of different family members. Physical characteristics come from their family. Different sizes, homes, hobbies. Families are both alike & different. Families are made up of people of different ages Characteristics of families	Each child creates a family museum Represent family with pictures & words Mix paints to match their skin color Create a drawing that extends photos, adding what the camera did not include Graph and compare family configurations Construct a model to represent self in relation to family through a collection of objects Expressive language - describe what family museum diorama contained & why Patterning: choose & create patterns; i.e., ABABA to border photos *Interview other children about their dioramas	Teacher observation Child's participation and engagement Children verbally describe the contents of their museum box Children act as host and hostess at a culminating event where parents visit each family museum	Books about families Books on friendship	* Children's families of all types are honored and celebrated Differences in families are important Differences in physical characteristics are highlighted in a positive way *Families are alike and different
The Fall Season	• What makes fall -- fall? • What do animals do in the fall? • How does the fall change how the outdoors looks? • What local foods can we harvest in the fall?	Creating and imagining Gathering data through all the senses *Responding with wonderment and awe	Nature and the outdoors change in fall Fall can look different in different parts of the world Weather changes in the fall where we live Animals get ready for winter What happens 'above the ground' and 'below the ground' Fall is a time for harvest *Holidays happen in the fall	Represent fall through collections, close observations, drawings, and paintings Create fall habitats for mice and squirrels Celebrate fall through costume and parade Cook with apples, fruits, nuts and berries that they have harvested	Teacher observation Anecdotal records	Fall field trips -Campus -apple orchard -berry farm -farm to harvest corn -pumpkin patch	*Cultural celebrations begin in the fall: -Halloween -Thanksgiving -The Day of the Dead -Election Day
Post Office	• How does a letter get from one friend to another?	Questioning Posing problems Generating ideas Persisting Applying past knowledge to new situations Thinking and working interdependently	Letters have names, addresses, and stamps The Postal system has many parts Sequence for moving mail from one location to another Many people with different jobs help move the mail	Recognize and write numerals Sort mail into categories, then individually Match addresses to post office boxes Handwriting: letters and numerals Create post office system in classroom Manage classroom mail within the system	Teacher observation Anecdotal records	Visit the Post Office Invite postal worker to visit class *Visit school mail processing center	*Postal workers can be of any ethnicity, either gender
Eagles	• What makes an eagle an eagle? • How do eagles move and live?	*Cooperation	Types of eagles (bald, golden) Parts of the eagle body (talon, beak, wing, etc) Eagle habitat Nest: size, materials used to make it, etc. *Life cycle, hunting & eating habits	*Represent eagle in line drawings, costume creation, movement, sound	Teacher observation Conversations Detail in eagle drawings indicate level of knowledge about eagle parts. Anecdotal notes	Children's literature Nonfiction books Mr. Science - speaker Charts and posters of eagles	*Native American stories are read
Spring/Life Cycles	What is a life cycle? (plants, chicks, ducks, butterflies, frogs...) How do life cycles begin and transform and change over time? *What does each life need to survive and thrive?	Questioning and posing problems Gathering data Be accurate Plan Identify and use resources Respond to feedback	Life cycle sequence for... Understand that the life cycle involves change and transformation over time *Know optimal environment for survival and growth	Represent life cycle of chick, butterfly, plants, frog Predict changes that occur *Articulate changes that occur	*Can the child sequence the story of the different life cycles studied?	Carolina Biological Supply Local Feed Stores *Uncle Milton's Ant Farm	*Diversity exists in all living things