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Arranging the environment Finally, Phyllis ordered the insect larvae kit online and made a “to-do” list. Stephanie made a trip to the public library and worked with her assistant to construct the teacher-made materials. They referred to the plan for week one to set out the items needed in centers for exploration and play and […]

Preparing materials and resources With plans in hand, the teachers then took stock of available materials and supplies and made a list of those to add to the classroom centers and what was needed for teacher-directed small- and large-group activities (Table 6.5). In the book list, they noted with an asterisk those they would have

Deciding on how to evaluate childrens learning to determine the extent to which the unit objectives and learning standards are met Phyllis and Stephanie decided that the matching and memory games, observation log, felt board stories, and whole group discussions could also serve as assessments. As Phylliss children were a bit older, she devised an

Planning for accommodations to address the needs of individual children There was one child in Phylliss class with a sensory processing disorder and language delay; this child was easily overwhelmed and Phyllis made notes about particular activities he might find soothing (sand table, sponge printing, easel painting). She also noted activities he might not enjoy

  Brainstorming Ideas for Activities and Experiences This organizer represents ideas for activities that will support the concepts map and indicates where they will take place. Table 6.4: Week-at-a-Glance Plans for Insect Unit Sunflower Week-at-a-Glance Planner Week April 30 to May 4 May 8 to May 11 May 14 to May 18 Study topic Butterflies/Insects

Planning for a balance of individual, small-group, and large-group activities As the teachers created week-to-week plans (Table 6.4), they made decisions about how activities and discussions would be best implemented as whole group, small group, or individual format. They also thought carefully about how to provide for a balance of child-directed exploratory play and teacher-directed

Insects Concept Map A concept map is different from a plan for activities. It focuses on the goals or objectives of the unit. Specific activities are derived from the ideas represented. As she continued to research resources for the topic, Phyllis was delighted to discover that she could order butterfly and ladybug larvae online. She

Creating and scheduling plans for lessons and activities In this step of the planning process, the teachers took their ideas for activities and experiences and blocked out a week-at-a-glance schedule for three weeks, using the daily schedule as a framework: Week one: Insects (focus on lifecycle) Week two: Ladybugs Week three: Butterflies Place Your Order

Brainstorming ideas for activities that support and connect different areas of the curriculum As Stephanie and Phyllis began to plan the thematic unit, they brainstormed ideas and concepts that would support the standards they are working on and what they have observed about the children lately. They used the five categories of the standards listed