Thursday, February 11, 2016

Desert Unit Week 1 February 22-26


Weekly Question and Vocabulary Related to book:
(sand, desert, coyote, howl, absorb, cactus)
Unit Book:Two Cool Coyotes
What is a desert?

Literacy Small Groups
Handwriting- We will begin a quick review of uppercase letter formations.  Focusing on straight line letters, we will practice writing the letters E and H  We will be working on our own letter formation books that will come home when our uppercase letter formations are complete.   

Initial Sounds Bingo- We will learn how to match initial sounds.  PLaying a bingo game children will listen for words that sound with the same initial letter sound to earn a point on their boards.  Practice this skill at home in car or at the dinner table! Try to produce words that begin with the same sound.  

Deleting the onsets- We will practice deleting the onset from words.  The onset is the beginning sound/s of a word and the rime is  all the sounds that follow it.  For example, in the word “bell” /b/ is the onset and /ell/ is the rime.  We will use picture cards to take physically take away the onset of the word to discover what the word is with just the rime left.  If we take away the /b/ in bell, we are left with /ell./

Handwriting- We will continue practicing straight line letters.  We will review and practice the formation for the letters U in our letter books.

Journals-We will write in our journals about animals that live in the desert.  We will add lots of detail to our illustrations and carefully sound out our words to write what we hear.

Handwriting/Letter Groups
We have begun formalized uppercase letter formations next week.  We will begin with straight line letters.  Please reinforce with your child that "we always start our letters at the top." This is an important skill in formations.

Math Small Groups
Patterned Snakes- Desert snakes have patterns all over them.   We will use paper links to make a pattern by alternating colors to make our own desert snakes.  We will be sure to check to see that our pattern repeats!  
Playdough Numbers- We will use number mats and playdough to mold numbers 1-10.  We will also count out the corresponding number of playdough dots to practice matching quantities to written numerals.

Playdough Pattern Snakes- We will use playdough to practice patterning.  Using beads, paper clips and buttons we will create and repeat our own patterns on our playdough snake.  Patterns can be made with almost anything at all- have fun patterning at home too!


Pattern/ Not a Pattern Sort- We will cut out a variety of pictures and determine whether or not they are patterns.  We will sort them into two categories: “ Yes”, it is a pattern and “No”, it is not a pattern. We will need to look closely at the pictures to see if they repeat as that is the key to patterns!

Pattern Trains- We will be using unifix cubes to create “pattern trains”.  Each child will be given a card with a pattern on it.  Then they will place their hand in a bag and choose a unifix cube.  If they need that color for their pattern, they will keep the cube.  If they do not need it, they will give the cube to a friend that needs it to complete their pattern. The goal of the game is for everyone to complete a pattern of 10 cubes.  

Centers
Art Table-Animal art to add to our mural (catcus hand prints, camel hand prints)
Block Area- Animals and blocks
Sensory Table-Sand (Animals, rocks, caves....)
Book Area- Exploring Books about jungle and desert
Easel-Markers and paper
Writing Table-Zookeeper Lists
Dramatic Play-Desert Burrows and Caves: Creating underground animal homes
Math, Puzzles, and Manipulatives- Counting cactus activity
Science - Sponges and water to explore  how water absorbs
Rug- Safari jeeps, animals, and people

Science/Social Studies/Math Circle Concepts
-What is a desert?
-How do animals live in a desert
-Aborbing Sponges/Sponges cut into catcus to show how water absorbs
-Compare and contrast jungle and desert animals

Preschool Life Skills 
- We will be focusing on our curriculum of Preschool Life Skills during this time to help us transition into our new classroom.
1. When I call your name, stop what you are doing, look at me, and say,"Yes".
2. When I give you an instruction, do it "right away"
(Ask your child what do you do when your teacher tells you to do something.  They should reply "I do it right away." You can reinforce this at home too.  "Put your legos away and do it "right away""
3. When I give you  instructions, do them "right away" (multi-step directions)
4. When something is too hard say "Help me please"
5. When you want something from a teacher or friend, say "Excuse Me" to get their attention
6. When you want something from a teacher or friend, say "Excuse Me" to get their attention and then use your asking words(ie. May I have a turn?)

Songs, Word Plays, and Language
-Our Good Morning Chant
-Animals in the Desert Song

Classroom Motivational System
We will be learning classroom routines and expectations within our new classroom.  In order to create a successful and rewarding environment, each child will have a motivational system. Our classroom system promotes positive classroom behavior through positive peer modeling and teachers providing positive reinforcement for desired behaviors. 

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