Week of May 6th!

Reminders / Notices:

• Picture Day is Tuesday, May 7th.
• School is Closed on Wednesday, May 8th.
• Muffins with Mom will be on Thursday, May 9th, at 10:00 am in the auditorium. 
• School is Closed on Friday, May 24th and Monday, May 27th, for Memorial Day. 

Unit Topic:

• Plants

Essential Question for the Unit:

• How do plants grow and why are plants important?

Focus Question for the Week:

•      Why are plants important?

Focused Learning Activity for the Week:

• Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Tavares will work with students in the writing center.  Students will be able to participate in a plant taste test.  As students try a variety of fruits and vegetables, they will be asked to record their thoughts by writing an L for Like and a D for Dislike.

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

PK.SED.1: Recognizes himself/ herself as a unique individual, having his/ her own abilities, characteristics, feelings, and interests.

Foundational Text for the Week:

• The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

PK.CKW.4 (Science): Observes and describes characteristics of earth and science.

Questions That Will Be Asked Throughout The Week:

Level 1: Recall

• What parts of plants can be vegetables?
• What are some different types of vegetables?
• Where do vegetables grow?
• How do vegetables get to grocery stores?

Level 2: Skill/Concept

• What are some different ways that you eat vegetables?
• What are some things people have to do if they want to grow a vegetable garden?

Level 3: Strategic Thinking

• Some people grow their own vegetable garden. If you were going to grow a vegetable garden, what vegetables would you grow? Why?
• Why do you think farmers on big farms sometimes use machines to harvest the vegetables?

Level 4: Extended Thinking

• Vegetables are good for your body. How do they help your body?
• Why is it important to take good care of your body?
• Vegetables can be different colors. Why do you think vegetables are different colors?

Lessons and Activities for the Week:

Blocks- Students will be invited to build a garden using blocks and materials added to the block center.

Pretend Play- The teacher will turn Dramatic Play into a flower shop by adding pretend flowers, containers, pictures of flower arrangements, cash register, notepad, writing utensils etc. Children can pretend to make, buy, and sell floral arrangements. Vocabulary words such as bouquet, floral arrangement, florist, and flower will be highlighted.

Art- The teacher will supply pipe cleaners as well as tissue paper circles. Children can pierce the middle of the tissue paper circles with the pipe cleaner, adding as many as they would like, then fold the circles up to create a flower. After creating these flowers children can use them in the dramatic play flower shop or in the block center garden.

Science- The teacher will provide individual pictures of the plant life cycle. Students will be asked to sequence the pictures. The teacher will provide pictures / diagrams for children to refer to as they discuss each stage in the life cycle. 

Math- The teacher will cut out several paper watermelons, add a number to each one, and ask children to put the appropriate number of seeds on each watermelon. Students are encouraged to write the corresponding number.

Library- Students are invited to read books about our theme, plants.

Writing- Students will write letters on a sheet of construction paper.  They can glue or place seeds onto the letter.  The teacher will talk with students about words that start with the letter.

Sensory- Sand and water, or play-doh.

For more information on the Lesson Plan, click  HERE!