Seasonal Theme Activities

Back to School Activities

Our themes are "Getting to Know You", "All About school", and "Building our classroom community"

Language Arts-

• • Read, Read, Read Back to School Stories, and non-fiction materials. (adult read-louds, and student-read leveled readers)

  • phonics instruction-begin expanding our awareness of phonics: letters and sounds that they make.

Math-

• • what is math?

    • math is everyday life

    • attending to precision-if we are careful math helps us solve problems like: "how many?"

  • Skills focus:

    • sorting by different attributes: size, color, shape, similarities/differences

    • counting to 10

    • understanding patterns in math and in everyday life.

Social Studies-

• • Getting to know ourselves and others.

  • Learning Classroom and school routines, expectations and responsibilities-becoming a responsible citizen!

  • Class Jobs-everyone contributes to our daily class routine!

Science-

• • What's your favorite thing about nature and science? We will take turns being teachers about what we already know!

    • pets

    • favorite animals/insects, etc...

    • travels-beach, lake, camping, museums, parks, amusement parks,

    • hobbies-building with blocks, creating things

  • What is STEM?

    • we will learn about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math and how we will use each to find solutions through creativity, communication, and collaboration!

Fall Activities (scroll down for Winter Activities)

Our Theme is "Fall All Around!" we will learn about changing seasons, apples, pumpkins, bats, spiders, scarecrows and anything else our students discover along the way!

We will integrate our lessons across the curriculum:

Language Arts- Read, Read, Read Fall stories and Non-fiction Materials (adult read alouds, and student-read leveled readers)

• Skills Focus:

  • Comprehension-

    • • take a "picture walk" before reading every book. Look at and think aloud about every page.

        • Anchor Statement: "Every time you turn the page, tell yourself the story" (or details thus far if non-fiction).

      • Retell a familiar story-beginning, middle to end. Include characters, setting, problem/ solution if any. (some leveled readers, and all non-fiction do not have "problems/solutions".)

  • Accuracy-

    • • Recognize words that rhyme.

      • Recognize beginning sounds in words. (Hear/say the sound heard not letter name)

  • Fluency-

    • • recognize upper/lower case letters

      • Recognize sight words

  • Expanding Vocabulary-

    • • Concepts about print-

        • recognizing the difference between letters and words,

        • noticing spaces between words.

        • pointing to each word as you read

        • understand that a period means stop reading.

• Skills Focus: Writing

• • • We will write about every subject as we integrate across all subjects. Writing daily.

Math-

• Skills focus:

  • Numbers to 5-reading, writing, counting, grouping in different ways. (2 can be: 2 and 0, or 1 and 1).

  • position words-over/under, above/below, beside, behind, in-between.

  • Counting up to 20 with fluency. (by rote, without stopping to think about it.)

Social Studies-

• Self-Control-understanding how your brain works and how it effects everything you do. Learning strategies to take control of your actions and choices. Practice "mindful breathing".

  • Anchor Statement: "Be Proactive" say: "I'm in charge of Me"

• Getting Along with others in a classroom community-responsibilities, caring for others.

Science-

• Learning the three main parts of the brain and their functions.

• Learning about Changing Seasons-harvest-how apples and pumpkins grow, leaves changing fall colors and color words.

Language Arts- Read, Read, Read Fall stories (adult read alouds, and student-read leveled readers)

• • Skills Focus:

  • Comprehension-

    • • take a "picture walk" before reading every book. Look at and think aloud about every page.

        • Anchor Statement: "Every time you turn the page, tell yourself the story" (or details thus far if non-fiction).

      • Retell a familiar story-beginning, middle to end. Include characters, setting, problem/ solution if any. (some leveled readers, and all non-fiction do not have "problems/solutions".)

      • predict what happens next

      • name the problem and solution in a story

      • check for understanding-Does it make sense and look right

  • Accuracy-

    • • identify ending sounds

      • flip the vowel sound from short to long when decoding a word.

      • chunk letters and sounds

      • digraphs: wh, th, sh, ch, ck.

  • Fluency-

    • • read with expression and pacing

      • know all Kindergarten words by heart

      • begin to learn First Grade words

  • Expanding Vocabulary-

    • • listen for interesting words

      • use interesting words

      • use word parts to determine meanings of other words.

• Skills Focus: Writing

  • • We will write about every subject as we integrate across all subjects. Writing daily.

    • We will write personal narratives, opinions, and informative/explanatory pieces.

Math-

• • Skills focus:

    • Numbers to 20-reading, writing, counting, grouping in different ways. (2 can be: 2 and 0, or 1 and 1).

    • number identification to 100

    • more, less, equal, addition, subtraction

    • Counting up to 100 with fluency. (by rote, without stopping to think about it.)

    • counting on from any number: 45...46

    • 2D and 3D Solid Figures

    • creating other shapes from 2D shapes

Social Studies-

• • Be Proactive-"I'm in charge of me"

  • Begin with the end in mind-plan ahead.

  • Think win-win- thinking of and cooperating with others and showing kindness.

  • Celebrations-Spring, Earth Day-, Mother's/Father's Day

Science

• • Learning about Changing Seasons-Spring

  • Earth Day/Week Activities:

  • Animal adaptation to Spring and climate

  • Insects

  • Ocean Life

  • Plants