Grade Level: Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade
Product #: 1000244
Sample Pages

This reproducible resource is filled with ready-to-use lessons and cross-curricular activities and contains four captivating whole language thematic units. Its 80 exciting pages are filled with a wide variety of lesson ideas and reproducible pages designed for use at the early childhood level.

At its core are four high quality children's literature selections (How a Seed Grows, Flowers Fruits Seeds, Planting a Rainbow, and A Tree Is Nice). For each of these books, activities are included which set the stage for reading, encourage the enjoyment of the book, and extend the concepts gained.

The theme of Plants is connected to the curriculum with activities in language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music, movement, and life skills. Many of these activities encourage cooperative learning.

Suggestions and patterns for bulletin boards are additional time savers for the busy teacher. Furthermore, directions for student-created Big Books and culminating activities, which allow students to synthesize their knowledge in order to produce products that can be shared beyond the classroom, highlight this very complete teacher resource.

Included in this thematic unit:

• Literature Selections - summaries of four children's books with related lessons (complete with reproducible pages) that cross the curriculum
• Language Experiences and Writing Ideas - various activities that cross the curriculum, including Big Books
• Bulletin Board Ideas - plans for student-created and/or interactive bulletin boards
• Homework Suggestions - ways to extend the unit to the child's home
• Curriculum Connections - activities in language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music, movement, and life skills
• Group Projects - ideas to foster cooperative awareness and prepare for cooperative learning
• Culminating Activities - projects which require students to synthesize their learning to produce a product or engage in an activity that can be shared with others
• Bibliography - listings of additional related fiction and nonfiction books

Suggested Activity Centers:

• Storytime - a place to sit comfortably while reading and discussing books
• Reading - where children can read books and poems related to the unit on their own and practice reading-related activities
• Art - where children can draw, color, paint, cut, and paste to express their thoughts and feelings
• Science - a place for experimenting and discovering
• Plant - a place for planting and growing
• Math - a place for learning counting, sequencing, math, and problem solving
• Dramatic Play - where children use imagination and props to act out ideas
• Outdoors - used to promote large muscle development and to extend learning outside the classroom

Pages: 80