Kindergarten Expeditions

Our Bodies, Our Selves
Topics: Likenesses and differences, individuality and diversity, multiple intelligences, parts of the body, senses, nutrition, fitness, hygiene, feelings.

Guiding Questions:

1. How are we different?  Special?
2. How are we the same?
3. What do our bodies need?

Helping Hands, Helping Hearts
Topics: School and local community, community workers.  Research on “choice” community worker.

Guiding Questions:

1. What is a Community?
2. How do workers help us in the community?

Amazing Animals
Topics: Variety in animal species, how animals are grouped, animal habitats, human relationships to and responsibilities for animals. Research project on “choice” animal. Major service learning project with Animal Haven.

Guiding Questions:

1. How do humans and animals affect each other?
2. How are animals alike and different?
3. What do animals need to thrive?

Mini-Expeditions:
1) Festivals of Light—Study of a variety of cultural celebrations involving light, including Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, St. Nicholas Day, Ramadan, Los Posados, and Appalachian Christmas.
2) Cinderella Stories—A 4-6 week study of a variety of fraggled and multi-cultural Cinderella stories.

Core Texts:
Cinderella, Yeh-Shen, Smokey Mountain Rose, Sootface, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, Bigfoot Cinderella, Moss Gown, Cendrillon, Talking Eggs, Prince Cinders, Bubba the Cowboy Prince, Cinderella Penguin, Cinder-Elly, Princess Furball, other multi-cultural Cinderella stories, Leo Lionni author study, Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House, My Father’s Dragon.

Literacy Overview:
In Kindergarten we begin the year with a variety of phonemic awareness activities -- rhyming games and alphabet bingo, songs, blocks that represent sounds and more. We teach letter identification and letter sounds and we begin cursive handwriting, starting with large motor skills and basic strokes such as mountains, waves, and loops.  When they have gained mastery of these beginning skills, we begin teaching the lower case letters in specific groups.  As the year progresses children continue to work on these skills.  When it is appropriate we begin book groups in which children begin learning basic decoding skills and how to blend words, as well as Reader’s Workshop. Children are given books of interest, magazines, and newspapers to read independently.  We conference with the students on a weekly basis to check their progress.  Other forms of reading instruction include choral reading, songs, echo reading, reader’s theater and read aloud for comprehension.  Some students are also given specific reading and writing instruction through the Sonday program.
      Children participate in a variety of writing activities, starting with the  difference between a letter and a word.  They dictate stories and illustrate their drawings.  As each child becomes ready, they learn how to tap out words, they learn spelling patterns, and they learn high frequency words to help improve their independent spelling skills.  They write on a variety of topics including personal experiences, field trips, design principles, and fictional stories.  As their writing level progresses, they learn about writing a three part story including a beginning, middle, and end.  All writing is edited for conventions and spelling.  The children also complete research, pattern books, and science based books such as “The Life Cycle of a Frog.”  They write in journals during Writer’s Workshop blocks following Lucy Caulkins’ methods. Progression throughout the year is based on an individual child’s needs and development.

Math/Science Overview:
In math and science, students focus on recognizing and writing numbers. They fill in the daily calendar and complete a 100s chart. We also use calendars and discussion of the weather to teach measurement, collect and organize data, and learn simple patterns. Additional math goals are covered in learning centers modeled after the thematic material of our expedition. In science, students continue to work on patterns, such as similarities and differences, through observation of the natural world and charting their observations. They also work with objects and measurement in learning centers.

Field Work:
The WNC Nature Center Butterfly Exhibit; Stepp Apple Orchard; The WNC Nature Center; Warren Wilson Garden ; E.; Asheville Fire Station; E. Asheville Library; E. Asheville Vet Hospital; Greenlife Grocery; The Gingerbread House Exhibit at the Grove Park Inn; Animal Haven.

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