Creepy Crawlies

BUGSMorning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00) 1. Song Can 2. Calendar 3. We'll learn about the letter Cc through song, movement, actions, and writing. We'll talk about words that begin with the letter Cc and more!! 4. The teacher will have different photos of bugs and we'll discuss the different characteristics of these insects and bugs. What makes an insect?....3 body parts, 6 legs, and antennae. We will be keeping an insect chart for the unit and each time we learn about a bug, we'll discuss and mark if it is an insect or not. 5. Story - "Bugs" by Nancy Winslow Parker

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

* Creative Art: BUG MODELS - Playdough will be provided along with pipe cleaners and googly eyes. The teacher will help guide the children to make different bugs and insects that they know about and they will be able to take them home and let them dry.

* Messy Table: DIRT AND WORMS - The table will be filled with dirt and many many live worms and squirt bottles. It is so fun to actually see how worms or other bugs actually live and move. The children will be able to squirt them, hold them, find them in the dirt, count how many they have, watch them wiggle and squirm and so much more!! What fun it is to play with worms.

* Cut and Color Table: BUG-EYED GLASSES - Sections of egg cartons (2 cups each) will be provided, along with pipe cleaners, and markers. Two holes will be cut out for the children to see out of. The teacher will assist the children to put the pipe cleaners throught the holes provided and twist to make ear pieces.

* Dramatic Play: BUG LAB - The children will be able to wear lab coats use magnifying glasses and seperate plastic bugs into categories and into different containers as they roll play being scientists of bugs.

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

* BUG BITES GRAHAM CRACKERS - The children will enjoy eating the different bugs of graham crackers today. We will discuss the different bugs they see and which ones they like the best. What other bugs do they know of?

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

* Story

* The teacher will challenge the children to move like different bugs and insects (hop, crawl, fly, run, etc). What bugs and insects do you know of? Which ones do you like or not like? Why?

* Music and Movement - we'll have a six-legged race. Three children will hold hands (we'll count their legs together as a class) and race with another group of three to the spots marked.

* We'll learn more about the letter Cc again today and discuss different words and things that start with that letter!

Gotta Be Me - Day 9

CELEBRATING ME

Morning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00)

1. Song Can

2. Calendar

3. We'll learn about the letter Bb through song, movement, actions, and writing. We'll talk about words that begin with the letter Bb and more!!

4. We'll discuss the things we have learned about ourselves throughout the week and the ways we are all alike and all different. We'll talk about our birthdays and when they are. We'll make a birthday graph to see which month has the most birthdays in it from our class.

5. Story

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

* Creative Art: SELF PORTAITS - The children will be encouraged to paint self portaits of themselves. Mirrors and paint will be provided and the teacher will guide them on how to look in the mirror and paint the parts of their face that they see. What a great way to discover what differences and similarities they have with eachother. Also they'll be able to discover special facial qualties with themselves.

*Messy Table: WHEAT - We'll keep wheat in the table today since it's always such a fun and interesting sensory experience!

*Cut and Color Table: "ME" HATS - Hats folded out of construction paper will be provided and the children will be able to color, sticker, and glue special things to them to make their "Me" hats just for them!

* Dramatic Play: BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION - The children will be able to roll play celebrating theirs and others birthdays. Cooking and eating birthday cakes and icecreams, wrapping birthday presents, party hats, etc. What a fun time to roll play!

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

* BANANAS AND GRAPES: We'll be enjoying bananas and grapes and water for snack today. We'll talk about our favorite fruits and why we like them or don't like them.

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

* Story

* We'll talk about our different friends, in and out of preschool. Our families also, and how we are alike or different from them and each other. We'll also talk about our birthdays again and try and see if we can remember the date it is (if they don't already know). How old will we each be, what kinds of things do we do on our birthdays, etc.

* Music and Movement: "Special Day" by Thomas Moore

* We'll learn more about the letter Bb again today and discuss different words and things that start with that letter!

Gotta Be Me - Day 8

MY SENSE OF TASTE

Morning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00)

1. Song Can

2. Calendar

3. We'll learn about the letter Bb through song, movement, actions, and writing. We'll talk about words that begin with the letter Bb and more!!

4. We'll have fun tasting things as we explore different tastes. We'll pass around a plate of pickles and discuss how they taste. A plate of vanilla wafers, and discuss how they taste, and a plate of potato chips and discuss how they taste. We'll compare the different tastes and talk about how taste buds on our tongue distinguish tastes for us. We'll take a look at our own taste buds in mirrors.

5. Story

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

* Creative Art: RECIPE DICTATIONS - The children can draw pictures of their favorite foods and the teacher will help them dicate the recipes of how they think it is made!

* Messy Table: WHEAT - What an interesting sensory experience - wheat!! Not only are they fun to feel, but we will discuss how it is ground and used to make flour for bread which we eat.

* Cut and Color Table: FAVORITE FOOD PICTURES - The children will be invited to use different collage materials to create their favorite foods to glue onto paper plates. The teacher will write what their favorite foods are.

* Dramatic Play: RESTAURANT - The Dramatic play area will be set up like a restaurant today and the children will be encouraged to roll play, prepared, serving, eating, and buying food at a restaurant. Complete with menu's, tablets to write down orders, a table with flowers and table cloth to give the feeling of a restaurant.

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

* PEANUT BUTTER PLAYDOUGH - We will get to make peanut butter playdough today to make, feel, and eat! Peanut butter playdough is so fun to experience because it's food you can actually play with AND eat!! Check out the recipe list to find the recipe!!

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

* Story

* We'll talk about each of our favorite foods and why we like them. What foods don't we like and why?

* Music and Movement - 'Make Myself Som Cookies' - from I Am Special by Thomas Moore

* We'll learn more about the letter Bb again today and discuss different words and things that start with that letter!

Gotta Be Me - Day 7

MY SENSE OF SIGHT

Morning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00)

1. Song Can

2. Calendar

3. We'll learn about the letter Bb through song, movement, actions, and writing. We'll talk about words that begin with the letter Bb and more!!

4. We'll discuss things we saw on our way to school today and make a list as we go. We'll talk about things the children would miss out on if they were asleep or blindfolded.

5. Story - "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by Bill Martin Jr.

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

* Creative Art: VISUAL PAINTING - Well, isn't all painting visual!! The children will be able to express theirselves while painting with colorful tempera paint.

* Messy Table: SORTING FISH - The messy table will be filled with lots and lots of plastic colored fish and some water. This will be a great visual, sensory experience for the children to look at the different fish and sort them.

* Cut and Color Table: MAGNIFIED PICTURES - The children will be encouraged to draw pictures while looking through a magnifying glass.

* Dramatic Play: OPTOMATRIST - The dramatic play area will be set up as an eye doctor's office. Complete with doctor coats, stethascopes, eye charts, eye scopes, etc! The children will enjoy roll playing getting their eye checked.

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

* COLORED GOLD FISH - Today we will eat colored goldfish and sort them into different colors. We'll talk about favorite colors, etc.

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

* Story - "Take Another Look" by Tana Hoban

* We'll play 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey' and discuss how much harder it is to do things while not being able to see.

* We'll read 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear' one more time and then make our own book, "Preschooler, Preschooler, What Do you See?" The children will draw their pictures and the teacher will dictate for them. It will be fun to see our own class book made and have each child take their own copy home after it is bound.

* We'll learn more about the letter Bb again today and discuss different words and things that start with that letter!

Gotta Be Me - Day 6

MY SENSE OF SMELL

Morning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00)

1. Song Can

2. Calendar - Celebrate Elliot's and Talia's birthday (AM class)

3. We'll learn about the letter Aa through song, movement, actions, and writing. We'll talk about words that begin with the letter Aa and more!!

4. We will pass a cut in half orange and grapefruit around the circle. I'll ask one child to close his/her eyes and smell one of the fruits and identify it. "How did you know?" "What other things do we smell each day?" We will try and identify a few different familiar smells in film canisters.

5. Story

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

* Creative Art: SMELLY ART - Different jars with different smells will be placed at the table to today. With smelly markers and other markers, the children will be able to draw what they think they smell. The teacher will dictate it for them and they draw all different types of pictures.

* Messy Table: SCENTED PLAYDOUGH - Playdough made with a few different scents will be placed in the messy table today. Different extracts or oils will be used to scent the playdough. You can also substitute massage oil for vegetable oil which works good also. Koolaid, pumpkin spice or other smells are great things to use for smells. The teacher will try and guide discussions at the messy table about what they smell and what they can make that might smell like that.

* Cut and Color Table: SCRATCH AND SNIFF - The children will be able to use wet cotton swabs to spread flavored, powdered gelatin on paper. After this dries, the children can scratch and sniff to smell what they made!!

* Dramatic Play: RESTAURANT - The children can roll play restaurant as they cook, eat, buy and smell the food they make.

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

* POPCORN: Today we'll get to watch, smell, hear, see, and taste our popcorn that we make at our Closing Circle. We will discuss how we can use all five of our senses to experience the wonderful taste of popcorn! Popcorn has such a distinct smell, who can resist it!

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

* Story - "Smell" by J.M. Parramon

* We'll pop our own popcorn for snack and discuss all of the five different senses we are using, but especially our sense of smell!!

* Music and Movement - "Popcorn Popping" We'll sing and do the actions to this song.

* We'll learn more about the letter Aa again today and discuss different words and things that start with that letter!

Gotta Be Me - Day 5

MY SENSE OF SOUND

Morning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00)

1. Song Can

2. Calendar

3. We'll learn about the letter Aa through song, movement, actions, and writing. We'll talk about words that begin with the letter Aa and more!!

4. We will have a variety of musical instruments to explore. We will take turns playing the instruments and compare the different sounds they make. We will discuss how we are able to hear the differences in sounds.

5. Story

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

* Creative Art: TAMBORINES - Today we'll make shaker Tamborines out of paper plates and beans. The children will get to decorate the plates with markers and stickers and the students will get to staple and stuff the plates with beans. What fun it will be to listen to the music they made all by themselves!!

* Messy Table: WATER JARS - In the messy table there will be glass jars, water, and spoons. The students will be able fill the jars up to different levels and listen to the different sounds they make. Teacher will guide them into making up their own songs and figuring out what sound they want to come out of the jar!

* Cut and Color Table: JINGLE BRACELETS - Pipe cleaners and jingle bells will be provided for the children to make their own bracelets. They'll be able to walk around and listen to their own new instruments.

* Dramatic Play: MUSICAL BAND - Different instruments will be avlailable to explore with in the dramatic play area. The children will be able to explore with these different instruments and listen to the different sounds they make. They can try making their own music like they are part of their very own band! Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

*SQUEEKY CHEESE - Today for snack we will enjoy the tasty and noisy experience of squeeky cheese. This cheese squeeks best when it is slightly warmed up in the microwave. The teacher will encourage the children to eat quietly and listen carefully for the squeeks while they chew!

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

* Story - "The Listening Walk" by Paul Showers.

* We will go on our very own Listening Walk around the neighborhood. We'll discuss how we will just walk and listen as carefully as we can. If we hear something raise your hand and quietly tell the teacher what you heard. The teacher will write down everything that was heard. When we get back into the classroom, we will read and discuss all of the different sounds.

* Music and Movement - We'll play our homemade instruments to the beat of different songs we'll sing!

* We'll learn more about the letter Aa again today and discuss different words and things that start with that letter!

Gotta Be Be - Day 4

MY SENSE OF TOUCH

Morning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00)

1. Song Can

2. Calendar

3. We'll learn about the letter Aa through song, movement, actions, and writing. We'll talk about words that begin with the letter Aa and more!!

3. I will bring in several objects with different textures (satin, sandpaper, net, cotton, etc). We will discuss how each item feels and also describe how they feel. How do we know the difference in materilas? I will encourage the children to understand that we use our hands to touch and feel.

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

*Creative Art: TEXTURED FINGERPAINTS - Mix fingerpaint or tempera paint with sand, sawdust or salt. I will invite the children to fingerpaint with textured paints and encourage discussion about how it feels and how it feels different then other fingerpaints.

*Messy Table: DRY AND WET SAND - There will be dry and wet sand in the messy table for the children to explore their sense of touch with.

*Cut and Color Table: HAND BOOKS - We will trace our hands out of paper and make the different pages into books. On each page the children will be encouraged to draw pictures of things they like to touch and the teacher will dictate it for them. This not only gives them their very own book they can read by themselves (because they wrote it), but it also encourages literacy and writing as the students watch the teacher write what they want to say.

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

PEANUT BUTTER AND RAISIN SANDWICHES: Today we will be making our snack during Closing Circle. The children will spread their own peanut butter and drop on their own raisins to make their own Peanut Butter and Raisin Sandwiches. We will discuss the different textures of each food. The bread is squishy and soft, the peanut butter is sticky and wet, and the raisins are wrinkly dry.

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00) Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

* Story - "I Can Tell By Touching" by Carolyn Otto

* Make and eat our Peanut Butter and Raisin Sandwiches.

* Music and Movement - We'll sing and do the actions to "Where is thumbkin" and discuss the different things our fingers like to touch.

* Practice and discuss more about the letter Aa!!

Gotta Be Me - Day 3

THINKING ME Morning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00) 1. Song Can 2. Calendar 3. We'll read "Swimmy" and discuss how he solves his problems. The teacher will ask questions like, "how would the story be different if Swimmy were a big fish?" and "What do you think might have happened if Swimmy hadn't found a solution to his problem?"

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

*Creative Art: Sponge Painting - A variety of different shaped sponges will be set out to explore with. The children can think for themselves as they explore with and think about the different patterns and prints each one makes.

*Messy Table: Colored Rice

*Cut and Color: Doodle Art - The teacher will make doodles on sheets of paper. I will encourage the children to make pictures from them, then draw their own doodles and make them into pictures.

*Dramatic Play: Home

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

*SNACK: Sorting Shape Crackers - We'll have triangle, rectangle, oval, circle, and square crackers. The teacher will have the students hold up the shape she says. This isn't only great practice, but also a great way to assess the kids and their knowledge of shapes and if they need more help on them.

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

*Story - "Oh the Thinks You Can Think" by Dr. Seuss

* We'll explore with magnets! We'll discuss how they work and explore what they stick to and what they don't . The teacher will encourage the children to go home and use some of their own fridge magnets to discover what they will stick to and what they won't.

*Music and Movement - "Let's Pretend" by Hap Palmer. We'll sing and move to this fun song.

*To end the day the teacher will help the children explore ways their bodies can move to make the first letter in their names. The teacher will encourage the children to make the rest of the letters in their names as the children move and bend to create the letters!

Gotta Be Me - Day 2

FEELING ME

Morning Circle (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00)

1. Song Can

2. Calendar

3. We'll sing the song "If You're Happy and you Know it" and discuss different feeling we can feel. We'll also sing the song with, "If You're sad and you Know it, Angry, sleepy, etc".

4. Each child will get a plate to hold with a smiley face on one side and frowny face on the other. The teacher will make a series of statements and ask the children to respond by showing the side of the plate that shows how they feel about the statement. If they feel neither happy nor sad about the statement, they keep the plate on their laps.

Learning Centers (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

*CREATIVE ART: Painting - Using Tempera paints, the children will be able to explore and express their different feelings through paint.

*MESSY TABLE: Colored Rice - We'll continue with colored rice in the Messy Table today. Rice for some reason, is always a class favorite. It's a great sensory, feeling, and exploring experience.

*CUT AND COLOR: Me Puppets - We'll be making puppets out of paper bags today with either photographs of the children (taken earlier in the month) or by using googly eyes and different materials to make their very own "self" puppet or other family member puppet.

*DRAMATIC PLAY: Home - The children will continue trying to connect their experiences from home, into the classroom by roll playing home roles. From cleaning, to mom, dad, brother, sister, cooking, etc. Whatever the situation at home, kids have usually experienced it and can roll play in their choice time!

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

*SNACK: Pizza Faces - Today we'll be making our very own Pizza Faces during Closing Circle. We'll talk about different feelings as we make them and discuss how we can give our Pizza Face a different feeling just by changing how the face looks! Check out the recipe on our Recipe links to make these fun pizza's at home!!

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

*Story

*Make "Pizza Faces" (check out the recipe on the recipe page links to make these at home!).

*Music and Movement - Learn the sign language and actions to the song, "What Are You Feeling" from the Signing Time CD, volume 4-6.

*Enjoy eating our Pizza Faces and discuss our favorite feelings!

Gotta Be Me - Day 1

PHYSICAL ME

MORNING CIRCLE (AM 9:00-9:30..PM 12:30-1:00)

1. Song Can

2. Calendar

3. We'll talk as a class about ways we are each alike and different. Being different makes us each special. We'll look at ourselves in mirrors and discuss eye and hair color, kinds of noses, mouths, etc. We'll read the book "I'm Terrific" discussing how we are each unique, special, and TERRIFIC! We'll sing the song "I Am Special" by Thomas Moore.

LEARNING CENTERS (AM 9:30-10:15..PM 1:00-1:45)

*Creative Art: BODY TRACERS - The children will be able to choose to lie down on a large sheet of paper as the teacher traces his/her body. The children will be able to decorate their own bodies, drawing in their faces, coloring their clothes, etc.

*Messy Table: COLORED RICE - Rice is so fun to manipulate and explore with!! Children really enjoy the way it feels, what a great sensory experience!

*Cut and Color Table: "ME" PUPPETS - The children will use paper bags and pictures taken previously by the teacher to make their very own "ME" puppets. If pictures aren't available, we can also use googly eyes, and different collage materials to make puppets of themselves and family!! It's so fun to pretend with puppets of YOURSELF!!

*Dramatic Play: HOME - The children can interact and act out home duties and house play. Children really enjoy acting out things they see at home and things they know. Home is probably the best place children know - Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, baby, kitchen, eating, cleaning, etc.

Snack (small groups come at different times to eat during Self-Selected Activities. Unless we are making our snack, then we will eat it during small group.)

*Snack: Graham Crackers and Milk - Children will enjoy dipping their graham crackers in milk and learn social skills and self help skills as they poor their own milk, get their own crackers and napkins.

Outside Play (AM 10:20-10:30..PM 1:50-2:00)

Closing Circle (AM 10:30-11:00..PM 2:00-2:30)

*Story

*Give each child a mirror and discuss how each person looks. Help them discover little details about themselves - freckles, dimples, bushy or thin eyebrows, long or short eyelashes, etc.

*The teacher will have large letters made out of each child's name. Give each child a letter for one student's name. Do a cheer! Example - (Tyler)...Give me a "T" (The person holding the T, holds it up), Give me a "Y" (person holding the Y, holds it up), etc. Do this with each child's name. This will not only get the children use to what their own name looks like, but will also help them start recognizing what different letters look like!