I am a bit of a rebel in the classroom. I don't like to do things just because it's the way we've always done it or because it's what everyone else is doing. I like teaching with theme units because it helps me guide my read-alouds and songs/poems we use to practice fluency. Many Kindergarten teachers do units on apples in the fall and plants in the spring. And there is nothing wrong with using units like that. Many students have done those units in pre-k and I want to give them exposure to different experiences.
So I wanted to share some of the units I do that I think are a little more off-the-beaten path.
Wordless Books
1) Write from the perspective of a wordless book--"If I were a wordless book, I would...."-does it feel different to have no words, etc.?
2) Why do authors write wordless books?
3) Make an argument that wordless books are just as good as regular books.
4) Write your own wordless book
5) Create math problems to go along with the illustrations.
The Moon-I was looking for a specific moon-related book on my library site a few years ago and was blown away by how many moon books there are out there!
1) Comparing the perspective of the moon and the sun.
2) Science-phases of the moon
3) Writing a letter to the moon from one of the stars.
4) Is it right or wrong that we can't see the moon during the day.
5) Rules for being the moon-what is always true about ti.
Pancakes
1. Making pancakes of course! You can put the instructions out with pictures to follow directions on how to mix their own pancake and cook them on a plug-in griddle. There is such pride in their faces as they are eating the pancake they made themselves!
2. Inventing a new way to make pancakes or a new flavor of pancakes.
3. I like to ask them to write a recipe for pancakes before we make them-they come out pretty funny!
4. Language of the disciplines-how does a chef look at a pancake compared to an artist.
5. Explore trends in pancakes over the years.
Shoes
(I found this book at my library last year. I read the reviews on Amazon and because this is about an immigrant crossing the border there were people who were offended by the plot. I personally, think it's an issue that many of my students are familiar with because they have family members in the same situation. Plus, it's a timely subject in politics today-I see nothing wrong with sharing the journey of people who have come to our country that way).
1. What will the shoes of the future look like? Invent a new kind of shoe.
2. Why do we wear different kinds of shoes for different things. Why do girls wear high heels? Why not wear comfortable shoes all the time?
3. Empathy-walking in other people's shoes to feel how they feel. You can actually demonstrate this with shoes of different jobs.
4. Language of the disciplines-matching shoes to the job.
5. How would our lives be different if we didn't wear shoes?
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