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Kindergarten Goal 4

Spring: A Time for Change

Writers:

Kathleen Eveleigh Pam Crocker

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I. Grade Level: Kindergarten II. Unit Title: Spring: A Time for Change III. Unit Length: 6 weeks IV. Major Unit Goal/Learning Objectives:

The learner will be able to: o Observe and describe the properties of various objects o Describe objects with the senses o Sort objects based on the senses o Observe and describe tools to make observations

o Observe and identify common objects in the natural world V. Objective Chart

Unit Title: Spring A Time of Change Number of Weeks: 6

Number Competency or Objective RBT Tag

3.01 Observe and describe the properties of different kinds of objects.

B2

3.03 Describe how objects look, feel, smell, taste, and sound using their own senses.

B2

3.04 Observe that objects can be described and sorted by their properties.

B2

3.05 Identify some common objects and organisms that are considered to be natural resources in our world.

A1

4.01 Describe how tools can be used to make comparisons.

C2

4.02 Observe and describe how various tools and units of measure are useful.

B2

VI. ELD/EC: Suggestions are italicized within the unit. VII. Materials and Equipment

Chart paper

Markers

Science Notebooks

Spring Books (Bugs, Birds, Gardens, Flowers, Earth)

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4 posters with the four seasons written on them: Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall

Paper to make a card

Picture of the things that tie in with the unit

Trash that can be recycled

Trash that can't be recycled

Brown Bags from local Grocery Store (1 per child)

Blue, Green, Brown, Orange, Red, Yellow construction paper

Plastic six pack holders

scissors

variety of seeds

meat trays (or paper plates) 1 per child

lima beans- 1 per child

baggies (any size)

cotton balls

2-3 sunflowers

Sunflower seeds -1 per child

dirt

plastic cups

string

yarn

magnifying glass-1 for every 2 children

dirt with worms in it (You will want to set this up several weeks in advance.)

dirt without worms (Can be found outside your classroom door)

lunch bags (to make Little Red Hen puppets)

small paper plates

a variety of pasta (see directions below)

popsicle sticks

bucket of water

small paper bowls

An example wanted poster

large sheets of butcher paper

ingredients for mud cake (see culminating activity)

VIII. Big Ideas: Change

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IX. Unit Notes: The activities in this unit are based on the 5 E lesson plan format. First you will use Engage to draw the students in. This is the time to ask inquiry type questions. Next you will allow the students time for Explore. Then you will explain the concepts you want to cover for that lesson. Sometimes you will allow the students time to elaborate or extend the lesson independently or whole class and finally you will evaluate if your objective has been met. The lesson will overlap and support each other. The unit is divided up into several parts. The first week will be an introduction to Spring. The following weeks will focus on an Earth Day lesson, how the trees change over the seasons, building an indoor garden, bugs and insect that come to life in Spring There will be a final culminating activity in which children will share information learned, sing songs, and recite poems or do a performance of your choice. Students in kindergarten use their five senses to observe the world around them. This unit should provide an atmosphere where children are investigating, learning and exploring the concepts and objectives mentioned above as they apply to the season of Spring. Young children need opportunities to explore and observe the objects they are learning about. They should be able to collect data and explore variations in the world. The unit we have developed is based on developmentally appropriate practices that will require more informal assessment of concepts taught rather than traditional paper and pencil activities. The biggest portion of this unit will occur in teacher directed activities, but also at centers and in small group. We hope that the children will develop an understanding of the change that occurs in the Spring. They will be able to discuss how the world around them is made up of plants, bugs and insects and people who are dependent on each other. This unit ties in with lots of practical real life experiences. For your ESL students you may need to take more time to develop prior knowledge. Pictures, videos, and the internet can all help with visuals for these experiences.

Assessment In kindergarten assessments should be ongoing, embedded in every lesson classroom experience, and should be connected to unit objectives. The teacher should consider what each objective is focusing on, and anticipate specific behaviors or ideas to look/listen for when interacting with children. When you hear or observe misunderstandings the children are making, make note of those misunderstandings and then adjust your explanations appropriately. Much of your observations will occur during the

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Explore and Elaborate parts of the lesson. The following three-point rubric may be adapted to your county's grading scale to evaluate students' work during these lessons.

• 3 points: Students were highly engaged in class discussions; were able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the vocabulary and give correct examples appropriate to the lesson • 2 points: Students participated in class discussions; were able to demonstrate a basic understanding of the vocabulary and give mostly correct examples; drew pictures that were somewhat appropriate to the lesson. • 1 point: Students participated minimally in class discussions; were unable to demonstrate

Science Notebooks

Look at children’s notebooks for evidence of observation of class pet, including drawings, labels, and questions. Centers Throughout the unit the following center activities can run along with your other regular centers. You will probably want to add materials to these centers as the weeks go on. Some suggestions are given for each week. Technology Suggestions Kidpix is a program that provides children opportunities to draw pictures. You can use this program in place of having children draw pictures. Inspiration/Kidspiration is a program that helps children make graphic organizers. It can be used with almost any lesson to do Elaborate. As an EC/ESL activity, this is a great program to help build prior knowledge. Garageband provides wonderful opportunities for children to make podcast that can be put on a webpage. IMovie and IPhoto are wonderful products to produce a movie that documents the process of the unit. IPhoto pictures can be downloaded into an Imovie in a matter of minutes. Then children can voice over the pictures

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and the end product is quite wonderful. This movie can be presented to other classes, parents, or put on a web page. A documentation board is a great way to show what you are learning along the way, the science process in action. You can take pictures and either have them developed or print them on a computer. Then take direct quotes from the children about what they are learning. This is also a great place to put artwork that shows connections between what the children are learning and what the children are doing. X. Global Content:

NC SCS Grade 21st Century Skills Activity

Communication Skills

3.03, 4.01, 4.02

Conveying thought or opinions effectively Week 1, Lesson 1

When presenting information, distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant information

NA for Kindergarten

3.03, 4.01, 4.02

Explaining a concept to others Week 3, Lesson 1

Interviewing others or being interviewed NA for Kindergarten

Computer Knowledge

Using word-processing and database programs

NA for Kindergarten

3.04 Developing visual aides for presentations Week 1, Lesson 1 Week 2, Lesson 1

Using a computer for communication NA for Kindergarten

Learning new software programs NA for Kindergarten

Employability Skills

3.01, 3.03, 3.05, 4.02

Assuming responsibility for own learning Week 1, Lesson 1 Week 2, Lesson 4 Week 4, Lesson 1

Persisting until job is completed NA for Kindergarten

3.01, 3.03, 4.01

Working independently Week 3, Lesson 1

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Developing career interest/goals NA for Kindergarten

3.03, 3.05 Responding to criticism or questions Week 5, Lesson 3 Week 6

Information-retrieval Skills

3.05 Searching for information via the computer Week 1, Lesson 4 Week 2, Lesson 3 Week 2, Lesson 4

Searching for print information Week 1, Lesson 1 Week 1, Lesson 4

Searching for information using community members

Week 2, Lesson 3

Language Skills - Reading

Following written directions NA for Kindergarten

Identifying cause and effect relationships NA in this Unit

Summarizing main points after reading NA for Kindergarten

3.01 Locating and choosing appropriate reference materials

Week 1, Lesson 2

3.05 Reading for personal learning All Objectives/All Lessons

Language Skill - Writing

3.01, 3.03, 4.01

Using language accurately

3.01, 4.02 Organizing and relating ideas when writing Week 1, Lesson 1 Week 3, Lesson 3

Proofing and Editing NA for Kindergarten

Synthesizing information from several sources

NA in this Unit

Documenting sources NA for Kindergarten

Developing an outline NA for Kindergarten

Writing to persuade or justify a position NA for Kindergarten

Creating memos, letters, other forms of NA in this Unit

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correspondence

Teamwork

3.01, 3.03, 3.04, 4.02

Taking initiative Week 1, Lesson 3 Week 2, Lesson 1

3.01, 3.03, 3.02, 4.02

Working on a team Week 1, Lesson 3 Week 3, Lesson 1

Thinking/Problem-Solving Skills

Identifying key problems or questions NA for Kindergarten

4.01 Evaluating results Week 3, Lesson 3

3.05 Developing strategies to address problems NA for Kindergarten

Developing an action plan or timeline NA for Kindergarten

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Week 1 Activity Set Lesson 1 - (Whole Class) - Introduction to Spring Materials:

Chart paper

Markers

Science Notebook

Book Engage: Read "The Boy Who Didn't Believe In Spring" by Lucille Clifton

Explore: Take a nature walk. (Don't tell your students why) Make lots of observations that Spring is here. Explanation: Make a KWL chart and list any questions students have and want to explore. Start with what the children (K) Know about Spring. Next, ask what the children (W) Would like to learn about Spring. Elaborate: Students should draw and write about their ideas about Spring in their Science Notebook. You will want to make their notebooks ahead of this lesson. Evaluate: Save the (L) for what the children have Learned at the end of the first two weeks of the unit. To aid all students and especially EC/ESL students, you could show and point out the items name on the chart. Also, reread the information list and have students repeat after you to allow ESL an opportunity to practice the language. Use pictures to allow better understanding.

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Lesson 2 – (Whole Class)- Materials:

Chart Paper

Markers

Several books about Spring Engage: Learn the poem:

Spring

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems16.html

Explore: Place a large stack of books in front of the children. Make sure that the books are about Spring, bugs, gardens, trees, seasons, and warm weather. Pass out one book to each child. Ask the children to sort the books and explain their rules. Put papers on each stack with the reason for sorting them on top. If necessary, help children who might not understand the concept. Explanation: Teach the class that during the months of Spring, which starts in late March and continues until June, the world makes a lot of changes. Brainstorm with the class a vocabulary list of words that tie in with Spring. Elaborate: Have children add pictures to make sure they know what the words are. Evaluate: To check for understanding, review the list of Spring words. You will point to an item and they should read it back to you.

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Lesson 3 – (Whole Class) Materials:

4 posters (One for each season)

Song written on chart paper

Chart from previous lesson Engage: Teach the children the song:

Spring Is Here

(To the tune of "Jingle Bells") www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/kindergarten/kindsths.html

Explore: Have the children talk in small groups to talk about anything that has changed outside. (The weather is warmer. There are flowers on the trees. The birds are singing. etc.) Write down their responses. Explanation: Explain to the students that in Spring many things change. Baby animals are born and birds that did not stay for the winter start to return and lay eggs. Talk about why the weather gets warmer and explain to the children that in the Spring we change the time so that we have more sunlight. All of these changes help us to know that spring is here. Elaborate: Have the four seasons written on four posters (One season per poster). Select four students to stand in front of the class holding one of the seasons. Have the children get into order. If they can't, call on a student to place them in order. Have them turn and form a line one behind the other. Start with Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall in a chant. Have Winter move to the back and then repeat the chant starting with Fall. This activity will provide an opportunity for the children to see the seasons as a cycle and will help them develop an understanding that one comes after the other. Evaluate: Students will draw a Spring picture and write about it in their notebooks. Have EC/ESL students verbally review one on one with the teacher steps taken to prepare the pet habitat. Demonstrate writing something they tell you.

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Lesson 4 - (Whole Class) Materials:

Paper to make a card

Pictures of the things you will be learning about in this unit. (Birds, buds, trees, flowers, bugs.)

Engage: Review the four seasons with the class. Do a formal good-bye to Winter. Make a card for winter to say good-bye. EC/ESL Use pictures of

the seasons to make sure they have learned the four seasons. Explore: Pass out pictures of the things you will be learning about in the

next few weeks. (Flowers, birds, buds, bugs, gardens, etc.) Have the children get into groups of two or three and make up motions to go with the pictures. Explanation: Explain that over the next few weeks that the class is going

to learn about Spring, by learning about Earth Day. A day set aside by our country to observe that we have a responsibility to care for the world. Also that you will be learning about gardens, bugs, flowers, and trees. Elaborate: Show the children a United Streaming Video about Spring. (May have to purchase access to use United Streaming.) Evaluate: Ask your students to write about spring and draw a picture to go along with it. EC/ESL students can benefit from listening to their peers prior to writing.

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Center Suggestions for Week 1-6 The following centers can be added to integrate subject matter. These centers are prepared to allow ESL and all students an opportunity to read, write, speak and listen. This will enhance their ability to process these materials. Science Notebooks: During the first week begin using science notebooks to record the understandings of the objectives taught. Dramatic Play: Stock this center with items used for various things that go along with Spring. Seeds and garden tools can make your dramatic play center into a garden shop. The children can make the space into a grocery store or farmers market to sell their imaginary garden food. You may even label boxes or shelves for putting items away by category. A cash register and pretend money can tie in math ideas and lots of paper for signs and price tags or a large white board will provide some writing opportunities. Time spent in pretend play allows ESL children to “play” around with

language in a non-threatening environment. Science Center: For this unit your science center might include a seeds, plants, tree limbs with buds, bugs, caterpillars, worms and tools for observing these things like measuring tape, balance, magnify glass. Using real objects and pictures activates prior knowledge for all children, especially ESL children. Art/Computer Center: Include pictures of famous paintings related to Spring. Provide water colors and/or other art materials for children to make their own weather art. If you maintain a class website, you may want to post kid’s art. Kidspiration and Kidspix provide wonderful opportunities for Spring artwork and for making connections in the classroom. Reading Center: Include lots of Spring related books for children to browse. (see resource list) Water Center: This is an area where children can learn and explore the

properties of water and whether or not things sink or float.

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Week 2 Activity Set Lesson 1 - (Whole Class) Materials:

Charts from previous lesson Engage: Read "The Earth Is Good: A Chant in Praise of Nature” by

Michael Demunn Explore: Take the children on a walk to see where your school puts trash. If your school doesn't recycle consider starting a recycling set up in your classroom. If you do recycle, show the children how the recycling system works. Explanation: Explain to the students that recycling is important because all garbage that is not recycled is sent to a landfill. Help the children to see that recycling is about reusing what we already have instead of making new. Elaborate: Challenge the students to help their families to recycle. How can they convince their families to recycle?

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Lesson 2 – (Whole Class) Materials:

Poem written on a chart

Trash that can be recycled and Trash that can't be recycled

Brown Bags from a local Grocery Store (1 per child)

Engage: Introduce the poem: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

http://teach-nology.com/worksheets/early_childhood/songs/recycle (may be sung to the tune of “Eensy Weensy Spider”)

Explore: Put several different objects on each table in your classroom. Ask the children to try to decide what should be recycled and what shouldn't or can't be recycled. Have the children sort the objects. Explanation: Talk to the children about why we have Earth Day and that

when we recycle, we take care of our earth. Explain to the children that in order to help with Earth Day, we are going to use grocery bags to show how much we love the Earth. Find a grocery store that will let you decorate brown bags that they will use to bag groceries on Earth Day. Elaborate: Pass out brown bags and let the children color on the brown bags. (Make sure to let families know about this activity and that they can buy groceries with the bags on Earth Day). Evaluate: Students will record the lessons activity in their notebooks. EC/ESL students will benefit from the repetition of this activity as well as the visuals to go with the language.

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Lesson 3 - (Whole Class) Materials:

Chart paper

Guest visitor of an environmentalist or someone who works to help the environment.

Blue and Green construction paper for thank you cards.

Engage: Make a list of jobs different people can do to help the Earth. (If you have Inspiration or Kidspiration as a computer program you can make a visual graphic organizer to show people who work different jobs. This would be great done on a big screen with a projector.) Explore: Have the children break up into small groups and talk about what they know about caring for the Earth. Explanation: Have your guest visitor speak to the class about

environmental issues. It would be helpful to show the speaker the objectives you are covering in this unit. Ask the children to ask questions of the guest speaker. Elaborate: Make a thank you card for the Earth-They can thank the Earth

for what it does for us. Post the thank you notes out in the hallway. EC/ESL- Have these children paired up with an English speaking child. The ESL children can illustrate the card while the English speaker writes the words or supports the ESL child with writing the words. Evaluate: Students should understand how important the Earth is to us. Have them write in their Science Notebook. Check for understanding.

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Lesson 4 – (Whole Class) Materials:

Projector

Plastic six pack holder (minus the cans) Engage: Watch a short video about where all the garbage goes on United

Streaming or Teacher Tube. Explanation: Explain to the students that when we are not careful with garbage, we can hurt animals in our world. Show them a six pack plastic ring that holds soda. Explain that by simply cutting the plastic we can prevent birds from getting their heads stuck in the plastic. Explain that pollution hurts the air, land and water. Talk to the children about composting. Explain how we can put wasted food back into the earth to help grow new plants. Elaborate: Have the children set up a recycling center in your class. Sort plastic containers and paper.

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Week 3 Activity Set Notes to the teacher: During this week you will be planting seeds and be thinking about growing things in a garden. (Either inside or outside the classroom depending on your situation.) Lesson 1 - (Whole Class)-

Materials:

Chart Paper

Variety of seeds. Engage: Teach the children the song:

Mary Had a Little Plant (to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1225.html

Explore: Do a shared writing or interactive writing of what flowers grow in

Spring. Write a poem together about flowers. Explanation: Draw a large flower in the middle of a poster. Explain to the children that flowers have many parts. Label and explain briefly each part

of the flower. For EC/ESL, keep this poster up in the classroom so the children can look at it and use it as a resource. Elaborate: Have the children each cut out five hands that they traced on paper. One should be brown, two green, one orange and two red. Use the hands to make a giant flower. Hang it up in the room. Label the parts of the flower for all to see what you are learning about. Evaluate: Have the children draw a flower in their notebook. They can write one sentence about their flower. For your EC/ESL students, have lots of flower pictures on hand. You can label these pictures in English and Spanish.

Lesson 2 - (Whole Class)

Materials:

A book about the Gardens (The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle)

Meat tray with different kinds of seeds. (one for each student)

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Enough lima beans for each child

Baggies

Cotton balls Engage: Read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle Explore: Give each child a meat tray with different kinds of seeds and see

if they can figure out what plant it comes from. Have pictures ready to show them at the end of the activity. Explanation: Explain to the students that seeds can be observed and described in many different ways. Color, texture, size, and importance to humans are all ways in which we can sort seeds. Make a chart of seeds we eat. EC/ESL- Holding up a book or having pictures available while you explain will help understanding. If you have PowerPoint available you can make a quick PowerPoint using Google images and just a small amount of text. Show your PowerPoint on a projector or TV. Elaborate: Soak lima beans overnight in a bowl. Predict what will happen when they check the bean in the morning. Evaluate: After they are done, discuss misunderstandings and reteach that

seeds can be sorted by many properties.

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Lesson 3 - (Whole Class) Materials:

projector

soaked seeds from the lesson before

Engage: Show the children a short video from YouTube or United

Streaming about plants growing. Give the children 5 minutes to discuss what they saw. Explore: Bring out the seeds that were soaking. Let the children look at what the inside of the seeds look like. Explanation: Teach the children that seeds have coverings. Show them that each seed has all it needs to produce a plant. Elaborate: Have the children write one sentence about the seed and what

it looks like. Evaluate: Have the children work in their notebook to show their level of understanding.

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Lesson 4 - (Whole Class) Materials:

Planting Song

Chart paper

2 or 3 sunflowers

Sunflower seeds

Dirt

Plastic cups (with their names on it) Engage: Learn the poem:

Planting Song

http://www.preschooleducation.com/sgarden.shtml Explore: Bring in two or three sunflowers. Let the children feel the

sunflower. Make an estimate of how many seeds are in one sunflower. Have the children smell and feel the texture of the Sunflower. Explanation: Explain that they will be planting sunflower seeds in a cup to see how a plant grows. They will use these plants to give as gifts to their mothers or grandmothers for Mother's lesson. Elaborate: If you have an outdoor space, plant some other seeds like beans and peas that will grow quickly. Evaluate: Have the children draw a picture in their journal of their cups with their seeds in it.

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Week 4 Activity Set Note to the teacher: During this week your students will be doing some measuring and outdoor observations. Your plants will begin to grow and you will measure that growth. You will also be teaching the children about how worms benefit the soil and what kind of soil your plants are planted in will affect the plants.

Lesson 1 - (Whole Class) Materials:

Chart Paper for Interactive Writing

Chart Paper to write the song on.

A meter length of string for each child

Magnifying Glasses for each child or to share Engage: Teach the children the song:

Springtime

(to the tune of "The Muffin Man") www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems16.html

Explore: Have the children go outside with you. Give each child a meter length of string. Have them make a circle with their string. Provide magnifying glasses for them to explore with. Encourage the students to look carefully under stones and in the grass for items. Explanation: Explain to student that worms benefit the soil. They provide

nutrients with their castings and they make the soil better for plants to get the nutrients they need to provide for the plants. Elaborate: As a group do an interactive writing to make a chart of what you need to grow a garden. (Find a sunny spot, turn up the dirt, plant the seeds, water, be patient)

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Lesson 2 - (Whole Class) Materials:

Chart Paper with the poem on it.

2 containers of dirt. One that worms have been in and one that has not had worms in it.

Engage: Read the poem:

Little Seed

http://www.preschooleducation.com/sgarden.shtml (may be sung to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”)

EC/ESL: Use pictures to support understanding. Once you have put the

poem on chart paper have your ESL students help illustrate it or watch as

you illustrate it.

Explore: Show the children a small container of dirt with worms and a small container of dirt without worms. Explanation: Explain to the students that how we treat the earth is important to how our food grows and also trees and flowers. Elaborate: Have the children work in small groups to act out being worms digging through the ground, making tunnels. Evaluate: Informally while the children act out the scenario check for

understanding of how worms help us.

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Lesson 3 - (Whole Class)- Materials:

Projector

Yarn

Chart Paper Engage: Show the children a United Streaming or TeacherTube video about a plant growing. (May have to purchase access to use United Streaming.)

Explore: Have the children get their plants and measure how tall their plant

is from the bottom of the cup to the top with a piece of yarn. Explanation: Explain to the children that their plant is growing because of the nutrients in the dirt. The sunlight, shining in on them and because they are watering their plants. Elaborate: Make a list of all the different foods that come from gardens. Evaluate: Have the children draw small pictures to help illustrate the chart.

EC/ESL: Have these children help you in a small group to tape the pictures

onto the chart in the correct place.

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Lesson 4 - (Whole Class) Materials:

The Book The Little Red Hen

Materials to make bag puppets

A few pieces of wheat

Engage: Read the story of the Little Red Hen. For EC/ESL students make

some paper puppets to act out the play. Explore: Pass out some pieces of wheat. Have the children look at the wheat to see how the seeds separate. Explanation: Talk to the children about the process of how food is made. Talk about how growing food is a big responsibility for farmers. All of our food has to come from somewhere. Talk about how the animals in the book were not taking responsibility for growing the food, but they enjoyed eating the food. Talk about composting and how we can use food that we don't eat to help the soil that is growing new food. Elaboration: Have a discussion about how you can help grow food in a

garden and how you can do composting. Set up a composting station at your school. Evaluate: As they are talking, walk around the room. Listen to the explanations and try to clear up misunderstandings. Make notes of which students are not able to discuss composting or using food to grow food.

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Week 5 Activity Set Notes to the teacher: During this week you are going to talk about garden pests. You will help the children to see that as the lessons are getting warmer, certain bugs are coming to life in the garden. Specifically you will talk about caterpillars, ladybugs, bees, and ants. Lesson 1 - (Whole class) Materials:

Very Hungry Caterpillar Book

Small paper plates

A variety of pasta (See directions below)

green paper Engage: Read the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Explore: Bring in a few caterpillars for the children to look at. Let them go at the end of the lesson. Explanation: Explain that caterpillars are everywhere in the Spring. They

are very hungry and they are preparing for turning into butterflies or moth. Although it is fun to bring a caterpillar in and look at it, they do not make good pets, they are very hard to feed and that the children really need to leave them outdoors. Elaborate: Use different types of pasta to show the life cycle of a butterfly. Divide a plate into four sections, and number each section at the cross part. In section glue a green leaf with a black eyed pea upside down. In section 2 put a leaf with a bite in it. Glue a screw shaped macaroni to be a caterpillar. In section three glue a small twig with a shell macaroni to be the chrysalis. Finally in section 4 glue a bow tie macaroni to be a butterfly with black antennae. Evaluate: Have the children write one sentence in their science journal and

draw a picture of a caterpillar.

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Lesson 2 - (Whole class) Materials:

Ladybug poem Engage: Learn the poem:

Five Little Ladybugs

www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems45.html

Explore: Take the children on a nature walk. See if you can find ladybugs outside. Count how many you find. Explanation: Explain to the children that ladybugs are bugs that can be found in the garden. They provide food for other bugs and birds. Elaborate: Have the children draw a garden from a bug perspective.

Model one for them to make sure they get the idea.

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Lesson 3 - (Whole Class) Materials:

Lots of books from the library about bugs Engage: Check out as many books from your library as you can about bugs. Let the children look at the books. Explore: Let the children look at an ant farm or find some ants working outside and take the children out to explore. Explanation: Explain to your students that there are good ants and bad

ants outside. Red ants are pesky and when they bite they cause pain and rashes. Tell the children to stay away from red ants. Explain how other ants are not a problem in the garden, but humans do not like them in their house. Explain how the ants work together to make things happen. Talk about how ants use teamwork to move something that will help the whole colony. Elaborate: Present the children with a bucket of water. Have them make a

line between the bucket and a plant or flower outside. Tell the children they will pass the bucket down the chain and then the last person will water the plant. Explain that this is similar to what ants do. Evaluate: Have the children draw a line down the middle of their science notebook. On one side draw a good ant and on the other draw a dangerous ant. If they make the good one black and the other one red, then they are getting it.

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Lesson 4 - (Small group) Materials:

popsicle sticks (one per child)

small bees to attach to the tops (child or teacher created)

paper and crayons for wanted poster

An example wanted poster

Engage: Give each child a popsicle stick with a small bee attached. Have them show their understanding of directional words by doing with the bee what you ask them to do. (Put your bee under the table. Put the bee on your head. Have your bee go around your arm. Put your bee over your hand. Use as many directionality words as you can.) Explanation: Tell the children that bees are another pest of the outdoor world, but that for the garden they are really important. Explain that the bees spread the pollen that helps the garden produce the food that we enjoy eating. When a bee finds pollen he goes back to the hive and does a dive that gives the other bees the exact location of the flowers the dance involves the bee doing a figure eight to show the other bees where to go. He can also tell them the distance by wagging the bottom part of its body. (See akrillion.wordpress.com/2007/06/27/the-honey-bee/) Although children should be careful around bees, they are an important part of the garden. Elaborate: Have the children work in small groups to make a wanted

poster for a bee. If possible have a bee handler come and talk to the class about how honey is produced. For ES/ESL students make sure to have a sample to model and pair these children up with stronger readers and writers. Evaluate: Individually call each student up to sort a group of pictures of bugs that are in the garden and other bugs. Give the children an opportunity to discuss their choices.

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Week 6 Activity Set Notes to teacher: This week you will do a culminating activity to help wrap up your unit, show understanding of concepts taught, and to give purpose to the activities of this unit. A Garden party or a Spring Fling is a great way to wrap up this unit. This is your culminating activity. Have the parents, siblings, and other teachers from the school come to your classroom to

give the children a chance to show off what they have learned. The children can wear nametags that say Botanist (their name). They should have a period of time where people walk around and see their work. Then you can gather the children together to sing as many of the songs and poems from the unit as you like. Make sure that your dramatic play center is set up and that all of your charts and pictures are posted. If possible find a shelf or display case to display all the books that you have used for this unit. You can serve dirt cake (see recipe below). All of this will give the students a sense of pride and purpose for what they have been learning. One option is to do a student sharing of what was learned with 3 scenes that reflect the five weeks of this unit. Each scene could have a poem that the children will act out. One student can read the poem while four or five others act it out. Start by deciding which children will do which poems and who will be narrator. Next you will want to design and make backgrounds and props to support the ideas taught. Earth Day lesson- Could be a forest or school yard with trash. Have children clean it up and recycle. Garden- Show children planting and growing seeds in a garden background. Bugs- Have children dressed as bugs that fit the poems. Have a flower garden for them to fly around. Make invitations to send to parents, grandparents, and staff of the school. The invitations should reflect the concepts taught. (Bugs, flowers, earth)

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The lesson before or the morning of have the children make: Dirt Cake www.verybestbaking.com Estimated Times: Preparation – 15 min Yields – 8 servings On the lesson of the show have children greet and seat their guests. Make a brief explanation of what your unit has been about. Have the children present the poems. Then as a whole class sing your songs and then present parents with the sunflowers in a cup. Finally everyone can eat mud cups and look around the room at what you are learning. After everyone has left, do your KWL- Evaluate: Do the L part of your KWL to see what your students learned

about Spring and all the changes.

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Unit Resources: Books To Support the Unit

Allington, R. Spring

Clifton, Lucille The Boy Who didn't Believe in Spring

Domanski, J. Spring Is

Hogan, P. Butterfly

Hogan, P. Dandelion

Lane, M. Frog

Lane, M. Squirrel

Podendorf, I. Seasons

Podendorf, I. Weeds and Wild Flowers

Roberts, Bethany Waiting for Spring Stories

Rockwell, Anne My Spring Robin

Selkowe, Valerie M. Spring Green

Catherine Walters When Will It Be Spring?

Marcus Pfister Hopper Hunts for Spring

Else Holmelund Minarik The Search for Spring Websites

http://outdoors.webshots.com

www.kidsgardening.com/teachers.asp

http://scorescience.humboldt.k12.ca.us/

http://www.teach-

nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/science/biology/insects/

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Poetry and Songs Never Mind, March

www.dcrafts.com/springsongspoems.htm

Spring Is Coming

By: Dorothy Hevener www.dcrafts.com/springsongspoems.htm

Spring Is Here (To the tune of "Jingle Bells")

www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/kindergarten/kindsths.html

Springtime (to the tune of "The Muffin Man")

www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems16.html

My Spring Garden www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems16.html

Spring www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems16.html

Spring is Here (different than the one above) www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems16.html

Old Earth

(to the tune of "This Old Man") www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems51.html

Everdyay is Earth lesson www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems51.html

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Save The Earth

By: Betty Miles www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems51.html

Our Earth

www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems51.html

Working on Recycling

(to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad") www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems51.html

Growth of a Tree By Meish Goldish

(to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot") http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems52.html

Trees www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems51.html

Trees

www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems51.html