Table of Contents
Preface.
Prologue.
I. FOUNDATIONS.
1. Theoretical Framework.
A. The Issue of Active Versus Passive Learning.1. Some
Psychological Aspects of the Active Versus Passive Learning Issue
2. Some Psychological Aspects of the Active Versus Passive
Learning Issue 3. Where We Stand on the Philosophical Issues
4. Where We Stand on the Psychological
Issues.B. Additional Assumptions and Beliefs.1. Play is a
Useful Educational Strategy 2. Learning Can Be Integrated
3. Children's Learning Benefits When Curriculum is Organized
Around Theme-Based Units 4. Children's Learning is Optimized
by High Levels of Teacher Guidance and Interaction 5. Genuine
Self-Esteem And Self-Regard Are Related to Children's
Competence.C. Where Does This Leave Us: A Synthesis and
Summary of Our Position.D. References.
2. Development
and Objectives: Getting from Here to There.
A. Mathematical Development.1. Mathematical Development
2. Children's Difficulties in Learning to Count Beyond Ten
3. Development of Understandings Relating to the Grouping of
Numbers by Ten.B. Literacy Development.1. Understandings
Required to Read and Write An Alphabetic Language 2. The Words
Young Children Write.C. Some Final Comments About Objectives
and Development.D. References.
II. BEFORE WE TEACH.
3. What Are Children to Learn? Curriculum
Objectives.
A. Introduction.B. Scope of the
Objectives.C. Assumptions Underlying the
Objectives.D. Organization of the
Objectives.E. Objectives for Children's
Learning.1. Social-Emotional Objectives, Including
School-Related Dispositions 2. Oral Language Objectives
3. Literary Objectives 4. The Arts (Music, Visual Arts,
Dance, and Drama/Theatre) 5. Social Studies Objectives
6. Science Objectives 7. Math
ObjectivesF. Bibliography.
4. Classroom Organization
and Management.
A. Organizing Time.1. Allocating time for specific areas
of study 2. Organizing time to support integrated
learning.B. Grouping Children and Organizing
Staff.1. Individual and Self-formed Groups
2. Teacher-Formed Large and Small Groups.C. Organizing
the Physical Space.1. The physical environment reflects what
children are to learn and how they will learn 2. Arranging
classroom areas: Things to consider.D. Furnishing the Areas
with Materials.1. Materials for the writing/drawing center and
the manipulatives center 2. Moving materials in and out of the
learning center.E. Making the Organizational Plan
Work.1. Solving space problems 2. Avoiding problems that
can limit children's learning 3. Finding time for teacher
planning and preparation.
III. THEME-BASED CURRICULUM UNITS.
5. Familiar Things In Our World.
A. Introduction.1. Goals for the Study of “Familiar
Things in Our World” Theme 2. Units included in the “Familiar
Things in Our World” Theme 3. Implementing the
Theme.B. Theme Overview.1. Unit I: Paper and Things Used
with Paper 2. Unit II: Clothing Fasteners 3. Unit III:
Kitchen Tools and Equipment 4. Unit IV: Construction Tools,
Materials, Vehicles and Workers.C. Brief
Descriptions.1. Unit I: Paper and Things Used with Paper
2. Unit II: Clothing Fasteners 3. Unit III: Kitchen Tools
and Equipment 4. Unit IV: Construction Tools, Materials,
Vehicles and Workers.D. Detailed Activity
Plans.1. Greeting card and stationery 2. Paper clip
exploration 3. Writing/drawing tool exploration
4. Clothing store dramatic play 5. Searching for clothes
for fasteners 6. Toy/clothing fastener comparisons
7. Pancakes, Pancakes! (by Eric Carle)
8. Zucchini-oatmeal muffins 9. Blender applesauce
10. Electric skillet demonstration: Pancakes 11. Visiting a
bakery 12. Playdough kitchen tool play 13. Water/Sand
table kitchen tool play.E. Resources.1. Books for
Teachers 2. Information books for children 3. Children's
Storybooks 4. Poems 5. Songs 6. Videotapes
7. Commercial Materials 8. Recipes.
6. The
Physical World.
A. Introduction.1. Why Study The Physical World?
2. Units included in This Theme 3. Implementing the
Units.B. Theme Overview.1. Unit I: Magnets 2. Unit
II: Color 3. Unit III: Sound 4. Unit IV: Weather,
Climates, and Seasons.C. Brief Descriptions.1. Unit I:
Magnets 2. Unit II: Color 3. Unit III: Sound 4. Unit
IV: Weather, Climates, and Seasons.D. Detailed Activity
Plans.1. Painting with magnetic marbles 2. Magnet
exploration walk 3. Magnetic ring push-up/stack up
4. Finding buried treasure with wands 5. Butterfly color
books 6. Spring flowers walk 7. Environmental sounds walk
8. Sounds in a can exploration and identification
9. Water stream/spray sound exploration 10. Evaporation
exploration.E. Resources.1. Books for Teachers
2. Information Books for Children 3. Storybooks for
Children 4. Poems 5. Songs 6. Commercial Materials
7. Recipes.
7. The Animal World.
I. Introduction.A. Goals for the Study of The Animal
World B. Units included in This Theme C. Implementing The
Theme.II. Theme Overview.A. Unit I: There Are Many
Different Kinds of Animals B. Unit II: Baby Animals
C. Unit III: Domesticated Animals D. Unit IV: Animals in
Their Climates E. Unit V: What's Inside Animals'
Bodies?III. Brief Descriptions.A. Unit I: There are Many
Different Kinds of Animals B. Unit II: Baby Animals
C. Unit III: Domesticated Animals D. Unit IV: Animals in
Their Climates E. Unit V: What's Inside Animal's
Bodies.IV. Detailed Activity Plans.A. Looking for animals
on land, in water and in the air B. Papier mache animals
C. “When I Was a Baby” books D. Farm animals puppets
E. Making butter F. Polar animals in their environment
display G. Grassland animal play H. Animal organ study
I. Making plaster casts.V. Resources.A. Books for
Teachers B. Children's Information Books C. Children's
Storyboards D. Poems E. Songs
F. Videotapes/Filmstrips G. Commercial
Materials.
8. The Plant World.
I. Introduction.A. Why study The Plant World?
B. Units Included in This Theme C. Implementing the
Theme.II. Unit Overview.A. Unit I: Plants are Living
Things B. Unit II: Each Plant has A Specific Function
C. Unit III: The Many Plants in The World Differ In Terms of
their Physical Characteristics and The Conditions under Which They
Grow D. Unit IV: We Eat The Parts of Many
Plants.III. Brief Descriptions.A. Unit I: Plants Are
Living Things B. Unit II: Each Plant Has a Specific Function
and Name C. Unit III: The many Plants in the World Differ in
Terms of Their Physical Characteristics and The Conditions under
Which They Grow D. Unit IV: We Eat Parts of
Plants.IV. Detailed Activity Plans.A. Testing soils for
drainage B. What plants need in order to grow experiment
C. Plant parts display D. 3-D Flowers E. Arboretum
field trip F. Tropical fruit salad G. Food harvest game
H. Matching fruit to where it is grown in the
world.V. Resources.A. Books for teachers
B. Information books for children C. Children's
storybooks D. Poems E. Songs
F. Videotapes/Filmstrips G. Commercial
materials.
9. The World of Communication.
I. Introduction.II. Theme Overview.A. Unit I: There
are many kinds of written communication B. Unit II: People
communicate in many different “languages”: oral, gestural, and
mechanical C. Unit III: Written languages take different forms
D. Unit IV: Writing can be created in many different ways
E. Unit V: Stories can be communicated in many different
ways.III: Brief Descriptions.A. Unit I: There are many
kinds of communication B. Unit II: People communicate in many
different “languages”, oral, gestural, and mechanical C. Unit
III: Written languages take different forms D: Unit IV:
Writing can be created in many different ways E. Unit V:
Stories can be communicated in many different ways
IV. Detailed Activity Plans.1. Post office play (PK,K)
2. Neighborhood sign identification walk (PK,K)
3. Newspaper layout manipulatives (K,P) 4. Signals
display (PK,K) 5. Multilingual visitor (PK,K,P) 6. Story
picture writing (K) 7. Bookmarking (PK, K) 8. Author
Study (PK, K, P) 9. Puppet plays (PK, K, P) 10. Writing
biographies (P).V. Resources.1. Books for Teachers
2. Children's Information Books 3. Children's Storybooks
4. Poems 5. Songs 6. Videotapes 7. Commercial
Materials 8. Recipes 9. Junk and Teacher-Gathered
Material.
10. The World of Vehicles and
Transportation.
I. Introduction.A. Why Study Vehicles and Transportation
Systems? B. Units Included in This Theme C. Implementing
The Theme.II. Theme Overview.A. Unit I: Vehicles Carry
People and Things from One Place to Another B. Unit II:
Vehicles Are Moved/Powered in A Variety of Ways C. Unit III:
Transportation System D. Unit IV: Safety Vehicles and Vehicle
Safety.III. Brief Descriptions.A. Unit 1: Vehicles Carry
People and Things from One Place to Another B. Unit II:
Vehicles Are Moved/Powered in A Variety of Ways C. Unit III:
Transportation Systems D. Unit IV: Safety Vehicles and Vehicle
Safety.IV. Detailed Activity Plans.A. Cardboard models of
vehicles B. Graph: How we get to school C. Vehicle clue
game D. Papier mache hot-air balloon E. Hot-air balloon
blocks play F. Emergency vehicle
play.V. Resources.A. Books for Teachers
B. Information Books for Children C. Children's
Storybooks D. Poems E. Videotapes F. Songs
G. Commercial Materials.
Resources.
Index.