THEMATIC UNITS
GRADE K

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INTEGRATED UNIT: Home

TITLE: Lines, Shapes and Measurements on the Homefront

AUTHOR:

Judith M. Wolfe
P.O. Box 31
Big Bend, WI 53103

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

OVERVIEW: Home is the most immediate and tangible example of geometry and space available to the kindergarten student. With guidance, a child's home may serve as a primary source of mathematical discovery and conceptual understanding. This lesson is designed to stimulate curiosity about shapes, lines and measurements while teaching basic identification and application skills.

CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Math

TIME: 4-6 30 minute sessions

MATERIALS: 12"x18" construction paper (heavy weight) or tagboard, colored crayons, a large marker (dark color for outlining and detail) and pictures of homes from books/newspapers.

PROCEDURES:

• 1. Review basic shapes and their variations. Have students draw examples on chalkboard or overhead and also at their desks.
• 2. Using house pictures, have students put on their imaginary detective hats to locate and count various shapes found in the structure, facade and contents of the home (i.e. triangle shape formed by a gable roof, rectangle door, square glass block, oval window in door, etc.)
• 3. Repeat 1 and 2 using horizontal, vertical, diagonal and curved lines.
• 4. Create an inside/outside stand up house (may be developed into a card or book)
• a. Fold a 12"x18" sheet of sturdy paper or board (white or light in color) widthwise to stand like a giant greeting card or book.
• b. Students will draw the fronts of their homes-real or imaginary-using shapes and lines while utilizing the paper well. Doors, windows and details may be outlined with a dark marker or crayon and then colored with crayon.
• c. The student teacher or assistant will cut along the roofline through both layers of paper (front and back) being careful not to cut away too much from the side fold.
• d. Students will draw the back of the house using lines and shapes.
• e. Open folded 'house' and begin drawing interior rooms including furniture, appliances, people, pets, etc. Additional 'pages' may be glued to inside fold and trimmed along roofline to be used for additional 'rooms,' or creative writing, poetry, self or family portrait.
• f. The students may repeat number 2 with their own inside/outside homes.
• g. Houses may stand on display to create a neighborhood or main street.
• 5. "Home"-work. With parental guidance, students will measure and record the dimensions of their bedroom or other rooms/furniture in home/apartment.
• 6. Student will measure the classroom (their school 'home').

SUGGESTED EVALUATION: Display and show the stand-up homes. Portfolio samples of basic shapes and lines from each student. Also, teacher observation.

VOCABULARY: Circle, square, triangle, oval, rectangle, diamond, crescent, star, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curved, measure, dimension, etc.

INTEGRATED UNIT: Home

TITLE: There's A Critter in the House

AUTHOR:

Judith M. Wolfe
P.O. Box 31
Big Bend, WI 53103

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

OVERVIEW: Every human home is shared by a host of other creatures; some invited and some unexpected, some visible and some microscopic. In this lesson, the students will put on their 'science smocks' along with their 'detective hats' in order to track down the critters, discover their habitats and learn how to appreciate individual critter characteristics.

CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Science, Art

TIME: 3-5 30 minute sessions

MATERIALS: Large paper at least 24"X36" or a bulletin board space, tempera paints or watercolors (optional), colored construction paper, glue, 1"-2" corrugated cardboard squares, markers and crayons.

OBJECTIVES:

• A. Identify creatures in the home and yard-wild and domestic
• B. Identify 'micro habitats' for creatures who live in our homes
• C. To understand the similarities and differences amongst human and animal habitats
• D. To understand how habitats are adapted to the supply of building materials and meeting the needs of the dwellers

PROCEDURES:

• 1. Discuss and list "domestic" (invited) in and around the house (i.e. fish, dogs, gerbils, etc.) and then discuss and list "wild" (uninvited) critters in and around the house (i.e. mice, spiders, insects, etc.).
• 2. Develop two large murals; one inside the house and one outside the house. Section off rooms, add furniture, windows, etc. or create one or two large rooms.Students may then populate the home and yard with domestic and wild critters. These critters may be painted or colored on construction paper and cut out. legs, arms and other appendages may be glued on. Critters will "pop-out" visually by gluing small squares of cardboard between mural and critter.
• 3. Create individual micro-habitats using boxes of various sizes and a variety of media (i.e. a spider and web might involve clay, pipe cleaners, and string or yarn for the web). This project is designed to help students focus on survival needs of the creatures who live near them. Empathy and understanding may be fostered with questions and comments like: "If you were a spider.....," and "Did you know that earthworms build topsoil?" This project is not about final product, but about students focused on the characteristics and needs of other creatures, both domestic and wild.
• 4. Create a small museum display of building materials that people use to build their own shelter/habitat (i.e. wood, brick and stone). This display will serve as a focal point for reflection and discussion regarding the physical properties and wide variety of building materials.

SUGGESTED EVALUATION: Display of mural and habitat and informal questioning.

VOCABULARY: Creature, habitat, microscopic, tame, wild, humane, care

INTEGRATED UNIT: Home

TITLE: The Concept of Home in Story, Lore and Legend

AUTHOR:

Judith M. Wolfe
P.O. Box 31
Big Bend, WI 53103

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

OVERVIEW: The idea of home as destination, sanctuary or safe haven is a recurring theme in literature for all ages. This lesson incorporates listening skills and visual participation around that theme.

CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Language Arts, Visual Arts

TIME: 3-5 30 minute sessions

MATERIALS: Large drawing paper (18"X24" or larger), colored construction/craft paper and crayons.

OBJECTIVES:

• A. Introduce and foster listening skills through modeling, positive reinforcement, technique/voice inflection and interaction/call response
• B. Visual participation through illustrations promoting anticipation, sharing, sequencing and appreciation.

PROCEDURES:

• 1. Review The Three Little Pigs or a comparable book. Find word sounds and word patterns which lend themselves to student participation (i.e. call response, echo/mimic).
• 2. Read or tell the story to the class with emphasis on listening skills (awareness, involvement, comprehension, courtesy, etc.), voice inflection, eye contact and pauses.
• 3. On the second reading/telling, involve the students in the preselected areas or sound/word patterns (i.e. "Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!"), call/response or echo (i.e. "so he huffed [huff] and he puffed [puff]" etc.).
• 4. When students are familiar with the characters, setting and sequential action, then divide the class into small groups to work together illustrating a segment (predetermined) of the story or have individuals or partners illustrate separate characters and elements in the setting (i.e. 1 wolf, 3 pigs, 3 horses, 1 pile of straw, etc.)
• 5. On the third reading/telling of the story, a group of student illustrators may hold up or place their illustration on the 'story board' or if the second plan was followed, then those students may hold up their illustrations when appropriate throughout the story (i.e. The wolf would be held up several times). This 'cameo' type of illustration could be carried further by adjusting the proximity of characters to elements in the setting...to resemble a play.

SUGGESTED EVALUATION: Group discussion and evaluation of listening skills based upon a predetermined bench mark as in Procedure 2. Also, informal review of working together, illustrations, timing, progress and possibly sharing the story with an audience.

VOCABULARY: Listening, characters, setting, illustration, participate, echo, mimic

INTEGRATED UNIT: Home

TITLE: Land, Sea or Sky: Home is Where the Imagination Is

AUTHOR:

Judith M. Wolfe
P.O. Box 31
Big Bend, WI 53103

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

OVERVIEW: The skill of imagination is a useful and powerful tool for human expression and change. The creation of art extends and projects imagination into the realm where it can be considered, altered and shaped with others. In this lesson, students can stretch and apply their imaginations to designing 'dream homes' in 2 and 3 dimensions.

CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Art

TIME: 2-4 30 minute sessions depending on depth of activities.

MATERIALS: Various papers: colors and texures, surface quality such as metallic, irridescent or patterned paper which can be pre-stamped by students using eraser shaped and ink pads (low-mess) or potato sponge shapes with tempera paints or ink on a plastic meat tray covered with paper toweling. Modeling clay, or PlayDough or wood scraps (small pieces) and toothpicks, glue.

OBJECTIVES:

• A. To recognize and identify lines, colors and shapes in the home and in the neighborhood environment
• B. Explore and learn the role of designers and architects in home planning
• C. To exercise imagination, expression, creation, production and evaluation

PROCEDURES:

• 1. Begin with exercises to stimulate imagination using the 'movie screen in your mind' to visualize:
• A. If I lived in the Earth, what would home look like?
• B. If I lived on a pond...river...ocean?
• C. If I lived in a tree, on a mountain, in the sky, in outer space...what would home look like?
•  
• 2. Have students close their eyes and see what shapes they would like their home to be. What colors do they see? What texure covers the home (i.e. shiney, fuzzy, soft, rough). What kinds of doors and windows do they see? Have students think of other questions that home planners like designers and architects might ask themselves.
• 3. Students will select papers in colors and textures that they imagined for their 'dream home.' Note: one main color and one main texture or specialty paper (i.e. metalic, irridescent, patterned paper, etc.) will provide unity in the design. Later, other colors may be introduced for repeated pattern, variety and emphasis.
• 4. Students will cut or tear paper into a large shape of their choice for the main structure of their home and continue building with similar shapes in a variety of sizes. These shapes may be arranged on a large background and 'played' with until each student is happy with their home structure. The shapes may then be glued or pasted in place. Follow the same procedure with doors, windows and detail. Final detailing, decoration and outlining may be done with markers, crayons or paints.
• 5. If time allows, transform this home into a small 3-D model using clay or wood scraps with a cardboard base.

SUGGESTED EVALUATION: Teacher observation, art work display, student enjoyment and involvement.

VOCABULARY: Imagination, designer, architect, color, shape, texture

INTEGRATED UNIT: Home

TITLE: Building on a Firm Foundation

AUTHOR:

Judith M. Wolfe
P.O. Box 31
Big Bend, WI 53103

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

OVERVIEW: Home, house and household are referred to often in the Old and New Testament (1 Peter 2:5 Built into a Spiritual House, Psalm 23:6 I will dwell in the House of the Lord, Ecclesiastes 12:5 Then man goes to his Eternal Home, Luke 6:48 and Matthew 7:24-27 Record Christ's parable of the wise and foolish builders. In this lesson, students will discover that building a house is like building a life~they both need a firm foundation.

CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Religion

TIME: 1-3 30 minute sessions

MATERIALS: Stones (brought from home approximately 4" across and relatively flat), modeling clay or Play Dough and Elmer's white glue.

OBJECTIVES:

• A. To learn that home can be in the Heavenly and eternal dimension
• B. To understand that we can have several homes at one time--some temporal (i.e. Earth, Wisconsin, Brookfield, etc.) and some eternal (i.e. Heavenly home and spiritual house) and a symbolic home (i.e. The Garden of Eden).
• C. To understand how Jesus used parables to teach lessons

PROCEDURES:

• 1. Read Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:46-49 and discuss these vocabulary words: foundation, eternal, wise, foolish, parable, etc.) and the meaning of this parable.
• 2. Using modeling clay or Play Dough, have each student form a small house by pinching and patting the clay so that the little house will sit firmly on the rock. When finished, attach the house to the rock with Elmer's white glue. The Play Dough will take several hours to dry hard, but the modeling clay will remain firm unless exposed to heat. Students may wish to write a portion of the verse on the rock.

SUGGESTED EVALUATION: Informal questioning and the displaying of the homes on the rock.

VOCABULARY: foundation, firm, eternal, wise, foolish, parable

INTEGRATED UNIT: Home

TITLE: Ancient Technology, Modern Technology, Appropriate Technology

AUTHOR:

Judith M. Wolfe
P.O. Box 31
Big Bend, WI 53103

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

OVERVIEW: "Technology"~ or "How to get a job done with appropriate tools and techniques while conserving human and natural resources." Technology (industrial arts) is as old as the stone age when early man picked up a rock to do something his hands alone could not do. Since those early times, humankind has experienced many technological leaps which have altered our thinking, achievement and entire approach to work. These 'advances' in transportation, architecture, communication and information acquisition, diagnosis, computation, storage and retrieval have altered our personal lives and affected our entire culture in monumental ways. In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to focus on the role of technology in their personal experience.

CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Technology, Art

TIME: 3-5 30 minute sessions

MATERIALS: Corrugated cardboard box (duplicating paper box will work), tool catalogs, Farm & Fleet Popular Mechanics magazine, paper, crayons, modeling clay, tag board and paper fasteners (brass).

OBJECTIVES: To recognize and identify tools for 1) Building homes 2) Heat, water and energy needs (i.e. solar panels, wind generator, power plants, wood stoves and wells) 3) Communication and computation technology

PROCEDURES:

• 1. Create a 'tool box' to store photos, clippings, drawings and small models of tools used for building--both hand tools and power tools. Share stories and building experiences. If possible, provide a 'builder's corner' where individual students may work safely using size and age appropriate building tools.
• 2. Discuss our home heating, water and energy needs. List traditional technologies and sources which supply these needs (i.e. wood stove, wind and solar power, wells and hand pumps). List modern technologies which supply these needs (i.e. fossil fuel furnaces, nuclear power and sewer/water filtration plants). Have students invent and design their own gizmos and gadgets to fill a household need.
• 3. Discuss the technology of toys, games and mass entertainment in the form of television and videos. Invent and design a toy or game to play at home.
• 4. Discuss home computer and communication technology. List examples of those technologies found in homes (i.e. telephone, radio, TV, VCR, etc.). What did people do before these technologies were in the home? Refer to books like Little House on the Prairie, or Little Women.

SUGGESTED EVALUATION: Teacher observation and portfolio samples of student invention/design for a gizmo, gadget or toy. Name and date.

VOCABULARY: tools, technique, invention, design, engineer

INTEGRATED UNIT: Home

TITLE: A Sense of Place, A Sense of Belonging, A Sense of Home

AUTHOR:

Judith M. Wolfe
P.O. Box 31
Big Bend, WI 53103

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

OVERVIEW: Home is a unique place and a common idea. It is fashioned by time, location and community; and given meaning and weight by our perceptions and emotions. In this lesson, the students will look at the geographic uniqueness of their home, hometown, home state and homeland. They will gain appreciation for the variety of homes/shelters which people have created throughout history and around the world. More subjectively, the students will explore what makes a house a home, how it is perceived by our 5 senses and how the people who live 'under one roof' share their lives.

CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Social Studies

TIME: 5-7 30 minute sessions

MATERIALS: White shelf paper or butcher paper (sturdy, thin, foldable or rollable), pencils, markers, crayons and 18"x18" construction paper for 'book.'

OBJECTIVES:

• A. To recognize and understand
• 1. Home as a unique place and a common idea
• 2. Home in the context of neighborhood, state, country and planet
• 3. Home and our needs
• 4. Home and our five senses
• B. To understand the relationship of family, friends, community and home
• C. To understand and sort out the need for home/school rules (rights and responsibilities).

PROCEDURES:

• 1. Using a map size (or smaller) piece of paper, the students will begin drawing a 'bird's eye view' map by placing their home in the center eventually adding streets, other buildings and natural landmarks. This map may be revised with new versions produced as more accurate information is gathered by the 'map maker' from day to day.
• 2. Begin assembling a museum/collection of 2-D and 3-D examples of homes throughout the world (i.e. log cabin, igloo, ranch house, yurt, boat house, etc.) and throughout history (i.e. caves, dwellings, high rise apartments, etc.) These may be student made or brought from collections at home. All items should be labeled with name of owner and other pertinent information. Make a list of the basic human needs that shelters provide--to keep it going.
• 3. 'Home-work'- Detect and list the sights (color, line, texture, shape and space)
• sounds, smells, feel, and taste of home.
• 4. Create a 'blooming book' using a large square of sturdy paper. Fold each corner to the center point (exact) of the paper. Tip: once you find the center of one square, you can easily 'mark' the center of 25+ paper squares by stacking them neatly and using a piercing tool (compass) to transfer the center point from template through paper stack; done by adult only. Fold each corner to center so all points meet but do not overlap. Secure with a small reusable sticker or piece of tape.
• 5. Students will then draw the exterior front view of their home/shelter on the top of the four flaps. When finished, open flaps and draw interior home inside center square including family members, pets, furniture, etc. On the inside triangle flaps, students may draw themselves in: a) a favorite leisure home activity (i.e. toys, reading, etc.)
• b) a favorite responsibility (i.e. setting the table, caring for pets, etc.)
• c) a favorite holiday celebration d) a favorite necessity (i.e. taking a bath, eating, sleeping, etc.). Triangle flap 'pages' may be added for students who wish to draw more illustrations or include descriptive words and phrases.
• 6. Discuss the need for home and school rules. Brainstorm a list of helpful rules then narrow it to 5-10 of "the best." Students will design a large oil can on construction paper or poster (3 in 1 oil). The number can vary with family size (i.e. 5 in 1 oil). The can outline may be cut out or left on background. Glue a copy of the rules to the front of the can to help keep the home or classroom "running smoothly."

SUGGESTED EVALUATION: Teacher observation, peer critique and discussion of museum, and display presentation of 'blooming books."

VOCABULARY: house, home, hometown, homeland, map, globe, landmarks

INTEGRATED UNIT: Home

TITLE: The Rhythm of Home-Life

AUTHOR:

Judith M. Wolfe
P.O. Box 31
Big Bend, WI 53103

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

OVERVIEW: Rhythm in music, dance and art (pattern, emphasis) are often inspired and extracted from sounds and sights in our immediate environment. For children, the home provides a limitless resource for recreating rhythms of sound and movement. Household byproducts (i.e. containers, utensils and recyclables) become valuable instruments when used creatively and skillfully by kindergarten students.

CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Music, Physical Education

TIME: 3-5 30 minute sessions

MATERIALS: A collection of home recyclables, glue, markers, safety scissors, yarn, tape, fabric, paper, buttons and crayons.

OBJECTIVES:

• A. To recognize and identify rhythm- pace and volume
• B. To translate rhythmic sound to body movement and drawing/painting
• C. To improve balance and ability to move in slow motion

PROCEDURE I

• 1. Discuss sounds and motion around the home (inside and outside) that are rhythmic/repetitious (i.e. chopping food, climbing stairs, ringing phone, etc.) The discussion could develop into a simple form of charades for guessing sound and motion. List the ideas on the board.
• 2. Select from list one item that combines both sound and motion (i.e. washing machine). Ask for individual volunteers to lead the class in recreating the motion and sound of a washing machine with each class member following the leader carefully. Have the leader vary the pace as well as the volume (i.e. wash cycle to spin cycle).
• 3. Once this skill is mastered and concept understood, continue the same motion and sound in a little dance (snake dance) again, carefully following the leader.
• 4. Use the same procedure as 2. and 3. to recreate other rhythmic sounds and movements on the list (perhaps 1 or 2 per day). The list may grow as classroom 'rhythm detectives' discover new sources of rhythm at home.

PROCEDURE II

• 1. A rhythm and marching band can be created with household byproducts and eager, alert and enthusiastic students.
• A. Individual students may take turns demonstrating the sounds that can be created on their own instrument brought from home and also demonstrate varied pace and volume. Try combining two or more 'instruments' to create
• a sound pattern (i.e. comb, can, comb, can, etc.) Instruments may be
• decorated with yarn, buttons, etc.
• B. Establish hand signals to direct the rhythm band for changing pace and
• volume. When this is accomplished , try marching in place, then marching
• forward following the leader.

PROCEDURE III

• 1. Translate rhythmic sound to motion to a visual pattern on paper
• A. Using large paper (or drawing in the air) students will turn the rhythm that they hear (tape recorded or live) into visual pattern/expression.

PROCEDURE IV

• 1. To promote physical balance:
• A. March to a simple beat tapped out by the leader. Increase the length of
• step (modeled by the leader) while decreasing the speed of the beat.
• B. The students will pretend they are carpenters balancing on a beam--
• walking with one foot in front of another along a line (tape on floor) or
• on a 2"x4" board.

SUGGESTED EVALUATION: In each discussion or activity, identify appropriate bench marks for individual/collective performance (i.e. awareness, observation, participation, progress/development, inventiveness, etc.) to serve as a reference point for informal questions, discussion and teacher observation.

VOCABULARY: rhythm, rhythmic, sound, movement, pattern, pace, volume, detective