C4L • Tips and Tricks Template 2019

• Important information is included in the colored boxes found in the margins of the Unit Guides
• Use sticky notes with vocabulary and questions for interactive Read-Alouds
• Canvas contains sample planning documents 
• Connect with colleagues through discussions on the C4L Canvas Group
• Fast Focus is the one component of the day that can be moved around and used as a transition
• Bulletin Boards: Teachers may choose to leave bulletin boards blank to allow students to contribute as the year progresses. Be sure to leave a space for the Coral Reef Projects

• Store books by unit and label books with unit numbers
• Dramatic play changes- it is not housekeeping all year long
• Storage space is needed for recyclables for Unit 2 and boxes for Unit 3 (collect in December)
• Don’t have space for lots of recycle projects?  Consider a class project creating one structure
• You will need a space to build an environment during Unit 2 and a Museum Unit 4
• Formative assessment book, Science Journals and  Solution Suitcase pictures are consumable. Please consider how to best make this resource reusable within you own classroom. According to the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy teachers can: share and distribute curriculum materials with copyrighted materials embedded. https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/48282/pages/all-staff-star-copyright
• Removing the Coral Reef- let the children be part of deconstructing and taking pieces home
• Look for a “Root Vue” Grower in your building (PreK and K) to grow radishes during Unit 5

• Copy the Family Engagement letters for each unit from the Online Portal and keep a master for your records to use each year
• Take a screenshot of vocabulary in “Highlights of the Week” page of unit manuals- send this home to parents (e.g. p.23 Unit 1 Guide)

• Share math shape descriptions with parents (e.g. p.105 Teacher’s Handbook) during conferences
• If you have Online Portal access, copy the HCPSS Parent Permission letter and sign parents up for an account so students can access the learning games at home

Many suggested activities may not be appropriate for your particular group of students.  Here is a list of ideas other teachers have attempted:

Unit 3

• Ball and scoop materials could be ball and cones made of paper
• Build a toy-  cars were popular to continue learning about ramps

Learning Trajectories Links to an external site.

• Doug Clement's and Julie Sarama's  Learning Trajectories website includes videos of math lessons that are included in C4L

Early Learning Webinars Links to an external site.

• Learn directly from the authors of C4L :Doug Clements, Julie Sarama, Nell K. Duke, Lindsay Giroux and more.

Links to an external site.