Unit 4, Exploring Museums 24-25

March 3 - April 11Unit 4: Exploring Museums

Planning Guidance

Unit Overview

In this unit, students will learn about museums and collections – what they are, what they have inside, and how they work. The focus will be on medieval times and paleontology. Students will also listen to fairy tales, discuss them, and write their own as well.

KEY CONCEPTS

Patterns
Read v. Imaginary
Forming Opinions
Strong Emotions
Dragons, Dinosaurs, and Fossils
Fairy Tales
Blueprints

CULMINATING PROJECT

Throughout the unit, students will learn about the artifacts and collections that can be found at museums to create exhibits and elements for their own class museum. Students will have opportunities to explore paleontology and medieval times, which offer many topics for classroom museum displays: dinosaurs, fossils, castles, building design and construction, knights, armor, and so much more. The museum can also include displays on anything that the students find particularly interesting, such as rock collections, etc. Finally, students have an opportunity to schedule a museum open house, inviting families to visit the displays.

C4L Processes

C4L develops ten cognitive processes that are both domain specific and applicable across all four domains. The C4L curriculum incorporates all processes within each unit, but some units place a stronger emphasis on a particular process goal. The follow C4L learning processes are addressed within Unit 4.

1. Communicating and Representing

2. Cooperating

3. Comparing and Classifying

4. Creating, Imagining, and Innovating

5. Curiosity - Asking Questions and Seeking New Information

7. Persisting, Attending, and Self-Regulation

8. Reasoning and Problem Solving

9. Seeking to Make Sense

10. Using Tools Strategically

Scope and Sequence

March 3 - 7 • Unit 4: Exploring Museums • Week 1

March 10 - 14 • Unit 4: Exploring Museums • Week 2

March 17 - 21 • Unit 4: Exploring Museums • Week 3

March 24 - 28 • Unit 4: Exploring Museums • Week 4

March 31 - April 4 • Unit 4: Exploring Museums • Week 5

April 7 - 11 • Unit 4: Exploring Museums • Week 6

FAMILY CONNECTION

Family Connection is offered to each family once a month, individually or in the small group setting so families can build a support network and discuss shared concerns and solutions with each other (e.g., families with similar needs such as interpreters, instructional supports, etc.). For more information about Family Connection, please visit the Family Connection page.

School Readiness Resources for Families Links to an external site.

Learning Centers

The learning center suggestions provided for Unit 4 connect directly to the learning objectives for each C4L domain and allow children to deepen their understanding of target concepts and to practice target skills. The following activities are suggested for Unit 4 Learning Centers.

Art Center: Collections Art; Creating Paper Figures and Felt-Board Pieces; Design a Dinosaur; Actual Size; Something to Share; Patterns; Make a Crown; Design a Knight; Painting with Bubbles; Mosaic Castles; Design a Shield; "Harold's Fairy Tale"
Book Nook: Retelling Stories; Book Scavenger Hunt; Favorite Book Collection
Computer Center: practice log-ins; games
Construction Zone: Shadow Buildings; Dinosaur Bones; Build a Castle; Castle Sizes!; Tower Building
Dramatic Play: Curators; Museum Gift Shop; Archaeologists and Paleontologists; Museum Display Reenactment; Teamwork - It Gets a Building Built; Museum Tour
Exploration Center: "Hannah's Collections" Sort; Clay Fossils; Plaster of Paris Fossils; Feely Box; Collections from Home; Nature Collection
Games and Puzzles: Shape Pictures; Feely Box; Shape-Mat Hop; Making Patterns; Numbers Memory; Math Magic, Math Group GamesLinks to an external site.*NEW 2023*
Listening Center: Book Recordings (adults reading the story and children retelling the story)
Show What You Know Center: Emotions Collage; Beginning Letter Sort; Armored and Safe; Dance or Clap a Pattern; "On Monday When It Rained"
Writing Center: Fairy Tales, Captions, and Signs; Museum Invitations; Tracing; Dinosaur Name Tags; Museum Captions; Letter Patterns; Letter Writing; Fairy Tale Author and Illustrator

A full description of the suggested Learning Center activities and materials can be found in each unit guide.

Grading Tools

Unit 4 Formative Assessment Recording Sheets Links to an external site.

PK4 Quarterly Grading Spreadsheets Links to an external site. *NEW 2024*

HCPSS Rubrics for Grade Books and Report Cards Links to an external site.

Grading Tools Folder Links to an external site.

C4L Unit 4 Assignments for Canvas Grade Book

Search "C4L Unit 4 Formative Assessments" in Canvas Commons
Two versions - Prekindergarten and Preschool
Four domains - Language & Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Emotional

Resources

Connect4Learning Long Range Plans for 4-Year-Olds Links to an external site.

Unit 4 Teacher Share Folder Links to an external site.

- Note: read alouds are for instructional use only. Scanned copies may not be linked in teacher's Canvas pages.

Alphabet Cards Links to an external site.

Alphabet Chart Links to an external site.

Lee and Low Optional Lesson Plans/Classroom Connections Links to an external site.

Numeral and Dot Cards Links to an external site.

Science Journal CoversLinks to an external site.

SEFEL Emotion Cards Links to an external site.

SEFEL Emotion Resources - English and Spanish Links to an external site.

C4L Home-School Connection: Student Learning Activities Links to an external site.

Heggerty Family Newsletters Links to an external site.

Mathematics Planning Support

Supplemental Math Materials

Overview

Group Games and Transition Quick Cards should be used in all PK4 classrooms (Pre-K, MINC-PK) to provide additional opportunities for students to apply and generalize math skills and concepts throughout the day and across instructional settings.These locally-developed materials align to the approved curriculum, Connect4Learning, and the Maryland Early Learning Standards (PK4).

Purpose

The purpose of the Math Supplemental Materials is not just to help students generalize the knowledge they are gaining in whole-group and small-group instruction but also to reinforce the skills and concepts in a fun and engaging way. This reinforcement can significantly increase motivation to learn. Students will engage and put effort into learning and practicing new concepts when motivated to learn. Math Games and Transition Quick Cards help develop problem-solving skills by requiring students to think critically, solve problems, and apply learned knowledge. Furthermore, Social-emotional skills are supported when students engage in gameplay. Math games support collaboration and communication with peers, and this interaction will help students develop critical social skills such as taking turns and sharing. Furthermore, Transition Quick Cards provide practice and generalization of number sense.

Implementation Expectations

Group Games

Group Games and Transition Quick Cards should be used in all PK4 classrooms (Pre-K, MINC-PK) to provide additional opportunities for students to apply and generalize math skills and concepts throughout the day and across instructional settings.These locally-developed materials align to the approved curriculum, Connect4Learning, and the Maryland Early Learning Standards (PK4).
Teachers should introduce Group Games with a small group of students. Begin by explaining and demonstrating the game to a small group of students. Small groups allow focused attention and ensure students understand the rules and objectives.
It is essential to practice Group Games several times with the students before letting them engage independently. This practice allows students to build their confidence. Once the students are comfortable with the game, make it available for them to play independently.
Group Games should be available for the students in the Games and Puzzles and the Show What You Know Centers.
Take advantage of opportunities for data collection while students play the games. Observe and record students' problem-solving strategies, understanding of math concepts and skills, and ability to follow rules and instructions. Observational data collected during Group Games can inform future instruction and support individualized learning.

Transition Quick Cards

Transition Quick Cards should be implemented throughout the day. Many activities provided are great for when students need to move or transition from one area to another.
Try to use one card for several days or several times a week to help students build an understanding of the skill or concept.
Observe and record students' conceptual understanding of skills or concepts being taught.

Resources

Supplemental Math Materials Links to an external site.

Group Games Links to an external site.

Transition Quick Cards Links to an external site.

Learning Trajectories

Each math formative assessment sheet has a heading that lists math levels for that lesson. The correspond to the math learning trajectories. Links to an external site. These levels Links to an external site. show the progression of concepts, structures, and skill development in math learning, and are sequential from top to bottom within each tab or section.

As you plan a math lesson, first note the objective. Then, look at the learning-trajectory levels on the formative assessment Links to an external site. for that lesson. Next, take a few minutes to think about the children in the small group, based on your previous work with them. Refer to the formative assessment information that you have gathered so far. Then, think about the following questions.

Formative Assessment Question	Learning Trajectory Component	What You Can Do
What is the goal level?	The goal level describes the mathematical concepts, structures, and skills that you want the children to learn.	Make sure the goal for the lesson you provide is one - but only one! - level above the level the children have already achieved.
Where are the children now?	Use the information in the Learning Trajectories Links to an external site. (C4L Teacher's Handbook Appendix B) to help determine how the children are thinking now and what the next step, or level of thinking, would be.	Use your observations on the small-group formative assessments and any other information, such as one-on-one interviews, to document what level the children are on and if they are making progress.
How can you get them to the goal level?	Provide lessons linked to each level, which are listed in the Learning Trajectories. Links to an external site. These lessons are designed to promote the kind of thinking that will bring children to the next level.	Modify activities so that they are appropriate and yet challenging for the small group and for the individual children.

If students are thinking at a level well below the target level, modify the activity so that it is appropriate for them - about one level higher than you have observed previously. Then, while you're engaging with students in the activity, modify it as you see students struggle or move to a higher level.

Considerations for 3-Year-Olds

Week 1: March 3 - 7

Table Time Centers

The following Table Time Centers align to the learning objectives for Unit 4 and are intended to focus on fine motor development, social foundations, and oral language and communication skills. Select a few options from the choices provided, setting them out for arrival and students choice.

Instructional staff who are not supporting arrival should be conducting data collection and facilitating the major focus areas of this time: fine motor, social-emotional, and oral language development. Once students can engage with the materials independently, these centers can become an independent activity during small group rotations.

Art Center: Design a Dinosaur (p. 9): assist students with cutting out the tracing of a dinosaur. Supply students with felt, foil, sand paper, craft feathers, or other materials with various textures to decorate them; Make a Crown (p.11): supply students with pre-cut crowns OR paper with a zig zag line in the middle to cut their own crown. Provide them with cut out shapes, jewels, and other materials to decorate their crowns; Mosaic Castles (p.11): Provide students with paper to create their castles. Students will use their fingers to tear colorful construction paper into small pieces to glue onto their castles.
Construction Center: Castle Sizes (p.13): have students create their castles on pieces of construction paper. Supply students with C4L 2D shapes for them to trace. Allow them to trace using using a pencil or tape to make outlines; Unifix Cube Towers: Students will make towers of varying heights to compare using language like "shorter" and "taller." Students can count the Unifix cubes for each tower to find out which towers have "more" and "less."; Tower and Bridge Building (p.14): provide the students with plastic cups. Have them use the cups to build tall towers, bridges, and castles.
Games and Puzzles: Tangram/Shape puzzles: provide students with tangram puzzles and matching shapes for students to use, either bought or made yourself by cutting out shapes and laminating shapes and cards. You can make simple objects such as cars, trains, etc.; Shape Pictures (p.17): Provide the students with colorful cut-out shapes, glue, and poster paper. Find out what the students can make with their cut-out shapes; Shape Mat Hop Board Game (p.17): pre-make a gameboard and dice and use an item from the classroom as play pieces.
Writing Center: Tracing (p. 20): place traceable items in the writing center along with colored pencils and paper. Help the children with tracing strategies such as rotating the paper or moving their bodies to get a better angle; Letter Patterns (p. 20): Using magnets, foam, cut outs, or stickers, encourage students to use letters to make short letter patterns (AB or ABC patterns only); Museum Captions (p. 20): students can use the C4L letter cards and letter chart to make captions for museum items or pictures (photos of dinosaur fossils, toys from the classroom, or something students have made).

Read Aloud

There are two Read Alouds each week for 3-year-told classrooms. Each Read Aloud title is completed in two parts over the course of two days. The first title is completed on Monday and Tuesday, and the second Read Aloud is completed on Thursday and Friday.

The following adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds. Lesson plan pages are noted next to the titles.

"Maisy Goes to the Museum" (p. 38)

Day 1: Complete the lesson as described on page 38 through the "Read the Text" section.
Day 2: Reread and then complete the "After Reading" and "Continue the Learning" sections on page 38.

"My Friend is Sad" (p. 45)

Day 1: Read the story using the "Read the Text" section on page 45.
Day 2: Reread the story, then complete the "After Reading" section on page 45.

Targeted Vocabulary

Museum
Exhibit
Fossil
Collection
Happy
Sad
Set

Connect

The following Connect lessons are completed during Week 1 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Introduce Rhombuses and Trapezoids (p. 32): sort with rhombuses and circles or review basic 2D shapes - consider going on a shape walk or utilizing pattern blocks to allow students to explore 2D shape attributes.
Collection Connection (p. 33)
Meet the Expert: Museum Curator (p. 39): focus on asking "why" and "how" questions; for example, "Why does a firefighter need a helmet?" "How does a firefighter put out a fire?".
Introduce Hidden Shapes (p. 40): use simple 2D shapes and have a physical copy of two shapes for children to compare and match.
Turtle Freeze (p. 47): focus on the multistep directions without the freeze dance music. Refer to where the solution suitcase is located in the classroom, but only find a specific solution if students have mastered the Tucker Turtle sequence.
Introduce Building Exhibits (p. 54): show model of exhibit that you will be making during small group time.
The Shape of Things (p. 60): complete as described, adding visuals for students to match as needed.

Small Group

The following Small Group lessons are taught in Week 1 for 3-year-old classrooms. The suggested adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds.

Day 1, Sorting and Resorting Collections (p. 34-35): Use several sets of objects with identifiable differences (e.g., colors, shapes). Use Think-Pair-Share and have each pair sort from a group of two attributes.
Day 2, Hidden Shapes (p. 41-42): Rather than two shapes, hide one shape at a time under the cloth for each pair of students. Review the shapes before the activity.
Day 3, Emotions Collage (p. 48-49): Make the collage as a team. Help students identify emotions by using a mirror, the emotions poster and the weekly books.
Day 4, Building Exhibits (p. 55-56): Use fewer groups of artifacts such as one set of dinosaurs, one of cars and one of sea shells.

Fast Focus

The following Fast Focus lessons are completed during Week 1 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Shape Walk (p. 36) and Shape-Mat Hop (p. 58): use only basic 2D shapes and consider having students do this as a transition or in smaller groups.
The Letter Ii (p. 37): consider starting first with the letter "Ii" in students' names paired with the sounds they make. Use Lila to "find the friend" who's name starts with that letter. Then use physical objects that start with the letter "Ii".
Moves to Count! Forward and Back (p. 43): Prior to the lesson, review the "Notes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Count to 5 forward and back.
Itch or Ice (p. 44): start with student names, use "Ii" letter tub and draw attention to the beginning sounds that are similar (e.g. /i/ce and /i/cicle).
Moves to Count! (p. 50): start with counting to 3 paired with an action on "go" ("1, 2, 3, go!"). As students are able, vary this activity to patterns of 2, 3, and 4 counting these same numbers less than 5 each time.
The Letter Jj (p. 51): consider starting first with the letter "Jj" in students' names paired with the sounds they make. Use Lila to "find the friend" who's name starts with that letter. Then use physical objects that start with the letter "Jj".
Comparing Ii and Jj (p. 57): start with student names, use "Ii" and "Jj" letter tubs one at a time and draw attention to the beginning sounds that are similar (e.g. /i/ce and /i/cicle).

Centers

Children benefit from opportunities to interact on their own and with peers in self-guided play and from chances to interact with adults who scaffold learning experiences during play. The learning center suggestions provided for Unit 4 connect directly to the learning objectives for each C4L domain and allow children to deepen their understanding of target concepts and to practice target skills.

The following Unit 4 Learning Centers are provided for 3-year-olds during Weeks 1-2. Please see your Unit guide (p. 9-21) for more information about specific centers.

Art Center: Collections Art (p. 9) Place "Hannah's Collections" in the Art Center along with large sets of materials such as popsicle sticks, buttons (that can be glued) stickers, sea shells, paper clips, fabric swatches and wall paper swatches. Let children work together to create a collage and provide visuals and examples of collages along with the book.
Book Nook: Retelling Stories (p. 12) supply the students with recording devices. Use simple books with patterns or great pictures. Assist students in retelling the story. Books that would work well with this activity include "On Monday When it Rained" and "The Knight and the Dragon".
Computer Center: work on prerequisite skills by playing with cause and effect toys, iPad games, isolation of pointer finger, I spy games, etc.
Construction Zone: Shadow Buildings (p. 13) supply your students with flashlights, butcher paper, wooden blocks, pencils and crayons. Turn off the lights in one part of the room so that the flashlight will be bright enough. Have the students outline the shadows with their pencils and crayons. Students can add to their buildings by moving the placement of the flashlight.
Dramatic Play: Curators (p. 14): provide students with collections of things to put into their museums. These could be collections of utensils, buttons and dolls. Give the students name tags and cameras. Have the students sort the collections and create museum captions or place premade museum captions with the sets of collections.
Exploration Center: Clay/Play-Doh Fossils (p. 15): use clay or play dough as well as items that can leave imprints coins, buttons, toys and toy dinosaurs, fossil bones, insects and plants.
Games and Puzzles: Feely Box (p. 17) or make a "Mystery Box". Students will hide a C4L shape in the feely box. Have the other students feel the shape and see if they can guess what shape it is that they feel and explain how they knew.
Listening Center: add recordings of adults reading the Read Aloud books. Also add recordings of the students retelling Read Alouds.
Show What You Know Center: Beginning Letter Sort (p. 18): use C4L letters that have been reviewed along with pencils, paper and objects that start with this letter. Assist children in sorting the objects by the correct beginning letter sounds and for a challenge, assist them with writing the words of the objects under the correct letter.
Writing Center: Letter Writing (p. 20): assist children in writing letters to their peers and families as well as make believe letters to make believe people and characters in this units books. Provide students with C4L letter cards and letter charts, pre-printed lined paper, envelopes, writing tools, stamps and stickers.

Week 2: March 10 - 14

Table Time Centers

Art Center: Design a Dinosaur (p. 9): assist students with cutting out the tracing of a dinosaur. Supply students with felt, foil, sand paper, craft feathers, or other materials with various textures to decorate them; Make a Crown (p. 11): supply students with pre-cut crowns OR paper with a zig zag line in the middle to cut their own crown. Provide them with cut out shapes, jewels, and other materials to decorate their crowns; Mosaic Castles (p. 11): Provide students with paper to create their castles. Students will use their fingers to tear colorful construction paper into small pieces to glue onto their castles.
Construction Center: Castle Sizes (p. 13): have students create their castles on construction paper. Supply students with C4L 2D shapes for them to trace. Allow students to trace using a pencil or tape to make outlines; Unifix Cube Towers: Students will make towers of varying heights to compare using language like "shorter" and "taller." Students can count the Unifix cubes for each tower to find out which towers have "more" and "less."; Tower and Bridge Building (p. 14): provide students with plastic cups. Have them use the cups to build tall towers, bridges and castles.
Games and Puzzles: Tangram/Shape puzzles: provide students with tangram puzzles and matching shapes to use, either bought or made yourself by cutting out shapes and laminating. You can make simple objects such as cars, trains, etc.; Shape Pictures (p. 17): Provide students with colorful cut-out shapes, glue, and poster paper. Allow them to engage in a creative process of making a picture with shapes; Shape Mat Hop Board Game (p. 17): pre-make a gameboard and dice and use an item from the classroom as play pieces.
Writing Center: Tracing (p. 20): place traceable items in the writing center along with colored pencils and paper. Help the children with tracing strategies such as rotating the paper or moving their bodies to get a better angle; Letter Patterns (p. 20): Using magnets, foam, cut outs or stickers, encourage students to use letters to make short letter patterns (AB or ABC patterns only); Museum Captions (p. 20): students can use C4L letter cards and letter chart to make captions for museum items or pictures (photos of dinosaur fossils, toys from the classroom, or something students have made).

Read Aloud

There are two Read Alouds each week for 3-year-old classrooms. Each Read Aloud title is completed in two parts over the course of two days. The first title is completed on Monday and Tuesday, and the second Read Aloud is completed on Thursday and Friday.

The following adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds. Lesson plan pages are noted next to the titles.

"Meet the Dinosaurs" (p. 68)

Day 1: Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Read the story using the "Read the Text" section on page 68.
Day 2: Reread the book, but now draw attention to the labels by asking the students to tell you what the arrow is pointing at. For example, on page 7 of the book, there is a label for the word "teeth." Read the page, show the label, show what the label is pointing to, and see if students can infer from context what is being labeled.

"Rex Wrecks It!" (p. 81)

Day 1: Read the book, completing the "Introduce the Text" section on page 81.
Day 2: Reread the story, then complete the "Read the Text" section on page 81.

Targeted Vocabulary

Label
Dinosaur
Armor
Happy
Sad
Mad
Proud

Connect

The following Connect lessons are completed during Week 2 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Conrad the Confused Crow Explores Shapes (p. 69): focus on students making comparisons between objects (e.g. "these are all round").
Paleo Protection (p. 70): do this activity after reading "Meet the Dinosaurs"; focus on vocabulary "armor" and encourage students to notice attributes of dinosaurs (e.g. triceratops have horns).
I Know What You're Thinking (p. 75, 98): Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Sort rhombuses and triangles or review basic 2D shapes - consider going on a shape walk or utilizing pattern blocks to allow students an opportunity to explore 2D shape attributes.
Armored and Ready (p. 76): consider using concrete examples such as firefighters, bike helmets and having these items for children to explore; consider having materials children can choose from available to explore what might make good armor.
Emotions Bar Graphs (p. 83): consider using a more concrete focus question such as the examples in "Ahead of Time".
What Number Now? (p. 89): focus on the concept of one more or one less.
How Big Were Prehistoric Animals? (p. 90): focus on comparative words such as big, little, tall, short and long.
Outdoor and Explore-How Big Were Prehistoric Animals? (p. 91): focus on comparative words.
Who's the Expert? (p. 97): encourage students to recall details from the week and create a list, utilizing physical examples as needed. Ask students if they have any more questions about dinosaurs.

Small Group

The following Small Group lessons are taught in Week 2 for 3-year-old classrooms. The suggested adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds.

Day 1, Reading Dinosaur Museum Captions (p. 71-72): Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Review the meanings of the vocabulary words you are looking for in these books such as caption, dinosaur and museum. Have students tell you the what is said in the caption and answer "yes" and "no" questions about the captions.
Day 2, Shape-Mat Hop (p. 77-78): Review the shapes with visuals and/or C4L shapes. Use the visuals and/or C4L shapes to match with the shape mats, by saying "This is a rhombus. Hop to the rhombus."
Day 3, Emotions Charades (p. 84): Model each of the emotions with the group. Assist the students by asking "yes" and "no" questions and/or to replicate the emotion they see.
Day 4, If I Were a Dinosaur (p. 92): Use the book "Dinosaur Armor". Cut out shapes ahead of time. Allow the students to "build" their dinosaurs with the shapes in congruence with their drawings. For students who need more support when drawing, brainstorm how they could use different shapes for the body parts of the dinosaur (e.g., What shape for the body? What shape for the tail?).

Fast Focus

The following Fast Focus lessons are completed during Week 2 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Moves to Count! Forward and Back (p. 72): count to 5 forward and back.
Sound Match Aa and Ii (p. 73): start with student names, use "Ii" and "Aa" letter tubs one at a time and draw attention to the beginning sounds that are similar (e.g. /i/ce and /i/cicle).
Shape-Counting Jump (p. 79): encourage children to help count the sides and then jump that many times; consider having shapes for each child to explore and count with you.
-at Words (p. 80): use a rhyming song with students names (e.g. Willabee Wallabee Woo) instead.
Conrad the Confused Crow Shape Review (p. 85): complete as described.
The -op Shop (p. 86): use a rhyming song with students names (e.g. Willabee Wallabee Woo) instead.
Blending Bag (p. 93): review letters Aa, Ii and Jj, starting with student names and using concrete objects, draw attention to the initial sound of each item.
Shape-Mat Hop (p. 94): use only basic 2D shapes and consider having students do this as a transition or in smaller groups.

Centers

The following Unit 4 Learning Centers are provided for 3-year-olds during Weeks 1-2. Please see your Unit guide (p. 9-21) for more information about specific centers.

Art Center: Collections Art (p. 9) Place "Hannah's Collections" in the Art Center along with large sets of materials such as popsicle sticks, buttons (that can be glued) stickers, sea shells, paper clips, fabric swatches and wall paper swatches. Let children work together to create a collage and provide visuals and examples of collages along with the book.
Book Nook: Retelling Stories (p. 12) supply the students with recording devices. Use simple books with patterns or great pictures. Assist students in retelling the story. Books that would work well with this activity include "On Monday When it Rained" and "The Knight and the Dragon".
Computer Center: work on the prerequisite skills by playing with cause and effect toys, iPad games, isolation of pointer finger, I spy games, etc.
Construction Zone: Shadow Buildings (p. 13) supply your students with flashlights, butcher paper, wooden blocks, pencils and crayons. Turn off the lights in one part of the room so that the flashlight will be bright enough. Have the students outline the shadows with their pencils and crayons. Students can add to their buildings by moving the placement of the flashlight.
Dramatic Play: Curators (p. 14) provide students with collections of things to put into their museums. These could be collections of utensils, buttons and dolls. Give the students name tags and cameras. Have the students sort the collections and create museum captions or place premade museum captions with the sets of collections.
Exploration Center: Clay/Play-Doh Fossils (p. 15) use clay or play dough as well as items that can leave imprints coins, buttons, toys and toy dinosaurs, fossil bones, insects and plants.
Games and Puzzles: Feely Box (p. 17) or make a "Mystery Box". Students will hide a C4L shape in the feely box. Have the other children feel the shape and see if they can guess what shape it is that they feel and explain how they knew.
Listening Center: add recordings of adults reading the Read Aloud books. Also add recordings of the students retelling Read Alouds.
Show What You Know Center: Beginning Letter Sort (p. 18) use C4L letters that have been reviewed along with pencils, paper and objects that start with this letter. Assist the children in sorting the objects by the correct beginning letter sounds and for a challenge, assist them with writing the words of the objects under the correct letter.
Writing Center: Letter Writing (p. 20) assist children in writing letters to their peers and families as well as make believe letters to make believe people and characters in this units books. Provide the students with C4L letter cards and letter charts, pre-printed lined paper, envelopes, writing tools, stamps and stickers.

Week 3: March 17 - 21

Table Time Centers

Art Center: Design a Dinosaur (p. 9): assist students with cutting out the tracing of a dinosaur. Supply students with felt, foil, sand paper, craft feathers, or other materials with various textures to decorate them; Make a Crown (p. 11): supply students with pre-cut crowns OR paper with a zig zag line in the middle to cut their own crown. Provide them with cut out shapes, jewels, and other materials to decorate their crowns; Mosaic Castles (p. 11): Provide students with paper to create their castles. Students will use their fingers to tear colorful construction paper into small pieces to glue onto their castles.
Construction Center: Castle Sizes (p. 13): have students create their castles on pieces of construction paper. Supply students with C4L 2D shapes for them to trace. Allow them to trace using using a pencil or tape to make outlines; Unifix Cube Towers: Students will make towers of varying heights to compare using language like "shorter" and "taller." Students can count the Unifix cubes for each tower to find out which towers have "more" and "less."; Tower and Bridge Building (p. 14): provide the students with plastic cups. Have them use the cups to build tall towers, bridges, and castles.
Games and Puzzles: Tangram/Shape puzzles: provide students with tangram puzzles and matching shapes for students to use, either bought or made yourself by cutting out shapes and laminating shapes and cards. You can make simple objects such as cars, trains, etc.; Shape Pictures (p. 17): Provide the students with colorful cut-out shapes, glue, and poster paper. Find out what the students can make with their cut-out shapes; Shape Mat Hop Board Game (p. 17): pre-make a gameboard and dice and use an item from the classroom as play pieces.
Writing Center: Tracing (p. 20): place traceable items in the writing center along with colored pencils and paper. Help the children with tracing strategies such as rotating the paper or moving their bodies to get a better angle; Letter Patterns (p. 20): Using magnets, foam, cut outs, or stickers, encourage students to use letters to make short letter patterns (AB or ABC patterns only); Museum Captions (p. 20): students can use the C4L letter cards and letter chart to make captions for museum items or pictures (photos of dinosaur fossils, toys from the classroom, or something students have made).

Read Aloud

The following adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds. Lesson plan pages are noted next to the titles.

"Dinosaurs Big and Small" (p. 106-107)

Day 1: Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Read the book, drawing attention to words related to size, such as big, small, short, long, etc.
Day 2: Reread the book, completing the "Read the Text" section on page 106. For this activity, focus more on comparing sizes and lengths. Use the rulers and strings if your students' attention and ability level will allow (refer to 3-year-old standards for Measurement and Data).

"Dinosaur Countdown" (p. 125)

Day 1: Read the book, focusing on the "Introduce the Text" section on page 125.
Day 2: Reread the book, focusing on the "Read the Text" and "After Reading" sections as time and attention allow.

Targeted Vocabulary

Big
Small
Dinosaur
Fossil
Extinct
Countdown

Connect

The following Connect lessons are completed during Week 3 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Observing Fossils (p. 108): complete as described.
What's My Pattern? (p. 114, 133): Repeat Dinosaur Patterns (p. 110, 131) from Fast Focus or Moves to Count (p. 50, 152) with patterns.
Extend the Pattern (p. 114, 132): use AB patterns and simple shapes.
Dino-Motions (p. 120): consider substituting with Unit 3, Week 6, Day 3 (p. 249) Emotions Game: Children's Choice (Mirror, Mirror, Feelings Follow the Leader, Emotions Matching, "When I Feel Angry," or "Happy and You Know It")
Making Patterns (p. 126): complete as described with AB patterns and then, if students are ready, extend to ABC.
What Do We Still Want to Know? (p. 127): encourage students to recall details from the week and create a list. Ask students if they have any more questions about dinosaurs.
Fossils Tell Stories (p. 133): complete as described.

Small Group

The following Small Group lessons are taught in Week 3 for 3-year-old classrooms. The suggested adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds.

Day 1, Writing Museum Captions (p. 109): Use shorter words and phrases. Allow students to use developmentally appropriate writing strokes to label/add captions. You can also create a shared writing opportunity, with students adding pre-writing strokes to specific letters/parts of letters.
Day 2, Extend the Pattern (p. 115): Focus on the creation of the shapes. Show the students a shape or beforehand make templates with a premade shape. Have the students choose one of the shapes to match and make that shape using coffee stirrers.
Day 3, Emotions Matching Game (p. 121): Prior to the lesson, review the "Notes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Model the activity for students. Use fewer cards at a time for emotions matching (such as 2 sets that match). Start out with emotions happy, sad, and angry.
Day 4, Fossil Forming Fun ( p. 128-129): Complete activity as described.

Fast Focus

The following Fast Focus lessons are completed during Week 3 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Dinosaur Patterns (p. 110, 131): consider starting with an AB pattern.
The Letter Uu (p. 111): consider starting first with the letter "Uu" in students' names paired with the sounds they make. Use Lila to "find the friend" whose name starts with that letter. Then use physical objects that start with the letter "Uu".
Pattern Dance (p. 116): start with an AB pattern and then ABC pattern when students are ready.
Sound Match Oo and Uu (p. 117): start with student names, use "Oo" and "Uu" letter tubs (one at a time) and draw attention to the beginning sounds that are similar (e.g. /o/ctopus and /o/ctagon).
What's My Pattern? (p. 123): utilize a visual with movement choices and allow students to chose two actions; start with an AB pattern and continue to an ABC pattern if children are able.
The Letter Kk (p. 124): consider starting first with the letter "Kk" in students' names paired with the sounds they make. Use Lila to "find the friend" whose name starts with that letter. Then use physical objects that start with the letter "Kk".
Uu and Kk Sort (p. 130): start with student names, use "Kk" and "Uu" letter tubs one at a time and draw attention to the beginning sounds that are similar (e.g. /k/ite and /k/angeroo).

Centers

The following Unit 4 Learning Centers are provided for 3-year-olds during Weeks 1-2. Please see your Unit guide (p. 9-21) for more information about specific centers.

Art Center: Something to Share (p. 10): Provide students with crayons, markers, and pencils. Print out paper with a rectangle on it to recreate the front cover of a book to share with the class. The rectangle can have lines on it for students to practice writing symbolically for the title and author and a smaller rectangle to draw the picture on the front cover.
Book Nook: Book Scavenger Hunt (p. 12) make print outs with pictures and words for things from this unit such as dragons, castles and knights. Encourage students to make their own scavenger hunts for their friends- think of what categories they should include in their scavenger hunts and help them to draw pictures and write letters for their clues.
Computer Center: work on the prerequisite skills by playing with cause and effect toys; iPad/Chromebook games; isolation of pointer finger; I Spy games, etc.
Construction Zone: Build a castle (p. 13) supply students with photos of castles from around the world and their architectural blue prints. Remind them to think of the different parts of the castle such as pillars and courtyards.
Dramatic Play: Museum Gift Shop (p. 14) help students make signs for the items they would like to sell in the gift shop. Provide them with pretend money, a cash register, name tags, receipt pads, clipboards, paper and pencils.
Exploration Center: Plaster of Paris Fossils (p. 16) use plaster of Paris make fossils with your students! Provide items for students to make imprints like coins, buttons, and toys. Mix the plaster of Paris ahead of time and add the impression to make the fossil.
Games and Puzzles: Numbers Memory (p. 18) Use medium number cards and medium dot cards from C4L. Place the cards face down and see if the students can match the number cards to the dot cards using their memories. Start with smaller numbers and build with time.
Listening Center: add recordings of adults reading the Read Aloud books. Also add recordings of the students retelling Read Alouds.
Show What You Know Center: Armored and Safe (p. 19) assist children in creating armor to protect fragile things, such as hard boiled eggs. Supply the students with foil, cotton balls, small boxes, tissue paper, bubble wrap, and Styrofoam to protect their eggs.
Writing Center: Fairy Tale Author and Illustrator (p. 21) work with students in pairs to make their own Fairy Tale Stories. One child can be the author and one can be the illustrator. Provide them with premade stapled books and writing tools.

Week 4: March 24 - 28

Table Time Centers

Art Center: Design a Dinosaur (p. 9): assist students with cutting out the tracing of a dinosaur. Supply students with felt, foil, sand paper, craft feathers, or other materials with various textures to decorate them; Make a Crown (p. 11): supply students with pre-cut crowns OR paper with a zig zag line in the middle to cut their own crown. Provide them with cut out shapes, jewels, and other materials to decorate their crowns; Mosaic Castles (p. 11): Provide students with paper to create their castles. Students will use their fingers to tear colorful construction paper into small pieces to glue onto their castles.
Construction Center: Castle Sizes (p. 13): have students create their castles on pieces of construction paper. Supply students with C4L 2D shapes for them to trace. Allow them to trace using using a pencil or tape to make outlines; Unifix Cube Towers: Students will make towers of varying heights to compare using language like "shorter" and "taller." Students can count the Unifix cubes for each tower to find out which towers have "more" and "less."; Tower and Bridge Building (p. 14): provide the students with plastic cups. Have them use the cups to build tall towers, bridges, and castles.
Games and Puzzles: Tangram/Shape puzzles: provide students with tangram puzzles and matching shapes for students to use, either bought or made yourself by cutting out shapes and laminating shapes and cards. You can make simple objects such as cars, trains, etc.; Shape Pictures (p.17): Provide the students with colorful cut-out shapes, glue, and poster paper. Find out what the students can make with their cut-out shapes; Shape Mat Hop Board Game (p. 17): pre-make a gameboard and dice and use an item from the classroom as play pieces.
Writing Center: Tracing (p. 20): place traceable items in the writing center along with colored pencils and paper. Help the children with tracing strategies such as rotating the paper or moving their bodies to get a better angle; Letter Patterns (p. 20): Using magnets, foam, cut outs, or stickers, encourage students to use letters to make short letter patterns (AB or ABC patterns only); Museum Captions (p. 20): students can use the C4L letter cards and letter chart to make captions for museum items or pictures (photos of dinosaur fossils, toys from the classroom, or something students have made).

Read Aloud

The following adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds. Lesson plan pages are noted next to the titles.

"Evermore Dragon" (p. 148)

Day 1: Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Read the story all the way through, reviewing the emotions of each character as you read.
Day 2: Reread the story using the "Read the Text" sections from pages 148 and 153. For "think-pair-share," have students turn to each other and show an emotion from the book as you review. For example, show a character that feels sad, have students identify, then turn to each other to show a sad face.

"The Knight and the Dragon" (p. 167)

Day 1: Read the story using the lesson as written on pages 167 and 168. Make today's reading more teacher-led and tomorrow more student-led.
Day 2: Read the story using the lesson as written on pages 167 and 168, making sure that today's lesson is much more student-led than teacher-led.

Targeted Vocabulary

Scared
Afraid
Proud
Worried
Brave
Knight
Dragon

Connect

The following Connect lessons are completed during Week 4 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Castle Tour (p. 143): complete as described; consider allowing children to look at books on their own with magnifying glasses.
Creating Pattern Walls (p. 149, 161): use Unifix cubes to focus on an AB pattern or sort by color.
Looking at Armor (p. 150): consider bringing items to the carpet for students to explore (e.g., bike helmet, firefighter accessories) and then look at knight armor, focusing on vocabulary.
Emotions Crown Game (p. 155): play as described; choose four basic emotions with visuals for student choice when it is their turn.
Protection Reflection (p. 162): consider using only two resources for this activity such as the book "Dinosaur Armor" and the C4L Suit of Armor photo card.
"Happy and You Know It" (p. 169): complete as described.
Introduction to Maps (p. 170): consider using maps such as the school map, playground map, map of a nearby high interest area, etc.

Small Group

The following Small Group lessons are taught in Week 4 for 3-year-old classrooms. The suggested adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds.

Day 1, Castle Facts (p. 144-145): Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Read the book "Castle Facts". As you read, reiterate the use of labels to show the parts of an artifact or drawing. Ask the students to help think of labels for the parts of the castles throughout the book. On Day 2, they will make their own castles.
Day 2, Castle Facts (p. 144-145): Prior to the activity, print labels for parts of the castle. Read the labels for students for each part of the castle that could be included. Allow students to glue the labels on their drawings or use different materials and glue rather (e.g., foil, cut out construction paper shapes, ribbon, etc.).
Day 3, Emotions Story Writing (p. 156): Use the book "Evermore Dragon" as an example. Model the parts of a story (e.g., characters, problem, solution, etc.). Bring ideas for the students to use as parts of the story (e.g., names of students in the classroom, problems that happen at school, etc.). Allow students to use other materials as parts of their story drawings such as foil, construction paper shapes, etc.
Day 4, Armored and Safe (p. 163): Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards.

Fast Focus

The following Fast Focus lessons are completed during Week 4 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Pattern Me (p. 146): consider two movements for an AB pattern (e.g., horizontal and vertical or break down the movement for jumping jacks using horizontal and slanted); focus on the pattern and expose students to the vocabulary.
Get Set (p. 147): use a rhyming song with students names (e.g. Willabee Wallabee Woo) instead, or if students are ready, gather items that rhyme in a bag and have students pull them one at a time, modeling the language and rhyming aspect of each word.
Moves to Count (p. 152): encourage students to copy simple rhythms by clapping, using rhythm sticks or musical instruments.
Blending Bag (p. 152): review letters from this unit, starting with student names. For example, use "Oo" and "Uu" letter tubs one at a time and draw attention to the beginning sounds that are similar (e.g. /o/ctopus and /o/ctagon). Consider using Ee, Ii, or Uu so that "Sound Match" will include the other two letters.
"Doctor Knickerbocker Number 9" (p. 157): complete as described.
Sound Match Ee, Ii, Uu (p. 158): chose only two letters (make sure you include the letter you leave out for the "blending bag" activity). Use letters tubs and focus on one letter at a time, drawing attention to the beginning sounds.
Surprise Blending Bag (p. 165): if students are ready, clap syllables of the vocabulary words for this unit, if students are not ready, clap syllables and create a chart comparing who has 1, 2, or more syllables.
Stand, Squat, or Kneel (p. 166): consider repeating Pattern Me (p.146).

Centers

The following Unit 4 Learning Centers are provided for 3-year-olds during Weeks 3-4. Please see your Unit guide (p. 9-21) for more information about specific centers.

Art Center: Something to Share (p. 10): Provide students with crayons, markers, and pencils. Print out paper with a rectangle on it to recreate the front cover of a book to share with the class. The rectangle can have lines on it for students to practice writing symbolically for the title and author and a smaller rectangle to draw the picture on the front cover.
Book Nook: Book Scavenger Hunt (p. 12) make print outs with pictures and words for things from this unit such as dragons, castles and knights. Encourage students to make their own scavenger hunts for their friends- think of what categories they should include in their scavenger hunts and help them to draw pictures and write letters for their clues.
Computer Center: work on the prerequisite skills by playing with cause and effect toys; iPad/Chromebook games; isolation of pointer finger; I Spy games, etc.
Construction Zone: Build a castle (p. 13) supply students with photos of castles from around the world and their architectural blue prints. Remind them to think of the different parts of the castle such as pillars and courtyards.
Dramatic Play: Museum Gift Shop (p. 14) help students make signs for the items they would like to sell in the gift shop. Provide them with pretend money, a cash register, name tags, receipt pads, clipboards, paper and pencils.
Exploration Center: Plaster of Paris Fossils (p. 16) use plaster of Paris make fossils with your students! Provide items for students to make imprints like coins, buttons, and toys. Mix the plaster of Paris ahead of time and add the impression to make the fossil.
Games and Puzzles: Numbers Memory (p. 18) Use medium number cards and medium dot cards from C4L. Place the cards face down and see if the students can match the number cards to the dot cards using their memories. Start with smaller numbers and build with time.
Listening Center: add recordings of adults reading the Read Aloud books. Also add recordings of the students retelling Read Alouds.
Show What You Know Center: Armored and Safe (p. 19) assist children in creating armor to protect fragile things, such as hard boiled eggs. Supply the students with foil, cotton balls, small boxes, tissue paper, bubble wrap, and Styrofoam to protect their eggs.
Writing Center: Fairy Tale Author and Illustrator (p. 21) work with students in pairs to make their own Fairy Tale Stories. One child can be the author and one can be the illustrator. Provide them with premade stapled books and writing tools.

Week 5: March 31 - April 4

Table Time Centers

Art Center: Design a Dinosaur (p. 9): assist students with cutting out the tracing of a dinosaur. Supply students with felt, foil, sand paper, craft feathers, or other materials with various textures to decorate them; Make a Crown (p. 11): supply students with pre-cut crowns OR paper with a zig zag line in the middle to cut their own crown. Provide them with cut out shapes, jewels, and other materials to decorate their crowns; Mosaic Castles (p. 11): Provide students with paper to create their castles. Students will use their fingers to tear colorful construction paper into small pieces to glue onto their castles.
Construction Center: Castle Sizes (p. 13): have students create their castles on pieces of construction paper. Supply students with C4L 2D shapes for them to trace. Allow them to trace using using a pencil or tape to make outlines; Unifix Cube Towers: Students will make towers of varying heights to compare using language like "shorter" and "taller." Students can count the Unifix cubes for each tower to find out which towers have "more" and "less."; Tower and Bridge Building (p. 14): provide the students with plastic cups. Have them use the cups to build tall towers, bridges, and castles.
Games and Puzzles: Tangram/Shape puzzles: provide students with tangram puzzles and matching shapes for students to use, either bought or made yourself by cutting out shapes and laminating shapes and cards. You can make simple objects such as cars, trains, etc.; Shape Pictures (p. 17): Provide the students with colorful cut-out shapes, glue, and poster paper. Find out what the students can make with their cut-out shapes; Shape Mat Hop Board Game (p. 17): pre-make a gameboard and dice and use an item from the classroom as play pieces.
Writing Center: Tracing (p. 20): place traceable items in the writing center along with colored pencils and paper. Help the children with tracing strategies such as rotating the paper or moving their bodies to get a better angle; Letter Patterns (p. 20): Using magnets, foam, cut outs, or stickers, encourage students to use letters to make short letter patterns (AB or ABC patterns only); Museum Captions (p. 20): students can use the C4L letter cards and letter chart to make captions for museum items or pictures (photos of dinosaur fossils, toys from the classroom, or something students have made).

Read Aloud

The following adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds. Lesson plan pages are noted next to the titles.

"The Princess and the Pea" (p. 178)

Day 1: Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Read the story, completing the "Introduce the Text" and "Read the Text" sections from page 178.
Day 2: Reread the story while using the lesson from yesterday's reading as a review. Then complete the "After Reading" section on page 178. Instead of using "think-pair-share," discuss the questions as a group, guiding students to the answers as necessary.

"The Very Smart Pea and the Princess to Be" (p. 184)

Day 1: Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Complete the lesson as described on page 184 up through the "Read the Text" section.
Day 2: Finish the lesson as described on page 184 all the way through the "Continue the Learning" section.

Targeted Vocabulary

Fairy tale
Princess
Prince
Castle
Real
Imaginary

Connect

The following Connect lessons are completed during Week 5 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Subitize! (p. 179, 185): Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Start with groups of 3, then 5.
Teamwork-It Gets a Building Built! (p. 180): complete this activity, naming the jobs of the pictures you are presenting (e.g., stonemason, engineer). Consider having pictures of specific types of jobs from a construction site you can add to your construction zone after the activity.
Meet the Experts-Planners and Designers (p. 186): consider referring to block tower images you may have utilized from previous units, sharing these as "blueprints", or have simple blueprints students can use as visuals. Use pictures of block structures or items students have made during project time to teach that students can be "engineers".
Prince and Princess Problem Solving (p. 192): consider utilizing visuals for problem and solution or 3 picture cards to represent beginning, middle, end of solving a solution.
I Know What You're Thinking (p. 198): consider asking students to help you sort simple shapes - start with two attributes, then increase amount of attributes as students are ready.
Meet the Experts-Construction Site (p. 199, 206): review the jobs on a construction site you are highlighting from the lesson "Teamwork-It Gets a Building Built!" - create or share the castle building steps you will be doing in small groups.
How High? (p. 205): give students five blocks each for this activity or do up to 10 as a group.

Small Group

The following Small Group lessons are taught in Week 5 for 3-year-old classrooms. The suggested adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds.

Day 1, Writing Museum Captions (p. 181): Provide visuals of items that could be captioned. Use one word for captions or short phrases and allow students to add appropriate pre-writing strokes.
Day 2, Numbers Memory (p. 188): Keep the numeral cards face up and turn the dot cards face down. Guide the students when labeling the numerals, then have them turn over the dot card to count and determine if they match.
Day 3, Subitize! (p. 187): Have the students match the dots on C4L dot cards to the dots on the die, then place a cube over each dot to count the cubes. Alternatively, prior to the activity, create die with fewer dots on each side (e.g., a die with sides of one, two and three dots) for students to recognize the set.
Day 4, Design a Castle (p. 200): Complete the first part of the activity by having the children help you re-create one of the block castles shown on a blueprint created in advance. Remind them that they are following a plan, kind of like the blueprints that architects and drafters use. Put the blueprints, precut labels, and other materials for building castles in the construction center.

Fast Focus

The following Fast Focus lessons are completed during Week 5 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Pattern Claps (p. 182): encourage students to copy simple rhythms by clapping, using rhythm sticks or musical instruments.
The Letter Cc (p. 183): consider starting first with the letter "Cc" in students' names paired with the sounds they make. Use Lila to "find the friend" whose name starts with that letter. Then use physical objects that start with the letter "Cc".
Simon Shows (p. 189): consider using dot cards up to 3, then 5. As students are ready, consider having visuals of simple movements.
Sound Match Cc, Jj, and Uu (p. 190): chose only two letters, using letters tubs to focus on one letter at a time, drawing attention to the beginning sounds.
"I'm So Glad to See You" (p. 194): consider singing the rhyme up to 5 and then repeating, if times allows.
The Letter Vv (p. 195): consider starting first with the letter "Vv" in students' names paired with the sounds they make. Use Lila to "find the friend" whose name starts with that letter. Then use physical objects that start with the letter "Vv".
Cc and Vv Sort (p. 201): chose only two letters, using letters tubs to focus on one letter at a time, drawing attention to the beginning sounds.
Conrad the Confused Crow Explores Shapes (p. 202): Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Review simple shapes; consider allowing students to each have their own set of shapes to hold up.

Centers

The following Unit 4 Learning Centers are provided for 3-year-olds during Weeks 1-2. Please see your Unit guide (p. 9-21) for more information about specific centers.

Art Center: Painting with Bubbles (p. 11) Pre-make bubble solution using 1/2 cup dish detergent, 4 tablespoons glycerin, 4 and 1/2 cups of water and food coloring in a tub. Using a straw, the students can blow into the bubble solution to create bubbles across the surface then gently press the paper into the bubble. Assist the students with blowing bubbles and pressing the paper onto the bubbles.
Book Nook: Favorite Book Collection (p. 12) help students sort and categorize the books into book collections such as fiction and non-fiction, books about dragons, dinosaurs or castles, etc.
Computer Center: work on the prerequisite skills by playing with cause and effect toys; iPad/Chromebook games; isolation of pointer finger; I Spy games, etc.
Construction Zone: Dinosaur Bones (p. 13) provide students with C4L photos of dinosaur fossils, tape, and various recycled materials such as utensils, plastic bottles, paper towel rolls, etc. Assist students with replicating dinosaur fossils with the recycled materials.
Dramatic Play: Archeologists and Paleontologists (p. 14) provide students with items to be paleontologists and archeologists such as field vests, small paint brushes, dinosaur toys, pretend bones, rocks, shells and magnifying glasses.
Exploration Center: Nature Collections (p. 17) help students explore for objects outdoors. They can collect branches, leaves, small stones, and other items from nature. Allow them to add the collections to their museum to display.
Games and Puzzles: Math Magic (p. 18) start with numbers 1-5 and then build over time. Students can put the cards down face up in the correct order then flip them over so they are face down. Students can guess the numbers on the cards by using their magical powers and check by flipping the cards over.
Listening Center: add recordings of adults reading the Read Aloud books. Also add recordings of the students retelling Read Alouds.
Show What You Know Center: "On Monday When it Rained" (p. 19) supply students with mirrors and cameras. Students can practice making expressions to match the feelings of disappointment, frustration, and sadness. The students can take photos and videos of each other making these expressions and, for a challenge, telling stories for why they feel this way.
Writing Center: Museum Invitations (p. 19) after starting invitations on week 5 day 3, provide materials for students to create or continue to work on their invitations. Supply students with paper, crayons, markers, and examples of invitations.

Week 6: April 7 - 11

Table Time Centers

Art Center: Design a Dinosaur (p. 9): assist students with cutting out the tracing of a dinosaur. Supply students with felt, foil, sand paper, craft feathers, or other materials with various textures to decorate them; Make a Crown (p. 11): supply students with pre-cut crowns OR paper with a zig zag line in the middle to cut their own crown. Provide them with cut out shapes, jewels, and other materials to decorate their crowns; Mosaic Castles (p. 11): Provide students with paper to create their castles. Students will use their fingers to tear colorful construction paper into small pieces to glue onto their castles.
Construction Center: Castle Sizes (p. 13): have students create their castles on pieces of construction paper. Supply students with C4L 2D shapes for them to trace. Allow them to trace using using a pencil or tape to make outlines; Unifix Cube Towers: Students will make towers of varying heights to compare using language like "shorter" and "taller." Students can count the Unifix cubes for each tower to find out which towers have "more" and "less."; Tower and Bridge Building (p. 14): provide the students with plastic cups. Have them use the cups to build tall towers, bridges, and castles.
Games and Puzzles: Tangram/Shape puzzles: provide students with tangram puzzles and matching shapes for students to use, either bought or made yourself by cutting out shapes and laminating shapes and cards. You can make simple objects such as cars, trains, etc.; Shape Pictures (p. 17): Provide the students with colorful cut-out shapes, glue, and poster paper. Find out what the students can make with their cut-out shapes; Shape Mat Hop Board Game (p. 17): pre-make a gameboard and dice and use an item from the classroom as play pieces.
Writing Center: Tracing (p. 20): place traceable items in the writing center along with colored pencils and paper. Help the children with tracing strategies such as rotating the paper or moving their bodies to get a better angle; Letter Patterns (p. 20): Using magnets, foam, cut outs, or stickers, encourage students to use letters to make short letter patterns (AB or ABC patterns only); Museum Captions (p. 20): students can use the C4L letter cards and letter chart to make captions for museum items or pictures (photos of dinosaur fossils, toys from the classroom, or something students have made).

Read Aloud

The following adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds. Lesson plan pages are noted next to the titles.

"On Monday When It Rained" (p. 226)

Day 1: Read the book, drawing attention to the emotions throughout the story.
Day 2: Complete the lesson as described on pages 226 and 227.

"Going to a Museum" (p. 233)

Day 1: Prior to the lesson, review the "Processes" box to support direct teaching of standards. Complete the lesson as described on page 233 up through the "Read the Text" section. Bring Meet the Dinosaurs from week 2 as a point of reference for labels.
Day 2: As you read the book today, draw attention to the labels by asking the students to tell you what the arrow is pointing at. For example, on page 15 of the book, there is a label for the word "fossil." Read the page, show the label, show what the label is pointing to, and see if students can infer from context what is being labeled. Utilize the Meet the Dinosaurs text from week 2 as necessary.

Targeted Vocabulary

Museum
Collection
Exhibit
Lonely
Worried
Frustrated
Scared

Connect

The following Connect lessons are completed during Week 6 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Introduce the Museum Gift Shop (p. 215): focus on the steps "chose a toy, bring to the cashier, give money" adding a visual to dramatic play. Encourage students to count how many items they are buying or how much money they have after the purchase, starting with small sets.
Math Magic (p. 221): focus on adding one more or one less and counting with 1:1 correspondence to 3, and then 5, when students are ready.
Emotions Game: Children's Choice (p. 228): utilize "At a glance", consider choosing 2 games for students to vote on.
Conrad The Confused Crow Compares (p. 234): show students a set of 1 to 4 objects and ask them to reproduce the same set.
Exhibit Map (p. 235): utilize pictures of your classroom and visuals such as your activity board for this activity. Consider showing students a pre-made map and working together or in smaller groups to find an item in one of the exhibits created during this unit.
How High? (p. 240): complete as described, with up to 5 blocks and focus on 1:1 correspondence as well the concept of adding one more.
Day At The Museum (p. 240): complete as described.

Small Group

The following Small Group lessons are taught in Week 6 for 3-year-old classrooms. The suggested adaptations are intended for use with the Connect4Learning lesson plans and are used when planning for 3-year-olds.

Day 1, Build a Castle (p. 216-217): After practicing using blocks to follow your blueprints last week, have students design their own blueprints for this activity. Allow students to trace blocks for their blueprints, or cut out and glue 2D shapes that match the 3D blocks they used.
Day 2, Museum Gift Shop (p. 223): Model shopping with students or staff members and use pictures of shoppers in stores. Use fewer objects for students to shop for.
Day 3, "On Monday" Class Book (p. 229): Have each student make one page. Help students select one emotion and have them draw or create (using various materials) a picture of what made them have this emotion (e.g., sad because I dropped my ice cream).
Day 4, Writing Museum Signs (p. 236): For children who need more support, select shorter words or phrases. As you write the labels, encourage students to use pre-writing strokes to support developmentally appropriate writing.

Fast Focus

The following Fast Focus lessons are completed during Week 6 for 3-year-old classrooms:

Estimation Jar Guesstimate (p. 218): consider starting with smaller numbers based on what your students are able to count to (5, then 10).
The Letter Bag (p. 219, 225): chose only two letters, using letters tubs to focus on one letter at a time, drawing attention to the beginning sounds.
How High? (p. 224): complete as described- consider using 5 blocks, up to 10 depending on student skill level.
Simon Shows (p. 231): consider using numbers up to 3, and then 5, as students are able, using the same action visual as previously.
Blending Bag Treasure Hunt (p. 232, 237): if students are ready, clap syllables of the vocabulary words for this unit. If students are not ready, clap syllables of student names.
Conrad the Confused Crow Counts (p. 238): complete as described, but with 3 or 5 objects depending on student skill level.

Centers

The following Unit 4 Learning Centers are provided for 3-year-olds during Weeks 5-6. Please see your Unit guide (p. 9-21) for more information about specific centers.

Art Center: Painting with Bubbles (p. 11) Pre-make bubble solution using 1/2 cup dish detergent, 4 tablespoons glycerin, 4 and 1/2 cups of water and food coloring in a tub. Using a straw, the students can blow into the bubble solution to create bubbles across the surface then gently press the paper into the bubble. Assist the students with blowing bubbles and pressing the paper onto the bubbles.
Book Nook: Favorite Book Collection (p. 12) help students sort and categorize the books into book collections such as fiction and non-fiction, books about dragons, dinosaurs or castles, etc.
Computer Center: work on the prerequisite skills by playing with cause and effect toys; iPad/Chromebook games; isolation of pointer finger; I Spy games, etc.
Construction Zone: Dinosaur Bones (p. 13) provide students with C4L photos of dinosaur fossils, tape, and various recycled materials such as utensils, plastic bottles, paper towel rolls, etc. Assist students with replicating dinosaur fossils with the recycled materials.
Dramatic Play: Archeologists and Paleontologists (p. 14) provide students with items to be paleontologists and archeologists such as field vests, small paint brushes, dinosaur toys, pretend bones, rocks, shells and magnifying glasses.
Exploration Center: Nature Collections (p. 17) help students explore for objects outdoors. They can collect branches, leaves, small stones, and other items from nature. Allow them to add the collections to their museum to display.
Games and Puzzles: Math Magic (p. 18) start with numbers 1-5 and then build over time. Students can put the cards down face up in the correct order then flip them over so they are face down. Students can guess the numbers on the cards by using their magical powers and check by flipping the cards over.
Listening Center: add recordings of adults reading the Read Aloud books. Also add recordings of the students retelling Read Alouds.
Show What You Know Center: "On Monday When it Rained" (p. 19) supply students with mirrors and cameras. Students can practice making expressions to match the feelings of disappointment, frustration, and sadness. The students can take photos and videos of each other making these expressions and, for a challenge, telling stories for why they feel this way.
Writing Center: Museum Invitations (p. 19) after starting invitations on week 5 day 3, provide materials for students to create or continue to work on their invitations. Supply students with paper, crayons, markers, and examples of invitations.

*Please note: any page numbers related to Connect4Learning are from Edition 1

Resources

Maryland Early Learning Standards (0-48 months) Links to an external site.

PK3 (Preschool) Adapted C4L Crosswalk (Aligns New Maryland Early Learning Standards to HCPSS Adapted C4L Guide for PK3) Links to an external site.

PK3 Standards Companion Guide Links to an external site.

Connect4Learning Long Range Plans for 3-Year-Olds Links to an external site.

EC-LETRS Optional Curriculum Resources Links to an external site.

This course content is offered under a CC Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike Links to an external site. license. Content in this course can be considered under this license unless otherwise noted.