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Molly Moniere

Curriculum Development

September 5th, 2015


Paper #1

A trip into the ocean.

Children are like balloons. Like a balloon, each childs knowledge has the ability to
expand. Their world expands every day. Picture a balloon being filled with air. The air is the
knowledge and the balloon is the childs brain. It can expand to unimaginable lengths. If you
think about it, young children are one of the most incredible things in the world. One day they
know what the beach is and the next thing you know, theyll be coming home to tell you about
the ocean. As a teacher, its our job to help children achieve their goals. We help them expand
their knowledge and we help them push their brains. But like a balloon, its important not to push
a child too far. Pushing a child too far, or too fast can be damaging. However, not challenging
them enough can be problematic too. Each child has a different range of abilities and its a
teachers job to try to stay within a comfortable range for all of their students. In teaching we
call this being developmentally appropriate. By being developmentally appropriate, or DAP, we
help children attain success by meeting them where they are. Being a part of their success is
truly incredible.
When I was asked to pick a theme and marry it, I blanched. Logically I understood that I
wouldnt be able to switch themes in a real child care center. However, I found the whole
process limiting. Naturally, with my mindset I stumbled, a lot. After a long series of trials and
errors, I stumbled upon an a octopus math lesson plan. Once I saw the lesson plan, I was
hooked, line and sinker. I spent the next few hours researching the theme. I found the
possibilities endless and I knew that the ocean would be my theme.

My theme is appropriate in many ways. One way my theme is appropriate is that its very
child centered. It is child centered because it is a concept the children would be interested in
and it develops from something many children have already experienced.The classroom could
easily be designed for intentional teaching. The setup of the classroom could also lend itself to
the children's education. For example, during a week where the children are learning about
dolphins, I would have dolphin books in the reading center. I would also have dolphin posters,
puzzles, and activities to help the children scaffold their knowledge.
Another key component of having an appropriate theme is being developmentally
appropriate. My theme is designed with the child in mind. I would start the unit by asking the
children about the beach. Most children from our tiny block of the planet have been to the
beach, so as a class we could make a list of what the children know during circle time. By doing
so, I would gain an understanding of the children's knowledge. After obtaining this information, I
would be able to develop lesson plans that will help children expand their knowledge. For
example if the children listed water or swimming, I would be able to tell them that there are
places where they could swim in a large body of water called the ocean. It would provide a
stepping stone for the children to learn the new information. This is called teaching through
meaningful experiences. Having material readily available around the classroom will help the
children understand the new information. The setup of the classroom will also encourage the
children to explore the new information through exploration. If we were introducing whales, it
would be intentional teaching to have plastic whales of different species in the water table. By
having both large and small group activities, as well as manipulatives, the classroom will
encourage social interaction and language development.
It is also important to focus the curriculum on the whole child. To do so, the teacher
would need to focus on how the lessons benefit the child. For example, the teacher could do a
large motor activity in which the children would make believe they were whales swimming in the
ocean. The teacher could use a song such as Baby Beluga. By doing this, the teacher would

align the lesson with the Head Start Early Learning Framework. This particular lesson would
develop the child physically and create curiosity. For example, if the goal was to develop a
childs knowledge of the world, a teacher would not plan five math lessons. To enhance a childs
cognition the teacher could plan a social studies activity. In a small group the children could
make wave bottles. Afterwards, the teacher could teach the children about the different oceans
and brainstorm with the children about what animals live in the ocean based on the previous
lessons. Doing this would align the lesson with the early learning framework because it
encourages logic. This lesson provides a symbolic representation of the ocean for the children
to experience as well as allowing the children to talk about their new knowledge of what lives in
the ocean. For a science lesson, the teacher could find objects that float in salt water but sink in
fresh water, such as styrofoam. The teacher could host a small group activity where the teacher
discusses the difference between ocean water and beach water. The children would be able to
smell the differences in the water. Next the teacher could have the children place items into
each of the water bins. If the item sank the teacher could explain to the children why. Explaining
things to children helps them understand the world around them and helps align this lesson with
the early learning framework. This lesson would fall under science knowledge. The ocean theme
conveniently allow the teacher to create developmentally appropriate lessons that develop the
whole child while adhering to the Head Start Early Learning Framework
Curriculum planning is designed to teach children something new. As teachers,
its our job to make sure that we are expanding a childs metaphorical balloon and not breaking
it. The key component to this is being developmentally appropriate. I look forward to learning
how best to make my lesson ideas follow my theme and develop childrens knowledge.

Work Cited

Jackman, H. L. (2015). Early education curriculum: A childs connection to the world.5 th


Ed.Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning [4th Ed.]
Copple, C. & Bredekamp, S. (2006). Basics of developmentally appropriate
practice.Washington

DC: NAEYC

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. (ND)
The Head Start Child Development And Early Learning Framework. Curriculum
Development, SUNY Canton. Canton, NY.

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