Welcome back to school!

I hope everyone had a restful and refreshing break and are ready to jump back into learning. We are going to start off the year with a study on
stories. We use stories every day as we read books, prompt the children to recall events from the day, and engage in imaginative play. Stories create a familiar pattern for
children with a beginning, middle, and end- we use this pattern while we teach social-emotional skills and conflict resolution. We prompt the children to retell events in a
story format: Once upon a time Billy was playing with blocks with Susie. Billy was building a tall tower when Susie crashed the tower; Billy felt sad and angry, and began to
cry. Susie gave Billy a hug and helped Billy rebuild is tower. Now Billy feels calm and is ready to keep playing. The children provide the details and each new step of the story
as we draw out the problem-solving techniques they are using. (The Whole Brain Child, Siegel). Seeing ones own struggles laid out in this pattern connects children to the
characters in the stories we read and hear; we recognize the emotions and solutions played out there. Empathy is founded on these connections.
The foundation of this unit will be the components of stories: authors, illustrators, storytellers; characters, settings, plot. Well practice telling and illustrating our own stories,
and over the course of the month well dive into some of our favorite stories in each of our small groups. The whole Center will work together to create a stage play based on
our own original script. The children will create every aspect of the play and will perform it at the end of the month! I am so excited to see where the their creativity leads.
If you have a favorite story or book you like to tell at home, wed love to hear it! We are inviting the children to bring in their favorite books from home to share at large
groups, and will be telling stories and nursery rhymes throughout the day.
Happy new year!

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Our blog has teacher profiles, lesson plans, menus, articles, and much more!

33. explores the

visual arts

28. uses tools and

other technology
to perform tasks

Stapled booklets

Straw + farm
animals, tongs,
scoops

Study in purple;
watercolors,
stamps (easel)
Tempura paints
(blue, purple,
white, pink)
*Remember to
write names and
dates on childrens
artwork; include a
transcript of the
childs description
of what theyre
making
Draw attention to
the colors of the
silk flowers. How
can you use these
colors in your art?
Search the animal
encyclopedias for
animals and plants
that have the same
coloring.

Kenetic sand: 5c.

sand + 3c. flour
+ 1c. oil

30. shows basic

understanding of
people and how
they live.
Dishes + food,
babies + clothes,
cell phones,
purses, backpacks,
occupation
costumes, cradle

Would this straw

make a good
house?

Narrate the story

that the children
play out.

Which tool moves

the straw most
effectively?

Use the clipboard

to write down the
story and
encourage the
children to add
detail, or add
illustrations

Can you stack

enough sand to
reach the top of
the sensory table?
How could you
make a star shape
in the sand?

Prompt the
children to
transcribe their
play narrative into
a storybook in the
art studio.

20. uses number

concepts and
patterns
People counting
collection
balance scale

7. demonstrates
fine-motor
strength and
coordination
Animal & plant
encyclopedias,
microscope,
clipboards +
pencils

18a. interacts
during read-alouds
and book
conversations

21a. understands
special
relationships

The Book With No

Pictures, Alexander
and the Terrible,
Horrible, No
Good, Very Bad
Day

Unit blocks +
ramps,
MagnaTiles, large
cars, giant blocks,
train set, wooden
road pieces, foam
road pieces, air
vehicles

Sort flower pieces

into parts of the
flower, or by color,
or size

Identify the
character and
setting of the
story.

Can you build a

house like the
three little pigs?

Use the
microscope to
examine the silk
flowers and grass.

What problems are

they having?

number bean bags

3-D animal block
puzzle
Can you make a
group the same
size as mine?
Can you find the
feet that match this
head piece?
Weve made a new
animal by
combining these
pieces. What is this
animal called?
What does he like?
What does he eat?

silk flower parts +

bowls

Record your
findings on the
clipboards.
Move to the art
studio to use
additional
materials to record
observations.

What are they

feeling?
Have you ever felt
that way?
What would you
do?

25. demonstrates
knowledge of the
characteristics of
living things
#1: Playdough +
mats, wooden
tools

What worked for

them?

#2 : planting grass
(seed, planters,
soil, shovels, spray
bottles, squeeze
bottles)
How do the
wooden play
dough tools
compare to the
plastic ones we
used last year?

How would you

build if you were
one of the three
pigs?

What would
happen if you used
something else to
build?

The pigs were

building their
homes. What is
your home made
from?

What would
happen if a wolf
blew on this
building?

26. demonstrates knowledge of the

physical properties of objects
Water color palettes, paintbrushes
Water droppers, water colors
Color in the snow- color mixing

27. demonstrates knowledge of Earths

environment
Frozen construction paper

21. explores and describes spatial

relationships and shapes
shovels

2d. makes friends

Catch falling snow on paper, observe the

crystals

Build an igloo: pack snow into blocks and

use snow as cement.

Hide-and-seek the ball in the snow

Light-up ball

Project Overview
The DDE is putting on a play! We will be authors and illustrators as we write our own story with characters, plot, and settings. Well explore how the elements of a story reflect
our own struggles and triumphs and teach us lessons. Children will design a theater piece around a story and work together to write a script, design sets, rehearse a play, and
advertise to families.
Objectives
Teaching Strategies Gold Creative Curriculum objectives
14b. engages in sociodramatic play
9a. uses an expanding expressive vocabulary
3. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations
36. Explores drama through actions and language
18c. retells stories
29. Demonstrates knowledge about self
PART 1: what is a story?
We will explore the concepts of authors and illustrators as we practice making up
stories, writing them down, creating characters, and imagining settings. Well think
about problem-solving and explore empathy as we consider the feelings of the
characters.
PART 3: rehearsals
After choosing a story, the children will begin learning the storyline and exploring it in
new ways, asking Why did that character choose what he did? What would happen if
he chose something different?, and Have I ever faced a choice like this?. We will
build sets, assemble costumes, and put ourselves into the characters shoes.

PART 2: stories
Well look at familiar stories and identify the characters, setting, and plot (the
problem, solutions, and emotions of the characters). The children will choose a story
to perform.
PART 4: performing the show
We will perform our show at the end of the month, will all the DDE children
participating. The children will sing songs or play characters, be directors, set
designers, and audience members. Advertisements and posters will be designed and
placed around the Center to invite all DDE families to come to see our show!

#1: Stories

#2: Straw

#3: Sticks

#4: Bricks

What are stories, and why do

we tell them? Explore the
elements of a story: author,
illustrator, character, setting,
emotions, plot: problem,
solution

Explore the materials of the

Three Little Pigs: the first little
pig used straw to build his
house. Well use drinking
straws to represent straw
and use them in new ways to
construct buildings and make
art.
Build structures from
straws + toilet tubes
Build with straws + tape
Make art with paint
blown through straws

Explore the materials of the

Three Little Pigs: the second
little pig used sticks. We will
collect sticks outside and use
them in art projects.

Explore the materials of the

Three Little Pigs: the third
little pig used bricks for build
the most stable of the three
houses. Well build houses
and test them against wind
and hair dryers.

Read a book without

pictures and draw
pictures to accompany
the story
Read a book without
words and write a story
Tell 3 Little Pigs
The Book With No
Pictures
Clipboards, paper,
crayons
Butcher paper, crayons
3 Little Pigs finger
puppets, add Lincoln Logs
18c. retells stories

Collect sticks from the

playground
Thread pony beads onto
sticks
Sticks mural

Straws, toilet paper tubes, Sticks, baskets

hole punch, trays
Pony beads, bowls, sticks,
Straws, painters tape,
play-dough stands
scotch tape, trays
Butcher paper, school
Straws, scissors, canvas
glue, hot glue gun,
papers, marker, cups,
popsicle sticks, sticks
paint
23. demonstrates knowledge
11e. shoes flexibility and
of patterns
inventiveness in thinking

Build Lego structures and

test against breath and
hair dryer
Predict, observe, reflect
and chart blowing
experiment; revise and try
again
Legos, butcher paper,
white board + marker,
hair dryer
Clipboards, paper,
crayons

24. uses scientific skills