| Curriculum Map 2006-2007 | |||
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The Dwight School |
| Content | Purpose/ Objectives | Activities/ Assessments | Resources | ||
| My Body (Week 1, 6 Weeks) |
Who We Are Different systems and senses work together in human beings, who in their turn play a role in maintaining these systems. An inquiry into: -The principal life systems in the human body and how they work -Our five senses -Our responsibility in maintaining healthy body systems. |
How do our body systems enable us to function effectively throughout our life? What action do we take to ensure our body systems are able to function correctly? What features of our bodies do we share with the rest of our species, and which are unique to us? How do the bodily systems work together? |
Carry out experiments to explore our five senses and how they help us function -Activities to disable certain senses to help illustrate their importance. -Find out what we know: students fill out a blank human body with organs and label. -Children as detectives: use manipulatives and media to become familiar with the body systems -Specialist visitor: Pediatrician talking about germs and illnesses -School nurse comes in to talk about how to keep our selves clean and germ-free. -Focus on circulation and respiration: Discussion and exploration of the role of the heart in pumping blood and its relationship to the role of the lungs -Body Books: Children compose a body book, which compares the different systems of the human body (circulatory, muscular, skeletal) -Focus on Organs: Discussion about the major organs and how they work together to keep us alive and well -Collect “did you know” facts from a selection of non-fiction books about our bodies -Focus on Digestion: partner reading and research about what happens to our food when we eat -Discussions about nutrition, exercise, and how effectively we use these to keep our bodies working -Keep food diaries over a weekend, recording and drawing what we eat to see how well we followed the food group guidelines -Learn about the food pyramid -Investigate different causes and cures for the factors that affect our bodies negatively (e.g., diseases) -Research Project: Each child researches on a body system and presents it to the class |
Selected library book titles about the human body Specialist visitor (natural- path doctor) Skeleton model, various body part models, informational posters  |
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| Why a Poem? (Week 1, 6 Weeks) |
How We Express Ourselves Poetry is one medium, incorporating many different forms, through which human beings express their feelings and ideas. An inquiry into: What defines a poem and sets it apart from other written communications Poetry as a means of expression The different forms of poetry |
What is a poem? What different types of poems are there? How do people express themselves and their ideas through poetry? |
Brainstorm questions which children have about poems. Discuss how poems make one feel. Group poems into different genres. Introduce children to a variety of poems using tapes, books, posters, videos, and poets. Write acrostic poems. Investigate and practice alliteration. Children write alliteration poems. Write your own poems Poetry Reading at Barnes and Noble(children read/present poems they have written to an audience) Introduce the history and idea of Haiku poetry. Write and illustrate haikus. Investigate syllables. Deconstruct haiku into syllables. Investigate poetry that can take shape. Investigate Shel Silverstein's poetry works. Children work in groups to recite poetry for performance. Explore simile and metaphor. Using color as a basis, children will write poetry using similes. Listen to and investigate poems which use rhyming. Practice writing rhyming couplets. Write poems using learned poetry concepts. Poetry exercise in response to looking at historical artifacts. Participate in the publishing process. Children will publish their pieces into book form. Use rubric to evaluate own performance of poetry. |
Selected library titles Poetry posters and tapes Internet sites teacher website |
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| folktales tell (Week 1, 6 Weeks) |
How We Express Ourselves Folktales, both oral and written, universally express cultural inheritance and values. An inquiry into: Story telling Folktales from all over the world The use of folktales to transmit cultural values and core beliefs |
a) What are folktales? Why are they important? b) How can you tell where each story takes place? c) Are there any folktales from your countries? d) What is a moral? Do all folktales have morals? 1. Are folktales fiction? 2. What was the first fairytale? 3. Who was the inventor of Folktales? 4. Why do we have different versions? 5. Why do Folktales exist? 6. How long have Folktales been around? 7. Why are Folktales about people? 8. Are there any animal Folktales without people? 9. How old is the oldest Folktale? 10. What does “folk” tale mean? 11. Why do we read them? 12. Are there any real people in Folktales? 13. Do all the Folktales have princesses in them? 14. Is the tooth fairy real? 15. Do Folktales have indexes? 16. Which country has the most Folktales? 17. Do Folktales always have magical events in them? 18. Do Folktales get translated? 19. What’s the most popular Folktale ever? |
By reading different Cinderella tales from around the world By reading different folktales from around the world By researching cultural and traditional values from the countries the stories originated from By identifying similarities and differences in folktales from different countries by using a Venn Diagram By graphing results French: French folktales Art: Make their own creation - myth or mask Students will be assessed through rubrics on their oral presentation. Students will comment on their results of their graphs Students will create their own folktale Students are able to list similarities and differences among folktales from around the world Journal writing-responses to folktales Student self-assessment: They will be able to critique their own work. |
Raisel’s Riddle by Erica Silverman The Way Meat Loves Salt by Nina Jaffe The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo Muforo’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe Yeh Shen by Ai-Ling Louie Cendrillon by Robert D. San Souci The Golden Sandal by Rebecca Hickox The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo Baba Yaga and Vasilissa The Brave by Marianna Mayer Vasilissa The Beautiful by Elizabeth Winthrop Sootface by Robert D. San Souchi The World Book Encyclopedia Volumes 3,4,6 |
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| The Unbroken Cycle (Week 1, 6 Weeks) |
How the World Works All living things have their own lifecycles and at the same time are interdependent with other living things.Some organisms become extinct over time. An inquiry into: The differences and similarities in the life cycles of various species. The symbiosis of life cycles in ecosystems. Interaction among organisms:positive and negative effects. information about life cycles |
What is a life cycle? What are the similarities and differences in the life cycles of various species? In what ways are living things interdependent? life cycles |
Brainstorm questions about life cycles. What is a life cycle? What do living organisms need in order to maintain a healthy life cycle? Stages of the life cycle of the butterflies Review and discuss the different stages of the butterfly life cycle Prepare a PYP presentation about the stages of a butterfly -Distinguish between living and non-living things. -Creative Writing: Children pretend to be a seed and write a story from the seed's point of view, describing its journey through the life cycle -Regular periodic work in the 89th street community garden -Art connection: Various field trips to a variety of gardens. Children sketch their observations. -Discussion: Why are there plants on the planet? -Focus: Butterfly/Dandelion/Frog Life Cycle -Field Trip: Butterfly exhibit at the Museum of Natural History Planting seeds and marking in journal all the steps needed and observations when germination takes place Examine the needs of living things relevant to their life cycles Research Project: Children will research the life cycle of one animal, writing the needs of the animal and the stages of its life cycle Venn diagram showing the similarities and differences of different life cycles Rubric to compare life cycles of mammals, insects, birds, reptiles, and amphibians What environmental issues affect life cycles? |
Selected library book titles American Museum of Natural History Central Park (signs of life observation walk) American Museum of Natural Historyscience/life cyclesscience for kids |
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| Let's Move It (Week 1, 6 Weeks) |
Let's Move It People have created things over time to move themselves and objects from one place to anohter. Technology and other developments have modified means of transportaion, for good or ill. An inquiry into: The many varied froms of transportation worldwide and their specific function. How developing technology has affected transport over time. |
Why do we need transportation? How have means of transport changed since they were first invented? How has transportation changed peoples' lives? How does transportation affect the environment? |
Brainstorm a list of student questions about transportation. Invent our own transportation that must be able to travel over bumpy land, through water, and across sand dunes. ompose a class list of know types of transportation. Make transportation collages in small groups. Share collages with whole class. Field Trip: Roosevelt Island, using subways, tram and bus. -Create Transportation Acrostic Poems. -Conduct a traffic survey on CPW and 89th Street, partnering up and choosing a mode of transportation to track. Compile findings and make a large graph to show results. Collect "did you know" facts from non-fiction books, preparing them for a PYP presentation. Research different modes of transportation from horses to ferries. Draw four transportations we have used in our lifetimes, explaining the specific purpose we used them for. Draw detailed pictures of the transportation we saw on our field trip to Roosevelt Island. Complete a "Favorite Mode of Transport" worksheet. |
Selected library book titles (both fiction and non-fiction) Resources of New York City: Subway trains, buses, Roosevelt Island tram, Central Park West (to track traffic). |
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| Parks (Week 1, 6 Weeks) |
How We Share the Planet As a response to urbanization, human beings have felt the need to create and maintain parks throughout our history. An inquiry into: The reason for parks The history of parks Features of parks Human Responsibility Case study: Central Park |
What is the purpose of having parks? What defines a park? Who uses parks? What is the role of people in relation to parks? Who takes care of parks? What is important for the park community? |
Brainstorm a list of uses for a specific park such as Central Park & discuss how many different people with different interests use the space Identify and compare the many types of parks and their purposes i.e. National Parks, Skate-parks, Pocket Parks Central Park ’eye spy’- visit various areas in Central Park, looking for features such as fountains and sports grounds to identify on a sheet Study the animals that make parks their habitat and create a fact sheet for each one Interview people from the park community to gain further knowledge about parks and how they are used Research history of Central Park and compile findings into class book Identify all the parks in New York City by using clue sheet and map with numbered parks outlined Create a plan of their “Dream Park’ using existing symbols and key as well as inventing their own Building their dream park (together with their fourth grade reading buddies) Write personal pledges to parks for the future. |
Central Park Various parks throughout New York City Selected library books (both fiction and non-fiction) Central Park Rangers City Parks& Recreation |
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| Celebrations (Week 9, 6 Weeks) |
Where We Are in Place and Time Families recognize important personal and cultural events through celebrations and traditions. Sharing celebrations enhances our appreciation and understanding of other people and cultures. An inquiry into: The reason for celebrations How celebrations have changed over time How people celebrate The similarities and differences between celebrations Ways of sharing cultural manifestations |
What kinds of traditions or events do people celebrate and why? How do families celebrate and why? What traditions do families have as part of their celebrations? How and why have family traditions changed over time? What elements of celebrations are universal? What are some similarities and differences between celebrations? How can people learn to appreciate other family traditions? |
Initial activity – ‘me and my celebration’. Child details their most familiar shared festivities and shares it with peers. Brainstorming all other celebrations we are familiar with as a class to make as long a list as possible. Parent visitor series Three Kings Day (French) Dutch Sinterklaas Maslenica (Russia) Hanukkah Polish celebrations Hungarian Easter Chinese New Year Tooth Fairy and other ways the world celebrates loosing a tooth when you are a child Children have a question-and -answer session with the parent visitor to learn about each celebration. Activities based on each celebration vary with each parent but usually include food, music, and any costumes or traditions. Making fireworks from card and paper to display in classroom during the Chinese New Year Making dragons to aid the Chinese New Year celebration Imaginary writing activity – If I were the Tooth Fairy Children research how Christmas is celebrated all over the world and present the results to the class Reflection Writing about a celebration we have studied that child does not celebrate. What did you learn and what did you enjoy? |
Parent volunteers Selected library books Websites Chinese lesson French lesson |
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Updated: Monday, January 08, 2007 |
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