Unit 1: Our Community
A primary goal for the first unit of study, Our Community, is for children and teachers to build relationships and the foundation for a strong, interdependent community of learners, developing shared dispositions, language, and habits. In Our Community, the center activities, read alouds, and writing lessons are specially designed for new kindergartners to develop habits of interdisciplinary learning.
Big Ideas* ● Individuals, or citizens, come together to work, live, learn, and relate to each other in communities. ● A strong, interdependent community has qualities such as: o common values, expectations, norms, and organizational systems, o shared responsibility, collaboration and support for each other, o respect and appreciation for similarities and differences, and o collaboration in identifying and solving problems. ● One way people in communities communicate is through stories. ● People in communities represent their experiences and traditions through artistic expression. ● Communities interact with and are affected by their environments. |
Guiding Questions* ● Who and what makes a community? ● What does it mean to be a member of a community? ○ Why is collaboration and working together important? ]○ How do we develop fairness, inclusivity and friendship in our community? ○ When is it important to work in a group or independently? ○ How do you most effectively communicate your thoughts, ideas, feelings, and traditions? |
Stories and Songs from Unit 1
Source: "Focus on K2 (Kindergarten}" Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood https://www.bpsearlylearning.org/ October 2020