4s Sample Curriculum

Sample Plan for Four-Year-Old Classes: Nocturnal Animals/Spiders

Theme Emphasis

Allow children the opportunity to learn characteristics of different spiders.

Question of the Day at Check-in: Critical Thinking Exercise

Do you know how many legs a spider has?
(Child answers by writing name in either the “yes”, “no”, or “not sure” column.)

“Must Do” at Open Centers: Paper and Pencil/“School-Prep” Activity

Draw “weblines” to match the uppercase letters with their lowercase letters in the web

Circle Activities: Self-Expression, Listening to Others, Group Problem Solving

Content Activity: web children’s responses to the following question:

• What do you know about spiders?
• Facts to include: 8 legs, many eyes, orb weavers, poisonous, egg-laying, types of food sources, good for environment, not insects.
• Movement Activity: use a ball of yarn to lay a web on the floor as children roll across the circle to one another

Drama: Exercises Imagination, Cooperative Creativity, Flexible Thinking

Act out The Very Busy Spider

Reading/Storytime: Theme Development, Reading Appreciation, Print Recognition, Vocabulary Development, Follow the Development of Thoughts and Ideas in Plot Context, Event Memory, Auditory Discrimination

• The Very Busy Spider
• Charlotte’s Web
• Spooky Spider Saves Halloween
• Spider Facts
• Eensy Weensy Spider
• Anansi
• Spider, Spider

Music/Movement: Self-Expression, Creative Expression, Music Appreciation

• There’s a Spider on the Floor
• Eensy Weensy Spider
• 5 Little Spiders
• Sign Language for Spider

Centers: Theme Extension, Thinking, Practicing Skills, Working Together

(Notes in parentheses describe some of the major developmental tasks that are generally practiced and accomplished within the named center.)