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.)
Playdough |
|
Sensory |
|
Math |
|
Floor |
|
Literacy |
|
Art |
|
Cooking |
|