Preface.

Prologue.

I. FOUNDATIONS.

1. Theoretical Framework.
A. The Issue of Active Versus Passive Learning.1. Some Psychological Aspects of the Active Versus Passive Learning Issue 2. Some Psychological Aspects of the Active Versus Passive Learning Issue 3. Where We Stand on the Philosophical Issues 4. Where We Stand on the Psychological Issues.B. Additional Assumptions and Beliefs.1. Play is a Useful Educational Strategy 2. Learning Can Be Integrated 3. Children's Learning Benefits When Curriculum is Organized Around Theme-Based Units 4. Children's Learning is Optimized by High Levels of Teacher Guidance and Interaction 5. Genuine Self-Esteem And Self-Regard Are Related to Children's Competence.C. Where Does This Leave Us: A Synthesis and Summary of Our Position.D. References.2. Development and Objectives: Getting from Here to There.
A. Mathematical Development.1. Mathematical Development 2. Children's Difficulties in Learning to Count Beyond Ten 3. Development of Understandings Relating to the Grouping of Numbers by Ten.B. Literacy Development.1. Understandings Required to Read and Write An Alphabetic Language 2. The Words Young Children Write.C. Some Final Comments About Objectives and Development.D. References.

II. BEFORE WE TEACH.

3. What Are Children to Learn? Curriculum Objectives.
A. Introduction.B. Scope of the Objectives.C. Assumptions Underlying the Objectives.D. Organization of the Objectives.E. Objectives for Children's Learning.1. Social-Emotional Objectives, Including School-Related Dispositions 2. Oral Language Objectives 3. Literary Objectives 4. The Arts (Music, Visual Arts, Dance, and Drama/Theatre) 5. Social Studies Objectives 6. Science Objectives 7. Math ObjectivesF. Bibliography.4. Classroom Organization and Management.
A. Organizing Time.1. Allocating time for specific areas of study 2. Organizing time to support integrated learning.B. Grouping Children and Organizing Staff.1. Individual and Self-formed Groups 2. Teacher-Formed Large and Small Groups.C. Organizing the Physical Space.1. The physical environment reflects what children are to learn and how they will learn 2. Arranging classroom areas: Things to consider.D. Furnishing the Areas with Materials.1. Materials for the writing/drawing center and the manipulatives center 2. Moving materials in and out of the learning center.E. Making the Organizational Plan Work.1. Solving space problems 2. Avoiding problems that can limit children's learning 3. Finding time for teacher planning and preparation.

III. THEME-BASED CURRICULUM UNITS.

5. Familiar Things In Our World.
A. Introduction.1. Goals for the Study of “Familiar Things in Our World” Theme 2. Units included in the “Familiar Things in Our World” Theme 3. Implementing the Theme.B. Theme Overview.1. Unit I: Paper and Things Used with Paper 2. Unit II: Clothing Fasteners 3. Unit III: Kitchen Tools and Equipment 4. Unit IV: Construction Tools, Materials, Vehicles and Workers.C. Brief Descriptions.1. Unit I: Paper and Things Used with Paper 2. Unit II: Clothing Fasteners 3. Unit III: Kitchen Tools and Equipment 4. Unit IV: Construction Tools, Materials, Vehicles and Workers.D. Detailed Activity Plans.1. Greeting card and stationery 2. Paper clip exploration 3. Writing/drawing tool exploration 4. Clothing store dramatic play 5. Searching for clothes for fasteners 6. Toy/clothing fastener comparisons 7. Pancakes, Pancakes! (by Eric Carle) 8. Zucchini-oatmeal muffins 9. Blender applesauce 10. Electric skillet demonstration: Pancakes 11. Visiting a bakery 12. Playdough kitchen tool play 13. Water/Sand table kitchen tool play.E. Resources.1. Books for Teachers 2. Information books for children 3. Children's Storybooks 4. Poems 5. Songs 6. Videotapes 7. Commercial Materials 8. Recipes.6. The Physical World.
A. Introduction.1. Why Study The Physical World? 2. Units included in This Theme 3. Implementing the Units.B. Theme Overview.1. Unit I: Magnets 2. Unit II: Color 3. Unit III: Sound 4. Unit IV: Weather, Climates, and Seasons.C. Brief Descriptions.1. Unit I: Magnets 2. Unit II: Color 3. Unit III: Sound 4. Unit IV: Weather, Climates, and Seasons.D. Detailed Activity Plans.1. Painting with magnetic marbles 2. Magnet exploration walk 3. Magnetic ring push-up/stack up 4. Finding buried treasure with wands 5. Butterfly color books 6. Spring flowers walk 7. Environmental sounds walk 8. Sounds in a can exploration and identification 9. Water stream/spray sound exploration 10. Evaporation exploration.E. Resources.1. Books for Teachers 2. Information Books for Children 3. Storybooks for Children 4. Poems 5. Songs 6. Commercial Materials 7. Recipes.7. The Animal World.
I. Introduction.A. Goals for the Study of The Animal World B. Units included in This Theme C. Implementing The Theme.II. Theme Overview.A. Unit I: There Are Many Different Kinds of Animals B. Unit II: Baby Animals C. Unit III: Domesticated Animals D. Unit IV: Animals in Their Climates E. Unit V: What's Inside Animals' Bodies?III. Brief Descriptions.A. Unit I: There are Many Different Kinds of Animals B. Unit II: Baby Animals C. Unit III: Domesticated Animals D. Unit IV: Animals in Their Climates E. Unit V: What's Inside Animal's Bodies.IV. Detailed Activity Plans.A. Looking for animals on land, in water and in the air B. Papier mache animals C. “When I Was a Baby” books D. Farm animals puppets E. Making butter F. Polar animals in their environment display G. Grassland animal play H. Animal organ study I. Making plaster casts.V. Resources.A. Books for Teachers B. Children's Information Books C. Children's Storyboards D. Poems E. Songs F. Videotapes/Filmstrips G. Commercial Materials.8. The Plant World.
I. Introduction.A. Why study The Plant World? B. Units Included in This Theme C. Implementing the Theme.II. Unit Overview.A. Unit I: Plants are Living Things B. Unit II: Each Plant has A Specific Function C. Unit III: The Many Plants in The World Differ In Terms of their Physical Characteristics and The Conditions under Which They Grow D. Unit IV: We Eat The Parts of Many Plants.III. Brief Descriptions.A. Unit I: Plants Are Living Things B. Unit II: Each Plant Has a Specific Function and Name C. Unit III: The many Plants in the World Differ in Terms of Their Physical Characteristics and The Conditions under Which They Grow D. Unit IV: We Eat Parts of Plants.IV. Detailed Activity Plans.A. Testing soils for drainage B. What plants need in order to grow experiment C. Plant parts display D. 3-D Flowers E. Arboretum field trip F. Tropical fruit salad G. Food harvest game H. Matching fruit to where it is grown in the world.V. Resources.A. Books for teachers B. Information books for children C. Children's storybooks D. Poems E. Songs F. Videotapes/Filmstrips G. Commercial materials.9. The World of Communication.
I. Introduction.II. Theme Overview.A. Unit I: There are many kinds of written communication B. Unit II: People communicate in many different “languages”: oral, gestural, and mechanical C. Unit III: Written languages take different forms D. Unit IV: Writing can be created in many different ways E. Unit V: Stories can be communicated in many different ways.III: Brief Descriptions.A. Unit I: There are many kinds of communication B. Unit II: People communicate in many different “languages”, oral, gestural, and mechanical C. Unit III: Written languages take different forms D: Unit IV: Writing can be created in many different ways E. Unit V: Stories can be communicated in many different ways IV. Detailed Activity Plans.1. Post office play (PK,K) 2. Neighborhood sign identification walk (PK,K) 3. Newspaper layout manipulatives (K,P) 4. Signals display (PK,K) 5. Multilingual visitor (PK,K,P) 6. Story picture writing (K) 7. Bookmarking (PK, K) 8. Author Study (PK, K, P) 9. Puppet plays (PK, K, P) 10. Writing biographies (P).V. Resources.1. Books for Teachers 2. Children's Information Books 3. Children's Storybooks 4. Poems 5. Songs 6. Videotapes 7. Commercial Materials 8. Recipes 9. Junk and Teacher-Gathered Material.10. The World of Vehicles and Transportation.
I. Introduction.A. Why Study Vehicles and Transportation Systems? B. Units Included in This Theme C. Implementing The Theme.II. Theme Overview.A. Unit I: Vehicles Carry People and Things from One Place to Another B. Unit II: Vehicles Are Moved/Powered in A Variety of Ways C. Unit III: Transportation System D. Unit IV: Safety Vehicles and Vehicle Safety.III. Brief Descriptions.A. Unit 1: Vehicles Carry People and Things from One Place to Another B. Unit II: Vehicles Are Moved/Powered in A Variety of Ways C. Unit III: Transportation Systems D. Unit IV: Safety Vehicles and Vehicle Safety.IV. Detailed Activity Plans.A. Cardboard models of vehicles B. Graph: How we get to school C. Vehicle clue game D. Papier mache hot-air balloon E. Hot-air balloon blocks play F. Emergency vehicle play.V. Resources.A. Books for Teachers B. Information Books for Children C. Children's Storybooks D. Poems E. Videotapes F. Songs G. Commercial Materials.Resources.
Index.

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