Theme 9: Growing and Changing

I've wanted to do this all year, but have yet to find the actual time and ambition to make it happen... However, because I'm so utterly excited about our 9th theme in UPK this year, I'm determined to get it done!

Our Head Start program uses the High/Scope curriculum and incorporates the Houghton Mifflin Pre-K literacy curriculum as well. We use the Houghton Mifflin mainly to provide children with exposure the "alphafriends" that will be a big part of their Kindergarten year. I have been trying very hard to successfully incorporate all of the Houghton Mifflin themes into our High/Scope curriculum to make the most of both curriculums!

So... the current Houghton Mifflin theme? Growing and changing... focusing on letters Gg, Ee and Dd. Letter Gg was last week... spring break this week and then we move on to letter Ee... and I have some incredible ideas planned and I'm thinking my UPKers are going to love what I have to offer! I'm hoping you all will enjoy the ideas too!

For now though, I'm going to just share some of the resources I've already used as well as those I'm planning to use. Updates/thoughts/comments on them will come as they are put to use in the coming weeks!

Books to use in collaboration with the Growing and Changing theme:

• The Emperor's Egg by Martin Jenkins
• An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston
• Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller
• Who's Hatching Here? by Alma Flor Ada
• What Hatches? (an emergent reader from www.hubbardscupboard.org)
• What Is Growing Inside This Egg? by Mia Posada
• Praying Mantises by Margaret Hall
• A Ladybug's Life by John Himmelman
• A Ladybug Larva Grows Up by Katie Marsico
  
• The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn
• Once There Was a Tadpole by Judith Anderson
• Manuelo the Playing Mantis by Don Freeman
• Growing Frogs by Vivian French
• Ladybug on the Move by Richard Fowler
• Growing Like Me by Anne F. Rockwell
• Plant Packages: A Book About Seeds by Susan Blackaby
• The Growing Up Tree by Vera Rosenberry
• Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
• In the Garden by Peggy Collins
  
• My Garden by Kevin Henkes
• One Bean by Anne Rockwell
• How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan
  

Activity Kits to Watch "Growing and Changing" Take Place:

• Insect Lore's Lady Bug Land - the larvae is ordered and will soon be arriving!
• Fascinations GreenEarth Praying Mantis Kit - ordered the live egg case today!
• Insect Lore's Live Butterfly Garden - again, the larvae was ordered today!
• Uncle Milton's Planet Frog - the tadpoles have been ordered!
• Hatchin Grow Turtle in Egg
• Hatching Duck Egg
• Hatching Chicken Egg
• Hatching Snake Egg
  

This is not a complete list of resources that I may use, nor will I necessary use everything on this list. It will depend how things play out with the children and how the weeks go. I will post more information about the activities, photos and thoughts as I go along!



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