“Roads, Rails & Rivers,” will take your preschoolers on aj

22 Pages·2012·1.06 MB·English

Dear Families,

“All Aboard!!” Our next curriculum unit, “Roads, Rails & Rivers,” will take your preschoolers on a
journey through the vast world of transportation, including the vehicles that get us from place to place
(on roads, railways or rivers).

Throughout this unit, your preschooler will use math, science, literacy, art, and social skills to explore
maps; build roads; run a classroom train station; experiment with sinking and floating different objects;
and use ramps to experiment with cause and effect as they send different vehicles rolling downward.
They will have many opportunities to work together and to explore materials independently.

Here are some ways you can participate in our Roads, Rails & Rivers unit:
• Talk to your preschooler about the different kinds of transportation you observe on your way to
and from school or the grocery store. Ask your preschooler where s/he thinks a passing delivery
truck is going and what kind of goods it might be carrying. Watch a train speed by and talk
about where its final destination may be. Was it a passenger train or a freight train? If possible,
take a ride on a bus or train or watch them come and go from a station. Talk about this exciting
experience and listen to what your children have to say!
• Signs and traffic signals play a big part in making transportation function properly. Look for
different signs and talk about their meanings. Children may be asked if they saw a particular sign
or shape on their way to school!

In addition to your participation at home, there are some items that we need to help make this unit a
success. If you have any of the items below, please bring them in so we can use them in our projects:
- Paper towel rolls and wrapping paper rolls
- Cardboard boxes/pieces – including appliance boxes, different lengths cardboard, etc.
- Milk cartons (cleaned)
- Spools, wooden dowels, toothpicks, or any other interesting items that could be used to build
vehicles, bridges, tunnels, roads, or buildings. Think creatively!!
- License plates, drivers’ licenses (expired), transit cards or bus tickets
- An old wheel, tire, or item that has wheels, for children to take apart

We would love to have you visit our classroom during this unit! Perhaps you would like to visit and direct
traffic on the playground? Hold up a stop sign or red and green lights for our bicycle riders? Or maybe
you’d like to read a book to the class or share a fun story about a time you rode on a train or a plane!
Please let us know if there is anything you would like to share with the class so we can arrange a good
time for your visit!

As always, thank you for your continued support in your preschooler’s education!

Sincerely,

© 2012 Acelero, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Uses are subject to the limitations set forth in your user agreement.
Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Queridas familias:

“¡Pasajeros a bordo!” Nuestra nueva unidad del programa, “Caminos, Vías y Ríos”, llevará a sus niños en
un viaje por el vasto mundo del transporte, incluso los vehículos que nos llevan de sitio en sitio (por
carreteras, vías ferrocarriles o ríos).

A través de esta unidad, sus niños usarán las matemáticas, las ciencias, la lectura, el arte y las destrezas
sociales para estudiar mapas; construir carreteras; manejar una estación de trenes en el aula; hacer
experimentos hundiendo y haciendo flotar objetos; y usando rampas para observar causa y efecto al
echar vehículos rodando cuesta abajo. Ellos tendrán muchas oportunidades de trabajar juntos e
investigar materiales por su cuenta.

Ustedes pueden participar en esta unidad de este modo:
•
Háblenles a sus niños sobre los diferentes medios de transporte que se ven camino a la escuela, a
la casa, o al mercado. Pregúntenles a sus niños adónde creen que va un camión de reparto y qué
piensan que lleva. Miren un tren pasar velozmente y hablen de su posible destino. ¿Es un tren de
pasajeros o de carga? Si es posible, viajen en autobús o en tren y miren cómo llegan y parten de
las estaciones. Hablen del tema y ¡escuchen lo dicen!
•
Los carteles y las señales de tránsito juegan un papel importante en el transporte. Busquen
señales diferentes y comenten el significado. ¡Algunos días los niños tendrán que responder si
han visto una señal o una forma particular camino a la escuela!

Además de su participación en casa, hay cosas que necesitamos para asegurar el éxito de esta unidad. Si
ustedes tienen cualquiera de estos artículos, por favor tráiganlos para que los usemos en nuestros
proyectos:
- Rollos de toalla de papel y rollos de papel de envolver
- Cajas de cartón o pedazos de cajas, incluyendo las de electrodomésticos, cartones de diferente
tamaño, etc.
- Envases de leche de cartón (limpios)
- Carreteles, palitos de madera, escarbadientes, o cualquier cosa que sirva para hacer vehículos,
puentes, túneles, caminos, y edificios. ¡Piensen!
- Placa de automóvil, licencia de manejar (¡vencida!), billetes de autobús, etc.
- Una rueda o llanta vieja, u otro objeto con ruedas, que los niños podrían desarmar.

¡Nos gustaría mucho que nos visitaran durante esta unidad! ¿Quizás quieran visitarnos y dirigir el tráfico
en el jardín escolar, sosteniendo una señal de STOP o luces rojas y verdes para los que montan en
bicicleta? ¿O quizás prefieran leer un libro a la clase o compartir una historia divertida sobre una vez
que viajaron en tren o en avión?

Por favor dígannos si hay algo que les gustaría compartir con la clase para arreglar su visita. Como
siempre, ¡muchas gracias por su continuo apoyo a la educación de su preescolar!

Atentamente,

© 2012 Acelero, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Uses are subject to the limitations set forth in your user agreement.
Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Acelero Learning Curriculum Plan
Planned Read-Aloud

Book: Cars and Trucks and Other Vehicles (Scholastic First Discovery)
NOTES: Nonfiction books require different strategies than storybooks when reading aloud. Think about how you
can engage children through the questions you ask; connecting the pictures to their own experience or
interests; or giving them something specific to look for or learn.

Props (to illustrate concepts or word meanings, during or after reading):
A few plastic vehicles that children are familiar with—for example from the Block Area or Toys & Games.

Activate Prior Knowledge (when Questions/Comments (to engage children during
introducing book): reading, re-reading or picture walk):
- Show children the book cover and ask what - Draw on children’s knowledge as much as possible,
they think this book is about. How do they and make connections with their own experiences.
know? Read the title: “This says Cars and For example, certain children may have ridden a
Trucks and Other Vehicles. I see a car on the city bus or a tricycle, and many will be familiar with
front of this book … I see a truck … what other the police car, fire truck or construction vehicles.
vehicles do you think we might see?
- On any pages that you think might confuse children
- Show children the plastic vehicles and ask (e.g., service station, port, racetrack), you can skip
them to identify/name them. “Do you think the actual text and just describe what is happening
we’ll see any of these vehicles in the book? in the pictures—or ask children to do so.
You will need to look at the pictures carefully
- Ask children if they remember another book
to find out!”
they’ve read about a garbage truck.
Vocabulary (to highlight during reading or in follow-up discussions):
Car, driver, passengers, trunk, hood, engine, gas tank, tunnel, headlights, racecar, construction, port, garbage
truck, moving truck, bus, ambulance, fire truck, police car, siren, bicycle, tire, wheel, tricycle, scooter, motorcycle.
Be selective about which new words to emphasize, so as not to overwhelm children!
Discussion (after reading or during child Extensions (building on concepts from this book
retelling or extension activities): through other classroom experiences):
Ask children to name a vehicle they remember Question of the Day – give children a choice of which
from the book, or invite them to say which vehicle vehicle they like best, using examples from this book.
was their favorite. Refer back to the plastic E.g., “What would you rather ride in … a racecar or a
vehicles you looked at earlier; did children find cattle truck?”
any of these vehicles while we were reading? You
Put this book in the Block Area, rather than the
can also compare and contrast the vehicles you
Library, and encourage children to use it as a
read about: which is the biggest? which do you
reference as they are playing with vehicles.
think is fastest? Etc.

Reminders: Read books aloud in small groups whenever possible.
Prepare for read-aloud by previewing book and thinking about which questions/comments to add when.
You should not need to refer to this Read-Aloud Guide during the read-aloud.
© 2012 Acelero, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Uses are subject to the limitations set forth in your user agreement.

Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Acelero Learning Curriculum Plan
Planned Read-Aloud

Book: Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha
NOTES: Children should be familiar with this book from the “Neighborhood” theme, and will benefit from revisiting
it and making connections to “Roads, Rails & Rivers” (transportation).

Props (to illustrate concepts or word meanings, during or after reading):
Several plastic vehicles, including a garbage truck (if available) as well as different kinds of cars/trucks.
Activate Prior Knowledge (when Questions/Comments (to engage children during
introducing book): reading, re-reading or picture walk):
- Ask children what they remember about - Engage children by having them use gestures – put on
this book. Provide a few hints, if needed, their gloves, turn the key, pick up (imaginary) trash
to help them remember the name of the cans and empty into truck…
main character (Mr. Gilly), what he drives
- Invite children to say the repeating rhyme with you
(a garbage truck) or what he does.
(“Dump it in, smash it down…”) or to help you read
- On the cover, ask children to identify the words STOP or NO (using the different colors as
which vehicle is the garbage truck. How cues).
do they know? How is it different from
- Look closely at the illustrations for clues about where
the other vehicles?
Mr. Gilly is – e.g. the pizza parlor.
- Ask children if they remember what the
- See if you can notice anything about what Mr. Gilly is
title, Trashy Town, means. (“Town” is a
driving the trash truck on. Can you see roads/streets?
word for somewhere people live, like city
How about sidewalks? Talk about any similarities to
or neighborhood…)
places children might have driven or ridden.

Vocabulary (to highlight during reading or in follow-up discussions):
Trash, garbage, collect, empty, full, dump, smash, clean, town
Discussion (after reading or during child retelling or Extensions (building on concepts from this
extension activities): book through other classroom
experiences):
“Would you like to ride in a garbage truck? Do you think
your mom/dad/grandma would like to drive one? Why or Add a plastic garbage truck to the Block Area (if
why not?” available; you could also adapt a regular truck),
along with small containers of paper scraps or
Show a plastic car/truck/bus, and have children compare
other “trash.”
to Mr. Gilly’s garbage truck. What is the same about these
vehicles? (e.g., have wheels, drive on a road…) What is Add materials for filling and emptying to Sand/
different? Water, Toys & Games or other interest areas.
For example, add multiple small cups and one
Ask children to recall which places in the town Mr. Gilly
larger cup to the sand table, then help children
went to. Where else could he have gone? What are some
determine how many small cups they can
other buildings/places in OUR town? Do we have to drive
empty into the large one before it is full.
to all these places, or are there other ways to get there
(walk, bus, bike…)?
Reminder: Always read the book’s title and author, but only review the concepts of author, illustrator, etc. (“what does
the author do?”) occasionally and until it’s evident that children understand them.

© 2012 Acelero, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Uses are subject to the limitations set forth in your user agreement.
Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Acelero Learning Curriculum Plan
Planned Read-Aloud

Book: Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
Activate Prior Knowledge (when introducing Questions/Comments (to engage children
book): during reading, re-reading or picture walk):
- Ask children who they know that rides a bike. - “Do you think Duck is having fun? How can you
They themselves? Older siblings? Adults? Now tell?”
ask whether they have ever seen a duck – or
- Each animal that Duck passes responds in a
any animal – riding a bike. Do they think this
different way. You could ask children “how do
book is about something that really happened,
you think [this animal] is feeling?” or provide
or something that the author imagined? Why?
your own commentary – “The pigs seem like
- Point out that a bike is a type of vehicle / a form they might be jealous.”
of transportation / something people use to get
- Encourage children to join in “reading”
places. We have been talking about other
predictable text. For example, Duck said,
forms of transportation, like cars. How is a
“Hello, Sheep!” . Sheep said, “Baaaa” . [If you
bicycle similar to a car? How is it different?
change the word order slightly, it will be easier
- If children are familiar with No, David!, you can for children to know when to join in.]
point out that this book is by the same
- “Is Duck riding safely? What could he do to be
author/illustrator.
more safe?”
-

Vocabulary (to highlight during reading or in follow-up discussions):
Bike/bicycle, park, wobble, pedal, jealous, imitate
Discussion (after reading or during child Extensions (building on concepts from this book
retelling or extension activities): through other classroom experiences):
Encourage children to look more closely at the next- Outside Time: If bikes are available, you can refer to
to-last page (where the animals are all on bikes) and this book as children ride, quoting or adapting the
notice details of the illustrations. E.g., there is a repetitive text. You could also encourage children to
tandem bike, a tricycle, and bikes with training re-enact the book—having children waiting for their
wheels, a horn, streamers or a basket… turn on the bikes to take the roles of different
animals!
Point out the final page (“The End”). What type of
vehicle is this? What might Duck be thinking as he Class version of book: Remind children that in this
looks at the tractor? book, the animals say one thing but think something
else (show a few examples). Explain that you are
“Usually it’s people, not animals, who ride bikes!
going to make your own Duck on a Bike book, with
What are some other ways that animals get
children in it instead of animals! “If Duck rode past
around?” (Walk, run, or for longer distances, the
you on a bike, what would you say? what would you
farmer might put them in a big truck…)
think?” Complete a text template by taking children’s
“To ride a bike, you need strong muscles in your dictation, for example: Duck rode past Juana . “Hello,
legs. Animals do have muscles in their legs … what Juana !” said Duck. “ Hola ” said Juana. But what she
else could these animals do with their muscles?” thought was, “ I can ride faster than you .”

Reminders: Read books aloud in small groups whenever possible.
Prepare for read-aloud by previewing book and thinking about which questions/comments to add when.
You should not need to refer to this Read-Aloud Guide during the read-aloud.
© 2012 Acelero, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Uses are subject to the limitations set forth in your user agreement.

Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Acelero Learning Curriculum Plan
Small-Group Activity

ACTIVITY: Painting with Vehicles

OVERVIEW: Children will use plastic vehicles to paint. As children use these familiar objects in a novel way, they will
be encouraged to use their language to describe what is happening. Using vehicles with different size
and texture wheels will spark discussion about the similarities and differences children observe.

OBJECTIVES: • School Readiness Goal (6) Speaking • GOLD 9a (vocabulary)
• School Readiness Goal (10) Letters • GOLD 10a (conversations)
• GOLD 16a (identifies letters)
• WSS II.B.2 (vocabulary/language) • ELS 7 (speaking)
• WSS II.C.3 (knowledge about letters) • ELS 9 (alphabetic awareness)

MATERIALS: - Plastic cars and trucks (w/ different size and texture wheels) that are easy to clean
- Blank paper
- Paint; paper plates to put it on
- Trays or large box tops to hold paper while painting (optional)
- Smocks
- Pictures of tire tracks (included below – or use others if you choose)

PROCEDURE: Beginning:
1. Show children the pictures of tire tracks and ask them what they see in each picture. Have they
ever seen something like this before? Lots of vehicles have tires that can drive through the mud
(cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc...). What do they think made these tracks? How do they know?
2. Show children paint on a paper plate and a couple of cars/ trucks. Tell them, “I have some paint
and some cars and trucks. What do you think we might do with them?” Allow children to offer
ideas. Explain that they will be able to drive their vehicles through the paint and onto the paper.
Tell them the paint kind of reminds you of mud. “I wonder what muddy tracks our vehicles will
make today!”
Middle:
3. Give each child a piece of paper and tray (if using these). Give children their own plates with some
paint, and have them tell you which car they will use first.
4. As children work, ask questions and make comments to support their explorations and to
encourage them to talk about what they are doing.
• Individualization (to support children’s language development):
i. Tier 1 – For children who rarely participate in discussions and/or use very short phrases,
provide scaffolding by simplifying your own language; using “parallel talk”; and/or
allowing them to complete your sentence. “That motorcycle makes thick tracks.” “Which
vehicle will you use next?” “Now you are making tracks with the ________...” Repeat
what children say and extend it. “The truck—yes, you made blue tracks with the truck.
Now you have two sets of tracks, one by the truck and one by the [car] …”
ii. Tier 2 – For children who respond to low-level questions or use simple sentences, use
more open-ended questions or prompts: “Tell me about your picture.” “Tell me about
what you are doing with your car.” “What do you notice about your tires?” “I notice that
you made your truck drive back and forth across your paper. It looks like you have a dirt
road on your paper.” Repeat and extend their responses, engaging in “feedback loops” to

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Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Small Group Activity (cont’d)

encourage more back-and-forth conversation.
iii. Tier 3 – For children who engage readily in conversation and use complex language,
engage them in authentic discussion, asking why/how questions that promote analysis
and reasoning. E.g., “Look at Jessica’s picture. Which vehicle do you think she used to
make these tracks?” “How might you make your tracks thicker/ darker/ lighter?”
5. For children who use the vehicles purposefully, you might encourage them to paint letters with
their vehicles. “Those two long lines look like an X! I wonder if you can make any other letters?
How would the truck need to drive to make a C with its tires?” For children who are less engaged
in the activity, you might model this yourself and encourage them to guess/identify what you are
writing.
End:
6. Give children a 5-minute warning for clean up time.
7. Make a comment on what you saw children do, e.g., “I saw a lot of long tire tracks today. Some
were bumpy like Kyle’s and some were smooth like Gustavo’s.” Have children put their paintings
to dry and “drive” over to their next activity.

YOU MIGHT Do children describe what they are doing or what they see happening? Document any language
DOCUMENT: children use, how they respond to you, and whether they engage in conversation. Also document
whether any children try to write letters or identify ones that you write.

Images of tire tracks:

Taken from (in order):
http://www.worldofstock.com/stock_photos/BGT1320.php
http://www.tire-information-world.com/snow-tire-photos.html
http://www.photovalet.com

© 2012 Acelero, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Uses are subject to the limitations set forth in your user agreement.
Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Acelero Learning Curriculum Plan
Small-Group Activity

ACTIVITY: Ramps

OVERVIEW: Children will experiment with rolling vehicles down ramps. As they change the angles and direction of
various ramps, they will explore cause and effect and will be encouraged to make predictions and to
measure outcomes. Through open ended questions and comments, children will be encouraged to
think about why some cars rolled farther than others.

OBJECTIVES: • School Readiness Goal (13) Shapes • GOLD 21a (spatial relationships)
• School Readiness Goal (16) Measurement • GOLD 22 (compares/measures)
• School Readiness Goal (17) Inquiry • GOLD 24 (scientific inquiry)
• WSS III.D.1 (recognizes/describes shapes) • ELS 3 (measurement; identifying/using shapes)
• WSS III.E.2 (measuring) • ELS 4 (observation/reporting; prediction;
• WSS IV.A.1 (ask questions/uses senses) investigation)

MATERIALS: - Materials to make ramps of different lengths/sizes (blocks,cardboard/wood/large picture books)
- Items to prop up the ramps (such as blocks, boxes, or books)
- Variety of small vehicles (light/heavy, cars/trucks/motorcycles, etc.)
- For possible extensions: Masking tape or colored tape; marker to write on tape; ruler/yardstick

PROCEDURE: *Consider holding this small group in the block area.
Beginning:
1. Show children how to build a simple ramp by propping up a flat block or piece of cardboard on top
of a unit block. Show them how a ramp is like a hill. Ask them if they have ever run or ridden a
bike/scooter down a hill. What was it like? Did it make them go faster or slower? Were they able
to stop or slow down? Or, how about when they walk up a hill? What do they think is easier –
going up or down?
2. Put a car at the top of one ramp and ask children what they think will happen if you send the car
down the ramp. How fast will it roll down? Where will it end up? Test out their predictions and
make a statement about the outcome. “You were right, it rolled all the way over to where you are
sitting.” Or “It rolled a little bit further than we had expected.”
3. Tell children they will get to work with ramps and different cars. Lay the materials out and ask
what they might do with these materials today.
Middle:
4. As children work with the materials, encourage them to make predictions and to experiment with
the length of their ramp or with the way it is angled. “What would happen if you held the ramp up
higher? Do you think the car would roll faster or slower? Will it go farther or will it stop closer to
the end of the ramp? Why do you think that?” Circulate to each child/group and stay with them to
see what happens after they make their predictions and roll the cars down the ramp. “Why do you
think that happened?” “Were you right? Did it roll further away when you held the ramp up high?”
“Why do you think it stopped here?”
Individualization (To emphasize specific skills for different children, as appropriate):
• Language – Encourage children to use new vocabulary words like shorter, faster, lower, etc. Ask
questions that will give children the opportunity to use these new words. “How did you get the car
to go farther this time?” “How do you think you can make your car go more slowly?” “What do you

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Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Small Group Activity (cont’d)

think will happen if you make a really steep ramp?”
• Social Emotional – Group or pair children and challenge them to work together to see if they can
solve a problem like cars falling off the side of the ramp or get their car to reach a certain spot on
the floor. “How are you going to get the car to go far enough? What are you going to do to the
ramp?” Help children who have difficulty joining a group or sharing ideas, ask them specifically
what they think they should do. “I heard Justin say that the car went too far. Justin, what should
we do with this block so that the car won’t go as far next time?”
• Problem-Solving with Materials (extra challenge) – See if children can find a way to park a car on
the ramp without it rolling all the way down, or a way to make a rolling object stop halfway down
the ramp.
5. Possible extension: Introduce the masking/colored tape. Have children mark the spot where they
think the car will land. Encourage them to write their initials or first letter on the tape so they
know it is their prediction. Which piece of tape did the car land closest to? How can we get the
next car to land closer to the other piece of tape?”
6. Possible extension: Encourage children to measure the distance the cars travel away from the
ramps. Did the second car travel further or did it stop a shorter distance from the bottom of the
ramp? Why? How much further/ closer did it land?
End:
7. Give children a 5-minute warning for clean up time.
8. Have children roll cars down the ramps into the containers they are stored in. Be sure to store the
ramps near the vehicles to encourage children to experiment further with this concept of cause
and effect.

YOU MIGHT Document any measuring or comparing children may do. Do they use language such as further, closer,
DOCUMENT: shorter, longer, faster, slower, higher, lower, etc.? Do children make predictions and make comments
on the outcomes? Take note of any changes children make in their predictions along the way. Do they
recognize that holding the ramp at different angles changes the outcome of where their vehicle will
land?

© 2012 Acelero, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Uses are subject to the limitations set forth in your user agreement.
Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.
Acelero Learning Curriculum Plan
Small-Group Activity

ACTIVITY: Play Yard Map

OVERVIEW: As part of their exploration of roads, rails, and rivers, children will learn the importance of using maps
to find your way around. In this activity, students will create their very own maps of the outdoor play
yard or indoor space.

OBJECTIVES: • School Readiness Goal (2) Self-regulation • GOLD 1a (managing feelings)
• School Readiness Goal (11) Print/writing • GOLD 14a (thinks symbolically)
• GOLD 17b (print concepts)
• WSS II.A.2 (follows directions) • ELS 5 (independent behavior)
• WSS II.C.2 (concepts about print) • ELS 6 (engagement & exploration)
• WSS II.D.1 (represents ideas/stories) • ELS 9 (print knowledge)
• WSS V.C.1 (follows group rules) • ELS 10 (composing)

MATERIALS: - Paper
- Writing utensils
- A few simple maps, preferably hand-drawn and showing the classroom or other places children know.
- Clipboards (if available) or other hard surface for children to write easily while moving around a space

PROCEDURE: NOTE: Pay attention to the weather during this week and arrange schedule so that this activity can be
done on a day with nice weather. Alternatively, have children make map of classroom or other indoor
area like a classroom, gym, office, etc.
Beginning:
1. Show children the maps and ask what they notice. What are the maps showing us? (the
classroom, the library, the school building, etc..). How do they know?
2. Ask children if they have ever seen their parents use a map to get somewhere. Maybe their
parents sometimes look on the computer to see a map and get directions? Perhaps they use a GPS
while driving the car (a little device that shows them which way to go)? Explain that maps are
important to help us travel someplace that we’ve never been before or that we might not
remember how to get to. Maps show us different streets or buildings and which way the roads
turn, so we can figure out which way we need to go.
3. Tell children today they will get to make a map of the play yard (or other indoor space)! Give them
paper and writing utensils. If possible, provide clipboards or another hard surface to work on.
Middle:
4. Take children outside to play yard (or whatever space you have chosen) and tell them to look
around. What do they see? “We are going to draw maps that will show people the different parts
of the play yard, so if they visit our playground, they know where to go.” What might be important
to put in their map?
5. Help children to get started. They may need to move around to get a better look at different parts
of the playground, or find a comfortable spot to sit and work.
6. Ask children work, ask them to tell you about their map/ picture. Ask open-ended questions and
make specific comments on what they are creating. For example, ask them what else might be
important to add. How will someone know how to get back into the school? Where might they put
the school building on this map?
7. Make your own map using very simple representations (similar to what the children might be

© 2012 Acelero, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Uses are subject to the limitations set forth in your user agreement.
Your right to use these materials is contingent upon remaining a current SARGE subscriber with Acelero, Inc.