LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Children will:

1. Learn how to use the new Culture Exploration Station
2. Create good habits in our new school environment 

LEARNING STYLES

• Visual
• Auditory
• Kinesthetic
• Interpersonal

Engage

What You Will Need

• Boy/Girl Hand Puppet
• Matching pictorial cards
• Photo Album

The teacher will use the people hand puppets to introduce the new Culture/Community Exploration Station the children. A Culture and Community Station can be set up to explore the varying concepts explored each unit. For this Unit, you may set up the station as a classroom as the children are learning about the and exploring their school setting. You can also facilitate this lesson in the housekeeping area. 

Say, "God wants us to make good CHOICES in everything we do. One good choice creates another good choice; that's how we make good habits". Using the hand puppet, explain the practical and proper use of the Culture/Community Exploration Station and, along with the teacher, model how to use the matching pictorial cards. Consider each child's spiritual maturity in presenting how God would like for us to develop good habits.

Apply

Demonstrate how to play the "Matching Game." Have 2 picture cards each of various school related items (crayons, backpacks, chalk, blocks, puzzles, calendar, etc). Mix them up, turn them face down, turn one card over, and search for the match. Ask the children how they can properly handle and care for each item. Say, "God wants us to create good habits by making positive CHOICES." 

Expand

Make the class Photo Book by placing the photos that you've taken of them during the week onto the sticky pages of the photo album. Provide each child one page to contribute to the photo album. Make individual pictorial books by placing a photo on foamies or card stock with connected with rings. Allow the children to take their books home. Those who go to the CREATION Kids Club will be able to further extend this activity.

Extend and Modify

To expand vocabulary, during the Exploration Station rotations, children will be able to match laminated pictures of places in the school, classroom tools, staff members, and their new friends.  

Assessment

• During Center rotation, assess children's understanding of new vocabulary words using laminated picture cards.
• At the end of the week, assess individual children's understanding of new vocabulary learned using laminated picture cards.

Celebrate

To celebrate the end of our first week of the School Unit, children will play a name memory game; use all of the matches from the Culture Exploration Station and place them face down on the carpet. 

WHAT TO PREPARE FOR NEXT TIME

The teacher will cut out face shapes (using multi-cultural construction paper), various eye colors, prepare yarn for the hair, and paper plates.

The “Face Game” will be created using the materials above. The hair will be various colors and styles (pig-tails, buzz cut, short/long, straight, curly, wavy and Afro). The construction paper materials for the game will be laminated to be used in the Culture/Community Exploration Station. The teacher will also complete a “God Made Me” poster and childhood photos.

Have the parents send in family pictures, their favorite items, and something to represent family heritage/culture