Bat Clan  - All Day Kindergarten

Kelly Riggle-Hower

krhower@seattleschools.org

Bat Clan Events: 

October 11

Sky hall classes will go to the Ballard Locks for the Salmon Ladder.
Bats and Blue Herons will leave at 9:30, return at 1:00
Turtles and Salmon will leave at 10:30, return at 1:15

Schedule of Daily Activities (Adobe PDF)

The Bat Clan Syllabus

September

Classroom rules, routines and rituals (reinforced with skits, writing projects)

Class develops clan charter, describing how we treat each other, works w/ "Wheel of Choice."

"Reader's Workshop" – looking at books independently or with a partner at times, small group instruction or one on one with teacher at other times

Work w/ math games and materials, exploring number sense, patterns, geometry

Telling the class's story of the day: students help teacher sketch/ write our story

"Writers' Workshop" – independent telling, sketching and writing (developmentally) their stories

Teach all-school routines (lunch room, library, Monday Morning Meeting, etc.)

Telling the children origin stories and folk tales from all cultures (focus on Native American, African)

Introduction of Words Table: teacher writes and students copy a word they love and classmates share their words in "Words Circle."

Meet and work with Big Buddy clan (8^th grade Snake Clan)

Bat Clan talking circles on feelings/ ways to care for ourselves and each other

Introduction to Bats as science focus area (to be continued all year.)

Anansi West African origin tales, Native American origin tales, European and Asian fairy tales, etc. (to be continued all year)

Reading homework begins (20 mins. per night), early math & science homework

Continue integrating classroom rules, routines, and rituals into our days

"Everyday Math" investigations: number sense, pattern sense, geometry, number "story" problems, games, etc.

Introduce classroom literacy choice activities & stations (story & letter writing, Literacy games, phonemic projects w/ letter sounds, etc.)

Continue Writers' Workshop

Continue Readers' Workshop

Introduction of "Science Fridays" with "Mystery Science Bag" show and tell

"Goodbye Table" w/ fall leaves, pictures of remembered loved ones (& pets), etc.

Beginning of ongoing discussion of and projects with seasons/ cycles, beginning with Fall and the beginning of plants dying, going to seed, underground

Literacy and art projects focus on fall as end and beginning

Continue Writers' Workshop

Continue Readers' Workshop

Assessments and conferences with families

Beginning of "Harvest" expedition – exploring food staples and celebrations through science, stories from around the world, writing, baking & family recipes.

Begin Writing Poetry formally, spot-lighting seasonal & harvest or "gathering" poems

Exploration of the word "pilgrim" as traveler, and a mini-expedition on different peoples who came to Americas (including some long before Columbus)

Continue Harvest Expedition, culminating in Expedition Night late Nov/early Dec

Everyday Math continued, with "Math on the Board" problem solving

Establish small phonics instruction groups for beginning letter sounds/ spelling

Continue Writers Workshop

Continue Readers Workshop

Focus on winter/ hibernation (Art/ Literacy/ Science)

Exploration of cultural celebrations of "light in the dark months" world wide

Reestablishing rules, routines and rituals of classroom

Everyday Math and "Math on the Board" continued, w/ Math choice times

Continue Writers' Workshop

Continue Readers' Workshop

Focus on culture and leaders from many cultures (including kids), tied to MLK Jr.

Decorating personal and cultural "Me" boxes as a way of exploring what people can see about us outside, and how we define ourselves inside and out. (These "Me" boxes will be our Valentines Day boxes.)

Small spelling groups during Literacy stations or Literacy choice time

Continue Writers' Workshop

Continue Readers' Workshop

Everyday Math and "Math on the Board" continued

Poetry continued (focus on Spring/Beginnings with poetry & art)

Exploration of Schmitz Park woodland and/or Alki tide pool animals (Science)

Poetry "Coffee shop" reading for families

Family Conferences

Sky Hall expedition on National Science Foundation kit for Balls & Ramps

Focus on spring rebirth and beginnings as part of seasonal cycle

"Welcome Back" table to greet spring & things that come back (birds, flowers...)

Everyday Math and "Math on the Board" continued

Literacy Centers and spelling/phonemic instruction groups continue

Continue Writers' Workshop

Continue Reader's Workshop

Classroom publishes its own book of original poetry

Big field trip/ Family outing day

End of the year celebration with Big Buddies

Projects/ Talking circles on summer rituals (end of year hellos/ goodbyes)