Core Knowledge^® Lesson Plans

Administration

• Parent Communication is Core (2007) This presentation describes one preschool’s efforts to communicate the content and relevance of the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence to its parent population. (also found under Administration)

Getting Started

• Get Ready, Get Set, PLAN! (2002)
• A Core Knowledge Preschool ... We're Building Bridges to Future Success (2001)
• Sequencing the Daily Calendar (2001)

Autonomy, Social Skills, and Work Habits

• Magnificent Me (2003)
• Creating Positive Family/School Connections (2002)
• My Family and Me — Making Connections (2002)
• Peace Place (2000)

Language

• Dinosaurs and George Washington: The Concepts of “Old” and “New” (2007) Introduction of the fundamental ideas of what is new and what is old is another step in assisting the young child in building a solid construct of the concept of time. This unit will provide a format for presenting new and old to young children using a “hands-on” museum type approach, increasingly precise oral language, children’s literature and storybooks, and critical thinking skills.
• Let's Write (2006)
• Working Hard with the Little Red Hen (2006)
• Caps for Sale (2005)
• Exploring Feeling with Eric Carle (2005)
• Farm Frolics (2005)
• WE Have a Dream! — Inspirational Americans for Preschoolers (2005)
• Town Mouse, Country Mouse (2004)
• It's Learning Time (2004)
• Message Time (2004)
• It's About the Author (2004)
• What's Cooking in Core Knowledge Preschool (2003)
• Make the ABCs More Than Just a Song! Make Them the Focus of Some Really Fun Games (2003)
• The Care & Feeding of a Gingerbread Man (2003)
• Having Beary Much Fun With Core Knowledge (2002)
• Open Your Eyes Wide Shut (2002)
• The Three Little Pigs ... for a month? You Bet! (2001)
• Reading with Swimmy: Teaching Core Knowledge Goals Through Literature (2000)
• Big Brown Books, Baby Bag Books and Beyond (1999)
• Laura Smolkin's "A Rhyme a Week" (1999)
• Laura Smolkin's "Alphabet Books" (1999)

Mathematical Reasoning and Number Sense, Orientation in Time and Space

• See, Touch, and Taste Math (2006)
• Once Upon a Time: A Unit Comparing the Present to the Past (2005)
• Understanding and Using the Language for Orientation of Space (2005)
• Math and Much, Much More (2004)
• A  Child's Eye View: My Community (2004)
• 1 + 1 = FUN! (2004)
• Developing Number Sense in the Preschool Classroom: A Sneak Peek at the Number Worlds Program (2002)
• Math and Matisse — Using the Preschool Art Sequence to Teach Math (2003)
• Mathematical Reasoning and Number Sense for Preschool Children (2001)
• Over, Under, All Around Spatial Words Can Be Found (1998)
• Zip to Zowie (1997)

Scientific Reasoning and the Physical World

• The Need for Seeds: How Plants Grow & Feed the World (2007) Discover fun activities and resources that will help children demonstrate an initial understanding of plants in the living world.
• How Plants Grow (2006)
• Oceans and Islands (2006)
• On Safari: A Hunting We Will Go (2006)
• Birds of a Feather (2005)
• Let’s Visit a Pond (2005)
• Every-Body is Special (2004)
• At Last! Science Made Simple (2003)
• Sense-Ability (2002)
• Turn On the "LIGHT" in Preschool (2001)
• Making the Senses Make Sense; Hands-on Activities to Help Children Explore the Five Senses (2000)
• Air (1999)
• Oceans (1998)

Visual Arts

• Math and Matisse - Using the Preschool Art Sequence to Teach Math (2003)
• More on "Who is Picasso?" (2002)
• Who Is Picasso? Creating Masterpieces in a Core Preschool Program (2001)
• Preschool Art Activities Using the Sequence (1999)

Movement, Coordination, and Music

• Movement Education (2001)
• Musical Encounters (2001)
• Romp! Stomp! And Bach!..Exploring Creative Music and Movement ( 1999)

Why do some units have a gold star next to them?

Since 1992, the annual Core Knowledge National Conference has given teachers an opportunity to share their best ideas and practices. With our tenth anniversary, we decided to collect the best of those "Share the Knowledge" units.

With the help of some of our most experienced Core Knowledge teachers, we systematically reviewed the past units from 1995-2000 for daily objectives, procedures and activities, assessment methods, and general effectiveness. Three teachers scored each unit; then their scores were collated. The units that received the highest rankings are marked with a gold star.

We have learned a lot in ten years. We have come to recognize the need for more structure and guidance as teachers develop coherent lesson plans. We have learned that some strategies work more effectively than others.  The quality of the units has increased over these ten years and we applaud the dedicated teachers who have contributed to this award-winning collection so that others might benefit.