Identifying Important School Places (Part 1 of 2)

Students plan a tour of the school to observe the important locations and norms they encounter throughout their school day. They analyze illustrations from the book School’s First Day of School to consider the activities in various learning spaces and think about how and why behavior norms might differ in different locations.

Identifying Important School Places (Part 2 of 2)

Students take a walking tour of important locations in their school to observe people working, playing, and learning in these spaces. They see school helpers at work and look for evidence of the norms that are needed in each of the different school locations.

Describing Position and Direction (Part 1 of 2)

Students practice using positional words (across, around, over, past, through, under) as they describe and map the character’s journey in the book Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins.

Describing Position and Direction (Part 2 of 2)

Students act out positional words on a playground walk by describing the location of their bodies in relation to various objects, and then write and draw a representation of one moment of their journey.

3D Classroom Map

How can we represent our classroom? Students use blocks or other building materials to create a 3D map of the classroom. This lesson supports and scaffolds mapping skills, and can be customized to incorporate whatever building materials the classroom has readily available.

Reflecting on Norms Around the School (Checkpoint Assessment)

Through this Essential Question, students have explored and discussed how to navigate school. This final lesson may be used as a checkpoint assessment of cumulative learning throughout this Essential Question. Here, students create a drawing showing important norms for various school locations, and consider how knowing these norms will help them better navigate school.