Last Updated on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 at 5:17 AM
Hardin County Schools shared their Preschool science curriculum map and the description below.
Hardin County Schools
Preschool Science
Why did your school/district decide to develop curriculum maps?
To identify when and how often standards are taught with the goal of teaching standards through a spiral approach.
To ensure that instructional gaps are identified and addressed.
To facilitate vertical and horizontal communication in order to create continuity and continuous progress.
How did your school/district begin?
With preschool, we started with our standards based Units of Study, developed by our preschool teachers, and organized the identified standards into the months taught. These were then placed on curriculum maps by content area.
What were the stages in the process?
In the Hardin County School District, our preschool teachers have developed Units of Study that embed all of our district standards (Exit Expectations) into the daily routine and lessons taught. All Units of Study have an Overview Outline, Unit Extension Map, Small Group Map and Specific Lesson Plans. The Overview Outline lists the month the unit is to be taught and all content standards to be addressed in each unit. The Overview Outline was used to complete the following mapping process:
1. The month that each content standard is addressed was listed beside each standard on our Exit Expectations (standards) document.
2. Standards that were not addressed at all or were addressed less than 3 times were highlighted.
3. Highlighted standards were inserted into appropriate units to ensure standards were addressed multiple times throughout the year.
4. Standards that are embedded continuously and naturally through the daily routine were identified with (E) (embedded).
Where is your school/district in the development of curriculum maps?
Various schools in our district are in different stages of development regarding curriculum mapping. Preschool has completed curriculum maps for every content area.
What are your next steps in the development of curriculum maps or after completion of maps?
The curriculum maps are based on the Units of Study and actually show the standards that are proposed through the instruction of that unit. Our teachers will use these maps as a self-checking system. They will check or highlight the standards within each month as they are addressed. As they proceed through the year, they will be creating a "diary map" of what was actually taught in their classroom.
If you have questions or comments about this map or process, please contact Nannette Johnston at Hardin County Schools.
Hardin County Curriculum Map
Preschool Science
(E) = Embedded through continuous review in daily routine.
|
Month |
Content |
Exit Expectations |
Assessment |
|
August
Me and My Senses |
Earth/Space Science
Life Science |
S.B.1.a The Sun provides the light to see and heat necessary to sustain life on Earth. (E)
S.B.3 Students will understand that weather changes from day to day and over the seasons. (E)
S.C.1.a Organisms have basic needs. Animals need air, water, and food; plants need air, water, nutrients, and light.
S.C.2.b Name the parts of the body. |
Teacher observation
Skill Checklist |
|
September
My School
My Friends and My Family |
Physical Science
Life Science |
S.A.2.a Magnets attract certain materials.
S.C.2 Students will understand that organisms resemble their parents.
S.C.2.a Plant and animals closely resemble their parents at some time in their life cycle. |
Teacher observation |
|
October
Fire Safety
Fall |
Physical Science
Life Science |
S.A.1.a Objects have many observable properties such as size, shape, and color. Some properties can be measured using non-standard units.
S.C.2.b Name the parts of the body. |
Teacher observation
Skill Checklist |
|
November
Foods
Native Americans |
Life Science |
S.C.1.a Organisms have basic needs. Animals need air, water, and food; plants need air, water, nutrients, and light. |
Teacher observation |
|
December
Celebrations Around the World |
Physical Science
Life Science |
S.A.1.a Objects have many observable properties such as size, shape, and color. Some properties can be measured using non-standard units.
S.C.2.b Name the parts of the body. |
Teacher observation
Skill Checklist |
|
January
Winter Wonderland |
Physical Science
Earth Science |
S.A.1.a Objects have many observable properties such as size, shape, and color. Some properties can be measured using non-standard units.
S.B.1 Students will understand that the Sun provides the light and heat necessary to maintain the temperature of the Earth.
S.B.1.a The Sun provides the light to see and heat necessary to sustain life on Earth. (E) |
Teacher observation
Teacher observation |
|
February
Famous African Americans
Famous Americans (Presidents)
Mail Carrier
Taking Care of Me |
Earth Science
Life Science |
S.B.3 Students will understand that weather changes from day to day and over the seasons. (E)
S.C.1.a Organisms have basic needs. Animals need air, water, and food; plants need air, water, nutrients, and light.
S.C.1.b. Classify living and non-living things.
S.C.2.b Name the parts of the body. |
Teacher observation
Teacher observation
Skill Checklist |
|
March
Things in the Sky
Things that Grow |
Earth Science
Life Science |
S.B.1.a The Sun provides the light to see and heat necessary to sustain life on Earth.
S.B.2 Students will understand that objects in the sky have patterns of movement.
S.B.2.a Objects in the sky (sun, clouds, moon) have properties, locations and real or apparent movement that can be observed and described.
S.B.2.b Changes in movements of objects in the sky have patterns that can be observed.
S.B.3 Students will understand that weather changes from day to day and over the seasons. (E)
S.C.1 Students will understand that organisms have basic needs and can only survive when these needs are met.
S.C.1.a Organisms have basic needs. Animals need air, water, and food; plants need air, water, nutrients, and light.
S.C.2.a. Plants and animals closely resemble their parents at some time in their life cycle. |
Teacher observation |
|
April
Animals
Kentucky Derby |
Physical Science
Life Science |
S.A.1.a Objects have many observable properties such as size, shape, and color. Some properties can be measured using non-standard units.
S.A.2. Students will understand that magnets attract and repel each other as well as certain kinds of other materials.
S.A.2.a Magnets attract certain kinds of materials.
S.C.1.a Organisms have basic needs. Animals need air, water, and food; plants need air, water, nutrients, and light.
S.C.1.b. Classify living and non-living things.
S.C.2.a. Plants and animals closely resemble their parents at some time in their life cycle.
S.C.2.b Name the parts of the body. |
Teacher observation
Teacher observation
Teacher observation
Skill Checklist |
|
May
Insects
Summer Fun |
Physical Science
Life Science |
S.A.1.a Objects have many observable properties such as size, shape, and color. Some properties can be measured using non-standard units.
S.C.1. Organisms have basic needs and can only survive if these needs are met.
S.C.1.b. Classify living and non-living things.
S.C.2 Students will understand that organisms resemble their parents.
S.C.2.b Name the parts of the body. |
Teacher observation
Teacher observation
Skill Checklist |
Nannette Johnston – Hardin County Schools 2004
Note: If you'd like to use this map or amend it to suit your needs, please check below for a handy Microsoft Word version. Just click on the Word icon to open it on your computer, then choose Word's Save As command to save it locally.
