4 Projects in UnitLiving & Nonliving ThingsKindergarten

UNIT OVERVIEW

Unit Description (This should consist of a paragraph describing the unit in the form of an elevator pitch. In this paragraph address the activities, the art forms that will be explored and what students will walk away mastering.) / Table of Contents (List all of the project titles, bulleted here. Get creative with the titles of projects, have fun naming them. Be sure we can tell what art form is being explored in each project by how you name it.)
Combining the arts to learn about living and nonliving things will create memorable experiences. In this unit the students will experience music, movement, visual art, and drama as they explore and discover the differences between living and nonliving things. Some of the activities the students will be participating in will include music, movement, a collage, a self-portrait and tableau. At the conclusion of this unit, the students will master each of the standards which compare living and nonliving things. / Project 1: Classifying living and nonliving
Project 2: Eric Carle inspired art
Project 3: Natural Self-Portrait
Project 4: Tableaus Come to Life

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTION (What is the overarching question that is being explored across all projects?)

How can I tell the difference between living and nonliving things?
How can I use the arts to show that I know the difference between living and nonliving things?

CROSS-CUTTING INTERDISCIPLINARY CONCEPT (What universal concept is present in all projects that ties them all together? Ex: Patterns, Cycle, Cause/ Effect, etc..)

Living and Nonliving

REAL WORLD CONTEXT (In paragraph form discuss the importance of students learning about this particular science concept in context of understanding the world around us.)

As students discover the differences between living and nonliving things, they will find that different living organisms have varying needs. The students should then realize that we, as humans need to take care of the world in which we live, so that all living things can continue to exist.

PROJECT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS (List the essential question(s) that grounds each project.)

PROJECT 1:
●How do I identify living and nonliving things?
●How can I represent living and nonliving things using musical instruments?
●How can I represent living and nonliving things using movements?
PROJECT 2:
●How were you inspired by Eric Carle to create your picture?
●How did you use Eric Carle’s artistic practices to create your living or nonliving composition?
PROJECT 3:
●What makes me the same and different from my classmates?
●Why is it important to be able to classify living and nonliving things?
PROJECT 4:
●How can I work with others to create a research paper?
●Why is it important for me to identify similarities and differences among animals and their young?
●How can I use my body to create an image?

STANDARDS

Curriculum Standards (Include all of the science content standards addressed in unit, also any ELA or Math standards addressed in projects. Spell out entire standard.) / Arts Standards (Include all of the fine arts (GA) standards addressed in unit. Spell out entire standard)
SKL1 Students will sort living organisms and nonliving materials into groups by observable physical attributes.
a.Recognize the difference between living organisms and nonliving materials
b.Group animals according to their observable features such as appearance, size, motion, where it lives, etc. (Example: A green fog has four legs and hops. A rabbi also hops.)
c.Group plants according to their observable features such as appearance, size, etc.
SKL2 Students will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms.
a.Explain the similarities and differences in animals. (color, size, appearance, etc.)
b.Explain the similarities and differences in plants. (color, size, appearance, etc.)
c.Recognize the similarities and differences between a parent and a baby.
d.Match pictures of animal parents and their offspring explaining your reasoning (Example: dog/puppy; cat/kitten; cow/calf; duck/ducklings, etc.)
e.Recognize that you are similar and different from other students. (senses, appearance). / MKGM.6 Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
a.Distinguish between contrasts (pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre) in various pieces of music.
b. Describe music using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., high, low, loud, quiet, fast, slow)
MKGM.10 Moving, alone and with others, to a varied repertoire of music
a. Respond to contrasts and events in music with gross locomotor and non-locomotor movements
DKFD.1 Identifies and demonstrates movement elements, skills and terminology in dance
f. Demonstrates the ability to perform simple movements in response to oral instruction
VAKCU.2 Views and discusses selected artworks.
a. Talks about artworks of significant artists that have recognizable subjects and themes.
VAKPR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills
e. Creates paintings with a variety of media
TAESK.3 Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining roles within a variety of situations and environments
a. Uses voice to communicate ideas and emotions
b. Uses body to communicate ideas and emotion

MATERIALS TO BE PURCHASED FOR UNIT

(Include materials that are specific to these projects. No need to include materials like pencils, paper, computer, smartboard that are already in classrooms. This is the place where you list the items that need to be purchased: where to purchase, vendor codes, cost per unit, total number of units per classroom, etc..)
●SEE SPREADSHEET

ASSESSMENTS

Summative Assessments (List the assessment rubrics listed in each in projects, make sure to include their title)
●Pre/Post Test
●Project 1 Rubric
●Project 2 Rubric
●Project 3 Rubric
●Project 4 Rubric

CHARACTER EDUCATION COMPONENTS CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES ADDRESSED DURING UNIT

(Describe in detail at least one opportunity

recommended that allows for partnering with

another classroom Peer-to-Peer Service Learning)

In project 4 the students will become a wax museum for an older class to visit. The older students will tap the student in tableau to activate the younger student to perform. The older and younger students will then reflect about the performance. / ●Empathy
●Cooperation/collaboration
●Inquiry/investigating
●Teaching/leadership

PARTNERING WITH FINE ARTS TEACHERS (Describe here what sort of support fine arts teachers teacher could offer, be specific by stating the name of the project and how they could support.)

Music Teacher:
*For project 1: pre-teach &/or reinforce terms such as pitch, dynamics, and tempo.
Visual Arts Teacher:
*For projects 2 & 3: pre-teach &/or reinforce the works of Eric Carle; techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills; how to use various tools to create texture.
Dance Teacher:
*For project 1: pre-teach and/or reinforce locomotor and non-locomotor movement

APPENDIX

●Pretest

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (This is the place where you include items that could be used to extend/ enrich the unit beyond the written projects)

SUGGESTED BOOKS: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle (and other Eric Carle books)
Gertrude and Reginald by Eric Braun
WEBSITES: (
VIRTUAL FIELDTRIPS: Eric Carle Museum