Module 2 Assignment: DEVELOPING YOUR PRESCHOOL UNIT PLAN AND MEANINGFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCES
The joys and challenges of learning with young children through meaningful, engaging experiences merit thought and planning. In the best-case scenario, you would have time to get to know the children; tune into their interests, participate in ongoing conversations where children are excited to share their thoughts and responses to your open-ended questions, do research together, and ask more questions. Who knows what learning adventures would await you as a group of co-learners!
For this assignment, you are challenged to focus your thinking on child-centered learning and design three meaningful learning experiences as part of a unit that builds on and inspires children’s interest. Keep in mind that planning and designing in an early childhood setting is a more prolonged, evolving process. However, it is abbreviated due to the time frame demands of this course.
For this Assignment, you will use the Meaningful Learning Experiences Preschool Unit Planning Template Unit Planning Template Download Meaningful Learning Experiences Preschool Unit Planning Template Unit Planning Templateto guide the development of your integrated unit.
Part 1: Developing Your Unit Framework
For this part of the template, identify the big idea(s), understandings, and/or questions that you want to explore with children around a specific topic or focus. You will also be asked to explain why you chose the focus of your unit and how it builds on children’s interests, is relevant to the context you have been learning about and supports learning across developmental domains and developmentally appropriate practice.
Note: As you begin to plan and design your unit, take time to recall all that you have learned about developmentally appropriate practice, building on children’s interests, and involving children in active, discovery learning. Ideally, you would have time to spend with children, getting to know their interests and engaging in conversations that would reveal the type of sparks referred to in the article “The Plan: Building on Children’s InterestsLinks to an external site..” Take time to carefully review the resources. You may recognize some of the key resources from your past courses on Play and Creativity, Engaging Environments, Meaningful Curriculum, and Responsive Learning and Teaching. Feel free to draw on favorite key resources as well as assignments you developed for those courses—and others— to support your work. Your unit plan will evolve as you develop learning experiences. Keep in mind that this is an iterative process and revisions are to be expected.
Part 2: Completing Your Unit Plan and Meaningful Learning ExperiencesAfter you have completed Part 1 of the Unit Template, continue the Assignment by completing;
- Part 2: Connecting to Content Areas
- Part 3: Learning Experiences
- Part 4: Celebrate!
Note: Your unit will include three learning experiences.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
- Kelly, M. (2001). Integrated curriculum in the primary programLinks to an external site.. In The primary program: Growing and learning in the heartland (pp.553-586). https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IC.pdf
- Cheney, M. (2022). Integrated curriculum: Fostering meaningful learning experiences Download Integrated curriculum: Fostering meaningful learning experiences.
- Hohmann, M., & Weikart, D. P. (1995). Educating young children: Active learning practices for preschool and child care programsLinks to an external site.. Educating Young Children, 13–41. reviewed this seminal chapter excerpt by Mary Hohmann and David Weikart in MSEC 6106. The chapter offers the HighScope Educational Research Foundation’s pedagogy on active learning. As you develop meaningful learning experiences for your multidisciplinary unit, pay particular attention to the section titled “Essential Ingredients of Active Learning: A Summary.”
- Silveria, B., & Curtis, D. (2018, August/September). Look, listen, learn. Where does the rain go? Considering the teacher’s role in children’s discoveriesLinks to an external site.. Teaching Young Children, 11(5). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/aug2018/considering-teachers-role-childrens-discoveries
- Nelson, D. (2017, January 18). What’s in a shadowLinks to an external site.. National Association for the Education of Young Children. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/whats-shadow
- Barresi, J. (2018, April/May). 14-day salad: Using project-based learning to grow microgreensLinks to an external site.. Teaching Young Children, 11(4). to an external site. Note: Though referred as The Project Approach, this learning experience could also fall under the classification of an integrated unit.
- France, P. E. (2020, November 11). Using the workshop model to foster independenceLinks to an external site.. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-workshop-model-foster-independence
Choosing Unit Topics, Considering Essential Questions
- Seitz, H. J. (2006, March). The plan: Building on children’s interestsLinks to an external site.. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web.
