Unit 1: Making Friends – Detailed Daily Plans

Week 1: Getting to Know Each Other

Daily Schedule Overview – Week 1

MONDAY: Welcome & Social-Emotional Learning

Opening Circle (10 mins)

• Welcome song, introduce Backpack Bear as “new student who’s nervous”

• Name sharing: Each child says name + favorite color while holding Backpack Bear

Story Time: “The Kissing Hand” (15 mins)

• Before Reading: “Chester is starting school. How do you think he feels?”

• During Reading: Use expressive voice, pause at emotional moments

• After Reading Discussion:

  • “How did Chester feel at first? What changed his feelings?”

  • “What makes you feel better when you’re scared or sad?”

  • “How can we help Backpack Bear feel welcome?”

Heart Handprint Activity (20 mins)

• Materials: Construction paper, scissors, crayons, glue

• Steps: 1) Trace hand on paper 2) Cut out 3) Glue heart in palm 4) Write/dictate comfort item

• Sharing: Display handprints, brief sharing of comfort items

Closing: “Tomorrow we’ll learn about letters and read about a brown bear!”

TUESDAY: Alphabet Awareness & Brown Bear

Alphabet Warm-up (10 mins)

• Sing alphabet song while pointing to classroom chart

• Game: “Find the letter that starts your name!”

• Quick uppercase/lowercase matching with 5-6 letter pairs

Letter Matching Activity (15 mins)

• Materials: Large letter cards A-Z (upper and lowercase)

• Method: Spread cards on floor, students work in pairs to match

• Support: Teacher circulates, helps with tricky letters like b/d, p/q

• Extension: Advanced students can put 3-4 letters in alphabetical order

Story: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” (15 mins)

• Pre-reading: Show cover, predict animals they’ll see

• Reading: Emphasize rhythm, invite students to join repetitive parts

• Post-reading: “Which animal was your favourite? Why?”

• Author/Illustrator: Point out Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle’s names

Partner Activity (10 mins)

• Turn-and-talk: Share favourite animal and why

• Sentence Frame: “I liked the _____ because _____”

✅ WORKSHEET: Brown Bear Animal Match

• Match 6 animals to their colors (red bird, yellow duck, etc.)

• Color the animals correctly

• Circle your favourite animal

WEDNESDAY: Letter Bb & Sight Words “see/me”

Phonics Introduction: Letter Bb (15 mins)

• Sound Discovery: “What sound does bear make at the beginning? /b/”

• Sound Practice: ball, bat, banana, book, Backpack Bear

• Physical Movement: Make /b/ sound while bouncing like a ball

• ASL Connection: Learn sign for letter B, practice together

Letter Formation (15 mins)

• Sand Tray Practice: Trace Bb in sand, say letter name and sound

• Air Writing: Large motor practice, “Start at the top, go down, up and around…”

• Paper Practice: Guided practice on handwriting lines

• Individual Support: Teacher helps with proper grip and formation

Sight Words: “see” and “me” (15 mins)

• Introduction: Show word cards, chant-spell-say method

• Sentences: “I can see you!” “Come play with me!”

• Movement: Walk around room, “I see a ___” (window, book, friend)

• Personal Connection: “Tell me about yourself” using “me”

✅WORKSHEET:

Bb Practice & Sight Words

Part A: Trace Bb (4 uppercase, 4 lowercase lines)

Part B: Circle pictures starting with /b/: ball, bat, book, banana (ignore: cat, sun, apple)

Part C: Fill in blanks: “I ___ a dog” (see) / “Come with ___” (me)

Part D: Draw something that starts with /b/

THURSDAY: Alphabetical Order & Book Concepts

Alphabet Sequencing (15 mins)

• Activity: Give small groups letters A-F to arrange in order

• Support: Sing alphabet song while arranging

• Challenge: Advanced groups get A-J

• Check: Groups visit each other to verify order

Concepts of Print (15 mins)

• Demonstration: Use big book to show front/back cover, title page, spine

• Practice: Students use their own books to find parts

• Reading Direction: “Where do we start reading? Which way do we go?”

• Student Practice: “Show me the top of your page, now the bottom”

Fiction vs. Nonfiction Introduction (15 mins)

• Explanation: “Fiction is made-up stories, nonfiction is real information”

• Examples: Compare “Brown Bear” (fiction) with photo animal book (nonfiction)

• Sorting Game: Display 6 book covers, students vote fiction or nonfiction

• Discussion: “How can you tell if it’s real or make-believe?”

✅ WORKSHEET: Book Basics & Alphabet

Part A: Cut and paste letters A-F in correct order

Part B: Label book parts (draw lines from words to pictures)

• Front cover, back cover, spine, top of page, bottom of page

• Part C: Sort book titles – circle Fiction or Nonfiction for each

FRIDAY: Capital Letters & Art Integration

Capital Letter Hunt (10 mins)

• Calendar Activity: Find capital letters in days (Monday, Tuesday) and months

• Name Activity: Identify capital letters in student names on name tags

• Rule: “Capital letters start sentences and names”

Phonemic Awareness Game (10 mins)

• “/b/ Sound Game”: Clap when hearing /b/ words

• Word List: ball, cat, book, sun, banana, tree, bear

• Extension: Students suggest their own /b/ words

Art: Day/Night Scene (25 mins)

• Materials: Paper folded in half, crayons, optional stickers

• Instructions:

  • Left side: “Draw what you do during the day” (play, eat, school)

  • Right side: “Draw night-time and a nocturnal animal” (owl, bat, raccoon)

• Vocabulary: Introduce “nocturnal” – animals awake at night

• Sharing: Students explain their drawings to a partner

Week Reflection (5 mins)

• Circle share: “One thing I learned this week was…”

• Preview next week: “Next week we’ll learn about rules and the letter A!”