Month

Theme

September
Letters: ABC
#s: 0,1
October
Letters: DEF
#: 2
November
Letters: GHI
#: 3
December
Letters: JKL
#: 4
January
Letters: MN
#: 5
February
Letters: OP
#: 6
March
Letters: Q
#: 7
April
Letters: RST
#: 8
May
Letters: UVW
#: 9

God Gave Us
Friends

June
Letters: XYZ
#: 10

Character
Trait
Friendship

Color

Shape

Science

Orange

Circle

Nocturnal
Animals

God Made
Fall

Manners

Brown

Triangle

Leaves

God Provides
Us With Food

Thankfulness

Yellow

Square

Birds

God Made
Winter

Sharing

Red & Green

Star

Snow!

God Made
Dinosaurs

Helpfulness

White

Rectangle

Fossils

God Made
Our Bodies

Self-Control

Pink

Heart

Health

All About
Spring!

Honesty

Purple

Oval

Plants

Blue

Trapezoid

Spring
Weather

Black

Pentagon

Recycling

Diamond

What kind of
animals live
in a lake?

Rain-Rain,
Forgiveness
Dont Go
Away!
Reduce,
Responsbility
Reuse,
Recycle: How
Can We Help
Gods World?
God Made
Acceptance
Summer

2014-2015 Exploring & Respecting Gods Creation

September:
Monthly Theme: God Gave Us Friends
-How Should We Treat Our Friends?
-Things We Can Do With Our Friends
-Loving Our Enemies
Character Trait: Friendship
Bible Stories:

Jesus On the Cross (love our enemies)

Jesus Is a Friend to Zacchaeus (Friendship)

Bible Verse: A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17

Color: Orange
Shape: Circle
Number(s): 0, 1
Letters: A,B,C
Science: Nocturnal Animals- We will be talking about the different kind of animals that we know
about and learn about what the word nocturnal means. We will then talk about what kinds of
animals are nocturnal. We will also talk about why some animals are nocturnal.
During the month of September, since we will all be meeting some new friends, we will be
talking about what friendship means and how we should treat our friends, new and old. We will
think of different things we like to do with our friends, and maybe even do a few of them
together as ice breakers. We will also talk about what it means to love our enemies.
We will be practicing several concepts, such as colors, focusing particularly on orange. We will
play I Spy finding orange things in our environment, and we will also be doing a show and tell
using the color orange, which will happen every month with our color of the month. We will be
practicing letter and number recognition with the numbers 0 and 1, and letters A, B, & C. We
will also be looking at circles and finding objects in our environment that look like they might be
a circle.
Things to do at Home:

-Emphasize things in their environment that might be orange or circular.

-Practice counting with them, see if they can recognize the numbers 0 and 1.
-Read to them
*Frog and Toad Are Friends Arnold Lobel
*The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble With Friends Stan Berenstain
October:
Monthly Theme: God Made Fall
-What Colors Do We See in the Fall?
-Plants that bloom in fall (pumpkins, apples)
-Why do leaves fall?
Character Trait: Manners
Bible Stories: Jesus and Zacchaeus
Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet
Bible Verse: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Color: Brown
Shape: Triangle
Number(s): 2
Letters: D, E, F
Science: Leaves- For this science unit we will be collecting leaves and examining the different
kinds of leaves that fall in the season of Fall. We will talk about why leaves fall, and the different
colors we see. We will also make a leaf collage with the leaves we collect.
For the month of October, we will be studying the season of Fall. One of the favorite things that
we get to do this month is take a field trip to the pumpkin patch! This of course will come after
talking about the different types of plants that we find in the fall, particularly pumpkins and
apples. We will also be doing a cooking activity with our pumpkins as we will cut one open as a
class and look at the seeds before baking them.
Another thing we will be doing this month is practicing our manners. Basic table manners such
as saying please and thank you, as well as practicing taking turns and walking down the hallway,
etc. Its important that we talk about manners early in the year as they are a highly valued

concept. Other concepts we will be discussing are the color brown, triangle shapes, the numbers
0-2, specifically focusing on #2, and the letters D, E, and F.
Things to do at Home:
Practice counting and recognizing the numbers 0-2
Monitor your childrens use of manners at home, emphasize the use of please and thank
you
Read to your child
*What Do You Say, Dear? Sesyle Joslin
*How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? Jane Yolen
November:
Monthly Theme: God Provides Us With Food
-Thanksgiving & Pilgrims
-How do we thank God?
-How has God provided for us?
Character Trait: Thankfulness
Bible Stories: Daniel in the Lions Den
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
Bible Verse: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned
the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living
in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12
Color: Yellow
Shape: Square
Number(s): 3
Letters: G, H, I
Science: Birds- This month we will talk about different kinds of birds. We will go on a nature
walk and look for birds. Well talk about the different kinds of birds that we see, and what kind
of birds fly south for the winter. Well also talk about turkeys and what makes a bird a bird. Is a
turkey a bird even though it cant fly? We will determine why we consider a turkey a bird.
This month is very exciting for our students and staff because we have our annual Thanksgiving
lunch. We will learn a little bit about pilgrims and Indians and have the opportunity to dress up
for our Thanksgiving lunch. Help is much appreciated with this event, and parents are welcome

to attend! We will talk about things that make us thankful. We will remember why we should
thank God for these things.
Something else we will be doing is discussing things that God gives us that keep our stomachs
full. These can include things such as plants and animals that we use for food. God created some
of these things to keep our bodies nourished. We will include the color yellow, the shape of a
square, the number 3, and the letters G, H, & I.
Things to do at Home:
Help your child notice things in their environment that correspond with our shape, color,
numbers, and letters of the month
Help your child notice birds around them and ask them how they know that its a bird
Read to your child about thankfulness
*The Berenstain Bears: Give Thanks Stan Berenstain
*The Blessings Jar Collen Coble
December:
Monthly Theme: God Made Winter
-Lets Learn about snow!
-Why do we have presents on Christmas?
-Christmas Story
Character Trait: Sharing
Bible Stories: Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
Jonathan & David
Jesus Birth
Bible Verse: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ
God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
Color: Red & Green
Shape: Star
Number(s):4
Letters: J, K, L
Science: Snow- we will be doing different things with snow. We will experiment with how it
melts and freezes. We will make snowballs of different sizes and see which ones take the longest
to melt, etc. Another fun thing we may do this month is make snow ice cream. This is a fun
activity that the children will be able to get involved in.

One of the big things we are going to focus on in December is the Christmas Story. It is
important that our students are able to know the true meaning of Christmas. While children like
the receiving presents part of Christmas, it is important that through that aspect they learn the
aspect of giving and sharing, and also why that is a part of Christmas.
The Children will also be doing a craft project using sand art. They will have red or green stars
and will be able to make designs on them with glue and gold sand. They will talk about the Star
of David, and why this was important to the wise men in order to find Jesus Christ after His
birth. We will also be talking a lot about winter weather and what is appropriate to wear outside
when it is cold.
Things to do at Home:
Play in the snow with your children
Talk about the true meaning of Christmas with your child
Bake Christmas cookies using a star shaped cookie cutter

January:
Monthly Theme: God Made Dinosaurs
How do we know there are dinosaurs?
How big were dinosaurs?
What does it mean to be extinct?
Character Trait: Helpfulness
Bible Stories: The Good Samaritan
Noahs Ark

Bible Verse: In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good
works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Color: White
Shape: Rectangle
Number(s): 5
Letters: M, N

Science: Fossils- For this science unit, we will be collecting rocks and specifically looking at
rocks that have fossils in them (I will bring a few in case we cannot find any with fossils). We
will talk about why there are fossils in rocks and how they help us look at things in the past, such
as dinosaurs. Another fun thing we will do for art will be to make clay fossils with various items
(like a plastic dinosaur).
For the month of January, we will be talking about dinosaurs and learning about what dinosaurs
ate, and what kind of dinosaurs are most well-known. We will be reading stories about dinosaurs
and incorporating them into our science unit with fossils. Another fun thing we will be doing is
measuring the actual size of certain dinosaurs by comparing them to things such as a school bus.
Our character trait this month is helpfulness, and in order to discuss this, we will be talking about
and practicing ways we can help our friends and other people. We will be talking about the color
white, and looking at rectangular objects to learn about the rectangle shape. This month is a big
step in our numbers because we are learning to recognize the number 5.
Things to do at Home:
Have your children count to five and recognize numbers 0-5
Help your child recognize shapes in their environment
Read to your child
*Little Blue Truck Alice Schertle
*The Giving Tree Shel Silverstein
February:
Monthly Theme: God Made Our Bodies
-Good Hygiene
-Healthy Eating
-Honoring God with our Bodies
Character Trait: Self-Control
Bible Stories: Satan tempts Jesus
The Story of Joseph
Bible Verse: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you,
whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Color: pink
Shape: heart

Number(s): 6
Letters: O, P
Science: Health- we will be talking about how to keep our bodies healthy. This will include
things such as healthy eating, hygiene, and exercise. We will have our children create their own
exercises that they can do, and also have them choose between a healthy option and an unhealthy
option to help them learn what they should be doing to keep themselves healthy.
In the month of February, we will be talking a lot about ways we can honor God through our
bodies. Our bodies can do many things to honor God, like helping a friend, or lifting our arms in
praises to Him. We will also be talking about self-control. We will talk about certain situations
that we might have and how we can display self-control in these situations.
We will also be celebrating Valentines day this month! In order to do this, we will be focusing
on the color pink and the shape of a heart. We will also be having a Valentines day celebration
using this color and shape (heart shaped cookies with pink frosting).
Things to do at Home:
Focus on pink and heart shapes in the environment with your child
Help a child eat healthy and practice good hygiene
Take a walk with your child, or some other sort of exercise
March:
Monthly Theme: All About Spring!
What do plants need?
What are the colors we see in spring?
Animals that hibernate
Character Trait: Honesty
Bible Stories: Ananias and Sapphira
Abraham hides the truth from God
Bible Verse: Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his
delight. Proverbs 12:22
Color: Purple
Shape: Oval
Number(s): 7

Letters: Q
Science: Plants-this month we will be growing our own plants! We will be planting a bunch of
different seeds, and placing them in different environments to see how they grow. From this
experience, the children will be able to see what a plant needs in order to survive, and they will
get hands-on experience.
This month we will be talking about the season of Spring a little bit. We will talk about plants we
see in Spring, and why we do not see them during the winter, and we will also talk about the
colors we see in Spring. Another thing that will be interesting to our students will be talking
about animals that hibernate, and how they may be coming out of hibernation in the springtime.
We will be focusing on the character trait of honesty, which is huge for our students. Young
children often have a hard time with honesty. We will discuss how people were dishonest in the
Bible, and how God wants us to be honest. We will be looking at the color purple and the shape
of an oval, which they will be differentiating between an oval and a circle.
Things to do at Home:
-Plant a garden with your child (if weather permits)
-Monitor if your child is being honest to you, talk with them about it
-Read to your child
*The Berenstain Bears: The Truth Stan Berenstain
*Arthurs Classroom Fib Marc Brown
April:
Monthly Theme: Rain, Rain, Dont Go Away!
-Clouds
-Rainbows
-Why we need rain/ Water Cycle
Character Trait: Forgiveness
Bible Stories: The Parable of the Lost Sheep
The Prodigal Son
Bible Verse: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify
us from all unrighteousness. -I John 1:9
Color: Blue

Shape: Trapezoid
Number(s): 8
Letters: R, S, T
Science: Spring Weather- we will be talking mostly about rain and why we need rain. We will
also talk about rainbows and what they stand for, and the reason why we see them. We will be
cloud hunting on a daily basis, and talking about what kind of clouds are in the sky, what rain
clouds look like, and how we tell what kind of day it might be by looking at the clouds. We will
also be talking about the water cycle and experimenting with evaporation and condensation.
For art, we will have our students create their own rainbows using paint and cotton balls. This
will give them some sensory learning, since they will be able to feel the paint with their fingers
and glue cotton balls as clouds
We will also be talking about forgiveness and how Jesus death was in order for God to forgive
our sins. We should also be forgiving of our neighbors and confess our sins in order to receive
forgiveness from God.

Things to do at Home:
-When your child prays, ask them to include a part to ask for forgiveness
-Point out clouds with your child and ask them what kind of weather they think it might
be today
-Read with your child
*Im Sorry Sam McBratney
*The Forgiving Tree Stan Berenstain
May:
Monthly Theme: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: How Can We Help Gods World?
-What do we recycle?
-How can we keep Gods world clean?
-Our Responsibility to Gods world
Character Trait: Responsibility
Bible Stories: Paul and Barnabas
Adam and Eve
Bible Verse: For each will have to bear his own load. Galatians 6:5

Color: Black
Shape: Pentagon
Number(s): 9
Letters: U, V, W
Science: Recycling- we will be talking about recycling for our science unit. In order to do this,
we will have an activity that we cut items out of a magazine and have bins labeled trash and
recycling. We will stick our pictures into the bin of what we should do with that item after using
it.
In May, we will be focusing on ways we can help Gods world. This will be simple things such
as, not overusing items such as paper. It will also be emphasizing reusing things such as plastic
silverware, containers, etc. We will talk about littering and practice throwing things in the trash
when we see them lying on the ground.
We will also be talking about responsibility this month. We will talk about how it is not only our
responsibility to God to keep His world clean, but to ourselves. If our world becomes too
polluted, it will become unhealthy for our bodies to live in. For responsibility, we will also
emphasize cleaning up after ourselves.
Things to do at Home:
-Encourage your child to recycle
-Have your child help take care of meals and their toys
-Read to your child
*The Berenstain Bears: New Pup Jan Berenstain
*I Just Forgot Mercer Mayer
June:
Monthly Theme: God Made Summer
-Why do we like summer?
-What kind of animals do we see in the summer?
-Summer Activities
Character Trait: Acceptance
Bible Stories: The Woman at the Well
Jonah and the Whale
Bible Verse: All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will
never cast out. John 6:37

Color: Teal
Shape: Diamond
Number(s): 10
Letters: X, Y, Z
Science: Animals that Live in a Lake- this science unit will be mostly about animals we see
during the summer, specifically those that live in a lake. We will be talking about turtles, fish,
clams, frogs, etc. We will also be making a field trip to a pond to point out different creatures we
see and examine what they look like.
For art, we will be drawing pictures of something we want to do this summer or something that
is one of our favorite summer activities. We will also be talking about acceptance. This will
include accepting of others that may be different from us and not judging those around us. God is
our judge.
Acceptance will also include accepting the end of the year and that we will not be seeing our
friends as much. Moving on is another way acceptance can be seen. We will be moving on from
this year into summer, which can be a big transition for some students, especially seeing as the
next time they come to school, they will be in a different grade. We will also be learning about
accepting situations that God puts us in, such as with Jonah and the whale.
Things to do at Home:
Help your child transition into summer
Take your child to a local pond or lake and help them look for lake animals
Read to your child
*A Bad Case of Stripes David Shannon
*Different Just Like Me -Lori Mitchell

Teachers Role:

-Recorded observations of each child throughout the year

-Portfolio of each students work
-Recognizing behavior of students who may be falling behind or not understanding required
work
-Individual interviews
-Communication with parents
-Pictures of students at work
-Designing lessons and adjusting them based on students needs