Chrysanthemum Thematic Unit
The beginning of kindergarten is fast approaching and all I can think about is how hard those first weeks (and months) can be. For a teacher it feels like holding 25 corks under the water all at once—all day long. For a kindergartner, it is a scary time. A time to adjust to new space, new adults, new friends, new rules, new structure, and for most, the introduction to the social (and far from perfect) world in which we live. It is the first realization for many 5 years olds that they are not the center of the universe.
I love to use the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henks during these fraught early days. The adorable story teaches so many concepts that can make adaption to a classroom filled with peers a more enjoyable place. Besides teaching the importance of a person’s name, it is a great tool to teach self-awareness, diversity, respect, and appreciation for self and others.
I like to use a planning page like the one shown here to help me get started quickly and to make sure that I have covered all areas of the curriculum. This way everything is included to keep learning focused and fun!
I hope that you find my Chrysanthemum Unit as useful for your first days of Kindergarten as I always do!
Went hand in hand for the beginning of the year...thank you!
Loved the bundle. Wish I would have had more time to do everything!
My students loved the wrinkled heart activity.
