Our World -Kindergarten Geography

      I come from the view point that kindergarten is a year to get them ready to love the work of learning by laying foundations in fun and engaging ways. It is a great year to take your time exploring interests, diving into arts and crafts for the love of it, and getting a good solid start on reading and math. Kindergarten social studies and science should be simple and fun. We are sparking a love of learning while introducing them to concepts of our environment, change, time and geography that will lay the foundation for history and science as they head into the meat of their schooling next year. With this in mind I've come up with a 32 week plan of once a week social studies/ science primer lessons that will give them the holistic view of their place in the world and give a great jumping point to any history/ science curriculum you go into in first grade. Each lesson is listed with general objectives and links to projects on Pinterest or websites that the learning materials come from.

     Our Place in the Solar System

Where I live Stackers

1. Our place in the solar system Perhaps with nesting Russian dolls  (Phone number with Song/ Address with Song and other fun ideas) 
2.  How to read a map (Books like these,  Using a map with key,  Following a map visually,  cardinal directions, More map practice, Map mini unit, Draw a map of their room)
3.  Map of my community (Print and play with local maps, How to use a compass, Follow a map of a local park to get to a surprise, draw a map of our town, draw a route from our house to grandma's, map practice continued from week 2)
4.  I can be a good neighbor (Basic good citizenship, how people work together in a community, local service project)

How the world turns and what it is made of

1.   The earth is a sphere that circles the sun (Day/Night)
2.   The Earth is made of Air, land, and water ( We need air and water to live/ land to live on and grow, Sort things found in all 3, describe attributes of all 3, identify land and water on a map)
3.  Air, Land and Water week 2 (Water cycle, types of clouds, Oceans/Rivers/Lakes, Fresh water vs Salt water)
4.  Air Land and Water week 3 (How land changes, Erosion, Basic Land forms with salt dough land forms) 
5.  Weather (Weather types, Scientists can predict weather, Tools to measure weather, Start weather graph)
6.  Seasons (Order of seasons, what they look like, why they happen, Seasons video and this craft)

Cultural Differences

1. We are alike/ we are different (Skin/eye color, gender, height, language, likes/ dislikes Etc)
2.  What is culture? (Food, music, history, art, religion, celebrations. stories)
3.  What is habitat? 
5. (Define Habitat and talk about how similar habitats can be found in different places/ overview of types of habitats, and prep our dioramas for finish work) Perhaps this game  or This poem.

Continents/ Habitats

Waseca Elementary Continent Map

Each continent we will do a map activity in addition to using the continent mat to place animals and people where they go and talk about culture of a local people.

For every habitat week we will talk about: where the habitats are found, 5-10 animals found there, 5 or so plants found there, and typical climates. There will also be a diorama type art project (Like these habitat bottles, Or these sensory bins) and fictional story for each place. Once we cover a habitat they will choose an animal to learn more about and add them to their "animal book" with a drawing, narration, map, and basic facts.

1. Continents/Oceans Geography Overview
2. Oceans 
3. (Layers of the ocean, whale migrations, coral reefs, kelp forests)
4. North America
5. North American Woodlands 
6. (Types of forests, food chain)
7. South America
8. South American Rain Forests 
9. (Layers of the rain forest, food chain)
10. Europe 
11. Europe Woodlands and Rivers/ponds 
12. (Beaver dams, Fish migrations)
13.  Asia
14. Asian Rain Forests/ Tundra 
15. (Animal adaptations, permafrost)
16. Africa
17. African Savannah 
18. (Types of grasslands, food chain)
19. Australia
20. Australian Desserts 
21. (Where is water found, adaptations)
22.  Antarctica
23. Arctic 
24. (How animals stay warm, food chains)
27. Alaskan Habitats
30. Alaskan Nature Study 

Why every mom needs a sister

I walk in to dinner with my sister and start with out skipping a beat:

 "The other day I had a funny thought that I got up to run to the store and leave you with the kids and you were like "Where do you think your going?" 

So I said "To buy toilet paper and Pepsi" 

"You can't leave me with all the kids" 

"Watch me" 

"You do and I'll give them all juice and let them watch paw patrol the whole time" 

"You wouldn't" 

"I would"

 "Then I'll tell them about the leftover cake in the fridge and that you will share with whomever can cut this price of paper into the smallest pieces" 

"I'll let them craft with glitter on your carpet" 

"I introduce your 6 year old to beat boxing" 

"I'll buy all of your kids recorders for Christmas" .... 

At this point she is just smiling and nodding barely able to control her laughter, only it's not because she thinks I'm funny.  It's because a Goodrich can't help but laugh at her own joke (It's science). Even if she just has the one joke because it always works.

  "...Leggings are not pants" 

"Mom bun is not a hair style" 

"Diet Pepsi is not breakfast" 

Then she cracks.

"And then what happened Christina?" 

and we are rolling. 

Because only a sister can crack you up with the same question every time you take off on a long winded imaginative tangent and drag them along for the ride. (Which is way more often than I care to admit) Only a sister will listen to said tangent then spend the next twenty minutes making up good mom insults with you and try to record a video of said disses to save for posterity or a really humiliating family reunion. Only a sister will talk about the same struggles over and over with newfound encouragement and wisdom very time you mom fail and have genuine excitement when your 2 year old poops in the potty without an incentive. 

Then there is my other sister. The one who asks for advice she never takes and tells me my political ideas are stupid to my face (while everyone else is making the crazy sign when they think I'm not looking) she is so blunt it drives me crazy. The only other person I know who even comes close to telling it like it is the way she does is... me. (It's funny how what draws you to others is what you see in your self too) We don't always get along but we always have each others back and there is something to be said for fierce loyalty in a PC world. The funny thing is though, the more different we become the more I love her, because when you love someone different than you, you love their soul and can see the best in them even when they can't. If you're good to each other you point it out. Having a bond like sisterhood too means that you forgive faster, love deeper, and can be more honest sooner than you can in other friendships. Which gives you the grace to be your real, genuine, unfiltered self knowing that even if they think you're nuts they are not going anywhere and love you anyway.

As much as I love my sisters the fact is I have many more sisters. Sister in laws that are every much family in my heart as if they had always been there. Friends who showed up (when I was laid out on the floor and couldn't move and did my laundry) or weren't afraid to get very real and very personal when I just needed to be seen as an interesting individual instead of just my favorite title "mom". 

Motherhood has its own challenges and sweet rewards and women need sister's to share it (and sometimes bare it) with. Women who know them as a sister, a friend, a woman, AND a mom. All the little prices that make up who we are and when to call out and strengthen each piece. Women are social creatures and sometimes men, God bless them, don't get it. Not in a way a sister in the trenches does. Not in the way someone who has the perspective of knowing us as an awkward teen, ambitious graduate, fawning newlywed, or nervous new mom (or whatever stage they came into our life) to remind us how far we have come or the spark that is still in us. Sometimes we just need added feminine intuition or encouragement to trust our own. Sometimes we just need a reminder of who we are beyond our titles and duties. Having sisters helps us keep our sense of self alive in the most joyful way.

If you don't have a sister, reach out to another mom. She gets it and if she gets you, then you've found an invaluable treasure that will see YOU through everything life throws your way. Someone who will call you out on your crazy, laugh with you, cry with you, or just bring you chocolate and sit with you quietly on the days that are just too much. Because what is a sister but another woman who knows you best and sticks with you through it all.