Kindergarten Instructional Guide

near/far). ●​ Conduct a living vs. nonliving walk around the school to observe and discuss real examples ●​ Model how to label drawings to show ideas (e.g., water, tree, bench). ●​ Use shared writing to create class anchor texts (e.g., "This park has trees because..."). ●​ Offer pre-drawn park maps or partially completed layouts for students to complete. ●​ Use direction cards (up/down/left/right) and model oral directions with physical gestures. ●​ Use sentence stems and visual word banks : ●​ “Plants need ___ and ___.” ●​ “My model shows a ___ because ___.” ●​ “The ___ is next to the ___.” ●​ Provide partner talk prompts and structured pair-share routines to develop oral language. ●​ Combine drawings and writing to explain ideas clearly​ (e.g., "This part of the park is for animals. I drew a tree and a pond. Animals can live here because they need water and shelter.") ●​ Students compare and contrast their park to the real one. ●​ Optional follow-up writing: What I would add to make the park better for living things… ●​ Park Planning with Community Needs: Discuss how parks help people (exercise, relaxation, family time). ●​ Students add human-centered features like a walking path , shade structure , or picnic area, and explain their choices. ●​ Park Brochure or Informational Booklet: Students create a trifold brochure or simple book about their park. ○​ Front: Name and drawing of the park ○​ Inside: "In my park, plants get ___. Animals get ___." ○​ Back: "Visit my park because..." ●​ Students create a narrative: A Day in My Park , featuring animals, people, or imaginary creatures. Include descriptive words, dialogue, and problem-solving. ●​ Make It Inclusive: Challenge students to redesign parts of their park to be accessible to all (e.g., wheelchairs, people who are blind).​ Include writing or discussion: “This makes my park fair and fun for everyone because...” ●​ Share with Local Officials or Caregivers ●​ Field Trip to a Local Park or Use Google Earth ●​ Observe how real parks support living things.

Extension