This class will provide a POD for learners. The same students will meet together each day to learn and work together. Friendships and bonds will be created throughout the class. 

This course is designed as a complete kindergarten core curriculum class which follows the Science of Reading/Writing, Next Generation Science Standards and proven math and social studies activities. Student led and teacher facilitated this course will provide exposure to all skills to prepare for first grade.  

The essential questions and learning targets will build upon each other and will be repeated throughout the course. This allows for review and repetition. Opportunities will be provided regularly for students to apply new and previously taught skills. This strategy will ensure students solidify content. The teacher will spiral up or down for each student as the course progresses and student individual needs are identified. 

Students will meet daily with the teacher and each other and a routine will be established inclusive of a welcome song, daily circle time to practice calendar skills, alphabet recognition and phonics sounds, sight words, tracking weather and place value. Students will then be involved in a daily interactive read aloud which will develop literacy skills and comprehension strategies.

After the daily routine meeting will be skill time. Each day the skill will focus on a different content area:
Monday-literacy
Tuesday-writing
Wednesday-science
Thursday-social studies
Friday-social/emotional or self-help skills

Weekly Essential Questions and Learning Targets:

Week One: 
What is the daily routine of my Outschool Kindergarten Class?
Why is it important to know my name?
How can I interact with my teacher and classmates in my virtual classroom?

I can learn the classroom routine.
I can state my first name and age to my classmates.
I can demonstrate how to mute, unmute and ask for help.
I can use classroom tools correctly.
I an follow directions and participate in a group.

Week Two:
What are the parts of a book? (Front cover, back cover, spine, title page, text, illustrations).
What are the days of the week?
Why is the first letter of my name a capital letter?
How do I use my 5 senses to tell about the world?
When do I need to wash my hands?

I can identify the parts of a book.
I can tell the 7 days of the week.
I can write my first name correctly with a capital letter at the beginning.
I can name my 5 senses.
I can demonstrate how to wash my hands.

Week Three:
What is the job of an author and illustrator?
What are the ordinal positions of the days of the week?
Why is it important to have ideas in writing?
What body parts help me learn about the world?
How do I control my body to keep me safe?

I can tell the job an author and illustrator have in creating a book.
I can tell the position of the 7 days of the week.
I can create a seed notebook for collecting my writing ideas.
I can tell the body parts that help me use my 5 senses.
I can follow my teachers directions to keep myself safe.

Week Four:
Why do we track text left to right and top to bottom when reading?
Why is an illustration important in helping me become a writer?
What are the four seasons?
What are living things?
Why is it important to wait my turn when playing a class game?

I can use my finger to track text when I read a book.
I can draw a picture to tell a story.
I can name the four seasons.
I can identify things that are alive.
I can wait patiently for my turn in a group game.

Week Five:
What are common sight words in our books? 
Why do we label our pictures when we write a story.
What are the months in the winter season?
What are non-living things?
What are some ways I can move my body for exercise?

I can find sight words in a book.
I can label a picture to help me learn to write a story.
I can tell the months of the winter season.
I can identify things that are not alive.
I can move my body to exercise.

Week Six:
What are common sight words in our books? (continuation from week five)
How do I used my labeled picture to write a sentence? (phonetic writing will be encouraged)
What are the months in the spring season?
What are some living and non-living things?
How do I develop my fine motor skills?

I can find sight words in a book.
I can use my labeled picture to write a sentence. 
I can tell the months of the spring season.
I can sort objects into groups of living and non-living.
I can use my fingers to pick up small objects with salad tongs or a clothespin.

Week Seven:
Why is it important to use pictures to help me read new words?
How do I put space between my words when writing?
What are the months in winter and spring?
What living things can I find in spring and winter?
What tools can help us as we cut paper?

I can use pictures to help me read new words.
I can demonstrate how to put a space between words when I write a sentence.
I can tell the months in winter and spring.
I can sort living things by the season I will see them. 
I can use scissors to cut paper.

Week Eight:
How can I show what I have learned in this half of the semester?

I can create a book to tell what I have learned in this course. 
*students will work throughout the week to create a book to tell what they have learned. The book will be about one of the following: 5 senses, winter, spring, living or non-living things. The teacher will support students as they create their final project for the course.

The class will be structured as teacher facilitated and interactive. Learners will be engaged in games, discussions, videos and hands-on projects. My teaching style is relaxed and inclusive. I encourage learner participation and questions. The classroom is 'ours' not 'mine'. Learners will have many opportunities to interact with me and their classmates each week.