Activity 1: (5 minutes) SUBJECT INTRODUCTION

Review the Pyramid of Happiness poster. Review the fourth and fifth level of the pyramid and perform that action (strike a superhero pose and star-jump with arms and legs spread out wide). Make the connection that we can use what we know to create a happier and healthier life. This makes us the best version of ourselves! Remind students about the actions associated with each level of the pyramid. Ask the children to name one thing they have learned this year. Talk about how the things we know help us to learn new things, and that the things we learn can help us throughout our lives. Share an idea from your own experience of something you learned as a child that has helped you throughout your life.

Activity 2: (20 minutes) READ-ALOUD AND BOOKMAKING ACTIVITY

Read I Know a Lot of Things, by Ann and Paul Rand or watch the read-aloud video by For The Children. After reading the book, have a discussion about the things that the students know:

• Stand up if you can write your name. (Write it with your finger in the air.)
• Stand on one foot if you can count to 10. (Count to 10.)
• Fold your arms if you know the colors in a rainbow. (Name them.)
• Wiggle your whole body if you know how to dance. (Show me.)
• Jump up and down if you know how to make a sandwich. (Tell me.)
• Swing your arms back and forth if you know what sound a monkey makes. (Show me.)
• Sit down if you know how to tell if someone is sad. (Tell me.)
• Spin in a circle if you know the name of the principal of your school. (Tell me.)
• Make a circle, triangle, or square with your body. (Show me.)
• Touch your toes if you know what the inside of a pumpkin looks like. (Tell me.)
• Make a silly face if you know what happens when you mix red and blue paint. (Tell me, then find something that is purple.)
• Raise your hand if you know what 1+1 is. Raise your other hand if you know what 2 + 2 is. (Show me with your fingers.)
• Shake your head if you know something about the sun. (Tell me.)
• Tiptoe backwards if you know something about an animal. (Tell me.)

Give each student their own copy of the “I Know a Lot of Things” booklet. Have the students illustrate pictures of things that they know. Write their stories about each thing they have illustrated at the bottom of each page.

Activity 3: (10 minutes) THINGS I KNOW HELP ME LEARN SOMETHING MORE

Learning happens when we connect what we already know to something else. Before we learn to read, we have to know the sounds of all the letters. Before we know the sounds of letters, we have to recognize the letters. Before we recognize letters, we have to be able to recognize shapes.

Ask the children to share something they have learned. Help them make a connection between what they know, and what they had to know FIRST before they could learn or do that skill.

Show the class First, Then Something More cards. Identify all the matches that show how early learning makes it possible for us to learn something more. (Teacher Tip: For ease of use, each match uses the same colored text box at the bottom.) Suggest that students are learning things today that will help them when they grow up. Hide the cards around the classroom and have children find the cards, then find their matching partner. Use the cards as a matching game activity. (Teacher Tip: If students need support in this activity, explain that the colors on the card should help them find a match.)

Activity 4: (10 minutes) WHEN I GROW UP

The things we are learning now will help us as we grow older. Encourage the children to think of a job they would like to do when they grow up. Highlight many different aspects of each job, including the physical, mental, emotional, and academic skills that each job needs:

• What does a firefighter need to know how to do?
• What does a doctor need to know?
• What did a scientist learn to do when they were your age?
• What would a teacher need to learn before becoming a teacher?

Help them identify the kinds of things they are learning now that will help them become what they want to be. Use this video as an opportunity to talk about the skills that the children are learning now that can help them as they grow. Extend this activity by having parents share about what they do for a career, and some of the skills they learned as a child that have helped them as an adult.

Activity 5: (20 minutes) MAKERSPACES & CENTERS

Create a makerspace or center encouraging the children to experiment and learn through hands-on curiosity. Encourage the children to think about the tools and materials by asking “What if” questions? Give children an “I am a Learner” badge for each makerspace or center they visit. Encourage them to collect them all.

Tinkering: Create a makerspace to explore what is inside old appliances. Provide tools for exploration such as: hammer, wrench, screwdriver, pliers, safety goggles, tape measure, level, allen key, etc.

Artful expression: Create a makerspace full of art supplies, such as: chenille stems, popsicle sticks, paint, chalk, paint sticks, glue, glitter, art paper, stamps, scissors, smocks, easel, etc.

Baking: Create a makerspace to explore creating kitchen curiosities. Include: mixing bowls, mixing spoons, flour, cornmeal, water, food coloring, chia seeds, shortening, etc. Include child-sized pans, utensils, play kitchen, play food, dishes, etc.

Science: Create a makerspace with tools to make explorations, such as: goggles, pipettes or eye droppers, water, paper towels, plastic wrap, waxed paper, tinfoil, magnets, magnifying glasses, tongs, beakers, test tubes, mirrors, etc.

Writing: Create a makerspace with tools for writing, such as: manual or electric typewriter, computer, an assortment of pens with different kinds of colors and point sizes, pencils, crayons, markers, paper of all textures/sizes, lettered stickers, dry erase boards or chalkboards, notebooks, lined paper, letter and number stamps, etc.

Math: Create a makerspace for using tools for math and numbers, such as: adding and matching, calculators, abacus, dice, unifix cubes, measuring tape, scale, number lines, math games, geometric tiles, muffin tins or ice cube trays, small manipulative objects for counting, clipboards, paper, pencils, etc.