New Unit: We can be friends

Our focus on exploring the theme Who We Are will be the concept "we can be friends".

The lines of inquiry are

• the role friendships play in our lives (function)
• the giving and receiving of friendship (connection)
• the expectations of friendship (responsibility)

To begin this unit I have observed the children are aware they have friends that they like to play with. We will look closer at the function of friendship - what role do friends play in our lives?

Today we played a music game called Johnny Put Your Hand Up,  in which the children practiced some important ideas in friendship: listening and turn taking. It also provided an opportunity to label body parts. One discussion that came up allowed the children to discover that the bend of your hand is called a wrist, not an ankle, and the children found their both their ankles and wrists.

Johnny put your tummy up!

The children all identified one role of friendship - to have someone to play with. They all agreed it was important to have someone to play with. It took some thought to label the play and identify the activities they did with their friends. 

Simone - play princess, read together, build with magnet tiles, play mom and dad

Sofia V - play basketball, play Cinderella, play Sleeping Beauty

Rocco - buy trains together, play ninja, pretend to be different people, play outside

Alfie - play magnet tiles, play golf, play baseball

Roy - play with toys

Illustrating their ideas: things I like to do with my friend