Themes calendar, 3 to 6

August: Me and My Classroom

Late summer

The first two weeks are spent teaching how the room works (where things live, how to carry them, how to choose and return work, how to treat each other), because children can only concentrate on academic work once the routines are secure and they feel safe.

Week 1: Arriving, where things are, and caring for myself
- Greet each child at the door by name with a handshake; practice the greeting at circle.
- Tour the room in small groups: show each shelf, the bathroom, the snack table, the cubbies, and the peace table.
- Present hand washing, hanging up a coat, and putting on and taking off indoor shoes.
- Circle: learn each child’s name with a name song.
- Measure each child’s height with a piece of string, label it, and save it for May.
Week 2: Moving in the room: chairs, mats, and trays
- Present carrying a chair, rolling and unrolling a mat, and carrying a tray, one small group at a time.
- Walking on the line at circle every day, starting with walking only and adding a bell or flag later in the week.
- Practice pushing in a chair and walking around, not across, another child’s mat.
- Outdoor: walk the playground boundary together and name the outdoor rules.
- Introduce the birthday walk around the sun and put each child’s birthday on the class calendar.

Celebrations around the world

Birthday Celebration (Walk Around the Sun) · Montessori classroom tradition, practiced in Montessori schools worldwide (ongoing all year)
The birthday child carries a globe once around a candle or sun symbol for each year of life while the class hears one photo or story from each year.
Raksha Bandhan · Hindu, also celebrated by many Sikh and Jain families (India and Nepal)
Date varies; in 2026–27: Aug 28. Children learn that sisters tie a thread bracelet called a rakhi on their brothers’ wrists and siblings promise to look after each other; each child names a person who looks after them, and the class finds India on a globe.
Maria Montessori’s Birthday · Italian; marked by Montessori schools worldwide
Aug 31 (born 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy). Children see a photo of Maria Montessori, hear that she was a doctor who watched children closely and designed the materials in their classroom, and find Italy on a globe.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Greeting someone at the door
Walking in the classroom and pushing in a chair
Waiting for a turn with a work
Using a quiet indoor voice

Vocabulary

classroomshelftraymatlineworkchoosereturnfriendbirthday

Read-alouds

The Kissing Hand — Audrey Penn
Chrysanthemum — Kevin Henkes
The Day You Begin — Jacqueline Woodson

September: Our Classroom Community and Our Earth: Land and Water

Autumn

Children keep strengthening the routines begun in August while the first cultural lessons start with the whole Earth (land and water on the globe, then the seven continents), because Montessori geography moves from the whole to its parts.

Week 1: Choosing work, finishing it, and putting it back
- Present the full work cycle with one tray: take it from the shelf, use it, return it ready for the next person.
- Present spooning, opening and closing containers, and Color Box 1.
- Circle: role-play waiting for a turn when a work is being used.
- Show the snack routine: wash hands, serve yourself, wash the dish, push in the chair.
- Taste apples dipped in honey and hear about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
Week 2: The Earth is round: land and water
- Present the sandpaper globe: touch the rough land and the smooth water, and name each.
- Circle: pour water and sand into two bowls and name each one land or water.
- Present dry pouring and folding cloths to children who have mastered spooning.
- Outdoor: find places on the playground that are land and places that hold water after watering.
Week 3: Peace and the seven continents
- Present the peace table and peace rose with a guide role-play; children practice saying "I feel ... when ..."
- Mark the International Day of Peace with a peace song and a minute of silence.
- Present the continent globe and sing a continents song naming all seven.
- Begin the Silence Game with a short, 10-second first attempt.
Week 4: The first day of autumn and the harvest moon
- Mark the autumn equinox on the class calendar: day and night are about the same length.
- Show a picture of the full moon; talk about the Mid-Autumn Festival and Chuseok, look at a paper lantern, and find China, Vietnam, and Korea on the continent globe.
- First leaf walk: collect fallen leaves and sort them by color at a table.
- Start the daily weather chart at circle with one helper each day.
- Three-period lesson on land and water words with pictures (classified cards).

Celebrations around the world

Rosh Hashanah · Jewish
Date varies; in 2026–27: begins at sundown Sept 11 and ends at nightfall Sept 13. Children learn it is the Jewish New Year, hear a recording of the shofar (ram’s horn), and taste apples dipped in honey for a sweet year.
International Day of Peace · United Nations, observed worldwide
Sept 21. Children hear that people in many countries mark this day for peace, sing a peace song, and keep a minute of silence together.
Mid-Autumn Festival (Chuseok in Korea) · Chinese, also celebrated in Vietnam, Korea, and across East and Southeast Asia
Date varies; in 2026–27: Sept 25 (the full moon of the eighth lunar month). Children look at the full moon, see a paper lantern, taste a small piece of mooncake, and find China, Vietnam, and Korea on the globe.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Interrupting politely (hand on the shoulder, wait)
Watching another child’s work without touching
Asking a friend for help
Saying "I feel ... when ..." at the peace table

Vocabulary

Earthglobelandwatercontinentoceanpeaceautumnmoonlantern

Read-alouds

Me on the Map — Joan Sweeney
A Big Mooncake for Little Star — Grace Lin
The Peace Book — Todd Parr

October: Leaves and Trees, and North America: Utah and Our Community

Autumn · Geography: North America

Children study the autumn leaves and trees they can see changing outside, and after the whole globe they study the continent they live on, then their state and town and the people who help their community.

Week 1: Leaves change color
- Nature walk to collect fallen leaves; sort them by color, size, and shape.
- Present the parts of the leaf with a real leaf beside the puzzle.
- Leaf rubbings with crayons; make a pattern strip of leaf colors.
- Present raking leaves and sweeping outdoor paths as outdoor care.
- World Animal Day: talk about how we care for the class pet or for birds at a feeder.
Week 2: Parts of a tree
- Present the parts of the tree puzzle: roots, trunk, branches, leaves.
- Choose one tree on the playground as the class tree; feel its bark, draw it, and plan to visit it again each season.
- Present Color Box 2 and match leaf colors to the color tablets.
- Present the number rods to children ready for early math.
Week 3: North America and Utah
- Present the North America puzzle map (orange); name Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
- Find Utah on the United States map; show the Utah map with Salt Lake City, the Great Salt Lake, and the mountains.
- Look at photos of autumn colors in Utah’s mountain canyons and compare them with the class tree.
- Present the sandpaper letters, starting with sounds in the children’s own names.
Week 4: Our community and the wider world
- Invite a community helper (firefighter, librarian, farmer, or parent) to visit and talk about their work.
- Walk the neighborhood and name the buildings and helpers seen.
- Hear the story behind Dussehra, a festival about good winning over evil, and find India on the globe.
- United Nations Day: look at flags from several countries and hear that the United Nations helps countries work together.
- I Spy beginning sounds with objects from a basket of autumn things.

Celebrations around the world

World Animal Day · Observed worldwide
Oct 4. Children talk about how people care for animals, help care for the class pet or a bird feeder, and hear that people in many countries mark this day.
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) · Hindu (India and Nepal)
Date varies; in 2026–27: Oct 20, the day after the nine nights of Navratri (Oct 11–19). Children hear a short retelling of the story of Rama, learn it celebrates good winning over evil, and find India and Nepal on the globe.
United Nations Day · United Nations, observed worldwide
Oct 24. Children look at flags from several countries and hear that the United Nations is a place where countries meet to solve problems together.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Saying "please" and "thank you"
Welcoming and thanking a visitor to the classroom
Caring for a living thing gently

Vocabulary

leafstemveinbarktrunkbranchNorth AmericacountrystateUtahcommunityhelper

Read-alouds

Leaf Man — Lois Ehlert
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf — Lois Ehlert
Last Stop on Market Street — Matt de la Peña

November: Seeds, Harvest, and South America

Autumn · Geography: South America

Children connect the autumn harvest to seeds and the foods they eat, and study South America, where potatoes, peanuts, quinoa, and cacao (the bean used to make chocolate) were first grown and where the largest rainforest in the world is found.

Week 1: Seeds and the harvest
- Open a pumpkin and an apple; count and sort the seeds.
- Present the grains-and-seeds sorting tray.
- Present peeling (carrot, orange) and prepare a harvest snack for the group.
- Circle: which foods grow on trees, on vines, or under the ground?
Week 2: Festivals of remembering and light
- Hear about Día de los Muertos: look at marigolds, papel picado, and a photo of an ofrenda; find Mexico on the North America map.
- Cut simple papel picado from tissue paper.
- Hear about Diwali: see a clay diya lamp, make a rangoli pattern with colored rice or chalk, and find India on the globe.
- Present the spindle boxes.
Week 3: South America
- Present the South America puzzle map (pink); open the South America continent box.
- Scrub, peel, and taste different potatoes; hear that people in the Andes mountains have grown thousands of kinds of potatoes.
- Look at fabrics from the Andes, touch alpaca or llama wool, and present the fabric box.
- Present the first metal insets.
Week 4: The rainforest and sharing food
- Read The Great Kapok Tree and list the rainforest animals in the story.
- Set the table and serve a shared harvest snack; each child names one thing they are thankful for.
- Collect food for a local food bank as a class project.
- Present the number rods and cards.
- Rhyming game with harvest objects (for example, corn and horn, bean and green).

Celebrations around the world

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) · Mexican; also marked as Día de los Difuntos in Ecuador and other Latin American countries
Nov 1–2. Children learn that families remember loved ones who have died with an ofrenda of photos, marigolds, and favorite foods, see papel picado, and find Mexico on the North America map. In Ecuador, families share a purple fruit drink (colada morada) and bread shaped like babies (guaguas de pan).
Diwali · Hindu, Sikh, and Jain
Date varies; in 2026–27: Nov 8 (the five-day festival runs Nov 6–10). Children learn it is a festival of lights, see a clay diya lamp, make a rangoli pattern, and find India on the globe.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Offering, accepting, and declining food politely
Serving others at the table and waiting until everyone is served
Saying something kind about a friend’s work

Vocabulary

seedharvestgrainpotatoSouth Americamountainrainforestremembermarigoldlampthankful

Read-alouds

The Tiny Seed — Eric Carle
The Great Kapok Tree — Lynne Cherry
Binny’s Diwali — Thrity Umrigar

December: Winter Light and Shadow, and Europe

Winter · Geography: Europe

As the days get shorter, children study why we have day and night, how light makes shadows, and how people in Europe and around the world celebrate light during the darkest time of year.

Week 1: Day and night: the Earth turns
- Darken the room, shine a lamp on the globe, and turn it slowly to show day and night.
- Record sunrise and sunset times on a chart for the month and notice the days getting shorter.
- Present putting on a coat with the coat flip before outdoor time.
- Present the warm and cold thermic bottles.
- Hear about Hanukkah; count the candles on a menorah and spin a dreidel.
Week 2: Light and shadow
- Make shadows with a flashlight and hands; move the light closer and farther and watch the shadow change.
- Outdoor: trace a friend’s shadow with chalk in the morning and again before lunch.
- Present Color Box 3 (grading shades from dark to light).
- Present the moveable alphabet with the object box to children who know several sounds.
Week 3: Europe
- Present the Europe puzzle map (red); open the Europe continent box with objects and photos.
- Listen to Vivaldi’s "Winter" from The Four Seasons and move to it.
- Hear about St. Lucia Day in Sweden (Dec 13), when a child wearing a crown of candles brings buns to the family; find Sweden on the Europe map.
- Present the golden bead quantities: unit, ten, hundred, thousand.
- Present polishing a candle holder or brass object.
Week 4: Festivals of light and the longest night
- Hear about Yalda Night, Christmas, and Kwanzaa; set a table display with a pomegranate, an evergreen branch, and a kinara.
- Count the candles on a kinara and a menorah and lay out cards and counters to match.
- Bake a simple recipe from one of the traditions and serve it to the class.
- Mark the winter solstice on the class calendar: the shortest day of the year.

Celebrations around the world

Hanukkah · Jewish
Date varies; in 2026–27: begins at sundown Dec 4 and ends Dec 12. Children learn it is an eight-night festival of lights, count the candles on a menorah, spin a dreidel, and taste latkes.
Yalda Night · Iranian (Persian), also marked in Afghanistan and Central Asia
Dec 21 (evening), the longest night of the year. Children learn families stay up together, eat pomegranates and watermelon, and read poetry, and connect it to the lesson on short days and long nights.
Christmas · Christian, and celebrated culturally in many countries
Dec 25 (Jan 7 in many Orthodox churches). Children hear how families in several European countries celebrate, see an evergreen branch and a nativity figure, and find those countries on the Europe map.
Kwanzaa · African American
Dec 26–Jan 1. Children see a kinara with seven candles, hear the seven principles (such as unity and creativity), and learn it honors African heritage; they find Africa on the globe.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Giving and receiving a gift or compliment
Holding the door for others
Carrying a lit or fragile object safely (with an adult)

Vocabulary

daynightlightshadowdarksunrisesunsetwintersolsticeEuropecandle

Read-alouds

The Shortest Day — Susan Cooper
Owl Moon — Jane Yolen

January: Ice, Snow, and Antarctica

Winter · Geography: Antarctica

Utah winter gives children real snow and ice to study, which leads to solids and liquids, winter weather, and Antarctica, the coldest continent, and the animals that live there.

Week 1: Back to routines after the break
- Re-present the ground rules and the work cycle at circle; role-play walking, waiting, and returning work.
- Present zippers and buckles on the dressing frames, then practice with real snow gear.
- Hear about Three Kings Day and look at a picture of a rosca de reyes.
- Present wet pouring with a pitcher and two glasses.
Week 2: Snow and ice: solid and liquid
- Bring snow and ice inside; time how long each takes to melt and record it on a chart.
- Freeze water in a cup overnight and compare it before and after.
- Present sink and float with ice cubes and other objects.
- Present the thermic tablets.
- Hear about Pongal: families cook rice with milk until it boils over the pot, a sign of plenty; find India and Sri Lanka on the globe.
Week 3: Antarctica
- Present the Antarctica puzzle map (white); find it at the bottom of the globe.
- Sort animal cards: penguins, seals, whales, and fish of Antarctica.
- Present the moveable alphabet with pictures.
- Present the teen boards with beads.
Week 4: Winter weather and trees in winter
- Make a bar graph of the month’s weather (sunny, cloudy, snowy) from the weather chart.
- Visit the class tree from October: what has changed? Hear about Tu BiShvat, the New Year for Trees, and taste dried fruits such as figs and dates.
- Present the association of golden bead quantities with numeral cards.
- Present the phonetic object box to children who can build three-letter words.

Celebrations around the world

Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes) · Christian tradition in Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Latin American countries
Jan 6. Children learn that many children leave out shoes or a box of grass for the camels, receive small gifts, and share a ring-shaped bread called rosca de reyes.
Pongal · Tamil (South India, Sri Lanka, and Tamil communities worldwide)
Date varies; in 2026–27: Jan 14–17, main day Jan 15. Children learn it is a harvest festival that thanks the sun, see a photo of a kolam (a pattern drawn in rice flour at the door), and find India and Sri Lanka on the globe.
Tu BiShvat · Jewish
Date varies; in 2026–27: begins at sundown Jan 22 and ends at nightfall Jan 23. Children learn it is the New Year for Trees, hear that almond trees begin to bloom in Israel at this time, and taste fruits that grow on trees.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Getting dressed for outdoors and helping a friend with a zipper
Using kind words to solve a problem at the peace table
Coughing and sneezing into the elbow; blowing the nose

Vocabulary

snowicemeltfreezesolidliquidcoldAntarcticapenguinsealweather

Read-alouds

The Snowy Day — Ezra Jack Keats
The Mitten — Jan Brett
Tacky the Penguin — Helen Lester
Snowflake Bentley — Jacqueline Briggs Martin

February: Asia and Animals with Backbones

Winter · Geography: Asia

Children study Asia, the largest continent, and begin classifying animals, first by backbone or no backbone and then into the five vertebrate classes (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals).

Week 1: Asia and the Lunar New Year
- Present the Asia puzzle map (yellow); open the Asia continent box.
- Hear about Lunar New Year: red envelopes, paper lanterns, a lion dance video, and the animal of the year (the goat).
- Find China, Korea, and Vietnam on the Asia map.
- Present tonging, then transferring with chopsticks as an extension.
Week 2: Vertebrate and invertebrate
- Feel your own backbone; compare a picture of a fish skeleton with a worm.
- Sort animal pictures into "has a backbone" and "no backbone".
- Present the Farm (noun game) with animal figures.
- Present the constructive triangles (rectangular box 1).
Week 3: The five vertebrate classes
- Present one vertebrate class each day: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, using real objects (a feather, a shell, fur).
- Present the animal puzzles and name the parts.
- Listen to Carnival music (samba and calypso) and make simple masks; find Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago on the globe.
- Present the formation of numbers with large and small numeral cards.
Week 4: Animals and people of Asia
- Match animals of Asia (tiger, panda, elephant, Komodo dragon) to their vertebrate class.
- Present the flags of countries in Asia.
- Hear that Ramadan has begun: many Muslim families fast from sunrise to sunset and share a meal at night; find Indonesia, the country with the most Muslims, on the Asia map.
- Present the ten boards with beads and dish washing.

Celebrations around the world

Lunar New Year · Chinese, Korean (Seollal), Vietnamese (Tết), and other East and Southeast Asian cultures
Date varies; in 2026–27: Feb 6 (Year of the Goat). Children see red envelopes and paper lanterns, watch a lion dance, learn the animal of the year, and find China, Korea, and Vietnam on the Asia map.
Carnival · Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, and other countries
Date varies; in 2026–27: Feb 5–9 in Rio de Janeiro, ending the day before Ash Wednesday (Feb 10). Children listen to samba and calypso music, make simple masks, and find Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago on the globe.
Ramadan begins · Muslim
Date varies; in 2026–27: expected to begin about Feb 8, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Children learn many Muslim families fast from sunrise to sunset for one month, see a picture of the crescent moon, and hear that the month ends with Eid al-Fitr in March.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Introducing yourself and a friend
Washing and putting away dishes after snack
Sharing space at a group lesson

Vocabulary

Asiabackbonevertebrateinvertebratefishamphibianreptilebirdmammalfeathersscalesfur

Read-alouds

Bringing in the New Year — Grace Lin
What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? — Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Grandfather Tang’s Story — Ann Tompert

March: Spring Arrives: The Sun, the Seasons, and Africa

Spring · Geography: Africa

The spring equinox is the moment to show how the Earth’s trip around the sun makes the seasons, while children start sprouting seeds indoors and study Africa and the homes animals build there and in Utah.

Week 1: The Earth travels around the sun
- Walk a globe around a lamp to show one year; name the four seasons in order.
- Sequence the four seasons picture cards; draw your favorite season.
- Hear about Nowruz and sprout wheat or lentils in a dish on the science shelf.
- Hear about Eid al-Fitr, the celebration at the end of Ramadan, and share a date or other sweet snack.
- Present spring cleaning: window washing and cloth washing.
Week 2: Africa
- Present the Africa puzzle map (green); open the Africa continent box.
- Play rhythm instruments (drums, shakers) to recorded music from West Africa.
- Present land and water forms: island, lake, peninsula, gulf.
- Present golden bead addition as a group lesson.
Week 3: Animal homes
- Match animals to their homes (nest, burrow, den, hive, web).
- Outdoor: look for nests and burrows on the playground or a nearby park.
- Present the blue series (consonant blends) to readers.
- Hear about Easter and see decorated eggs from several countries, such as Ukrainian pysanky.
Week 4: Colors of spring
- Hear about Holi; mix colors at the easel.
- Present juicing oranges or lemons and serve the juice at snack.
- Present the geometric solids and find each shape in the classroom.
- Present combinations of ten with bead bars.

Celebrations around the world

Eid al-Fitr · Muslim
Date varies; in 2026–27: expected Mar 9 or 10, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Children learn it marks the end of Ramadan, that families wear new clothes, share special foods, and give to people in need, and find North and West Africa and Indonesia on the globe.
Nowruz · Iranian (Persian), also celebrated across Central Asia and by Kurdish and Afghan communities
Date varies; in 2026–27: Mar 20 (Mar 21 in some countries), the day of the spring equinox. Children learn it is a new year festival for the first day of spring, grow wheat or lentil sprouts in a dish, and see a haft-sin table of seven symbolic items.
Holi · Hindu (India and Nepal)
Date varies; in 2026–27: bonfire night (Holika Dahan) Mar 22 and the day of colors Mar 23. Children learn it is a spring festival of colors, mix colors at the easel, and find India and Nepal on the Asia map.
Easter · Christian
Date varies; in 2026–27: Mar 28 (Orthodox Easter is May 2). Children learn it is a Christian spring holiday and see decorated eggs from several countries, such as Ukrainian pysanky.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Apologizing and making it right
Giving a friend space when they need it
Noticing when someone needs help and offering it

Vocabulary

springseasonequinoxorbitsproutAfricaislandlakenestburrowdenhive

Read-alouds

Handa’s Surprise — Eileen Browne
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain — Verna Aardema
Lailah’s Lunchbox — Reem Faruqi

April: Planting and Growing, and Australia and Oceania

Spring · Geography: Australia/Oceania

Children plant seeds and care for them over the month, learn the parts of a plant and a flower, care for the Earth on Earth Day, and study Australia and the Pacific islands, whose plants and animals are found nowhere else.

Week 1: What plants need
- Plant bean seeds in clear cups so roots are visible; each child waters and checks their own.
- Sort pictures into living and non-living.
- Present plant care: watering and wiping leaves.
- Start a class growth chart: measure seedlings with cubes or paper clips every few days.
Week 2: Parts of the plant and the flower
- Dig up a weed and name its root, stem, and leaves; present the parts of the plant puzzle.
- Take apart a real flower (such as a lily or tulip) and name its parts.
- Present flower arranging with spring flowers.
- Present labeling: children write or place labels on the parts of the plant.
- Hear about Songkran, the Thai New Year, when people gently pour water over the hands of older relatives to show respect; practice pouring water over a friend’s hands at the sink.
Week 3: Australia and Oceania
- Present the Australia puzzle map (brown); find New Zealand and the Pacific islands.
- Learn about marsupials: a kangaroo joey grows in its mother’s pouch; koalas eat eucalyptus leaves.
- Present pin maps and label maps for Australia to older children.
- Present the hundred board.
Week 4: Caring for the Earth
- Earth Day: pick up litter on the playground, sort recycling, and plant a tree or flowers outdoors.
- Hear about Passover; see a seder plate and taste matzah.
- Present reading classification cards (plants and animals) to readers.
- Present superimposed figures and trace the shapes to make a spring card.

Celebrations around the world

Songkran · Thai, also celebrated in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar
Apr 13–15. Children learn it is the Thai New Year, that people pour water over the hands of older relatives to show respect and splash water to welcome the new year, and find Thailand on the Asia map.
Passover · Jewish
Date varies; in 2026–27: begins at sundown Apr 21 and ends Apr 29. Children learn it remembers the Israelites’ journey from slavery to freedom, see a seder plate, and taste matzah.
Earth Day · Observed worldwide
Apr 22. Children clean up the playground, sort recycling, and plant a tree or flowers.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Caring for living things gently (plants and class pets)
Cleaning up a spill without being asked
Using materials without waste

Vocabulary

seedrootstemflowerpetalsoilrecycleAustraliaislandmarsupialpouchkangaroo

Read-alouds

Planting a Rainbow — Lois Ehlert
The Curious Garden — Peter Brown
Wangari’s Trees of Peace — Jeanette Winter
Possum Magic — Mem Fox

May: Life Cycles, How I Have Grown, and Moving On

Spring

Children watch real living things change (caterpillars into butterflies, tadpoles into frogs, seeds into plants), then look back at how they themselves have changed this year and get ready for summer and for next year (a new role in the class or a move to first grade).

Week 1: The butterfly life cycle
- Set up a butterfly habitat with live caterpillars; children draw what they see every two days.
- Present the butterfly life cycle cards: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly.
- Hear about Lei Day; string a paper or flower lei and find Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
- Present sewing a button.
Week 2: The frog life cycle and the plant life cycle
- Visit a pond or watch a video of tadpoles; sequence the frog life cycle cards.
- Compare the plant life cycle with the bean plants started in April.
- Retell a story from the book corner in order: beginning, middle, end.
- Present skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s with bead chains.
- Hear about Children’s Day in Japan and see carp streamers (koinobori), one for each child in a family.
Week 3: Then and now: how I have grown
- Measure each child’s height with a string and compare it with the string saved in August.
- Make a personal timeline with one photo or drawing for each year of life.
- Compare a work sample from the start of the year with one from now.
- Walk around the sun for children with summer birthdays.
- Present the stamp game.
Week 4: Leaders, sharing, and saying goodbye
- Release the butterflies outdoors together.
- Oldest children give a lesson to a younger child on a work they have mastered; kindergarten-year children write a journal page about what they want to learn in first grade.
- Hear about Eid al-Adha and Vesak; talk about sharing food with neighbors and doing kind acts for others.
- Children help clean the classroom (wash shelves, wash cloths, water plants), then prepare and serve a goodbye snack.
- Say goodbye with a handshake at the door, the same way the year began.

Celebrations around the world

Lei Day · Hawaiian
May 1. Children learn Hawaii is a group of Pacific islands in Oceania, string a paper or flower lei, and hear that a lei is given as a sign of welcome and affection.
Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi) · Japanese
May 5. Children learn families in Japan fly carp-shaped streamers (koinobori) to wish their children health and strength, and find Japan on the Asia map.
Eid al-Adha · Muslim
Date varies; in 2026–27: expected May 16 or 17, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Children learn families share a meal and give food to neighbors and people in need.
Vesak · Buddhist
Date varies; in 2026–27: May 20 in most countries (on the full moon; a few countries mark it on a different day). Children learn it honors the life of the Buddha, see paper lanterns, and hear that people do kind acts for others; they find Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand on the Asia map.

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Observing living things quietly without touching
Giving a lesson to a younger friend patiently
Congratulating a friend
Saying goodbye and thanking the people who helped you

Vocabulary

life cycleeggcaterpillarchrysalisbutterflytadpolefroggrowchangetimelinesummergoodbye

Read-alouds

The Very Hungry Caterpillar — Eric Carle
From Tadpole to Frog — Wendy Pfeffer
Leo the Late Bloomer — Robert Kraus
The Important Book — Margaret Wise Brown

Celebrations whose dates move each year (lunar and lunisolar calendars) are marked “date varies”; teach them in the month they actually fall.

Week 1: Arriving, where things are, and caring for myself

Week 2: Moving in the room: chairs, mats, and trays

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: Choosing work, finishing it, and putting it back

Week 2: The Earth is round: land and water

Week 3: Peace and the seven continents

Week 4: The first day of autumn and the harvest moon

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: Leaves change color

Week 2: Parts of a tree

Week 3: North America and Utah

Week 4: Our community and the wider world

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: Seeds and the harvest

Week 2: Festivals of remembering and light

Week 3: South America

Week 4: The rainforest and sharing food

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: Day and night: the Earth turns

Week 2: Light and shadow

Week 3: Europe

Week 4: Festivals of light and the longest night

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: Back to routines after the break

Week 2: Snow and ice: solid and liquid

Week 3: Antarctica

Week 4: Winter weather and trees in winter

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: Asia and the Lunar New Year

Week 2: Vertebrate and invertebrate

Week 3: The five vertebrate classes

Week 4: Animals and people of Asia

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: The Earth travels around the sun

Week 2: Africa

Week 3: Animal homes

Week 4: Colors of spring

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: What plants need

Week 2: Parts of the plant and the flower

Week 3: Australia and Oceania

Week 4: Caring for the Earth

Celebrations around the world

Featured works

Grace and courtesy

Vocabulary

Read-alouds

Week 1: The butterfly life cycle