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What kind of buildings and vehicles are there? What grows there? What kind of neighborhoods can you find in the books in your classroom library? Be sure to discuss the differences between types of literature (fiction and fantasy versus non-fiction and real narratives). Begin vocational exploration with a series of books that include community helpers. Provide dramatic props including costumes and related materials to permit children to further explore the elements of different vocations.

• As part of exploring the concept of transportation use printouts from Mural Maker, along with other materials such as scissors, paint and glue to create a transportation picturebook. While you are working, sing all the transportation songs you can think of ("The Wheels on the Bus"; "I've Been Working on the Railroad", etc.) Discuss the what the vehicles do, how and where they're used. Are there any animals or people in the Mural Maker program that could belong in your scene?



• As part of building an awareness and understanding of parts-to-whole (essential in understanding that words are often made up of smaller parts) each child makes and prints a picture of a mixed-up animal in the Fun with Animals program. Have the children cut out pictures of animals and people from donated magazines. Cut the KIDWARE mixed-up animal print-outs and the magazine pictures into separate body parts (legs, heads, etc.) and then glue them back together onto a piece of paper to make fantastic mixed-up animal collages. Encourage conversation! What kind of animals did you make? What parts make up your animal? How/where would they live? What would they eat? What sounds would they make?



• Use Mural Maker and Fun with Letters and Words to print pictures and word labels. Post these on a "word wall" to assist students with transitions from developmental spelling to correct spelling. Students check their writing to compare the spelling of commonly used words.



• After creating your own songs and experimenting with the various instrument sounds in Music Maker, try pressing the Page Down key on the keyboard to load familiar pre- recorded tunes. Click on the picture of the printer to print your tune. Use the printout to play your tune on a real toy xylophone (the colors match most toy xylophones).



• Create a design in Electronic Builder and take the printout to your block area to try to copy the design. Make a challenge for a friend to copy. Or, string beads and then use Electronic Builder to copy the patterns of colors and shapes. Try pressing the Page Down key on the keyboard while in Electronic Builder display some very challenging geometric designs including tangrams. Analye and re-create these with manipulatives or geoboards.



• Make self-portraits using FaceMaker to include in an All-About-Me-and-My-Family book. Click on the picture of the keyboard to write your autobiography! Use markers or crayons to add a background to your picture. Or, glue additional craft materials such as yarn, pom-poms, etc. to add 3-D effects to your face. Explore your family roots in your community and beyond. Create a gallery of family members or a book of your family history. Be sure to also make printouts to share with other family members.



• Use the information from the books in Aquarium to help you set up a real aquarium. Or, turn a corner into a pretend aquarium. Print pictures from Aquarium and cut out appropriate objects to decorate the corner. Hang decorated crepe paper from the ceiling as sea weed. Find objects in Mural Maker to decorate and add to the environment. What sort of sounds or music do you think there should be? Create costumes to wear or make puppets so you can pretend you are underwater creatures swimming in the sea. Read the book Rainbow Fish, then create detachable scales for your puppets or costumes. What a great way to learn about sharing!