Lammas: First Harvest & New Beginnings
We begin our school year at Lammas, the first harvest festival. As the earth shares its abundance, we learn gratitude, establish routines, and discover the joy of bread.
UU Principle Focus
7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence
We learn how sun, rain, soil, seeds, farmers, and bakers all work together to bring bread to our table.
Learning Goals
Language Arts
- • Recognize letters A, B, C, D
- • Associate letters with sounds
- • Listen to and retell stories
Math
- • Count objects 1-10
- • One-to-one correspondence
- • Sort and classify objects
Science & Nature
- • Understand harvest and seasons
- • Learn where food comes from
- • Observe late summer nature
Social-Emotional
- • Establish school routines
- • Practice gratitude daily
- • Learn to share with others
Weekly Lessons
Week 1: Welcome to School!
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Light our first candle together. Introduce Hearth Circle. What are we excited to learn this year?
📖 Language Arts
Letter A - Apple, August, Abundance. Trace A in sand tray, find A in books
🔢 Math
Counting 1-3 - Count apples, grains, fingers. One-to-one correspondence
🌿 Science & Nature
What is harvest? Walk outside, observe late summer. What's growing?
🎨 Art & Handwork
Decorate a nature journal cover. Collect first nature treasures
🏃 Movement
Hello songs, name games, learning our daily rhythm
📚 Story Time
The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Sesame Street: Letter A
- StoryBots: A Song
Shows:
- Nature Cat (PBS Kids)
Audiobooks:
- The Little Red Hen (Audible)
Week 2: Grains & Bread
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Pass around wheat stalks or grain. Where does bread come from?
📖 Language Arts
Letter B - Bread, Bake, Barley. Practice B with finger tracing
🔢 Math
Counting 4-5 - Count ingredients, measure cups of flour
🌿 Science & Nature
From seed to bread: wheat life cycle. Examine different grains
🎨 Art & Handwork
Make salt dough shapes. Wheat stalk rubbings
🏃 Movement
Kneading bread movements, grinding grain motions
📚 Story Time
Bread, Bread, Bread by Ann Morris
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Sesame Street: Letter B
- How It's Made: Bread (kid version)
Shows:
- Mr. Rogers: Making Bread
Audiobooks:
- Tony's Bread by Tomie dePaola
Week 3: First Harvest Gifts
🕯️ Hearth Circle
What gifts does the earth give us? Share gratitude for food
📖 Language Arts
Letter C - Corn, Crop, Celebrate. C words scavenger hunt
🔢 Math
Counting 6-7 - Sort harvest items by color, size, type
🌿 Science & Nature
Vegetables and fruits - which part of the plant do we eat?
🎨 Art & Handwork
Corn husk dolls, vegetable stamping prints
🏃 Movement
Harvest dance - picking, carrying, celebrating movements
📚 Story Time
The Harvest Birds by Blanca López de Mariscal
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Sesame Street: Letter C
- Blippi Visits a Farm
Shows:
- Big World Big Adventures: Farm Episode
Audiobooks:
- Stone Soup (various versions)
Week 4: Sharing Our Abundance
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Lammas means 'loaf mass.' We share bread with others. Who can we share with?
📖 Language Arts
Letter D - Dough, Dinner, Donate. Review A-D with harvest words
🔢 Math
Counting 8-10 - Fair sharing: divide items equally between people
🌿 Science & Nature
How do farmers share? Food banks, markets, community
🎨 Art & Handwork
Bake real bread together! Decorate bread baskets for sharing
🏃 Movement
Cooperative games - passing, sharing, working together
📚 Story Time
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Sesame Street: Letter D
- Daniel Tiger: Sharing Episode
Shows:
- Curious George: Farm Day
Audiobooks:
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Week 5: Lammas Celebration
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Lammas ritual - break bread together, share what we're grateful for from summer
📖 Language Arts
Review A-D. Create a harvest word wall. Practice letter sounds
🔢 Math
Review 1-10. Count our blessings - make a counting book of gratitudes
🌿 Science & Nature
Signs summer is ending - what's changing outside?
🎨 Art & Handwork
Lammas altar creation, sun wheel craft, gratitude cards
🏃 Movement
Harvest festival games, musical chairs with harvest songs
📚 Story Time
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Signing Time: Harvest Signs
- Cosmic Kids Yoga: Harvest
Shows:
- Wild Kratts: Farm Animals
Audiobooks:
- Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
🌾 Lammas Celebration Ideas
- • Bake bread together from scratch - let children knead the dough
- • Create a harvest altar with grains, vegetables, and sunflowers
- • Visit a farm, farmer's market, or u-pick orchard
- • Make corn husk dolls or wheat weavings
- • Share bread with neighbors or donate to a food bank
- • Have a harvest feast with seasonal foods
- • Tell the story of John Barleycorn (age-appropriate version)