Welcome to Transitional Kindergarten

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Amplify Science California jump-starts a lifelong love of science with developmentally and pedagogically appropriate instruction featuring:

  • Real-world problems and scientific phenomena.
  • An experiential approach with lots of hands-on.
  • Explicit support for building oral language and early literacy skills.
Four-panel image showing diverse activities: a teacher and child in a science experiment, a serene illustrated park scene, colorful toy blocks setup, and a child hopscotching in a playground.

What students learn

Our program is comprised of three units: one life science, one physical science, one Earth science.

As students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to figure out real-world phenomenon, each unit:

  • Sparks curiosity and engagement.
  • Encourages students to wonder, think, and talk.
  • Builds a solid foundation for future success with science.

Look below for a summary of each unit.

A woman examines a girl's hair in a park while another girl examines a flower with a magnifying glass on the adjacent page.

Unit 1

Unit: Wondering About Noises in Trees

Student role: Life scientists

Phenomenon: Strange noises appear to be coming from the trees outside.

Unit 2

Unit: Wondering About Buildings

Student role: Building engineers

Phenomenon: One class made a play city. Some of the buildings stayed up, while others fell down.

Unit 3

Unit: Wondering About Puddles

Student role: Weather scientists

Phenomenon: Puddles exist in some places but not in other places along a girl’s walk to school

Program structure

To meet the unique needs of little learners, our program follows a unique structure.

Each unit:

  • Begins with an Introductory Activity that
    introduces the phenomenon.
  • Includes a series of three Explorations that are comprised of a Kickoff Discussion, four activities, and a Shared Drawing and Discussion.
  • Ends with a Culminating Activity that consolidates students’ understanding.

Each activity is designed to span 15 minutes. Depending on how the program is implemented, an entire unit generally takes 4–6 weeks.

Diagram of tk curriculum structure, including

How teachers teach

Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

When you’re ready, scroll down to take a closer look at sample resources.

 

  • Classroom resources for instruction