Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse

A little girl asks her Mama if she loves her. Her Mother’s response is always a yes. This book has bold pictures that show the life of the Inuit’s in the northern regions of the artic. And it conveys the message of unconditional love between a mother and her child.

Materials

Several trays of ice cubes
Globe
Books and/or pictures of Arctic life
Any winter clothing that you can add to dramatic play

Vocabulary

Spout (the water that comes from the whales head like a fountain)
Umiak (a kind of boat that the Inuit use)
Mukluks (a big pair of boots made to wear over shoes or with extra socks)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children if their parent has ever gotten mad at them? Ask if they have ever gotten mad at their parent? Ask them to show you what mad looks like. Tell them that sometimes everyone gets mad. What should you do if you are mad? Ask the children if they know what it means to forgive. What are some things that people do to forgive each other? (say sorry, hug, smile at each other, shrug shoulders and go play).

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes.

Tell the children that the story today takes place in the artic. Show them on the globe. Tell them that the arctic is always very cold.

Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; begins to express and understand concepts and language of geography in the contexts of the classroom, home, and community.

Reading the Story

As you read, stop on each page that names an emotion and ask the children to show you what that emotion looks like.

After Reading the Story

Do the people in the story dress like you do where you live? Could you tell what the weather was like when we read the story? What was the little girl’s biggest worry? (Mama do you love me?)

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; shows growing interest and involvement in listening to and discussing a variety of fiction and non-fiction and poetry.

Discovery

Bring in any books or pictures of life in the arctic circle (the animals, the dress of the people, modern life style, transportation, etc).

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; shows growing interest and involvement in listening to and discussing a variety of fiction and non-fiction and poetry.

Music and Movement

Go on a pretend bear hunt with the children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP2GwOLr2nI

Sing If You’re Happy and You Know It, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk0mASRGEI8 then sing about if you’re sorry, if you’re angry, very angry, worried, surprised.

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Blocks

Tell the children that an umiak is a kind of boat. Can the children build a boat out of blocks? If you do not have the right kind of blocks to build a boat for the children, encourage them to try to make one for a doll or stuffed animals. Make sure you add sides so the water does not splash inside.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions, to take turns in games and in using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive. AND Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; demonstrates increasing ability to set goals and develop and follow through on plans.

Art

Show the children the masks on the front and back inside covers. Put out paper plates with a variety if collage materials to make masks. Cut two eye holes out before they begin.

Creative Arts/Art; progresses in abilities ti create drawings, paintings, models. and other art creations that are more detailed, creative, or realistic.

Sand and Water

Put water in the table and add several trays of ice. It is cold in the arctic where the story took place. Add any arctic animals you might have.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Library and Writing

Tell the children that you heard the letter M many times in the story. It was in the words, Mama, musk-ox, mukluks, and moose. Ask the children to make the /M/ letter sound. Can they think of any more /M/ words? Can they find anything in the room that begins with the letter M? Dump the magnet letters out onto the table and see if the children can find the M’s.

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; shows progress in associating the names of letters with their shapes and sounds.

Dramatic Play

Bring winter clothes for drama. Include some boots/mukluks, jacket, mittens, hats, and scarves.

Creative Arts/Dramatic PLay; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex.

Math and Manipulatives

Show the children The mother and the daughter’s dresses were full of beautiful patterns. Show the children how to use one of your manipulatives to make patterns (chain links, parquetry shapes, 1”cubes).

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Outdoor Play

If you read this book in the winter, go out and play in the snow!

Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops a growing awareness of ideas and language related to attributes of time and temperature.

Play Ferocious Bear! Have the children practice growling. Play Ferocious Bear like tag. The children can growl as they run around the playground.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; participates actively in games, outdoor play, and other forms of exercise that enhance physical fitness.

Transitions

Ask the children, how much do you love your Mama? (more than the sun, as much as cookies, forever) . Write their answers on a piece of paper and hang it on the wall.

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.