It’s time for 5 little ducklings to go to bed but what are all those frightening sights and sounds?  Mamma Duck helps her family get settled for the night, it’s time for bed.

Materials

• Star stickers
• Tape recording of quiet but familiar household sounds that children might hear at night (clock ticking, ceiling fan motor, faucet dripping, cat meow, someone snoring)
• On a piece of large dark paper, trace around familiar classroom objects.  Put the objects you traced around into a basket and use for the discovery center today.
• Star design (to watercolor)
•  Quilt pattern
• 26 index cards with a letter of the alphabet printed and a direction on each.

Vocabulary

•  Flashing (when something blinks on and off, on and off)
•  Sway (to swing back and forth)

Before Reading the Story

            Open the book so the children can see both the front and back covers.  Can you tell what this book is about by looking at the illustrations?

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and past experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story. AND Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; grows in recognizing and solving problems through active exploration, including trial and error, and interactions and discussions with peers and adults.

While Reading the Story

            As you read the parts where the ducklings are questioning what is out in the night, add a touch of fear to your voice.

After Reading the Story

            Lead a discussion about how things look and sound different in the night.  Play the night time recording and ask the children if they can guess the sounds that they are hearing. If you cannot make a listening game, there are some general ones on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1m4h79JZso

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity;approaches tasks and activities with increased flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness.

Discovery

            Set out the paper you traced objects around and the basket of objects.  See if the children can match the objects to their shape. For older children make it more challenging by tracing around similar objects (2 duplos, one slightly larger, a spoon and a fork from dramatic play. counting bears in two sizes, etc.)

Mathematics/Geometry & SPatial Sense; begins to determine whether or not two shapes are the same size and shape.

Music and Movement;

            Sing 5 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1_dxT7efcs

Mathematics/Number & Operations;begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and written numerals in meaningful ways.

            Sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star . Then change the verses to include great big star, teeny tiny star, medium sized star. Hold up hands to indicate what size star you are singing about.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures for length and area of an object.

Blocks

            Can you use the blocks to make beds for the people?  I have 5 people, can you make 5 beds?  Which shape blocks are you using to make the bed?  Can you make a bed big enough for yourself?

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take apart shapes.

Art

            Use a piece of sentence strip paper as a template to make a crown out of dark paper.   Let the children use sticker stars to decorate, or cut out many stars to glue on.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer.

            Water color on star design

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.

Sand and Water

Library and Writing

            Talk to the children about their bedtime rituals.  Make a list of ways they prepare for bed (I brush my teeth, My Mom tucks me in the blanket, My Dad reads me two stories)

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play. AND Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people such as genders, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structures.

Dramatic Play

            Encourage night time rituals play.  Bring in blankets, pillows, books.

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play. AND Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people such as genders, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structures.

Math and Manipulatives

            Cut out many one inch squares and give each child a copy of the Quilt picture.  Make a pattern on your quilt using the squares and ask the children if they can copy it.  Let the children make their own patterns and glue them to their quilt paper

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

Outdoor Play

Sit quietly and listen for outside sounds. Can the children name the sounds that they are hearing?

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity;approaches tasks and activities with increased flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness.

Bring out your index cards with letters and directions. Mix them up. A child picks one and must name the letter and it’s sound and then the teacher gives the direction for all the children to do. A=answer a question, B= bend down and touch your toes, C= clap your hands loudly, D= dance a silly dance, E= exhale loudly, F= fly like a bird, G= gallop once around the playground, H= hop on one foot for five hops, I=imitate what the teacher does, J= jump in place, K= pretend to kick a ball, L= go limp, M= march with high knees for ten steps, N= nod your head up and down, O= prent to open a present, P= Pound your fist on your thigh, Q= quietly say you name, R=Roar really loudly, S= squat down low, T= twirl around, U= uncover a part of your body, V= pretend to vacuum, W= wave to a friend, Y=yodel old lady o, Z= make a zig-zag line in the air.

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name. AND Literacy/Phonological Awareness; associates sounds with written words, such as different words begin with the same sound.

Transitions

Use the same letter cards as outside but this time ask the child to name the letter and then give a word that starts with that letter.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; associates sounds with written words, such as different words begin with the same sound.

Resources