Why? The question so often asked by young children. This books helps give simple answers to some of the questions children often ask why? about.

Materials

Vocabulary

Telescope (a tool used to help us see things that are very, very far away. Like stars in the night sky.

Gravity (an invisible force that makes things fall to the ground).

Before Reading the Story

Draw a large question mark/? on a piece of paper and ask the children if they know what this is? Explain that it is called a question mark and is used in stories when someone asks a question. A question is when someone wonders about something. Say several sentences and see if the children can tell if you are asking a question or not. (My cat sleeps with me at night. Does your cat sleep with you? What is your cats name? My cats name is Mink). Encourage the children to ask a question.

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.

Reading the Story

As you turn to each page, ask the children if they can tell you what Bear and Rabbit are doing? (Bear is lying down. He is holding his tummy. His stomach is fat). Then read the page. (Why? Because I ate too much).

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

After Reading the Story

Ask the children why Rabbit told Bear not to go into the cave? (Because they were friends and Rabbit would miss him). Ask the children if they have a special friend? What kinds of things do you like to do with your friend? Allow the children to share.

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; progresses in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and discussions with peers and adults.

Discovery

Do a simple science experiment with the children. Ask them why they think it got the reaction it got. It does not matter if they are right or wrong in their answer, it is about doing the experiment and posing a question. This web site has several fun and not too difficult experiments to do with preschoolers. https://babbledabbledo.com/20-science-projects-for-preschoolers/.

Science/Scientific Methods & Skills; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and for generalizations.

Music and Movement

Sing Where oh Where are All the Children? to Paw Paw Patch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsZ6RS67oAY (During the chorus the children can clap their hands along to the beat. During the verse the children can act out the actions).

Where oh where are all the children?

Where oh where are all the children?

Where oh where are all the children?

Way down yonder in the Apple Orchard.

Picking apples put them in the basket

Picking apples put them in the basket

Picking apples put them in the basket

Way down yonder in the apple orchard.

(Carrots-pulling, potatoes-digging, lettuce-cutting,etc.).

Creative Arts/Music; participates with increasing interest and enjoyment in a variety of music activities, including listening, singing, finger plays, games, and performances.

Play the Question Game song for the children and see if they can answer the questions as the puppet sings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1vJ7ARCdGg.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Blocks

As the children build today, stop by often and ask questions. What are you making? Why are you putting that block there? How will the cars get inside? Do you want to make a sign to go with your structure? What will you add next?

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.

Art

Add red, yello, blue, and white paint to the easel today. Encourage the children to mix and make colors. Hang a color mixing poster next to the easel to help the children.

Creative Arts/Art; begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences. AND Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations.

Library and Writing

On a piece of paper (one per child), draw a large question mark ? in a yellow marker. Give the children other color markers and ask them to copy over your question mark and say question mark. Now ask them to ask you a question that they would like to know about. Write their response on the paper below the question mark. You can send these home and ask parents for parent involvement to help answer the question for their child. (Why does my dog have brown spots? Can I go to John’s house? Why is it raining outside today?).

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools, including pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various types of technology. AND Literacy/Print Awareness & Concepts; demonstrates increasing awareness if concepts of print, such as reading in English moves from left to right and top to bottom, that speech can be written down, and that print conveys messages.

Sand and Water

Fill the table with water today and bring over a cubby/basket full of classroom items (small car, cube, plastic fork, necklace, crayon, piece of paper, etc). Ask the children to predict if an item will float or sink? As they play, encourage them to sort the items by those that sink and those that float.

Science/Scientific Methods & Skills; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and for generalizations.

Dramatic Play

As the children play today, ask them about what they are doing? Ask who, what , where, when, why, and how questions. (Why are you dressing so fancy? Who is the party for? What kind of food are you cooking? What will you do when you get there? How will you get there?).

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.

Math & Manipulatives

Use bear counters today. Help children to do simple math problems using the counters. If I have three red bears and two yellow bears come to play, how many bears do I have in all? If I have two blue bears and added one more, how many bears would I have? If I had two yellow bears and one went home, how many bears would be left?

Mathematics/Number & Operations; develops increased abilities to combine, separate, and name “how many” concrete objects.

Outdoor Play

If you have a slide or incline on your playground, the children can roll balls, themselves, and things with wheels down it. What things roll and what things do not? If you use the slide you can play a game; the teacher rolls the ball down the slide and a child tries to run faster than the rolling ball.

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; shows increasing levels of proficiency, control, and balance in walking, climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, and galloping.

Transitions

Play Which Is _____? Use the words bigger, smaller, longer, shorter, taller, wider, narrower. (Which is taller, a giraffe or a cow? Which is wider, a river or a puddle?).

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures for length and area. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Resources