I Love You, Bunny Rabbit Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

Any child who has a favorite well-loved stuffed toy will relate to this story about Micah and his rabbit. Will Micah turn his old worn toy in for a new one?

Materials

Send a note home letting the parents know that the children are invited to bring a favorite stuffed animal or toy to school today.
Several eye droppers and materials that have some absorbing properties (paper, paper towel, wash cloth, doll clothes, puppet, wood block, plastic toy)

Vocabulary

Concern (to worry about someone or something)
Stains (marks that won’t come out of cloth)
Mend (to sew up holes and worn spots)
Absorb (to soak up the water)
Dissolve (fall apart and become part of the water)

Before Reading the Story

Let the children talk about any stuffed animal or toy that they have brought to school today. Where did you get it, do you sleep with it, does it have a name?

Language Development/Speaking & Understanding; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Reading the Story

Show the children the cover of the book. Can they identify the animal? On the page where the rabbit comes out soaking and still has stains, ask the children if they can think of a way to get the stains off rabbits face? On the page with many rabbits, stop and ask the children what they think Micah will do? When you read Micah’s voice, read with gentleness. Note the expressions on Micah’s face as you read.

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; acts out stories in dramatic play; and predicts what will happen next in a story.

After Reading the Story

In the story Micah told Bunny Rabbit not to worry. Why do you think he said that? What if you saw a friend with a dirty face or clothes, what could you do to help?

Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; progresses in responding sympathetically to peers who are in need, upset, hurt, angry; and in expressing empathy or caring for others.

Discovery

Put out eye droppers and a cup of water. Let the children experiment with absorption. What materials absorb lots of water, some water, no water at all?

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Music and Movement

Put on the Washing Machine Song and have the children dance along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Moz_FSkRw

Creative Arts/Movement; expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various musical tempos and styles.

Teach your children the finger play, Here Is The Bunny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp5RI3UOwUU

Blocks

Remind the children that cars take a bath at the car wash. Give the children cars to use and encourage them to make a carwash with the blocks.

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; shows growing capacity to maintain concentration over time on a task, question, set of directions, despite distractions and interruptions.

Art

Give the children bunny templates for them to decorate with markers or crayons.

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.

Library and Writing

Ask the children to draw and name their favorite stuffed animal or toy. Can they tell you why this animal is special? Write any dictation on a piece of paper and attach to the child’s picture.

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

Sand and Water

Soapy water and doll clothes or dolls to wash.

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

Dramatic Play

Add stuffed animals that can be dressed in the doll clothes. (Children need plenty of practice with buttons, snaps, zippers, and buckles).

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

Math and Manipulatives

Outdoor Play

Make a puddle for the children to dig mud in and jump over.

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

Give the children the following bathing riddles and see if they can figure them out. A bird takes a bath in a (bird bath). A car takes a bath in a (car wash). A flower gets a bath in (the rain). A person takes a bath in (a shower/tub). Clothes take a bath in (a washing machine). Dishes take a bath in (the sink/dishwasher). A dog takes a bath (in the hose). Fruits and vegetables take a bath (in the sink). Hands take a bath in (the sink). Fish take a bath in (a lake).

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare and contrast objects, events, and experiences.

Resources

Jack and The Beanstalk,Juan and Frijoles Magicos

This story of Jack and the magic beanstalk is a variation of the classic but still tells the story of Jack’s adventure up the beanstalk. It is told in both English and Spanish making it a good addition to any classroom.

Materials

Bean seeds and dirt
Rebus directions on planting beans
Journal of bean seeds growth-The bean is this tall, this tall
Pictures of top views-6 total

Vocabulary

Widow (a Mom whose husband has died)
Fortune( someone’s money and treasures)
Castle ( a home that is humungous)
Ferocious ( to be really, really angry)

Before Reading the Story

Tell the children that our story today is about a boy who climbs a magic beanstalk. It is magic because it grows all the way up into the sky. Ask the children if they would be brave and climb up past the clouds? Pretend to start climbing, look down what do you see? Have the children pretend climb up the beanstalk and then back down. When they are sitting draw pictures of things from a top view and see if they can guess what they are.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare and contrast objects, events, and experiences.

Reading the Story

Use you voice to reflect the different emotions portrayed in the storey as you read.

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

After Reading the Story

Have the children help retell the story in sequential order. What happened first, second, third? List all the emotions that were described in the story and ask the children if they can remember who felt the emotion and why?(Jack was happy to get the beans, Mom was mad that Jack took beans instead of money, Jack was surprised to see the beanstalk, the giant’s wife was scared the giant would find Jack, etc)

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences, to act out stories in dramatic play, and to predict what will happen next in a story. AND 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.

Discovery

Have the children plant bean seeds and keep a journal of how they grow.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships. AND Literacy/Early Writing; develops understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes.

Music and Movement

Teach the children a planting poem like, Dig a Little Hole by F Koch

You, dig a little hole

And you put the seed in.

And you cover it with dirt

And let the sun shine in.

Add a little water

And keep it fed,

Pretty soon a little plant

Will show it’s head (ask the children what kinds of plants they are)

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex. AND Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Blocks

The giant lived in a castle; try to make a very large castle with the blocks. How tall can you build?

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads and using scissors.

Art

Put a simple item on the floor and have the children draw it from a top view perspective (looking down on it).

Creative Arts/Art; begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences.

Sand and Water;

Put damp sand or dirt into the table with several spoons for the children to plant bean seeds.

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

Library and Writing

Draw a leaf shape on pieces of paper about 6 inches long. Let the children cut them out, decorate, and write their names on the leaves. Make a beanstalk on the wall and let the children tape their leaves on the stalk from floor to ceiling.

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from using scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter like symbols, to copying and writing familiar words such as their own name. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads and using scissors.

Dramatic Play

The children can act out the story. Add a small handful of beans to the center.

Math and Manipulatives

Bring in beans and a clean egg carton or muffin tin. Put a number in the bottom of each cup 1-12. Give the children plastic spoons and tweezers to move the beans from a small bowl to the cups. Help them to name the number and then see if they can count the correct amount of beans for each cup.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

Outdoor Play

Play Mother May I? Have all the children line up on one side of the yard. The children take turns asking if they can take ____ giant steps. The teacher either says “yes” or “no”, if the teacher says no then she says how many giant steps the child may take. The child then counts out the steps aloud as they cross the yard. (Mother may I take 4 giant steps? No but you may take 3.) For children that are familiar with numbers, hold up cards showing the number in written form.

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

Transitions

Play which is bigger/taller/longer/shorter/narrower/wider? Give a child a choice of two items and ask them which is… (Which is shorter-a house or a car? Which is longer-a worm or a paperclip? Which is taller-a leaf, a bush, or a tree? Etc.).

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; begins to make comparisons of several objects on a single attribute.

Resources

From Head to Toe, by Eric Carle

This book with big bold pictures makes it fun for children to get a little exercise while you read. When you finish you can’t help but feel good by all things that you can do!

Materials

Camera

Vocabulary

Arch (curved over)
Wiggle( making movements from side to side)
Stomp (walk with heavy feet)
Drinking cupps and several small pitchers

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children why they think exercise is important (to make my muscles strong, so I never get fat, so my brother can’t beat me up). Tell the children that even animals do exercise. Show the children the back of the book where the boy and the flamingo are kicking their legs. Ask them if they know what animal this is, what is it doing, can you do it? Tell the children that if they can do it they need to loudly say, “I can do it!”

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

Have everyone stand up and spread out. As you read allow the children to do the actions. Make sure that they leave room between themselves so as not to bump into one another.

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

After Reading the Story

Ask the children if they can think of animals that do certain types of actions; Who swims? Who flies? Who slithers? Who gallops? Etc. Ask the children if they can do it and let them do the actions.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. AND Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more that one solution to a question, task, or problem.

Discovery

Put the book and a mirror into the center. Encourage the children to look in the mirror and do the actions.

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

Show the children how to use a piece f equipment in your science center (a spin top, a magnet and paper clips, texture match cards, etc.. When you are finished, ask if they can do it? (Spin a top on the table, pick up 5 paper clips with a magnet, find a texture card that matches an article of clothing you are wearing).

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; grows in ability to persist in and complete a variety of tasks and activities.

Music and Movement

Sing Head Shoulders Knees and Toes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSdeIhmv6v0

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

Teach the children some simple yoga. Many yoga poses have animal names (the cat, the dog, the frog) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHoErQuFw_4

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

Blocks

The teacher goes into blocks and builds a simple block structure (10 blocks big). Ask the children, “Can you do it”? And encourage them to build one just like yours.

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; grows in ability to persist in and complete a variety of tasks and activities.

Art

Eric Carle does his pictures using finger paints. Put finger paints on the paper and give the children sticks, combs, and any other things you can find that will make the lines through the paint. (finger nails work good too).

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

Put out the small pitchers and drinking cups. Show the children how to pour the cup without overflowing. Let the children practice pouring. Can they do it? For children who have had practice pouring, make marks on the cups for the children to use as filing lines.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. AND Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth , and toileting.

Library and Writing

Tell the children that you are going to make a class book called Can You Do It? Ask each child to use a body part and tell you what they are doing. Take a picture of them doing their action. Put the pictures together to make a classroom book (Kerry can wiggle her fingers, can you do it? Roger can twist his waist, can you do it?). Do not be surprised if children show you ninja moves, somersaults, and squats.

Literacy/Early Writing; develops an understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Dramatic Play

Put out any exercise equipment that you may have and let the children experiment using .

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships. AND Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; progresses in physical growth, strength, stamina, and flexibility.

Math and Manipulatives

Trace around the children’s hand. Let the children cut out their hand. Ask the children if there is something special they can do with their hands and write it on the hand cutout (I can pet my cat, I can zip my zipper, I can tie a knot).

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. AND Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.

Outdoor Play

Find a stick and write your names in the dirt. Can you do it? I can do it! Show the children how to form their letters if they do not already know.

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from using scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter-like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their own name.

Transitions

Play 1-2-3 How Many Do You See? Make two fists and bump them together as you say 1-2-3. Then hold up 1-10 fingers as you finish the sentence. Let the children take turns naming how many fingers you are holding up.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.