Gregory the Terrible Eater, by Mitchell Sharmat

Gregory is a picky eater. Imagine a goat who does not like old tires and shirt buttons? Gregory would prefer to eat things like eggs and orange juice, revolting! How does he learn to try new foods? This silly story will delight any picky eater.

Materials

Food magazines and a paper plate per child
Ahead of time, ask the parents to send in labels from foods the children have eaten at home (soup label, cereal box, granola wrapper)
A Food Pyramid for children
Food cards (Made into a domino game/Make sure to include at least six of each kind).
Parachute or sheet
5 brown grocery bags or boxes

Vocabulary

Average (just like everybody else)
Fussy eater (picky eater)
Revolting (nasty)
Develop (learn to like)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children if they know what it is to be a picky or fussy eater. Has anyone ever called them that? Tell them that the story today is about a goat that was a fussy eater. Ask if anyone knows what goats eat (everything)? Let’s find out about Gregory the goat. Introduce the book.

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

After Reading the Story

In the story, Gregory ate too much junk food; can you recall some of the things he ate? Ask the children to help you make a list of people junk foods. Show them on a food pyramid how little junk food they should be eating versus other foods.

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in 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.

Discovery

Make several sets of the food card dominos and cover them with contact paper for the children to name the foods as they play.

Mathematics/Patterns Measurement; shows increasing abilities to match, sort, out in a series, and regroup objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size. AND 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.

Music and Movement

Sing Happily We Eat Our Foods to the tune of Merrily We Roll Along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf0Y5m4aVF0

Happily we eat our food, eat our food, eat our food

Happily we eat our food to grow up big and strong.

(Hold up a food picture card and sing about it)

Happily we eat our carrots, eat our carrots, eat our carrots

Happily we eat our carrots to grow up big and strong

(ask the children which food category the food belongs to and then do another)

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one answer to a question, task, or problem.

Blocks

Art

Make sure you have plenty of magazines with food pictures for the children to cut out. Then give each child a paper plate that is divided into four sections. Ask the children to make a balanced meal by cutting the food pictures and gluing them to the plate. Remind them to look for a fruit, a vegetable, a protein and a milk product. Glue each type to a different part of the plate.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and respect for their bodies and the environment.

Sand and Water

Put play foods into the water table for the children to wash and sort.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in a series, and regroup objects according to one or two attributes such as shape and size.

Library and Writing

Bring the food label collection to a wall space and let the children help tape them to the wall. You can either put them on your word wall under the correct beginning letter or make a collage type arrangement and then ask the children to show you which are their favorite three items. Write their name beside the item.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Dramatic play

Encourage the children to cook nutritious meals in the kitchen. Can they name the foods? Can they tell which food group the food belongs in?

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

Math and Manipulatives

Make another set of the food dominos and cut out the foods to be individual cards. Make a food pyramid on a piece of large paper and tape it to the wall. For each food group write the number of servings per day. The children can then sort the food pictures (add more from magazines) and put the correct amount of foods into each food category.

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

Outdoor Play

Take your plastic foods outside along with 5 brown grocery bags. On the front of one write grains and draw some pasta, on another write vegetables, fruits, meats, and milks. Have the children grab onto the edges of a parachute or queen sized sheet. Put several of the plastic foods in the center and let the children see if they can bounce them around the parachute/sheet. If one falls off a child can then take it and put it into the appropriate bag.

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

Transitions

Have the children stand in a circle and put the bags (from Outdoor Play) in the center. The teacher tosses a food to a child who them must name it and put it in the proper food group bag.

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; uses an increasingly complex and varied spoken language.

Resources

Gathering the Sun; an Alphabet in Spanish and English Alma Flor Ada

This book beautifully illustrates and honors the people who work hard in the fields to bring food to our tables. Each letter of the alphabet is a poem in both Spanish and English

Materials

Many alphabet letters
White construction paper
Oil pastels/conte crayons
Several pieces of produce or recipes that are made with produce

Vocabulary

Harvest (to pick produce)
Produce (fruits and vegetables)
Farm Worker (person who works on a farm picking produce).
Customer (buys the produce and eats it)
Store Keeper (the person who cleans and sells the produce).

Before Reading the Story

Look through the book and decide which pages you would like to share with the children, this may not be the best suited book to read through complete with young children. When you pick the pages you want to read, or talk about, note the alphabet letter that is represented. Ask the children if they can think of other words that begin with the letter.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; shows growing awareness of beginning and ending sounds in words.

Reading the Story

Use the book to promote conversations with the children. (Letter /D/. Ask the children if the can tell what the farm workers are picking. Have the children ever tasted peaches? What are those things that the men are standing on? What other kinds of fruits grow from trees? Etc.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks. 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.

After Reading the Story

Make a note to the children on all the pages where people are working in the fields and they are wearing hats. Ask the children why they think the workers are wearing hats. Discuss with the children how important it is to protect your body from the sun when you are picking produce. What other ways do people protect their skin? When are other times when it is important to protect your skin from the sun’s rays?

Physical Health & development/Health Status & Practices; builds awarenss and ability to follow basic health and safety rules such as fire safety, traffic and pedestrian safety, and responding appropriately to potentially harmful objects, substances, and activities.

Discovery

Bring in several produce or recipes that uses produce to prepare with the children. Try something using prickly pear, mango, or a salsa recipe to carry the theme of the story. Have a taste test and make a graph of those that liked the produce and those that did not like the produce.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; begins to make comparisons between several objects based on a single attribute. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, or preferences.

Music and Movement

Sing Where oh Where are all the Children, sung to Way down yonder in the paw paw patch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LHZSPZZCWU which begins at 3.10 minutes into the video.

Where oh where are all the children,

Where oh where are all the children?

Way down yonder in the _____patch.

Picking ______, put them in the basket,

Picking ______, put them in the basket.

Picking _____, put them in the basket,

Way down yonder in the _____ patch.

(Have the children pick different produce and then pretend to pick it accordingly.

Picking strawberries, put them in the basket

Picking apples drop them in the bucket).

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Sing a song in English and Spanish such as Hello/Hola https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqx2phxn_cM

Hello, hello, hello and how are you?

I’m fine, I’m fine, and I hope that you are too.

Hola, hola, hola y como estas?

Usted es bien, bien, y__________

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

Sing Dig a Little Hole, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOJLPw2WJtM

You dig a little hole

Plant a little seed

Pour a little water

Pull a little weed

Chase a little bug

Hey ho there he goes

Give a little sunshine

Watch it grow, grow, grow.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Blocks

At clean up have the children pretend that the blocks that they have built with are potatoes and have them pick the potatoes and put them in the boxes (the shelves).

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

Art

Ask each child to name a favorite piece of produce. Draw a simple shape of their produce on white construction paper. Have the children color their produce in using oil pastels/conte crayons. After they have colored their produce in, have them use water colors and wash over the entire page. When it is dry cut out the piece of produce and mount it to a dark piece of construction paper. This can make a very stunning piece of artwork. Label the produce in both English and Spanish.

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

Add magnetic alphabet letters into the sand today. Give the children small spades or spoons to scoop out the letters and name. (I have taken a cookie sheet and traced around all my magnetic letters so that the children can match them by shape). Ask your children to name the letters that they have found. Can they think of a word that begins or ends with that letter sound?

Literacy/Alphabet Awareness; shows progress in associating the names of letters with their shapes and sounds. AND Literacy/Phonological Awareness; shows growing awareness of beginning and ending sounds in words.

Library and Writing

Collage with alphabet letters. Can you find the letters in your name? Can you spell a word from the story?

Literacy/Alphabet Awareness; identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name.

Write a letter to a farm worker thanking him or her for all the good things that you eat. Find a local farm or produce stand where you can send it.

Literacy/Early Writing; develops understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes.

Dramatic Play

Set up a produce stand. Bring in several baskets and have the children sort the plastic fruits and vegetables. Add some prices, paper bags, aprons, and a cash register.

Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities. develops growing awareness of jobs and what is required to perform them.

Math and Manipulatives

Give the children alphabet letters. Make a large Venn diagram on a piece of paper. Ask the children to sort the letters by those with curved lines and those with straight lines. (If you do not have enough letters, you can make them by cutting out many 1/2 inch squares and writing the letters on them).

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in a series, and regrouping objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size.

Outdoor Play

In Mexico parties often include a piñata. Bring in a piñata or hang a pillowcase filled with scrunched newspaper , a tether ball, or a stuffed animal from a tree . The children can practice hitting at it with a plastic wiffle bat or stick.

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; demonstrates increasing abilities to coordinate movements in throwing, catching, kicking, bouncing balls, and using a slide and swing.

Transitions

Name a letter sound and ask each child to make a word that begins with that letter sound. Older children can be challenged to think of words that end with the letter sound.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; shows growing awareness of beginning and ending sounds in words.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen

Children of all ages like to go on a bear hunt. Follow this families adventure as they swish, splash, squelch, stumble, and hooo there way in search of a bear. Be brave!

Materials

Binoculars
Pictures of real bears
Alphabet bingo cards -add letters to the frames provided
Teddy Graham cookies
Bears about 4-5 inches tall
Several teddy bears
Bucket of dirt

Vocabulary

Adventure ( a trip or an experience)
Brave (to not be scared, even if it’s something kind of scary)
Gloomy (dark and cold looking)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children if they know what it means to be brave. Let them share any acts of bravery they might have done (when it was thundering I had to be brave cause my sister was crying, I rode my bike without training wheels, I swim in the lake, Ms. K picked up the worm!)

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating;uses an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. AND Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare, and contrast objects, events, and experiences.

Reading the Story

Show the children the cover of the book. Read the cover and ask if anyone has ever been on a bear hunt before? Where would you look for a bear? What will happen when you find a bear? As you read the story, show the children how to make the sound actions with their hands.

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

After Reading the Story

Ask the children if they would like to go on a bear hunt. Move about your classroom following the theme of the book. Let the children help tell what you might encounter along the way and how you will have to move (a big tree, we have to climb it, a giant mountain we have to climb it, a tall bridge we have to go across it)

Discovery

Add a pictures of bears, a Teddy Bear, and binoculars to the center. If the children do not know how to use binoculars, show them by looking out the window. If you can, put a teddy bear outside for the children to focus on with the binoculars.

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

Music and Movement

Make enough bear cards for all the children to have one. On each card write an action (jump over the block, jump around the table, crawl under the table, and walk backwards across the rug); Hide the cards about the room . Tell the children that they are going to go on a bear hunt. Everyone must find one bear card and then meet at a designated spot. When everyone is gathered, read the directions on each bear and have the children do the action. Make sure that you write your directions to include one preposition. Let everyone do the actions if they like.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; builds increasing understanding of directionality, order, and prepositions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, and behind.

Teach your children Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear. Have the children do the actions as you repeat the poem.

Teddy bear teddy bear turn around

Teddy bear teddy bear touch the ground

Teddy bear teddy bear tie your shoe

Teddy bear teddy bear that will do

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions.

Blocks

Build a cave for a bear. Add several small teddy bears to the center.

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

Art

Draw a picture of your family going on a bear hunt. Don’t forget to add the bear!

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

Play alphabet bingo with the children. Use Teddy Graham cookies for markers. Have each child play until they fill their card, then they can eat the bears.

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

Sand and Water

Make mud to put in the table. Does it really go squelch? How does it feel?

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.

Dramatic Play

Put a scarf or sheer curtain over the table and pretend that it’s a bear cave.

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

Math and Manipulatives

If you have teddy bear counters, put them out for the children to sort and count.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurements; shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in a series, and regroup objects according to one or two attributes such as shape or size.

Outdoor Play

Play Are You Sleeping Mr. Bear? Choose one child to be the bear. The bear gets in the middle of the circle and pretends to sleep. Everyone else holds hands and makes a big circle around Mr. Bear. Quietly the children in the circle ask, “Are you sleeping Mr. Bear?” and take a step closer. Mr. Bear continues to sleep. The children ask again getting closer. Continue until Mr. Bear lets out a huge ROAR and tries to grab a child while all run away shrieking. Let the children take turns being Mr. Bear.

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