Sheep Out To Eat, by Nancy Shaw

What happens when sheep go out to eat? A restaurant disaster and a very silly story.

Materials

Restaurant signs
Schedule a field trip to a local restaurant if possible
Pictures of a variety of foods
Several nail scrub brushes

Vocabulary

Tea shop ( a restaurant where you can get tea to drink and little cakes) Menu (a list of foods that you can order)
Appetite (the desire to eat)
Tips (the money you leave on the table at the restaurant for the waiter or waitress)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children how many of them have ever been out to eat at a restaurant. Talk about their experiences and help them learn the names of objects found in a restaurant (menu, booth, waiter, and tip).

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

Reading the Story

Stop on each page and talk through the pictures. What is happening? Do you see what the words are talking about?

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

After Reading the Story

Use the restaurant signs to make a graph and ask the children to label their favorite restaurant. Which one has the most votes?

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use language to compare numbers of objects with terms such as more, less, greater than, fewer, and equal to.

Discovery

Bring in pictures of different kinds of foods. Can the children name the foods? Talk about the colors of the foods and where they fit on the food pyramid. Ask the children to sort the cards by foods they like and foods they do not like.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare, and contrast objects, events, and experiences. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Music and Movement

Play the song, Tea Party by the L. Berkner and act out as she sings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLOkR_IP1w0 This could be done in the dramatic center today.

Sing I’m a Little Teapot and teach the children the movements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB4vzj93OGY

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

Blocks

Challenge the children to build a restaurant. Can they build the tables and add people to fill it in?

Creative Arts/ Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex. AND Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; shows increasing abilities to use compromise and discussion in working, playing, and resolving conflicts with peers.

Art

Make placemats with the children. Take a piece of construction paper and do an art activity of choice on it. Then cover each with contact paper. Use these at meal time to determine who will sit where for the meal.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities. AND Creative Arts/Art; develops growing abilities to plan, work independently, and demonstrate care and persistence in a variety of art projects.

Library and Writing

Have the children help create a name for their dramatic play restaurant and a sign. This could be a group coloring project. Also have the children cut out food items and glue them on a poster board. You can add amounts and this could be a billboard sign like many fast food restaurants.

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

Sand and Water

Add water and nail scrub brushes along with some plastic vegetables and fruits. The children can pretend to clean them for cooking. If you do not have nail scrub brushes use rags or paper towels.

Physical Health & Safety/Health Status & Practices; builds awareness 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.

Dramatic Play

Play restaurant. Add some carry out menus, a cash register, an apron, and a pad of paper to write the orders on.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Bring in several dollars worth of change for the children to sort. Add magnifying glasses and talk with the children about what they see on each coin and the coins name.

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

Outdoor Play

In the story the sheep ended up eating the grass outside the restaurant. On the playground sit in the grass and smell it, touch it, chew a piece. Help the children to become aware of grass using all of their senses. Put a thick blade of grass between your two thumbs and make a whistle from it.

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.

Transitions

Ask the children to help you recall the story. Who went to the restaurant, what kind of restaurant was it? What did they order, then what happened?

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

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip C. Stead

Amos McGee works at the city zoo. Every day he visits his good animal friends until one day when he calls in sick and does not go to the zoo. Find out what happens and how his friends come to make him feel better.

Materials

One head shape per child
Several boxes and marbles
Frozen ice block/s (see sand and water)
Many boxes, cubbies, or baskets
Stuffed animals from home
Box of animal crackers

Vocabulary

Amble (stroll or saunter)

Before Reading the Story

Talk to the children about the importance of washing hands and covering sneezes to prevent germ sharing.

Reading the Story

On the page where the animals ask, “Where is Amos?”, ask the children how they think the animals are feeling? On the next page where it says, “Later that day…”, ask the children what they think the animals are doing? And when they get on the bus, where do you think they might be going?

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. 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

Talk about what you should do if you are sick? What should you do if you are unable to stay home? (Cover your mouth when you sneeze, wipe your nose when it runs, wash your hands often).

In the story Amos was friends with many different animals and made each feel special by doing special things with them. Name a way that you show kindness to someone around you/ a friend.

Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; shows progress in developing friendships with peers.

Talk about what Amos friends did to make him feel better. What does your parent do when you are sick? What kinds of things can you do to show you are a good friends?

Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; shows progress in developing friendships with peers.

Discovery

Make a Cover please when you sneeze poster. Give each child a head shape to color. Trace around their hand and help them cut it out. Glue a tissue paper onto the face and the hand on top of that. Write Cover please when you sneeze onto the paper.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; builds awareness 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. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor SKills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer.

Have the children take turns showing you their hand washing skills.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, hand washing, tooth brushing, and toileting.

Music and Movement

Teach the children, The Germ Stopping Song (see resources).

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, hand washing, tooth brushing, and toileting.

While the children are washing their hands, teach them to repeat;

One bubble, two bubbles, three bubbles, four

Five bubbles, six bubbles, seven bubbles more.

Eight bubbles, nine bubbles, ten bubbles stop!

(Have children rinse hands and dry).

Mathematics/Number & Operations; develops increasing ability to count to ten and beyond.

Sing The Animals on the Bus go ____ on the way to the zoo. Sung to the tune The Wheels on the Bus. Let the children help make up what the animals do or say on the way to the zoo. (The tigers on the bus go growl, growl ,growl. The elephants on the bus sway back and forth, back and forth, back and forth)

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

Blocks

Today would be a perfect day to add zoo animals and encourage the children to make a zoo.

Art

Put out an art project today that can be done with a partner. Marble paint inside a box having two children each hold an end of the box and roll the marbles back and forth. Add a huge piece of paper to the easel and encourage the children to do a friendship painting together.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; shows increasing abilities to use compromise and discussion in working, playing, and resolving conflicts with peers.

Sand and Water

Ahead of time freeze small plastic animals in blocks of ice. Put into the table and ask the children to help you figure out how to get the animals out. If you do not have small animals you could use pennies. Several days ahead, fill a bowl aout an inch with water. Drop in several small animals, freeze. When it is frozen solid, make another layer. Continue adding layers until the bowl is filled with small animals frozen in layers of ice.

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.

Library and Writing

Amos read to the owl at night. Read to the children as they are preparing for nap time.

If you could visit with any animal, what animal would you like to visit with and what would you do? Illustrate (I would visit the giraffe and we would pick apples, I would visit the lion and we would slide on the bumpy slide).

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

Dramatic Play

Let the children bring stuffed animals from home. Provide boxes that they can use for cages. Encourage them to be the zoo keeper and clean the cages, feed the animals, and play/exercise with the animals.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Use Animal Crackers to sort and count.

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

Amos played a board game with the elephant. Get out a board game and play with the children.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions; to take turns in games and using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive.

Outdoor Play

Remind the children that Amos McGee would run races with the tortoise everyday. Make a set of races to do with your children. (Run from point A to point B. Roll a ball from point A to point B. Hold hands and run).

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

Transitions

As you move about the room today, tell the children that you a want to go spend a little time visiting with the children in another center but that you will be back soon.

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

Resources

Night Shift, by Jessie Hartland

When most of us are getting ready for bed, there are many people who are just going to work. Meet the many people and the jobs they do while you and I are sleeping. Meet the people who work the Night Shift.

Materials

Paper dolls and clothing cut out. (For a long lasting paper doll set, cover with contact paper and attach small Velcro circles to attach. Or make out of felt and use with the felt board.
Collage materials (feather, sequence, fabric squares, buttons, pipe cleaner bits, silk flower heads, etc.).
Alphabet print letters and inkpad
Several buckets and 2-inch paintbrushes
Plastic lids and containers of various sizes
Pictures of Donuts for Finger play
Colored chalk

Vocabulary

Mannequin (model of a person or animal)
Topiary ( cutting and trimming of bushes, shrubs, and trees)
Askew (crooked)
Evaporate (to turn from liquid to vapor from the heat of the sun)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children if any of them know what their parent does for work? Ask; is your parent home at night with you? That is because your parent works the day shift. They work during the day and sleep at night. Our story today is about the nightshift. Ask the children if anyone can guess what that means (the people work all night and sleep during the day while we are here at school. Ask the children if they can think of any job that you might have to do at night? After giving them an opportunity to answer, introduce the book.

Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; develops growing awareness of jobs and what is required to perform them. AND Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

Reading the Story

Each introduction to a night shift job starts with a question. Turn the page and see if the children can name the job. Before reading the title of the worker.

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

After Reading the Story

Tell the children that there are a lot of important jobs that are done during the night shift when you and I are sleeping! Turn to any page in the book and read the title of the night shift worker. Ask the children, “Who can remember what this person does”? Give the children a moment to talk about the job and then turn to another page and continue in the same fashion.

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

Use the pictures of day and night for sorting. As the children sort, ask them questions about what they like to do during the day and at night. Ask about their evening rituals and talk about some of your daily rituals/routines.

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

Music and Movement

Remind the children that the Late-Night Radio DJ plays favorite songs for people. Let the children choose the music that you will sing and the CD’s that you will dance to today.

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

Five Little Donuts make five donuts by either cutting out pictures or drawing. Put tape on the back and attach to the wall where the children can all see and come up and take one.

Down around the corner (point to the right)
In the bakery shop
There were 5 little doughnuts (hold up 5 fingers)
With sprinkles on top
Along came _________ all alone
She/he grabbed a big one and ran on home (clap hands)
(Repeat 4, 3, 2, 1)

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

Blocks

Remind the children that the Zookeeper works all night to keep the animals of the zoo safe and healthy. Put your zoo animals in the center today and encourage the children to make cages for like animals.

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.

Art

Remind the children that the window Dressers decorated the windows with feathers and fluff and lots of fun stuff. Put out your best collage materials today. Give each child a piece of construction paper and let them create their own fancy designs.

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

Give each child a piece of dark colored paper and a small cup of water. Show them how to dip the colored chalk in the water and then write on the dark colored paper. Can they write their name? Let the children practice drawing and writing and letters.

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.

Sand and Water

Remind the children that the Freighter Captain works all night to bring containers of food to the ports where they will go to the grocery store. Put out the plastic lids and containers along with many 1-inch cubes or other manipulative. Explain to the children that you are going to see which container/lid can hold the most 1-inch cubes without sinking in the water. Show the children how to carefully place the cubes onto the lid/container. Count, which holds the most. Count, how many does each hold? Who can put the most containers (cubes) onto a boat?

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

Library and Writing

Remind the children that the Newspaper Printer prints the paper all night long so that in the morning it will be ready to read. Put out Alphabet ink pad letters and ink pads. The children practice printing-going in an up and down movement to make letters on their paper.

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

Dramatic Play

Remind the children that Fishermen sometimes work all night trying to catch fish for people to eat. Turn your dramatic center into a fishing boat by bringing in 4-6 chairs and facing them all together touching. Make fishing poles out of rulers with pieces of yarn tied at one end. At the other end, tie a magnet. Make fish and label each fish with a concept that you are learning (letters, numbers, colors). Add several large paperclips to each fish. The children can pretend to be fishing as they try to tap a magnet onto a paper clipped fish.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Put out paper dolls for the children to dress. http://teachingbymom.blogspot.com/2012/10/free-printable-paper-doll-dress-up.html OR https://www.freekidscrafts.com/playtime-paper-doll-bodies/

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.

Outdoor Play

Fill buckets with water and give the children the 2-inch paint brushes to paint the playground! As they are painting, help them to notice what happens to the water/paint after a few moments in the sun (it evaporates)

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

As the children ride their tricycles around the path today, stop them and tell them that you have to work on the road before they can pass. Use a broom to sweep the walk. After a moment, wave the riders on. Let other children take turns working on the road, being the sweeper, and the riders.

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

Transitions

At lunch today, pretend to be a waitress. Ask the child if they would like coffee or tea to drink? Then pour their drink for them today and say, “Enjoy your Coffee/Tea”.