My Puppy is Born, by Joanna Cole

This story shows the life of a brand new baby dachshund from birth until it is ready to be adopted. The photographs are in black and white and show great detail to what a puppy really looks like.

Materials

Balance scale
Several small dog bones

Vocabulary

Nurse (to drink mother’s milk from her breast or nipple)
Weak (muscles are not strong enough)
Howling (making loud noises)
Solid food (food you have to chew)
Adopted (to make a new home for a pet or child).

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children how many of them have a dog at home? What is a baby dog called? Did anyone ever have a puppy at home? What other kinds of pets do the children have? Ask them about how they must care for their pets, their pet’s names, and any special things that their pet does.

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

Reading the Story

Show the children the cover of the book and explain that baby animals must spend time with their mother’s before they can be adopted to a new home. Let’s find out about puppies.

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

After Reading the Story

Ask the children to help you list some things that you know/learned about puppies. (They are tiny, they get their milk from their Mom, He has cute ears).

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

Bring in a balance scale. Fill a sock with sand to weigh 3 ounces. Give the children manipulatives (cubes, bears, etc) to balance the scale. How many cubes equal the weight of the baby puppy?

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures for length and area of objects. AND Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; to make comparisons between several objects based on a single attribute.

Music and Movement

Sing How Much is That Doggie in the Window , First verse only https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AElJuZJTOdk

How much is that doggie in the window?

The one with the waggly tail

How much is that doggie in the window?

I do hope that doggies for sale, ruff ruff.

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

Sing I’ve Got a Dog His https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpkRfD9ZFQwName is Rags Have the children do the actions.

I have a dog, his name is Rags

He eats so much that his tummy sags.

His ears flip-flop and his tail wig-wags

And when he walks he goes zig-zag.

He goes flip-flop, wig-wag, zig-zag

He goes flip-flop, wig-wag. Zig-zag

He goes flip-flop. wig-wag, zig-zag

I love Rags and he loves me.

I love Rags and he loves me!

(Make motions to go flip-flop, wig-wag, and zig-zag)

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

Have the children try to sing Ruff Ruff to a tune that they know well, for example ABC or Jingle Bells.

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

Blocks

Bring in any small dog toys you may have and encourage the children to build a dog house with a fence around it.

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; increases abilities to sustain interactions with peers by helping, sharing, and discussion.

Art

Give each child a copy of the ‘dog’ page. Ask them to cut around each dog and then glue them to a sentence strip in a line. They can decorate the dogs if they choose. If you staple the sentence strip these can be worn as dog crowns.

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

Library and Writing

Ask the children to draw a picture of a pet that they have or a pet that they would like to have. Have them describe their pet and write their dictation down under their illustration.

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

Sand and Water

Put dirt or sand into the table today along with several small dog bones. Explain to the children that dogs like to bury bones and then undig them later. Encourage one child to hide/bury the bones in the dirt and the next child to dig up the bones.

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

Dramatic Play

Pet Store Play. Bring in stuffed animals of pets. Add several boxes or milk crates to be the cages. The children can either bring pet food containers to school or you could have them make them out of play dough and let them dry. Don’t forget to use the cash register and money to purchase pet or pet supplies.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Copy and cut out the pictures of the animals. Show one at a time to the child and ask them where is the animal? Or ask, what animal is under the hat? Encourage the children to name the animal and a word that rhymes with it.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, bottom, inside, outside, in front, and behind. AND Literacy/Phonological Awareness; progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games, songs, stories, and poems.

Outdoor Play

On the playground the children can pretend to be dogs. The teacher can call out dog commands such as roll over, fetch (throw a ball), lie down, bark, and sit. The children can follow the directions.

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

Transitions

Ask the children to think of a good dog name for themselves. Challenge older children to think of a name that starts with the same letter sound or has the same amount of syllables as their name.

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

Resources

New Shoes for Silvia, by Johanna Hurwitz

Silvia receives a pair of shoes in the mail but they are too big. She must wait for the shoes to fit her feet. Until then, she thinks of many ways to use her shoes.

Materials

Shoe design for shoe match game
A variety of boxes from small to shoe bow size
Picture of a large shoe for each child
Several towels to dry feet

Vocabulary

Pair (two similar things that are used together)
Sole (bottom of the shoe)
Tia (the Spanish word for Aunt)
Oxen ( a kind of cow that is used to pull a wagon)

Before Reading the Story

Bring in a box with a pair of shoes inside. Keep the box closed and have the children try to guess what is inside the box. (There’s a pair of something in here. They have tongues and 6 eye holes each. They are made out of rubber and have a sole. They come in many colors but these are white with stripes).

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

Reading the Story

Take your time on each page and talk about how life in Silvia’s home looks different then life in the US.

Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people, genders, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structures.

After Reading the Story

Recall with the children all the things Silvia did with her shoes while she was waiting for her feet to grow. Ask the children if they can think of any other things they could do with the shoes if they were waiting. Ask the children if they remember what color Silvia’s shoes were.

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

Make a simple graph that shows the colors of the shoes that the children are wearing today.

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

Discovery

Explain to the children that many shoes have a design on the sole of the shoe. Have the children put a thin piece of paper over the bottom of the shoe and use the side of a crayon to do a shoe rubbing. When they are finished, hang the rubbings on the wall. Can the children tell which shoe belongs to them? Do they see any letters or shapes?

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. AND Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; knows that letters of the alphabet are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named.

Music and Movement

Have each child take off one of their shoes and place them in a pile in the middle of the circle. The teacher takes one shoe and begins to sing, we will pass this shoe from me to you to you. We will pass the shoe and that’s just what we’ll do. The shoe gets passed around the circle until it arrives at the child to whom it belongs. The child then puts it behind his back and another shoe gets passed.

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

Teach the children the poem, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. Have the children hold up the correct amount of fingers as you do the poem.

1,2 buckle my shoe

3,4 shut the door

5,6 pickup sticks

7,8 lay them straight

9,10 begin again

Mathematics/Number & Operations; develops increasing ability to count in sequence to 10 and beyond.

Blocks

If you are able to collect a variety of boxes, add them to the block center today for extra building materials. (Think cereal, shoe, jewelry, and food boxes. If you choose to make these permanent parts of your block center, stuff them with newspaper and tape them securely shut).

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

Art

Give each child a shoe shape and have them decorate it any way they choose. Offer glitter, water colors, stickers, and fun collage materials to decorate their shoe.

Creative Arts/Art; develops growing abilities to plan, work indepently, and demonstrate care and [persistence in a variety of art projects.

Library and Writing

On a half a sheet of paper write a large number 1. Continue on halves of paper writing the numbers 1-10. Give the children shoe laces or pieces of yarn and show them how to lay the shoe lace over the numbers. You can also let the children use play dough to cover the numbers.

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

Sand and Water

If possible, put your water table on the floor and let the children take turns splashing around in shallow water. After they have had their turn, encourage them to put their shoes on by themselves.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully. 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.

Dramatic Play

Encourage shoe play today. Bring in a variety of shoes in various sizes. Add a ruler or shoe-measuring device so the children can see how big their foot is. Make sure to have at least on pair that requires lacing so the children can practice. Ask the children to put the shoes in order from smallest to largest.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures for length and area of objects. AND Shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in a series, and regroup objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size.

Math and Manipulatives

Make several sets of the shoes page that the children can use to match. If you make several sets then they will match not only the shoe shape but the colors.

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

Outdoor Play

As the children run and play, remind them that their shoes are helping to protect their feet from sharp objects. Also keep a close eye for shoes that are untied or unbuckled/unvelcro. Explain that it is important so that they will not trip and fall.

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.

Transitions

Silvia’s shoes were red. As the children go to the next activity can they name red things? When you have exhausted one color, go to another.

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

Resources

Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein

Everybody loves little gorilla, a baby in the jungle. When he has his first birthday he discovers that he is no longer a little gorilla, but he is still loved.

Materials

Picture of a real gorilla from a book or magazine.
How to draw a gorilla directions
2 Washcloths and towels
crepe paper
wrapping paper, foil, or newsprint (to use for wrapping)
several shoe boxes or blocks (to use for wrapping)
Large banana cards for measuring
1/2 Banana per child, cereal (i.e. Cheerios), and small baggie per child.

Vocabulary

Gorilla (a cousin to the monkey. Gorillas grow really, really big)

Introducing the Story

Begin a discussion about babies. What kinds of things can babies do? What kinds of things can babies not do? Show the children the picture of a gorilla and the cover of the book, Little Gorilla. Ask if they know what kind of animal this is? Tell the children that all animals, just like people start off as babies and that they grow up to be big and strong.

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

Reading the story

Emphasize the word grow as you read. When you get to the page where the animals sing Happy Birthday to Little Gorilla, stop and let the children sing along.

After Reading the story

Ask the children what their family and friends do to make them feel loved?

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

Music and Movement

Teach the poem, When I Was One Years Old. Have the children scrunch down low and as you say the poem they grow taller and taller until they are reaching towards the ceiling.

When I was one years old,

I was very,very small

But now I’m 3 years old

And I’ve grown up big and tall!

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

Discovery

Put out books/pictures of animal babies and mothers. Encourage the children to tell how they look alike and different.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops increased ability to observe and discuss common properties, differences ,and comparisons among objects and materials.

Make banana pops with the children. (Give each child a half of a banana and a small baggie of cereal). Have the children crush the cereal and then cut the banana into three pieces and put the banana pieces into the baggie. Shake it up and then take it out to eat.

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

Blocks

Add animals to blocks. Ask the children if they can arrange the animals from smallest to largest.

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

Art

Put out the How to Draw a Monkey directions and encourage the children to try to read teh directions and draw.

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.

Sand and Water

Put any hard plastic baby dolls that you have in water today. Add several washcloths and towels for the children to give the dolls baths. Remind them that babies and children need to stay clean and healthy.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth, and toileting. AND Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex.

Library and Writing

Cut out the picture cards. Have the children sort them by pictures that start with the G sound and those that do not.

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

Dramatic Play

Let the children play Birthday Party. Give them the crepe paper to decorate by hanging on the walls. Give them the boxes or blocks to wrap with paper and masking tape as gifts. Add any other party supplies that you might have.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Make several copies of the large banana card and have the children use it to measure how many bananas tall their partner is. Record (Kerry is 4 bananas tall). Encourage them to also measure the table, the book shelf. etc..

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

Outdoors

Use a ball to play Monkey in the Middle. Two people throw a ball back and forth. Some one, the monkey, is in the middle and must try to get the ball before the throwers. If they do, then a thrower goes in the middle and the monkey comes out to be a thrower.

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

Transitions;

Play I’m Bigger Than-Smaller Than. Make up riddles for the children to solve. (I am an animal that is bigger than a cow. I have wrinkly skin and a long nose called a trunk. I am smaller than a mouse. I am an insect that has spots on my back and wings to fly).

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare, and contrast objects, events, and experiences. AND Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.