Sam and the Firefly, by P.D. Eastman

Sam is lonely until he meets a new friend who can write words. But sometimes words can lead to trouble.

Materials

Jar and fireflies (10-15)
Glow in the dark paint (you can buy jar at craft store for around 1.00)
Small laser light (ask a friend who owns a cat if they have one)
Several flashlights

Vocabulary

Firefly (a kind of insect with a bottom that glows like a little light in the dark)

Before Reading the Story

Tell the children that you are going to play a word game. Bring in pictures of animals, about 8-10. These can be from a book. Tell the children that you are going to write a word and they are going to practice reading it. Write the first letter of the animal name and make the letter sound. Continue slowly writing each letter and sounding out the letter name. When the children have guessed the word, finish writing the name, have all the children repeat the word and then show the children the picture. When you are finished with this activity, tell the children that the story today is about a firefly that can write words with his glowing bottom.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; shows increasing ability to discriminate and identify sounds in spoken language.

Reading the Story

When you get to the page where Sam is trying to figure out how to get Gus out of the jar, stop and ask the children if they have any ideas.

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

After Reading the Story

Ask the children why Gus got in trouble? Tell them that sometimes playing jokes on people can hurt their feelings and make them mad. Talk about all the good things we use words for (words tell us the story in the book, words help us ask someone to play with us, words let people know what you want or like). Ask the children if they know what words are made out of (letters). Use your flashlight/laser to point to letters on your word wall or alphabet chart. Ask them to name the letters. Point out as you sing the alphabet song.

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

Discovery

Put several flashlights in the discovery center for the children to try being fireflies and flashing out the syllables of each others names. For more of a challenge, take the flashlights apart and have the children put them together.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; shows growing ability to hear and discriminate separate syllables in words. AND Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to uses senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

If you live in an area where there are fireflies, catch them the night before and bring them in for the children to observe and record.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods;develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.

Music and Movement

Have your children recite the following poem with you. Each time you say blink they can open and shut their hands to make a blink motion.

Fireflies

Fireflies come out at night

Blink blink, blink blink

Showing off their shiny light

Blink blink, blink blink

In the summer sky

Blink blink, blink blink

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

Blocks

Gus the firefly made a traffic jam. Ask the children to make a road and add traffic signs.

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

Art

Put out glow in the dark paint and Qtips for the children to make small fireflies onto dark paper (print up and down) or to write their names.

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

Library and Writing

Put out yellow or neon markers and paper. Encourage the children to write their names or copy words from the book.

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from 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

Put a very small amount of sand mixed with water to make a mixture that you can form into castles. Give the children alphabet cookie cutters or other shape cutters to make letters/designs in the sand.

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

Dramatic Play

The story takes place at night. Encourage the children to act out night time rituals.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Make several copies of the jar and firefly page. Play an adding and subtracting game with the children. (Catch one firefly and put it in the jar. Now catch two more. How many fireflies do you have in the jar? Oops, one flew away, how many are left in the jar?)

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

Outdoor Play

Play firefly tag. The teacher is the light flasher. The children run around the playground and try not to get tagged by the flashlight/laser light. If they are tagged, they must go to the “jar” a designated spot on the playground. The other children can free those in the jar by touching it/the designated spot (ie- a tree). All the children continue to run until the laser light lands on them.

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

Transitions

As you dismiss the children to the next activity use a flashlight to blink out the syllables of their name. Ask them to count the syllables. (Ker-ry=2)

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; shows growing ability to hear and discriminate separate syllables in words.

Resources

Little Quack’s Bedtime, by Lauren Thompson

It’s time for 5 little ducklings to go to bed but what are all those frightening sights and sounds? Mamma Duck helps her family get settled for the night, it’s time for bed.

Materials

Star stickers
Tape recording of quiet but familiar household sounds that children might hear at night (clock ticking, ceiling fan motor, faucet dripping, cat meow, someone snoring)
On a piece of large dark paper, trace around familiar classroom objects. Put the objects you traced around into a basket and use for the discovery center today.
Star design (to watercolor)
Quilt pattern
26 index cards with a letter of the alphabet printed and a direction on each.

Vocabulary

Flashing (when something blinks on and off, on and off)
Sway (to swing back and forth)

Before Reading the Story

Open the book so the children can see both the front and back covers. Can you tell what this book is about by looking at the illustrations?

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

While Reading the Story

As you read the parts where the ducklings are questioning what is out in the night, add a touch of fear to your voice.

After Reading the Story

Lead a discussion about how things look and sound different in the night. Play the night time recording and ask the children if they can guess the sounds that they are hearing. If you cannot make a listening game, there are some general ones on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1m4h79JZso

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

Discovery

Set out the paper you traced objects around and the basket of objects. See if the children can match the objects to their shape. For older children make it more challenging by tracing around similar objects (2 duplos, one slightly larger, a spoon and a fork from dramatic play. counting bears in two sizes, etc.)

Mathematics/Geometry & SPatial Sense; begins to determine whether or not two shapes are the same size and shape.

Music and Movement;

Sing 5 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1_dxT7efcs

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

Sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star . Then change the verses to include great big star, teeny tiny star, medium sized star. Hold up hands to indicate what size star you are singing about.

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

Blocks

Can you use the blocks to make beds for the people? I have 5 people, can you make 5 beds? Which shape blocks are you using to make the bed? Can you make a bed big enough for yourself?

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects. AND Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take apart shapes.

Art

Use a piece of sentence strip paper as a template to make a crown out of dark paper. Let the children use sticker stars to decorate, or cut out many stars to glue on.

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

Water color on star design

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

Library and Writing

Talk to the children about their bedtime rituals. Make a list of ways they prepare for bed (I brush my teeth, My Mom tucks me in the blanket, My Dad reads me two stories)

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play. AND Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people such as genders, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structures.

Dramatic Play

Encourage night time rituals play. Bring in blankets, pillows, books.

Math and Manipulatives

Cut out many one inch squares and give each child a copy of the Quilt picture. Make a pattern on your quilt using the squares and ask the children if they can copy it. Let the children make their own patterns and glue them to their quilt paper

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Outdoor Play

Sit quietly and listen for outside sounds. Can the children name the sounds that they are hearing?

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

Bring out your index cards with letters and directions. Mix them up. A child picks one and must name the letter and it’s sound and then the teacher gives the direction for all the children to do. A=answer a question, B= bend down and touch your toes, C= clap your hands loudly, D= dance a silly dance, E= exhale loudly, F= fly like a bird, G= gallop once around the playground, H= hop on one foot for five hops, I=imitate what the teacher does, J= jump in place, K= pretend to kick a ball, L= go limp, M= march with high knees for ten steps, N= nod your head up and down, O= prent to open a present, P= Pound your fist on your thigh, Q= quietly say you name, R=Roar really loudly, S= squat down low, T= twirl around, U= uncover a part of your body, V= pretend to vacuum, W= wave to a friend, Y=yodel old lady o, Z= make a zig-zag line in the air.

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name. AND Literacy/Phonological Awareness; associates sounds with written words, such as different words begin with the same sound.

Transitions

Use the same letter cards as outside but this time ask the child to name the letter and then give a word that starts with that letter.

Literacy/Phonological Awareness; associates sounds with written words, such as different words begin with the same sound.

Resources

show children how to move from point 1 to point 5 w/o raising the pencil. This will make a star.

When the Wind Stops, by Charlotte Zolotow

This is a book that honors the planet earth by telling about her unending cycles. It is a nice story to read to help answer some of your children’s why questions about nature.

Materials

Several shirt boxes and small balls or marbles.
Strong flashlight
Blue food coloring
Several clean cans with holes poked in the bottom (to allow water to flow through)
Pictures of day and night

Vocabulary

Break on the sand (crash to the shore)
Cycle (repeating a process over and over).

Before Reading the Story

Bring in pictures of day and night. Hold them up one at a time and ask the children to tell you what time of day it is.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to the attributes of time and temperature.

Reading the Story

On the page where the boy is playing with his friend and they drink lemonade on the porch, ask the children if they can guess what time of year it is. What are some other things you do in the summer?

Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to the attributes of time and temperature.

As you continue reading the book, allow the children to add any information they may have that goes along with each page.

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

After Reading the Story

Talk about what season you are in currently and then move forward from there talking about the next season and changes that will occur. Allow the children to add any information that they may have.

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

Discovery

This experiment will have to be done on a sunny day. Ahead of time you will have to cut each child’s letters to their name out of paper. Have the child then tape these to a piece of dark construction paper. These are laid out in the bright sun for 2 days. After 2 good days of lying in the bright sun, bring them inside and have the children carefully peel the letters off of the construction paper. The paper will have faded from the sun and their name will appear. Or if your center has a budget, purchase Light Sensitive Paper https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/store/sun-sensitive-paper.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr4vXpsSe7AIViInICh0WRAsSEAAYASAAEgIQ_vD_BwE

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

Music and Movement

If you have a rainstick, let the children experiment making rain sounds. Add other instruments and encourage the children to make a rain storm by starting softly and then getting louder and louder then softer and softer again.

Creative Arts/Music; experiments with a variety of musical instruments.

Put on some music and dance like the wind. Can you twirl around, blow low to the floor? Be a tree and let your branches/arms gently sway in the breeze.

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

Have the children sit in a circle. Explain to them that you are going to play day and night. The teacher stands in the center of the circle with a bright flashlight and slowly turns around. Remind the children that the mother in the book talked about how when one part of the world is in daylight, the other half is in darkness or night. Explain that when the sun/flashlight is shining you are awake, it is day. When the sun/flashlight is not shining you are asleep, it is night. Have the children pretend to be asleep and awake depending upon if the flashlight is shining on them.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to the attributes of time and temperature.

Blocks

Add natural elements from your area to the center. Place out a basket with acorns, sticks, sweet gum balls, pinecones, marsh grass, seed pods, etc..

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

Art

Cut out blue circles that are able to fit in the bottom of the shirt box. Put a marble in a small cup of green paint with a spoon. The child can scoop the marble out and put it on his blue circle/earth and marble paint across it by rocking the box back and forth.

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Control; demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully.

Library and Writing

Give the children black construction paper and white colored pencils or chalk to practice writing their names. Hang them on the wall for everyone to see how hard they are working on their 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

Add some blue food coloring to the water today. Ask the children if they can make waves, remind them the water needs to stay in the water table! Add cleaned cans with holes poked in the bottom (using a nail) to make rain.

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

Dramatic Play

Put out dramatic play clothes that represent the season you are in and the one that follows (spring; sweater, boots/summer; bathing suit, floppy hat/ fall; sweater, backpack /winter; boots, mittens).

Creative Arts/Dramatic PLay; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex. AND Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to the attributes of time and temperature.

Math and Manipulatives

Use a variety of sequencing cards for the children to sort and put in order.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Outdoor Play

Hang wind chimes on your playground. When they chime, remind the children that it is the wind moving that causes the sound. Bring out scarves and let the children run flapping them in the wind. Bring out bubble solution and watch which way the bubbles blow. Look at the clouds, which way is the wind blowing them?

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

Transitions

Talk about how your routine/schedule is also like a cycle, it goes from beginning to end and starts over again. First we do ____, then we do _____. After our lunch we _______. If you have a visual schedule, let the children take turns pointing out what you do during each part of your routine.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.