The Penguin Who Hated the Cold, by Barbara Brenner

This is a silly little story about a penguin named Pablo who hated the cold. He’ll do anything to find a warm place to live. Follow him on his adventure from the cold Antarctic to the warm tropics. This book is a great jumping board for teaching opposites.

Materials

Night before, freeze small animal counters into cubes and blocks of ice.
Several trays of plain ice cubes
Hot water bottle
2 large boxes of jello
1 banana, 1 apple or pear, several strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and cherries
Animal homes cards

Vocabulary

Chilly (always feeling cold, colder than cool but not as cold as frozen)
Hate (to really, really not like something)

Before Reading the Story

Talk with the children about the weather outside (this story is best read in the winter or the summer). Ask the children what kinds of things they like to do in the cold winter weather (make snowballs, sled, eat snow, dig) and then ask them what kinds of things they like to do in the hot summer weather (swim, ride bicycles, roll in grass, pick flowers). Tell them that winter and summer are opposites. Hot and cold are opposites. Introduce the story by saying that today we are going to read a story about a penguin named Pablo. Penguins live where it is always cold. Pablo does not like the cold though, at all! Pablo wants to go where it is warm. Let’s find out if he gets there.

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; progresses in abilities to respond appropriately abin conversations and discussions with peers and adults.

Reading the Story

Stop on each page where Pablo says goodbye to his friends. Do you think that he will get to a place where it is always warm? If not, what do you think will happen?

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.

After Reading the Story

Make a graph and have the children mark if they like the cold weather or the hot weather better. Count the total and write the numbers underneath.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to express awareness o fself in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences. AND Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and written numerals in meaningful ways.

Discovery

Make float and sink jello. Have the children help cut the fruits into bite sized pieces. Make the jello according to the directions. Let the children take turns dropping the fruit into the jello and predict if it will float or sink. Let the jello cool and eat.

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

Music and Movement

Fill the hot water bottle up with water and use it to play hot potato. (Pass the hot water bottle around until the music stops. The child holding the water bottle must name something that you do either in the hot or the cold weather.

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

Show children how to use two blocks to pretend skate. Put on music and slide around the carpet.

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; shows increasing proficiency, control, and balance in walking, climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, and galloping.

Sing the Opposite Song (to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opr_7f0Z0os

Everything I always say,

You always say the opposite.

When I say _________,

You say ___________!

Good opposites that go with this story are; cold-hot, forwards-backwards, up-down, outside-inside, on-off, float-sink

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare and contrast objects, events, and experiences. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Blocks

Ask the children if they can make a house to keep Pablo warm. If you have a stuffed penguin, this would be a good center to put it in.

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

Art

Put out finger paint. Instead of using hands to paint, give the children ice cubes to move the paint about the paper.

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

Sand and Water

Put the animals in the frozen ice blocks into the table. Ask the children to see if they can get the animals out. (warm water with spoons works as does using blocks for a hammer effect)

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

Depending upon the season you are in (summer or winter), ask the children to tell you a sign of the season and draw a picture about. With older children they may be able to draw and tell about an opposite season also. (Summer; sunny, swim, flowers, shorts, sandals/Winter; snow, sled, no leaves, mittens, boots)

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

Dramatic Play

Put out dress ups that are opposite the season you are experiencing. For summer you could put out bathing suit, sunglasses, and towels. For winter you could put out boots, mittens, and scarves.

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play. AND Science/Scientific Knowledge; develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to attributes of time and temperature.

Math and Manipulatives

Make a set of animal homes cards and let the children see if they can put the animals in their proper home.

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

Outdoor Play

Roll in the grass or snow.

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

Transitions

Ask children to say or show you opposite of a word that you give.

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

Resources

The Penguin Who Hated the Cold, by Barbara Brenner

Materials

Night before, freeze small animal counters into cubes and blocks of ice.
Hot water bottle
2 large boxes of jello
1 banana, 1 apple or pear, several strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and cherries
Animal homes cards
Finger paint

Vocabulary

Chilly (always feeling cold)
Hate (to really, really not like something)

Before Reading the Story

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

Reading the Story

Stop on each page where Pablo says goodbye to his friends. Do you think that he will get to a place where it is always warm?

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.

After Reading the Story

Make a graph and have the children mark if they like the cold weather or the hot weather better. Count the total and write the numbers underneath.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences. AND Mathematics/Number & Operations; demonstrates increasing interest and awareness of numbers and counting as a means for solving problems and determining quantity.

Discovery

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

Music and Movement

Fill the hot water bottle up with water and use it to play hot potato. Have the children sit in a circle. One child starts to pass the hot water bottle to the child beside him when the music starts. The children continue to pass the bottle until the music stops. When the music stops, the teacher asks the child holding the water bottle to name something that is either hot or cold.

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

Show children how to use two blocks to pretend ice skate. Put on music and slide around the carpet.

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; shows increasing proficiency, control, and balance in walking, climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, and galloping.

Sing the Opposite Song to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrUdD2dX8e4

Everything I always say,

You always say the opposite.

When I say _________,

You say ___________!

Good opposites that go with this story are; cold-hot, forwards-backwards, up-down, outside-inside, on-off, float-sink

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

Blocks

Ask the children if they can make a house to keep Pablo warm. If you have a stuffed penguin, this would be a good center to put it in.

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; demonstrates increasing ability to set goals and develop follow through on plans.

Art

Put out finger paint. Instead of using hands to paint, give the children ice cubes to move the paint about the paper.

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 the animals in the frozen ice blocks into the table. Ask the children to see if they can get the animals out. Allow them to experiment with objects from around the classroom.

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

Library and Writing

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

Dramatic Play

Put out dress ups that are opposite the season you are experiencing. For summer you could put out bathing suit, sunglasses, and towels. For winter you could put out boots, mittens, and scarves.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Make a set of animal homes cards and let the children see if they can put the animals in their proper home.

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

Outdoor Play

Roll in the grass or snow.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; progresses in physical strength, stamina, and flexibility.

Transitions

Call out one half of an opposite and see if the children can name back the other half to you. If you have opposite cards, these help children as many children do not have a strong grasp of what an opposite is.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Resources

Gingerbread Baby, by Jan Brett

This is a varied version of the classic gingerbread man. You could read both and compare or just read this one and enjoy. Jan Brett draws beautiful illustrations with many details and clues of what’s to come. This book encourages the reader to do good observations.

Materials

A bag of gingerbread cookies
2 bags of cotton balls
Gingerbread baby shape

Vocabulary

Worn-looking (old and kind of beat up from use)
Peek (look inside to see how what’s in there is doing)
Pranced (jump all around)
Delicious (yummy)
Smug (Feeling very proud of self)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children if they have ever helped to bake cookies? What are some of the steps you have to do, where do you put the cookies to cook? Say to the children let’s pretend to bake cookies. First we have to get a great big bowl to put all the ingredients into. Walk them through the steps from mixing in the bowl to putting on the tray, cooking in the oven, taking out of the oven, and putting them on the rack to cool. Now let’s eat them, yummy. Ask the children what kind of cookies they made? Ask the children if they have ever eaten gingerbread? Tell them that today’s story is about a gingerbread cookie. Introduce the book.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems. AND Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex.

Reading the Story

When Matti opens the cookbook for a second time, ask the children what do you think he is looking for? When Martha and Madeline tried to catch the gingerbread baby by the well, what do you think happened? When Matti says he will catch the gingerbread baby, ask how do you think he will do this? When you get to the page where the fox is smacking his lips, ask the children if they think he will catch the gingerbread baby. Note the side pages, ask the children what they think Matti is doing?

After Reading the Story

How did the gingerbread baby get out of the oven? Ask the children to see if they can remember the order of the characters in the story. Who chased the gingerbaby first, second, third, next?

Discovery

Let the children taste a gingerbread cookie. Ask the children to describe how the cookie tastes, write their responses down. Make a graph of those who like gingerbread and those who do not like gingerbread.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; begins to use standard and non-standard measures. AND Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations.

Music and Movement;\

Do the Gingerbread Baby finger play. Hold one hand out, palm up. Use the other hand to be the gingerbread babies. Start with 5 fingers laying on the palm and take one away with each verse.

Five little gingerbread men laying on the tray,

One jumped up and ran away.

Catch me, catch me, catch me if you can

I can run fast I’m the gingerbread man!

(Go down to one)

No more gingerbread men laying on the tray,

They all jumped up and ran away.

Next time I’ll eat them before they run away!

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

Blocks

Cut out a handful of gingerbread babies in various colors. Encourage the children to build homes for the gingerbread babies using the blocks.

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

Roll out play dough and use cookie cutters to make cookies. (Wood cylinder blocks work as rolling pins if your center has none).

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex. 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 cut out the gingerbread baby shapes and let them decorate them however they choose.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; develops increased ability to make independent choices.

Library and Writing

Show the children how to make a simple home with a square and a triangle roof. Let them use markers or colored pencils to decorate. On the bottom of the page write, I’m the gingerbread baby who is lucky as can be because ______made a house just for me!

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; progresses in ability to put together and take apart shapes. AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools, including, pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various technology.

Sand and Water

Put small people in the table and cotton balls. Show the children how to rip the cotton balls apart to make a winter scene.

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

Dramatic Play

Pretend to bake delicious things in the oven.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Cut out 10 gingerbread baby patterns that are about 6-inches tall and let the children use them to measure items in the room. How many gingerbread babies tall are they, the table, the carpet?

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

Outdoor Play

Tell the children that you are going to play gingerbread man. The children can take on the different rolls and they can all run around one behind the other. As the children run around sing out “Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man!”.

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

Transitions

As the children go to their next activity, give them directions on how to get there. (Kerry, hop, hop as fast as you can; Roger, jump, jump as fast as you can; Tammie,tip toe, tip toe as fast as you can)

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