Bee Center Using Paired Text

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This is the fourth and last post in a series of bug paired text centers. The read aloud – read alone text is Honeybees by Joyce Milton. A possible listening center suggestion could be a video such as, All Things Animals TV, Tube 4 kids.com, like Bees: Animals for Children Kid Videos. Both of these selections are non-fiction selections.

Bee Shape Construction Center:
Material Needed:
1 small oval pattern for the head (yellow construction paper)
2 large oval patterns for the wings (white tissue paper)
1 large oval pattern for the body (yellow construction paper)
1 small triangle pattern for the stinger (black construction paper)
2 half inch wide, seven inch long strips for the stripes (black construction paper)
2 half inch wide, two inch long strips for the antennas (black construction paper)
Glue sticks
Pencils
Scissors

Directions:
1. Trace and cut the head, wings, body, and stripes.
2. Glue the yellow head horizontally to the top of the body.
3. Glue the 7 inch strips to the yellow body to make the stripes. Trim off the extra strip on each side.
4. Gather the white tissue on the top of each wing piece and glue them to the top of the body below the head.
5. Glue the black triangle to the bottom of the body, point side down to make a stinger.
6. Take the two remaining two inch strips and wrap them around a pencil to curl them. Glue the curled strips to the top of the head to make the antennas.

Music and Movement Activity:
Select a bee song like “Baby Bumblebee” or “Our Bee Song” by Nature Tracks and retell the story using the completed bee.

Theme Related Links:
Since the bee is a combination of all three shapes, it provides a good shape review.

Students can also compare and contrast the different types of bees and write three facts they learned about bees.

As a culminating activity for the bug centers, students can retell the story “Bug Safari” by Bob Barner, using all of the bug shapes they have made.

Students can also use the bugs to create an innovation story using the format of “We’re Going on a Nature Hunt”, by Steve Metzger.

Butterfly Center Using Paired Texts

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photo(2) This is the third in a series of four bug centers. The center includes read aloud / read alone fiction and non-fiction texts, listening center, triangle butterfly construction, music and movement, and related themes.

Read Alone/Read Aloud Paired Texts:
“Butterfly Garden” by Margaret McNamara (realistic fiction)
“Butterflies” by Karen Shapiro (non-fiction)
“Monarch Butterflies” by Gail Gibbons (non-fiction)

I put these books in the classroom library so students can preview the topic by looking at the pictures and talking about the story. I also may choose to read one of the stories during story time.

Listening Center:
On iPads or a projector, load a non-fiction video like “Butterflies: Animals for Children Kid Videos.kindergarten preschool learning”. All things animals. TV Tube4kids.com. These site types help to build background for students that aren’t reading yet. There are many possibilities, just keep looking until you find a quality source that suits your needs.

Triangle Butterfly Construction Center:
Materials Needed:
2 large triangle patterns
2 small triangle patterns
1 long black triangle approximately 7 inches tall
1 black 3 inch long 1/4 inch wide strip
Two different colorful sheets of construction paper
Glue sticks
Pencils
Scissors

Directions:
1. Trace and cut 2 large triangles from one sheet of colored construction paper.
2. Trace and cut 2 small triangles from the remaining sheet of construction paper.
3. Trace and cut 1 long black triangle.
4. Cut a 3 inch 1/4 inch wide black strip.

Assemble:
1. Glue the two large triangles points to the middle of the long black triangle narrow point up, one on each side.
2. Glue the 2 smaller triangle points to the middle of the long black triangle on both sides under the larger triangles.
3. Fold the 3 inch strip in half, making a v shape antenna.
4. Fold the long triangle tip point down over the antenna and glue in place.

Music and Movement Center:
Download a butterfly song video like “The Butterfly Colors Song” kidsTV123. Using the triangle butterflies, the students can sing and perform actions to the song.

Theme Related Links:
This center can be part of a unit on the life cycle of a butterfly, colors, and or triangles.

Ant Center Using Paired Texts

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photo(3) This is the second in a series of four bug centers. This center includes non-fiction read aloud or read alone texts, a listening center featuring fiction texts, build an ant oval construction center, music and movement activity and theme related links.

Read Alone/Read Aloud Non-Fiction Texts:
“Armies of Ants” by Walter Retan and “Ant Cities” by Arthur Dorros can be read to the students or placed in a classroom library or book pots for students to preview.

Listening Center:
“Hey Little Ant” by Phillip and Hannah Hoose can be found on YouTube and projected for students as well as a more traditional approach using multiple copies and a cd. Another fiction text could be “One Hundred Hungry Ants” digital story. Using the technology helps to make emergent readers more independent.

Build a Bug Ant Oval Construction Center:
Materials Needed:
Scissors
Pencils
Glue sticks
Large oval margarine lid
Medium oval margarine lid
Small oval shape template
Brown, black, or red construction paper

Directions:
Trace and cut one large oval for the abdomen. Next, trace and cut one medium oval for the thorax. Lastly, trace and cut one small oval for the head. Cut four eight inch strips that are one half inch wide to make the legs and antenna.

Assemble:
Glue the medium oval to the top of the large oval vertically. Next, glue the small oval to the top of the medium oval horizontally. Fold three strips in half and glue the fold line to the back center of the thorax. Fold each end of the strips up a half inch from the tip to make feet. Lastly, fold the remaining strip in half, making a V and attach it to the center of the head. Using a pencil, curl each tip around the pencil to complete the antenna.

Music and Movement:
Pick a version of “The Ants Go Marching One by One” song interactive YouTube to show to the students. Using the oval ants, the students can march to the music.

Theme Related Links:
Rhyming Word – read “I Can’t Said The Ant” by Polly Cameron
Numbers 1-10
Oval Shape
100 Days of School
Ways to Make 100 by 1’s, 5’s, 10’s, 20’s, 25, 50

Ladybug Center Using Paired Texts

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This is the first of a series of four paired text center posts featuring bugs. Each center includes read alone or read aloud picture books, listening center resources, build a bug shape art center, music and movement, and related theme links.

Read Alone/Aloud Texts:
Read alone for young children could mean looking at and talking about the pictures. The book listed below is the non-fiction text. Placing multiple copies of this book in the classroom library allows students to preview the theme. The teacher can read the book in several settings and discuss non-fiction text features at each reading.

Scholastic First Discovery Ladybugs and Other Insects.

Students can write a paragraph or page using facts about ladybugs. They can write and perform a research rap, see blog archives for directions.

Listening Center Fiction Text:
The Very Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
If you have projection equipment or iPads, students can watch and listen to the story using YouTube or you can use traditional listening center equipment. Using the technology helps to make this a more independent center for young children.

Build-a-Bug Center: Circle Ladybug
Materials Needed:
Red construction paper
Black construction paper
Bingo dot markers or Avery stick on dots
Black pipe cleaners (optional)
Scissors
Pencils
Glue sticks
Round lids ( small, medium, and large)

Directions:
Trace and Cut:
1 large black circle (body)
1 large red circle (fold in half, cut on fold for wings)
1 medium black circle (head)
8 small circles folded in thirds-both ends to meet in the middle ( 2 antennas and 6 legs)
(You can substitute black pipe cleaners.)

Assemble:
Glue the medium black circle to the top of large black circle to make the head and body. Attach the red wings with the straight edges opening to the middle, to the top of the black circle under the head. Stick three dots on each wing or make three dots on each wing with the bingo markers. Fold and glue six small dots, three on each side to make the legs. Fold and glue two more small dots to the top of the head to make antennas. Students can label each of the body parts.

Music and Movement:
Locate a version of “Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home”. It can be a chart or animated video from a nursery rhyme site. Using the circle ladybugs, the students can sing and move to the rhyme. Let the children view the rhyme first and plan how they will enact the nursery rhyme.

Theme Related Links:
Other topics for this center could include circles, and time to the hour.

I’m OK… A Literature Based Story Frame

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photo(1) For emergent writers, sentence frames are an easy way to get students writing. You can use the repeating phrase from a story or a language frame that will work for a variety of content. In this example, I am using “the OK book” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. It is a story about things that individuals are ok at doing as they search for something they are excellant at. Students need to know the letters O and K and what OK means. The illustrations include the letters o and k as the shape of the characters in the different tasks they are doing on each page. The sentence frame is “I am an OK ______.” Emergent writers can complete the sentence frame while more capable writers can write more. In both cases, the picture supports the words. The repetition of the sentence frame and the inclusion of the letters O and K on every page makes for a simple and interesting presentation.

The students will get many ideas as they listen to the story and see a variety of illustrations using the O and K in different placements on each page. After the story, ask the students to think of things they are OK at. Record their ideas on a sheet of chart paper. This list might include things like, swimmer, bike rider, baseball player, painter, runner, jumper, reader, writer, singer, and dancer. Tell the students that they will be making a page for a class book with their own idea. Using the die cut, I made the letters O and K in black construction paper. Using copier paper, I wrote the sentence frame,”I am an OK _________.” on the bottom of the page and left the top of the page blank for the picture. Using the chart, the students can fill in the sentence frame blank with one of the ideas. I do not let students use the same idea. When we put the pages together to make a class book, I want each page to be different. When the sentence frame is complete, the students draw the setting on the top of the page and glue the O and K to make the character. In this post, the illustration is drawn on a sheet of white construction paper and shows the O and K as a baker. The sentence frame would say, “I am an ok baker.”and would be attached to the bottom of the page. Students can share their pages with the class. The pages are collected and bound to make a class book.

MR. TANEN’S Ties, A Different Way to Express Voice

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photo (8) Mr. Tanen’s Ties, written by Maryann Cocca-Leffler, is a story about Mr. TANEN, the principal of an elementary school. He collects interesting ties. He changes his ties throughout the day to match how he is feeling or show things that are happening around the school. After reading the story, I show the students several ties that I have and we talk about an occasion or feeling that might make me decide to wear each tie. For example, the airplane tie may mean that I am going on a trip or that I am a pilot. The bacon tie may mean that I like bacon or that it is breakfast. The tie with cutlery may mean that I’m going on a picnic. The chili tie may represent a holiday like Cinco De Mayo. Each tie depicts the character’s voice through the graphics. You can purchase interesting ties at second hand stores or ask for donations from parents in a class newsletter.

After the discussion, I ask the students to think about what their tie would look like today. What is their voice? I put tie patterns, colored markers, colored paper, pencils, and scissors in a center. You can also prepare the blank ties ahead of time or ask parent volunteers to do that for you. I model tracing and cutting out the tie. I draw my idea on the front of the tie. On the back of the tie, I write how the tie design matches my voice. Each day the students that complete this center share their ties with the class. The ties can be displayed for the students to look at. Below are samples of some student work. This is a different way for students to express the trait of voice.

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Facing Alliterative Text

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The picture book,”Walter Was Worried” written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a story that illustrates children’s faces as they react to a storm. The story consists of a brief alliterative text that focuses on the first letter of each child’s name. The face features incorporate the letters of a descriptive word that links back to the storm events and makes for an interesting presentation.

After reading the story, I gave the students a white sheet of drawing paper and a head pattern to trace. I asked each student to write an alliterative sentence that featured the first letter in their name. Next I asked them to incorporate the letters of the descriptive word in the face features of their self portrait.

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In this example Renee wrote, “Renee was rested when night came by.” Can you find the letters in “rested” in the face features of her drawing? (R in one eye, e in one ear, s is her nose, t in the corner of her mouth, e in the other ear, and d in her other eye)

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In the next sample Zack wrote, “Zack is zany when he’s on the swings outside on the playground.” Can you find the word “zany” in Zack’s face?

This activity is an interesting way to talk about alliteration. The drawings can be displayed on a bulletin board or combined to make a class book. The project also represents an opportunity to talk about the trait of presentation.

Fact or Fiction Literature Based Writing Center

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If you’re starting a unit on the farm or working in an animal theme, “Funny Farm” can make an interesting writing center. The story is a mixed-up pop-up book. Each animal has a pop-up feature. The text provides several facts for each animal. The students can make a real animal by matching the top and bottom or a make believe animal by mixing the tops and bottoms. After reading the story several times, students can decide on an animal. It can be one from the text or a different combination. Students will need to write several facts about their real or make believe animal. On a sheet of construction paper, the students will draw the bottom of their animal and the background. The bottom of the animal should be as large as the bottom half of the paper. On a separate half sheet of paper, students will draw the top or head of the animal. It needs to be large enough to cut out and pop-out on the top half of the construction paper. To make the pop-out, take a two inch paper strip and fold it back and forth several times. Glue one end in the middle of the animal head and the other end to the top half of the construction paper. Be sure the head is attached so that it matches the drawing on the bottom. Students can record their facts on the paper, writing one on the top of the page and one on the bottom. They can also attach a sentence strip with the facts to the bottom of the page. They will need to label their real animal or create a label for their make believe animal by combining details from both animal names. Students can share their animals with the class or make their own class book innovation story of “Funny Farm”.
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For more writing ideas visit: http://paysonpatty.edublogs.org/

“Fact Chant” Frame For Sharing Research

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Are you looking for a strategy to help students share information or key ideas, try “Fact Chants”. Once students have completed research on an expository topic, how can they share what they learned without reading their entire report to the class? The “Fact Chant” frame provides a format that students can complete using the most interesting or surprising facts they learned from texts, instructional magazines, and online resources. Students write phrases in their own words adding some melody, rhythm, sound effects and or motions to make an interesting presentation. The process helps students to determine the key ideas and consider what their audience would like to know. While the frame may be similar, students may modify the frame to fit their content. In addition, the music and movement the students create will make each chant sound different. The teacher can individualize the frame by requiring more or less facts.

“Fact Chant” Frame

From magazines and books let’s take a look at
What I learned about _______________________!

(List three facts.)

And did you know!

(List three more facts.)

From magazines and books this was a look at
What I learned about _____________________!

With young children, the teacher can write the frame on a piece of chart paper leaving space to record the student facts. As the class brainstorms information, the teacher can record the facts on separate sentence strips. Once the brainstorming is complete, the teacher and students can reread the strips and decide which ones to include and in what order. The sentence strips can be attached to the frame or the teacher can record the information directly on the chart. Next, the students can add sounds and movement. Once the chart is complete, students can draw pictures to make a symbolic border. For example, using the book “Hibernation”, students can draw pictures of animals that hibernate or the what animals need to hibernate. The pictures should support the words and be large enough to cut out and glue on the chart to make a border. Once the chart is finished, it can be displayed in the classroom as another read the wall center opportunity.

Hibernation Fact Chant Sample
From magazines and books, here’s a look at
What I learned about hibernation!
Many animals that don’t migrate in winter, hibernate.
True hibernators, chipmunks, woodchucks, squirrels, and mice sleep all winter and are difficult to wake.(Snoring sound)
Bears and raccoons wake up easily and look for food and water. This is called torpor. (Stretching motion and sound)
And did you know!
Snakes, bats, frogs, toads, and Atlantic cod hibernate. (Animal sounds or motions)
Hibernators have a low breathing and heart rate. (Pat chest slowly take deep breath)
They need food, water and a safe place away from predators. (Munching)
From magazines and books this was a look at
What I learned about hibernation!

Wondering What To Do With Those Greeting Cards?

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Now that the holidays are over and it’s time to clean up, what are you going to do with the stack of greeting cards? This is a good time to begin a card collection that can be used later to help students recognize the trait of voice. You can add cards for different occasions as the year progresses. Eventually you will have a collection that represents, birthdays, graduations, encouragement, well wishes, travel, holidays and many other celebrations of life. Each greeting card verse and illustration represents a voice. Looking at a variety of cards, students can begin to discuss the voice of the cards and sort them accordingly. What are some different voices that you found in the cards? What voice do you think this card represents? What clue or clues made you think that? Did you find any cards that had more than one voice? How could you change the words to change the voice?

Once students are able to recognize a variety of voices, they can begin to write and illustrate their own card in a specific voice. Students can share their cards with the class. The class can discuss what voice the card represents and determine if it’s a match for the author’s purpose. This activity is an easy way to provide practice in writing with different voices that will add character to their future compositions.

As you collect cards there are several things to be mindful of. Since students will be reading the cards, you will want to exclude cards that have personal notes written inside. It is also important to collect a variety of samples that match the holiday policy in place in your organization.