Lesson Plan Source

This activity was created as a follow-up to the story “Little Cloud”. Blue construction paper and some cotton balls create a simple way for children to connect with the story and the environment.

Recommended Grade Level: PreK-1

Supplies Needed:

blue construction paper

glue (liquid in bottle)

cotton balls (3-5 per student)

Directions:

After reading the story, encourage students to look around the room and think about all the different things that clouds can look like. Encourage students to use their imaginations to think of something they would like to create. Demonstrate how to stretch and pull the cotton balls apart to form different looks. Allow students time to manipulate their cotton. Once completed, provide glue. Remind students that much is not needed to hold the glue in place! Taking phrases from the book (e.g. “Little Cloud changed into…”), have students dictate what their cloud is and write it on their creation.

This activity was created as a follow-up to the story “A House for Hermit Crab”. I love the use of texture in this project. For students with fine motor difficulty, have the legs and the eyes of the crab pre-cut.

Recommended Grade Level: PreK-1

Supplies Needed:

Hermit Crab Worksheet (replica taken from the book)

card stock or tagboard (print on for durability)

Crayons, markers, or paints

Glue (liquid in bottle)

Scissors

Styrofoam bowl

sand

seashells

shoebox

hot glue (optional, but may be necessary)

Directions:

Have children color/paint and cut out the “Hermit Crab” printable. Next, glue must be applied to the outside of the Styrofoam bowl. This is best done by applying the liquid glue with a brush to make sure it is evenly and thinly distributed. Using a shoebox, place the Styrofoam bowl inside. The box is used to catch the sand and avoid a huge mess. Have student sprinkle sand to cover the outside of the bowl. Lift bowl to gently shake off any excess sand. Finally, seashells can be glued to the outside of the bowl. *If the shells do not want to stick, hot gluing them will make them stick. I hope it is obvious that hot gluing would most definitely be done by the adult! Once the bowl is completely dry, attach to hermit crab with glue.

This activity was created as a follow-up to the story “The Very Lonely Firefly”. It was developed as a fun way to display fireflies in your classroom. This mural is so sweet it will surely “light up” the hearts of you and your kids!

Recommended Grade Level: PreK-1

Supplies Needed:

Firefly Printable (replica taken from the book)

Crayons, markers, or paints (Warning! Markers and paint provide beautiful, vibrant color for the fireflies, but can cover the cutting lines for students to see.)

glue

scissors

black paint

brushes

hand-held hole punch

X-Acto knife

white Christmas lights

large piece of cardboard (Small pieces can also be used to make panels. You will want to connect them all with string.)

tape

an outlet

Directions:

Paint one side of the cardboard black and allow to dry. Print out the “Firefly” printable. Have each student color/paint and cut out. *For students with fine motor difficulties, this piece is detailed. Pre-cutting the firefly or just its arms is an option for those students. Place a few of the cut out fireflies on the cardboard to get an idea of how you want to arrange them. Once you have an idea, use the X-Acto knife to punch holes in the cardboard (not too big, you want each bulb to fit snug in its hole). A hole will also need to be punched in each firefly (at the center of the “tail”-where it would glow). Have students assist with gluing their firefly onto the cardboard. Make sure to line up the hole in the firefly to the hole in the cardboard. Once all of the fireflies have been added, add the Christmas lights. The light cord will remain behind the cardboard. Individual light bulbs should be gently pushed through each of the holes. The hole should be tight enough already to hold each bulb without support. If needed, apply tape to the backside of the cardboard to attach the cord and hold the bulb in place. Stand the cardboard up and either lean it against the wall or attach it with tacks. You are now ready for the big moment! Make sure you have pre-checked the lights to ensure that they all work. Gather the children, turn off the classroom lights, plug in your Christmas lights, and voila! A beautiful display of fireflies! At that point, children may enjoy listening to the story The Very Lonely Firefly again or to some peaceful music.

*Never leave Christmas lights unattended when on.

This activity was created as a follow-up to the story “The Mixed-Up Chameleon”. Using pictures from the book, students can make their own mixed-up chameleon. Due to the large amount of cutting involved for this activity, pieces can be pre-cut for students. Chameleon printables could also be colored, cut and laminated. Then used as a center where students can manipulate the pieces while viewing the book.

Recommended Grade Level: PreK-1

Supplies Needed:

Mixed-Up Chameleon Printables (1 per child):

Mixed-up Chameleon

Chameleon Pieces 1

Chameleon Pieces 2

Crayons, markers or paints

Glue

Scissors

8 X 11 piece of card stock (1 per child)

Directions:

Print and distribute a copy of the Mixed-Up Chameleon Set to each child. Allow students time to color and cut out the pieces. Not all of the pieces have to be cut. Students can decide how they want their Chameleon to look and cut out just those pieces. Younger students may need help identifying which pieces to cut. Assist them by marking those pieces with a pencil. Once the pieces have been cut, students can have fun arranging their pieces on their Chameleon. Pieces can then be glued to the card stock.