The Very Lonely Firefly

In the Very Lonely Firefly, students enjoy trying to find new combinations of numbers to circle. Students will match quantities up to 10 with numerals and words. Using oaktag, make copies of the back of the book. You will need to copy as many students who will be participating. This activity can be used in a whole group or in a center. Laminate the copies. Each student needs a dry erase marker.

Determine the number you want to focus on. Use a dry erase marker to circle groups of the number. For example, if you're concentrating on the number 3, circle groups of 3 fireflies. Use a paper towel to erase the circles and try to create different combinations.

Have students make fireflies by using their fingerprint and adding on a yellow pipe cleaner.

A Very Quiet Cricket

Read and discuss A Very Quiet Cricket. Explain to the students that this is the day that they will observe an insect and learn about its body parts.

• Show the students the crickets in the habitat container and explain where they came from.
• Give each pair of students one cricket in a container and two hand lenses.
• As the students observe the cricket, ask them questions to help them focus such as: "How does the cricket move? How many legs can you see? Does the cricket have eyes? Can you see wings on a cricket?
• Following the observation time have the students come back together as a whole class and share their answers.
• Give each students a diagram of a cricket and have them fill in the body parts.

Today is Monday

Children love Eric Carle's colorful illustrations and animal characters. In this book children will identify parts of the day (morning, afternoon, evening) and the days of the week. Read the story Today is Monday to the class. Have each of the days of the week writing on a separate piece of paper. Put food item on a card and laminate them.

• Layout off the days of the week, starting with Monday. Have the students read the days of the week.
• After reviewing them, students can take turns placing the food cards beneath the correct day sign.
• Once all the food has been placed under the day of the week, students can help retell the story.
• Make copies of a blank calendar page for students. Have them draw the foods on the appropriate days.

Draw Me a Star

Read the book and discuss how the artist created a star by being creative. What did the artist use to draw his star? What process did he follow?

• Distribute plain white paper. Have each student draw a very simple picture on the paper. Give each group different materials to use for their picture (tissue paper, paint, crayon, chalk, markers, felt pieces) Have the students plan what materials they would like to use to create an Eric Carle picture.
• Demonstrate the technique Carle uses to make his pictures. Have the students cut shapes from tissue paper and use watery glue to paste them on the design. Students will use the materials given to them to create their artwork.
• All pictures will be laminated and made into a book.

Pancakes, Pancakes

Read the story Pancakes, Pancakes aloud to the class. Here are some activities you can do with your class after your finish the book.

• Make a list of the ingredients that Jack's mother needed in order to make pancakes. Have students put them in sequential order according to the story.
• Compare the process Jack went through in order to make the pancakes to the process we would go through to get pancakes. How are the processes the same? How are they different?
• Make a list of terms that are used when baking: recipe, mix, stir, measure, ingredients, tablespoon, teaspoon, spatula. Define each term on chart paper. Draw an example next to each one so students can see what they look like.
• Give students sentence strips with a recipe that is mixed up. Discuss the key words used in each sentence: first, next, then, add, finally. Sequence the strips in order on construction paper.
• Bring in ingredients to make pancakes. Divide class into small groups and have them work together to measure and add ingredients. Make the pancakes and enjoy.

The Tiny Seed

The tiny seed is a perfect book to read in the spring. You can read this book when you are discussing plants and seeds.

Here are some activities you can do after you read the story:

• Outline the sequence of seeds: from seed to plant to seed. Identify reasons why a seed does not germinate and plants do not grow.
• Label the parts of plants.
• Make a seed collection. Examine seeds with reference to shape, size, color and how they feel.
• Match seeds to plant pictures.
• Categorize seeds into those we eat and those we do not eat.
• Experiment by growing different types of seeds in the classroom.

The Grouchy Ladybug

This is a story about a ladybug who is very grouchy. The story using comparative time and telling time on a clock to show the different things that make the ladybug grouchy.

Some lesson plans include:

• Math- telling time on the clock. This is an excellent book to reinforce time telling. Each page has a clock on it. Students can have small clocks at their desks and set the time on their clock that matches the one in the story.
• Phonics-Make a large ladybug and put a black line down the middle. Give each student a black dot. If they hear the g sound in a word at the beginning of the word place the dot on the left, if they hear it at the end place it on the right.
• Writing-Make a list on the board of things that make the students grouchy. Have them pick one thing and write it onto story paper. Draw an illustration that goes with their sentence.
• Art-Make an insect. Materials- empty soda can, pipe cleaners, pom poms, felt pieces, googly eyes, glue and paint. Crush the soda cans and paint them green. Add the other materials on to make the can look like a bug.