Your green pages

Teaching Pre K-8, Jan 1996 by Brown, Virginia S, Shaw, Martin

NURSERY RHYMES

1 LANGUAGE ARTS Read a nursery rhyme to the children, and afterward, whisper a question about the rhyme to a child. That child says the answer to the class and the students guess what the question was. Help the child confirm the answer. In like manner, present other nursery rhymes.

COLD FUN

2 READ Animals in the Snow by Margaret Wise Brown (Hyperion, 1995). This is a perfect story for the winter season as five animals have adventures in the snow. Prior to reading the book, read the title to the child. Ask him or her to name some animals that are often seen in the snow and some that are not. After reading the story, the child names the animals that were in the snow in the story. Guide the child in explaining why the animals liked the snow and what they did in it.

WELCOME WAYS

3 SOCIAL STUDIES Call attention to the new year and the name of the first month. Guide the children in discussing what people say to each other in January, i.e., Happy New Year] Explain reasons for the greeting. Help the children identify greetings that people use at other times of the year and discuss why and when people use each greeting and to whom they might extend it. Provide opportunities for the children to use different greetings during the month.

SOUND MAKERS

4 PERCEPTION Darken the room somewhat and Read "Did You Hear That?" Poetry 8, to the children. Invite volunteers to tell sounds that the poem mentioned. Ask what could make the given sound. Encourage other children to think of different sources. Turn on the lights again and display pictures of some of the sources of the sounds. Help the children consider how the source produced the sound. Then repeat the poem as the children echo each sound.

SNOW BALLING

ART Precut small snowball shapes in Step A. Use black paper in Step B. (illustration omitted)

ON ICE

6 SCIENCE Help the children recall the name of the current month. Read "Very Special Month," Poetry 1, aloud and ask the children to tell what the month is for. Show a pair of ice skates. After the children identify them, discuss how and why ice skates work. Create a demonstration to illustrate the discussion. Then help the group brainstorm why skates wouldn't work on carpeting, the sidewalk and the playground. Note: Keep the skates for use in Activity 10.

MONTH TALKS

7 LANGUAGE ARTS On separate cards, write the names of the months. Give each child (or a pair of children) a card. Talk about the new year and the first month in it. Say the word January as you ask the child holding that card to stand. The child repeats the name and shows it to the class. The students repeat the name. In like manner, introduce the other months. Then call on each child (or pair) by the name of his or her month and ask a question . For example: What is your favorite color? The child responds by showing and naming his or her month and answering the question. Guide the child in using sentences to respond.

YOU CAN]

8 SOCIAL STUDIES Read "How to Succeed," Poetry 2, to the children. Help them tell what succeed means, giving examples. Guide the group in explaining what helped the characters in the poem succeed. Emphasize that thinking you can succeed helps you try harder. Repeat the poem. Each child then selects a phrase one animal said that might help him or her succeed. Probe for reasons for the choice. Then join the children in saying the poem as each repeats his or her chosen words.

ICY TRAVELING

9 MOTOR COORDINATION Display pictures of frozen ponds. Using masking tape, make an outlined shape of a frozen pond on the floor. Display the ice skates from Activity 6. Have the children imagine putting on the skates. Then they stand around the frozen pond, put on their real or imaginary mittens, caps, sweaters, etc. so they can "skate" on the frozen pond. Play a musical selection so the children can skate to its rhythm.

COUNTING BOX

10 MATH Cover the lid of a shoebox with plain paper Mark off the lid into 10 sections. In a corner of each section, number it (from 1 to 10). In the section, make the corresponding number of holes. Store 55 golf tees in the box. Challenge the children to count the tees as they push them into the holes in a section. Then they trace the numeral on that section with one finger as they name the numeral.

NAME SPELL

11 LANGUAGE ARTS Randomly make the letters of the child's name using dotted configurations. The child traces the letters in Step C.

NUMERAL PASS

12 MATH Make these numbered cardboard snowball shapes. Five children sit in a row Give the snowball labeled 1 to the first child. Say the numeral. That child repeats it and passes it to the second child, who names the numeral and passes it on. Each child takes a turn. Continue the activity starting with the next child in order in the row.

OUR PLACE

13 LANGUAGE ARTS Help the child tell his or her street address. On a paper strip, use a pencil to write the address in large print. Show and read the address to the child. He or she traces the numerals and letters of the address with a finger and then with a crayon. Help the child "read" the address. On a table, spread items containing the address (envelope, catalogue, magazine, etc.). Help the child match his or her traced address to the addresses on the items on the table and read each match. Grade 1.0 Through Grade 2.0