Gingerbread Baby by Jan BrettAfter reading he book, make copies of the game board. Students will play in teams of 2 or 3. Each group needs a die.

Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

• Science – 2.1.1 Count by ones, twos, fives, and tens to 100.

• Language Arts– 2.2.11Identify text that uses sequence or other

logical order (alphabetical order or time).

• Multiple Intelligences– Interpersonal, Visual Spatial

I Love the Rain by Margaret Park Bridges

• Make rain with the whole class. Begin by gathering students in a circle (preferably not on carpet) and explaining and practicing how each of the sounds are made. Wind is created by rubbing your hands in a circular motion on the floor. Small rain drops are made with the fingertips striking the floor softly, then a little harder. Finally comes the heavy rain made by all the fingers on each hand hitting the floor quickly together.

• Place students into three groups (wind, small rain drops, heavy rain). Have each sound group mixed together, rather than in separate groups.• Each group is responsible for their sound. Signal to the students when

their group should join in (ie. wind first, then small rain drops). Each group should continue to make their sound even after another sound joins in.

• Variation: Divide class into four groups: hand rubbers, one finger clappers, four finger clappers, and thigh clappers.

I Love the Rain by Margaret Park Bridges

• Science– K.1.2 Begin to demonstrate that everyone can do

science.

• Language Arts–K.7.1 Understand and follow one- and two-step

spoken directions.

• Multiple Intelligences– Bodily Kinesthetic, Musical

Purple Hair? I Don't Care! by Dianne Young

• A whole town is surprised to overhear that there's a baby in Mrs. Della Ragon's belly that has purple hair, and many other odd characteristics. But, Mrs. Della Ragon will love her baby no matter what. This book became such a favorite of my class that by the end of the year they were able to recite it without looking at the words! The repetition and rhythm of this book is wonderful for beginning readers and the surprise ending still is a surprise no matter how many times you read it.

• Read the book. • Before you get to the last page where the surprise is revealed, ask

your students to draw a picture of how they think Mrs. Della Ragon's baby will look like considering the clues they were given.

• Compare all of the drawings, are they accurate to the clues? • Read the last page, was any one close?

Purple Hair? I Don't Care! by Dianne Young

• Science– 2.1.3 Describe, both in writing and verbally,

objects as accurately as possible and compare observations with those of other people.

• Language Arts– 2.3.5 Confirm predictions about what will happen

next in a story.

• Multiple Intelligence– Logical, Visual

I Love My Family by Wade Hudson

• How many people are in your family: graph • Cut out 4"x4" squares out of construction

paper, enough for each member of your family including you.

• On each square draw each member of your family and write their name underneath

• Paste them vertically on a piece of paper. • Display the all the students families as a bar

graph from the largest families to the smallest.

I Love My Family by Wade Hudson

• Mathematics– 2.1.12 Represent, compare, and interpret

data using tables, tally charts, and bar graphs.

• Language Arts– 2.2.7 Interpret information from diagrams,

charts, and graphs.

• Multiple Intelligences– Logical

50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch

• “Continuous Change” Indicator box

50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch• Science–2.3.2 Investigate, compare and describe weather

changes from day to day but recognize, describe, and chart that the temperature and amounts of rain or snow tend to be high, medium, or low in the same months every year.

• Language Arts– 2.2.7 Interpret information from diagrams, charts,

and graphs.

• Multiple Intelligences– Naturalistic, Visual

Achoo: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Germs by Trudee

Romanek • Before reading, ask the students if they know how germs are

spread. • Students will observe and learn about how and how quickly germs

spread from person to person. • Materials

– cooked rice – zip-loc bag

• Method– Pour rice into a zip-loc bag. – Ask students to stand in a circle. – Begin by putting your hand in the rice and getting a lot of rice sticking

to your hand then shake hands with a child beside you. That child shakes hands with the person next to them and so on and so on.

– The rice should stick to all the hands and works the same way germs do when people shake each other's hands.

Achoo: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Germs by

Trudee Romanek • Science– 3.4.9 Explain that some diseases are caused by germs and

some are not. Note that diseases caused by germs may be spread to other people. Also understand that washing hands with soap and water reduces the number of germs that can get into the body or that can be passed on to other people.

• Language Arts– 3.3.4 Determine the theme or author's message in fiction

and nonfiction text.

• Multiple Intelligences– Bodily Kinesthetic, Naturalistic

Owls by Gail Gibbons• Make Owl Puppets - What you need:– paper lunch bags – brown, white, black, and yellow construction paper – glue – scissors

• What to do:– Place the paper bag on a table with the fold over

facing you. Make owl feathers by ripping strips out of construction paper. Glue the strips, overlapping each other, on the owl's head (flap) and body. Cut out, and add eyes, a beak, wings and feet from construction paper.

Owls by Gail Gibbons

• Science– 1.4.3 Observe and explain that animals eat plants

or other animals for food.

• Language Arts– 1.2.7 Relate prior knowledge to what is read.

• Multiple Intelligences– Visual

Too Many Frogs! By Sandy Asher• Make a Croaking Frog. You will need:

– an oatmeal container with its lid, or a tin coffee can with its lid (size doesn't really matter)

– green, white, and black construction paper – a rubber band – sharp scissors – glue

• What to do:– Using the scissors, cut a tab near the edge of each side of the lid and bend

them up. – Cover the container and the lid with green construction paper. – Cut out a flat frog face, and some white eyes. – Glue the eyes to the face and draw in a mouth, some pupils, and some

nostrils. – Put the lid on the container and glue the face on to the side of the container. – Cut out feet and glue them to the bottom of the container. – Cut out an oval shape and glue on the container for the frog's belly. – Take the elastic band and stretch it around the tabs on the lid and plunk it

with your finger to make a croaking sound.

Too Many Frogs! By Sandy Asher

• Science– 1.4.1 Identify when stories give attributes to plants

and animals, such as the ability to speak, that they really do not have.

• Language Arts– 1.7.1 Comprehension:

Listen attentively.

• Multiple Intelligences– Verbal, Bodily Kinesthetic

Sometimes I Feel Like a Mouse by Jeanne Modesitt

• There are many different ways that people can feel. This book introduces children to twelve ways, and emphasizes that it is okay to have all of them. The beautiful, bold illustrations pair up the feelings to animals, which may make it easier for children to understand what the feelings actually are. This is a peaceful and charming book that is great for any age group who is having problems expressing their feelings.

• Photocopy the phrase "Sometimes I feel like a .............. , .........................". Have students fill in the sentence with an animal and an appropriate feeling word that they remembered from the book or thought up themselves (eg: Sometimes I feel like a cat, warm.). Display these around the room, and every morning ask a few children how they feel and feel like.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Mouse by Jeanne Modesitt

• Science– 2.1.3 Describe, both in writing and verbally, objects

as accurately as possible and compare observations with those of other people.

• Language Arts– 2.4.3 Research Process and Technology:

Find ideas for writing stories and descriptions in pictures or books.

• Multiple Intelligences– Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, Existential

Air Pollution by Rhonda Lucas-Donald

• Students will create an Air Pollution Catcher.– materials needed: milk cartons, Vaseline, Scissors, Hole

Punch, Yarn– Cut out different shapes out of the plastic milk cartons -

butterflies, birds, flowers, etc. have children rub Vaseline on cutout. Have students measure 6 inches of yarn and cut it. Punch hole in and tie yarn on end. Take outside and hang on tree or fence - observe how dirty it gets. Talk about what causes air pollution.

– Students will predict what will happen to the catchers.

Air Pollution by Rhonda Lucas-Donald

• Science– 2.1.7 Recognize and describe ways that some

materials — such as recycled paper, cans, and plastic jugs — can be used over again.

• Language Arts– 2.2.6 Recognize cause-and-effect relationships in a

text.

• Multiple Intelligences– Intrapersonal, Naturalistic