TITLE: Bears, Bears Everywhere
AGE LEVEL: Primary-1st
TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The teacher needs
to know facts about bears such as they hibernate and other traits.
The also need to read over the books before discussed in class
to prepare what they are going to have their discussions over
and how the activities go along with the books.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: This is a thematic unit about
bears. The objective of this unit is to teach the basic facts
about bears while learning many curriculum objectives at the same
time.
- MAJOR CONCEPT: To get a better understanding
on facts about bears.
- OBJECTIVES:
- Math- The students will learn a basic number sense by reciting
orally the numbers 1- 10. The students will also learn patterns
by classifying and identifying shapes by completing a worksheet.
- Art- The students will make a bear shape pattern on posterboard
and then act out the story of The Three Bears. The students
will also make thumbprint bears by dipping their thumbs in paint
and drawing on faces and ears.
- Science- The students will observe bears in their environment
at the zoo. The students will also discuss the different seasonal
changes after reading the book, First Comes Spring.
- Social Studies- The students will learn about bear families
through the discussion of the book, Goldilocks and the Three
Bears. The students will become familiar with bear habitats
after reading the book, Bears Live Here.
- Language Arts- The students will sequence the story, Goldilocks
and The Three Bears by demonstrating this on a felt board
as a class. The students will learn the structure of a poem by
reading outloud, "A Sleuth of Bears".
- LIST OF MATERIALS:
- Snores Galore worksheet, scissors, shopping bag
- Bear shape pattern worksheet, The Three Bears, paint,
construction paper, markers, posterboard
- Permission slips from parents, First Comes Spring
- Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Bears Live Here
- Goldilocks and The Three Bears, felt board, sequence
worksheet, "A Sleuth of Bears"
- LIST OF REFERNECES
- FOR THE TEACHER
- Rockwell, Anne. First Comes Spring. Thomas Y. Crowell,
NY 1985.
- Marshall, James. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Dial
1988.
- Spouart, Robin. The Three Bears. Knopf 1987.
- Eberle, Irmengrade. Bears Live Here. Doubleday &
Co. 1966.
- FOR THE STUDENTS
- Dominco, Terry. Bears of the World. Facts on File-NY-Oxford
1988. Absolutely outstanding pictures of every bear in the world.
Also has facts, history, maps, etc. Everything you would want
to know about bears.
- Bour, Laura and Jeunesse, Gillimard. Bears. Discovery
Book. Scholastic Inc. 1989. This is a good book to help the students
learn actual facts about bears.
- Wild, Jocelyn. The Bears' Book of Colors. Ideals Children's
Books. 1989. This book gives a neat variety of colors that will
help the children learn colors.
- CONTENT RELATED WORDS: The students will need
to better understand the meaning of habitat by explaining that
it is the bear's place of living. Also the word sleuth which
means to be a detective.
- PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS
- Teach the children how to count 1-10 by demonstrating and
having them repeat after the teacher says each number. Break
it down 1-5 first until every student can orally recite them.
Then move on to 6-10 orally. Each student should pair up and
take turns reciting 1-10 to each other.
Read the directions to the worksheet snores galore and have
students repeat them back to the teacher. Hand out the scissors
and shopping bags and have the students finish the worksheet.
- Read The Three Bears to the class and hand out worksheet.
Then, have students cut out bear and paste onto posterboard.
First explain that we are going to make thumbprint bears from
our own thumbs. Do a teacher model first before even passing
out the materials. Make sure each kid understands then pass out
the paint and construction paper. Have each kid just do one thumb
and when it dries draw a face and ears on it.
- Receive permission slips from parents to allow the students
to take a field trip to the zoo. Also make sure that you have
three parent supervisors along for the ride and transportation.
Read the book First Comes Spring and have a discussion
on the seasonal changes given in the book.
- Read out loud Goldilocks and the Three Bears and discuss
the different bear families in the book and natural bear families.
Read Bears Live Here to help the students become familiar
with bear habitats. Go into a discussion over habitats.
- Review the book Goldilocks and the Three Bears and
have sequence worksheet cut out and then place them on felt board
wherever the students say they belong. Hand out the copy of the
poem to each student and read it outloud to the class. Then discuss
the structure of the poem with the class.
- CULMINATING ACTIVITIES
- Conduct a Busy Helper Bear Bulletin Board, example given
on following worksheet.
- Make a bear calendar to help the children keep track of the
days of the month.
- Have students bring bears from home and explain about them.
- EVALAUTION
- Make sure the students know how to count 1-10 by going around
with a checklist and having them tell you one by one. Also have
them finish their worksheet to check and see if they understand
how to identify shapes and patterns.
- Evaluate them by completion of the bear shape pattern on
posterboard. Each student should receive participation if they
finished. Also do the same for the thumbprint bears.
- Take a checklist and observe their behavior and understanding
of the bear's environment at the zoo. While reading the book
the children should be able to repeat the facts about the seasonal
changes that a bear goes through discussion. Here participation
points are given.
- Also keep participation points after discussing the bear
families in the book. Along with the discussion about bear habitats.
- Check to see if each student can sequence the story orally
by having them display the pieces on the felt board. Also learn
the structure of a poem by creating one just like the one given.