Mind Stretching Picture Books: Sleepers

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How do we learn?
Learning is social, pulls from experience, requires risk taking and stresses meaning.

Teaching science and Problem Solving with Mother Goose.
Flying with Mother Goose by Nancy Polette. Pieces of Learning, 2003.
Topic Focusing:
How many legs does a spider have?
How many eyes?
How many body parts?
How many rows of eyes?
How can Miss Muffet get rid of the spider?

IDEAS FAST SAFE CHEAP WILL WORK TOTAL

Write a second verse to solve the problem. Report on spiders using Animal Fact, Animal Fable by Seymour Simon as a model.

1. Connor, Leslie. Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel. Houghton-MIfflin, 2004
Of all the things she could take to the new world, Miss Bridie chose a shovel. How many uses can you think of for a shovel?

2. Cronin, Doreen. Duck for President. Simon & Schuster, 2004
Guess the answers:
What is the yougest age one can be a president?__
How many years in a row can a president serve? __
How many presidents has the U.S. had? ___
Write a song containing the answers to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

3. Cuyler, Margery. Big Friends.Walker, 2004
A delightful African circle story! Before reading ask: Is Africa a country or a continent? Does it snow in Africa? Is Africa mostly jungle? What is the most common African animal? Describe an African Giant.

4. Egan, Tim. The Trial of Cardigan Jones.Houghton-Mifflin, 2004
Students become the jury as they vote on the Moose's guilg or innocence.

5. Jackson, Shirley. Nine Magic Wishes.
A little girl wishes for very unusual things. Compile a class book: What would trees wish for? Paintbrushes? Snails? Pigs?

6. Johnson, Paul.. Little Bunny Foo Foo. Scholastic, 2004
Little Bunny Foo Foo Hoppin through the forest, Scoopin' up the fieldmice and boppin em on the head. And the Good Fairy said: Little Bunny Foo Foo I don't wanna see you Scoopin up the fieldmice and boppin em on the head. I'll give you three chances and if you don't behave I'll turn you into a goon. (Follow with: beavers, foxes, grizzly bears.)

7. Leedy, Loreen. There's A Frog in My Throat. Holiday House, 2003.
440 Animal sayings.

8. Polette, Keith. Isabel and the Hungry Coyote. Roaring Brook Press, 2004
A fun and surprising Hispanic Little Red Riding Hood. Sing to: Are You Sleeping?
_________________ coyote
_________________ coyote
In ________________________ (where?)
At ________________________ (where?)
______________________ and ____________________ (ing)
______________________ and ____________________ (ing)
Read this book! Read this book!

Create a feast song (Tune Skip to My Lou
We like...
adj     noun     ing word      prepositional phrase
adj     noun     ing word      prepositional phrase
adj     noun     ing word      prepositional phrase
Eat, good amigos, eat!

9. Steig, William. CDC? Farrar 1984 Reissue 2003
What does this say? V F E-10 D L-F-N

10. Sturges, Philemon. She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain. Little Brown, 2004
A surprise ending to this western version when we find out who "she" is!

11. U'Ren, A. Mary Smith. Farrar, 2003
Flexible thinking. Why would a town pay Mary to walk around shooting peas out of a pea shooter?

12. Clifford, Eth. The Flatfoot Fox Mysteries
Great inductive reasoning in solving mysteries

13. September 12 . Scholastic, 2003
Written by first graders