Just for Fun

118

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A Poem a Day
l80 Thematic Poems and Activities that Teach and DelightAJ1 Year Long
by

Helen H. Moore

!I'CHQILA51i1~1::

pROFESSIONAL BOOKS

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Dedication
rkdkH: L '>'l1th1nvr. to the amazing McGinns of the Calton {as well H~ Ute Muures of th('! ~I Gorbals}; but in. particular to the memory of my uncle. Matt McGinn ('with awe). to that of his hroUJeT, -Joe McGiDn [with rue), and to that of their mother; my grandmother, The Big YID.. He1en Havll n M~Ginn ('Wi ih rem- and with wonder). -Here's rae IlS. Wh.a.e's lik.e us?

Acknowledgements
many tha n ks 11)Terry Cooper and Uza Charlesworth. I love you guys, Thanks also to SybU Ba1.UDan. my support and touehsrone, who he:1ile(i mud] much more than she'll ever know.
Many

Th~ au thOT ~]50 wtehcs to thank the other talented and gracious poets wlw~~ wm'k appears In thts book, Spe.cial lh~:mkfl10 U;o.aOharieeworth. Terry Cooper. Edte Evans. Mr.l~h Coldtsh, Katherine Hollenbeck. Risa Jordan. Sandra O. Uab1os. Maria f.1cm1ng, Deborah ScheC!te:-I'",Valene SclIifferUanoff. and Carol Weston. Thanks to Judy Freeman for providlng marry of the Booklmks. Judy, a Ilbrartan in Brtdgewa tcr, New Jersey, knows picture-books the way a master chef knows the art of seasoning. (1"0 r a ~i1ll(ln more booklmks, see More Books K1ds win SIt stU! For': The Complete Read-Aloud Gu{de (R.R Bowker, 1ff96). W~I(jy Murr~y.my talented cdttor, deserves lot lhank-yol.l, too, as docs Carmen R. Sol"\1llo. who desJgned the book. And finally, thanks to second-grade teacher Ka~n Sullivan for her contributton of acttv1t1es,

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Table of Contents
Introd uctlon

_. ,.. ,.. ,

, ,.. ,.. ,.. ,,. ,,.. ,..

Me and My Worid
To A Frtend .... , . . . , . _ . . . . . . . _ 11 Transporl.H

Friendship . . . . , , . . . , . . . . . . . , . _ 1 1 l Uke You .....,..."......,.. 12 The Fi~hl , . . . . . , . . . , . . . . . . . , . . 12

We Are One WOf"ld I Look in the Mirror _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13 .. , , . . . . . . . . . 14

tim t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 25 . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ . _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 26 SnOWlllall _. __ • , _ _ , _ _ , __ • __ • • _ 26-

Safety

Happinces ..... , , . . . , . . . , . . . . . 14 . Feeling"H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ . _ _ _ • • _ • • • 1 5 Love 18 . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ • • 1 5

Snow Words , , . , , .. , .. , , .. , . 27 Hal , .. , .. , .. , 27 The Red Ball ,_.,. _ , . _ , . _. . . . . . 28 The Mitten Song . , . . , . . , . . . . . . , . 29
Sneez1nl'l ...,..,..,......,..,. 29

Manners

.....

_ . , . _ . , . _ ...

__ . _ 16

Chicken Pox ,..,. - . , - . . - . . . . . . 30 Flu _. __ .. _. __ . . __ , __ . __ . . __ . 30

Tooth Truth . , . . . , . . , . . . . . . . . . . 31 ..,..,.......... M(](]n 32 At the Sea -side Th~ Wondertng

The Swing , , , . . , , . . , , , . . , . . . , , 16
H:lCCUp6! ".,...,...,.......,' 17 Alru~t Lun~htirnt:= . _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . 18 A Kite ""',. _ . , , . . . . _ .. . . __ . , 19

S~nd .. - .. - . , . . , . . , . . . . . . . . . . 3:l
_. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.'33 3~

I Am the \V:1nd ... , , . . . . . . . . . . . , 20 Seel ng Th in!2;~ . _ . . , . _ . . . . . , . . . , 20

What Is Plnk? ____ . . . _ . . . _ . , 21

Goodrught. Su n _ _ . _ _ . _ _ _ _ Rrun~ , .. "."."

.. , .. , .. ,34

Rain ....,..,..............
Falling Snow

.. 35

Trying to Tie My Shoe

...,......,

21

White Snow . _ , . __ , _. . __ . . __ . __ 35
. , , . . , . . . . . . . . . , .. 36 - 37 • __ 37

F1ngerplll.Y • , , • • • • , , • • • , • • • • • • , 22 P1cture Books, ____ . _____ ___ _ 22 Books ,...,',..."..... _ _ .. _ . 23

Snow Haiku
OUf"

New

,-. ,-. ,.Baby _ . __ .

At School , , , , , . . . , , . . . . . . . , ...
&hool BU!;I ."....,......." .. Crayons _ _ _ _ . , . , . _ . . . . . . , ..

23
24 24

1he Mall Carrter

, _ _ , __ . _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ ::l A

Headstand . , . . , . . , , . . , . . , . . . , . 38 Reading In Bed "."..,..,...,. 39

New Pencils

, , , , . . . , , . . . , . . . , . . 25

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Frimary Concepts
_ 41 .......,. 42 The Terrible, Wonderlul

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100 is a Lot!
MapH

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Day!

. 43

'The Up and Down Kitten

Down the Hill Shadcmo-Show

. _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ 44, . . , , . . , . . , . . . , .. 44

_ _ _ _ _ _ . , , . _ . . . . . . , , . . , . 42

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The 61,~pl~nfThmgs

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l.eoves

Butterfly
StOIl]l

Garden
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___

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The ViTbeels of thf~ ·1 ~n;.;

Wh,}l I:f?
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Machines
TclJirtg Time TIle HaH of II
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Under the Ground J Am

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52 . 5.1

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Oak

Dmvn~

Seasons and Special Days

Bade. to Se.hool __ I-"Il rnpki ri, Pumpkin. (J'c,-ober Haiku , , Halloween !i'1·ight , _ " .
~~~ 11T~ Here Chief" Seattle'e . ,",.., Lesson _ ,,':'H

George "\'a~bingl

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66
66
67 6t!

_56 .57
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Mr, LiLU.'ohl _'''''''. Y; rs{. r orsvttna , ____ February ~'rmwl111I~eHruktr

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Poem h u' liVomen 's History N ever MJrul. M8Ir{~ h Geoo:·gc \Va~hiT'lg-tA)n The Wrjg~l1.Brothers Carver

M~.m!h _,.

...
____

58
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Thanksgt '1i.ng .. , December Celebrations

R~\"ill·l:laU

____ 39 ,60

Tunc

11:'Here

Unpredtetable
M.a~· I";' b 1\4" ~1y

April

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, 70.
_ 71

The Twenty-Fourth of December Happy Chinese Nev;,'Year ,

.January M...'trLin Struts
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.61 __ 63

In May , , . - __ .. _ _

. , , ". . .

_71
,,72

the

Vl':!'lr

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her Kin~" Jr. " Va.lentiuJe"s Day . .

Til TLJne wtth JlU11:: .,," Cclcbrar+n ~ C"~J Flag r

SllmTtl!':r'i'i Happy Here , ..

___ 12
,73 . 7;·~ ,74

, _64 ___ 65

To My Valcn lint':
1·~J~:n~ Presrdern's ror

_ Morrth

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SUml11eniIlld

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Anlrnals, Anlrnals, Anlmals

Antmals frOlLH A !~) Z 'Vll<1llhe Antmals Said, B<:ibyAnimals . An In vi La I.lull. Do.lphi.ns. .. , Animal Beds
Hiber"lUlti.on

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Pengullls _77 ".78 __ 79 __ 79 """,,79 "",,,80

. _ 80 In Pratsc

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(] r 1-'~-ngU!ns

PeL Puzzle
Five

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,,81 · _ 82 · _83 ____ 84

,85

nn~ny Iii
Ladybup;

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• _ 841

TIle Caterpllln r _ _ _
rlhym!': _

, <'j5 .85
,86

ASmiil
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Shark

, 81

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TI.~ Squirrel ......,',..,',..., t!7 In the B~ehj ve _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ . 87

The Robins and the Worm

My Neighbor's Cat ....".."..,'

Come to the Zoo _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ . 88 Fl.sh1n.g ... , . , . . _ _ _ . , . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 89 Sea. Animals "',...."...". _ . 89

Mit't': , , , . . . . , , , . . , , , . . go A Little Sq u i rrel . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , , _ . 91

.1u mplI~ Monkeys .... , . . . . , . . . , 9::l U You Shculd Mttt a. Crocodile , .... 94
Crocod tle _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , . _ .• 94 Runaway Defenses Elt:phHrll.s Ducks ... _., •• __ ••••• 95 96 , . . . . , . . , , , . . , , . . . 9Ei

Birds . . . . . . . , , , . . _ . . , , _ . . , , _ _ g]

~1. Pl<.ly __ .

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,* Science and Nature -, "...

Counting Sen~es , , .. " , 100
100 RaiTlhow Paintbox ,. _ , 109 Roy G, Blv . ~ . _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ __ . 109 Outer Space
Se\"eIJ.

A Poem Garden _ , _ . _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ . __ 98 Seed Ufe ... _ . . , . , . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 99 Seed 1'<Jds "......,',....,... The Whirl and Twirl . , , , ....
Apples 100 . _ _ . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ . , _ . . 10 1

, ...

........,......

_ . 110

Taking Care of Our Teeth _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ 10 1 What Makes Weather? .,. __ . , _ _ _ 102

Days of Supper .,....,.., III Pli""-"4 Pizzazz .. - . . . . . , . . . . , . . . III

EM

Me On

",......,....,

.. _ 103

Underwater _ .. _ ... __ ... _ . , ... 112 Magnet Myflte:ry _ _ _ _ _ _ _ • . _ . . . _ . 112

Crystal

Two views

, , , , . . . . , , , . . . . , , . . 103

Jewels . ___ ..____ ____ ___ 1 13

My Shedow . . . Rafnforest Anlmals Caterpillar Garden

. , _. _. . , . . 104 _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ . . , . _ 105 .. _ . , . .. _ 106

M1!;ration . . , , , , , . . . . , . , . . . , , _ 106 The Water Cycle , , . . . . . . , . . . , , . 107

We of a Plant ....,..."..".. 1 14 Lit Llc B~ ..,....,....,..,',. 1 15 Flower . . . . . , . . . . , . . . . , . . . . , . 115 Bugs .. , . __ . , .... , . 116 Bugs at Horne _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ , . 117

Water's Ways

_ . _.

. , ...

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Just for Fun

Riddle Poems . . . , . , . . _ . . , Togetherness Chant , . . . . . , Double Dutch .... " .... , Very Slny Bugs __ . . , . _ . _ , The Caterpillar Mom's Advice
The Keh.::hup Bottle Four Beasnns "....,',...

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. _ _ _ . ] 19 . . . . , 12 1 .... , 122
. . . . . 122 .. 123 123

The Sad. Sad S lory of the. Plggy Who Got None Mr. ~ybug . __ . , .

, . . . . 126 128

Popcorn . . . , . . . . , . . . . , . . . . , . . 128 \Vlude Sailin~ . . . . , . ..' . , . . . . , . . 129 Sock Sort. ng _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , . , .... 130
A Dinosaur at the Door ... , __ l31

Enough Is En~m.gh . . , . . . . . . , . . . 124

__ . _ . . , , , . . . . , . . . 124 Bedtime for Llamas _."....,... 125

The Land of Imagmation . . , _ _ _ _ _ _ 1.32 Some Sllly Antmals ,....,...... 133

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Introduction
Teachers reach for poetry And lcasons come alive.
lUumlnil.l.ing rnstory ·And how to eouru 10 five;

De:H(~tibirJF: common teeling,':l Or shal'"ing funny tales.

Identify1ng el~phan ts,

Explodng ants a nd whales. No matter what the topic, How stately or absurd. When teach ers reach fur poetry, They know they will be heard.

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Tew:l1cTA ~"rtatrlly do reach for poetry, They .know Lha1. poetry 1.6 a perfect vehrcle tcach1J.1jl children about the wnrlrtl1g;s of l.arl.h"'_~t: ~mr1 th~ workings ill the ..... -urlrl 8T(1Und thew. Poetry is by nature meant co read aloud. arid as such is H V[}v.·~-rfllltool tor buildtng uhildreri'a phonemic awareness--lhat. 11;1. tndr abJljty to pick out. and mantpulate the ~mJnt1s in spoken worda. As you Hna.TC the poems in Lhi5 hoo'" with YOtLr stud~iR, plllY With the la.."I{,.'Uage. highl1ghtll1.g all that you rmuce ahou t the wards and tl1[': sounds. Read the poems aloud, make up your own rhymes. potm; out exarnplca of al11ter",nOJ) und mvrtc kids tn grve alltteruuorr a wtttrl. PoUlt out word fumilielS. syllablN;., 1x'.guuU1~ and ending consonants, Mil:( and short vowels, and other as-peds of la.ngu .. age, [f youre WClrking With olde-r SL1.Jd=ts. 1la€ the poems tu leach rriore sophrsttcated Ilterary ekTncnt~. such as metaphor anCl all .. alogy. R('j'ond Introductng th~ ~'QrkIngs of languagC':. poetry opens up children'a rmagmanone, and hearts. hclping them look at. thorr tamtlrar world in a new way. Whether il's al:xlllt. R; rainy day OT a rrtp to school or a fight with a friend or Iear of t.he dark, each JX.I~ tn t.hia collection w_ W11tteu or aelccrcd with chtldreu'a eurlo!;lltleB and C'OIH':~[TI~ In rrrrnd-e-as well as _!lOUTS! An of the por.rru;. were espeeially chnaert to sun classroom n~~(ts, sO}'D U are almost. ~~rt~in to find a poem for any purpo9C you have, OfL any day of the year,

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Sharing These Poems with Your Students

Re..'lc\inp; IJO~ Invite paITnts. alm id to children Is the rasi est way [Or ytJU t.o hC':g1n to share aides. or Gldcr ~tl.ldents to n=".dd lo you"!" students as well. these poerna.

Before-Read ing Ideas

R1Ihc!IU'H readln& aloud.: To get Into the spirH. IT:f'l n aloud co youruelf firnt. lor h .. we whoever w1.11 be reading L{l the': children do sol. tapc-reoordtng yuur vokr: if posstble, t<1kir:Igeare t.l) avoid the trap that most of us bill into whe-n reading mymll1g poetry ~ lH.psing trrto stng-song. It may fa kc one or twn ITfldlngs before .you fccl comfortable wuh t.hr. rbythru 01' meter, Expcr+mcrrt, empha~izjng or downplilyirl.J:l dHlcIT.llt. words und syll.ahlC':R unul n SOLLnds right. to you,

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Fiod OUt. lPbat cldltIrtm knOW: You Illay want to (lIscu~s the subieot f)t" th~ poem before [('acitng it alnud, to e.lLc:h childrrm'a prior knowledge. Ask questtons such aa: Has sornethtng like thIs ever happened (c. ym1'~ Wh~t does thts tide make you think of? Glve a moment. of thlnlt H[~l.e. t}lP.:ll Hay somcthinj; illtc: ,,"\'I'"ell,W(':'re golng Hl read a pneu~ about this IT.Ty thmg." DiScuss the poem afterward a!;kln~ for students' thoughta. 00 they agre-e Mth Ute poc:t? Dhilg1.(':M' L~ the poem? Wallt to wrtte UJ' draw about the !IWJle s\'hJed'l PrMicw Wowde: Yuu IDay abo wl~ll to pick out any 'OI.'QIT'i!; or flg._m::s of speech yo u think I1lJgJtt. be cllftlr.ulL [or YO\lr students, and diar.u!!S them befOft' T('.'iciir,g the poem, S1m~~ chJldn-:n'a ill.'al vocabulartcs are yncr-ally Iargcr than lhMT written vocabulartes, you m~y IlHO thai even cmer' g~nl readers knOW' msnv more wards than tlley could 1:x=gIn to wrue.

During-Reading Ideas
Mate felluliq the poem a periMmElJ1(lB: When you read it loud. h .. tt upl Your elw:1ents will arn low: lL1Ch..1J1.~ your votce tu accentuate the qualnies you wish the !!h.tdp.nb~ t.o take note ot: whlfj.pc.J1n~. b(l(">mm~ CJ'<l.ck~ W" !llt.lnJ:t. speedJnl!t up and slm .... Ing down your T=dJ.ng---alllbeSA: technlques make a pDeID.'S m01;;mh,g more powerfut. Invite students to read along with you. actjng out words and JmilgcS. conmbuung hand g~tl.lJ"Cs wid facial ex.prel>~torllS. Other way!; 1.0 sh:;ore poems:

*
-11

Cr>py the poem by b;md onto ('hart paper or the cbalkhOill"d, overhead proJectnr to allow the entire class to read at once,
i'h(lWCClPY and ilisOihu t.e a poem before or al'ler r€ildJng studenls 1.0 read iL along with yOU, aloTig

or

place

a C:[)PY on an

II .. loud oiWd encourage

., P1=~ ~'Upl"" of poems In km'.t.!lng centers, students can Illustrate them,

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supply

of P£l.PeJ.-and

crayons

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CClp:'r'the poem by hand OllW II hulleUli board and .1TTBn~e studerit Wo"lrk or facts the ~ubJe(;l all around the enlarged poem, to create a !.earning ct1!'\ptay_

about

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M~ your own audIo taptS (par~l volunteers CaII help) by TCamn!'l aloud lnto 1t tape recorder. and mvltlng children to ltsten to the tape through llE:'"..';Ldphonesat a. k;.u'nlng center, while th(':)" read Utc": pot:ll1. you by

-If Enlargt' ihp. poems on a photocoptcr-c-tlns ....,11 euablc y[}U to err-ate poetryposters " ~ or your arudenta can color and disptay. or b111d tnto a '""bigbook." tL1 be Illuatrated students and added to your classroom library.

After-Reading
can uae the
~si(!

Ideas

Connect REladill( and WritJDg: US~ the poems as sprmgboarde

for student wI·mug_ Student~ Iorma+ and open1ng WOMB au}' poem. and l,movait= on the !md hy goin~ off of

!n 1tlctr DWU t.lirf":M:Ioru; LO create Hew poems. For example, after reading a poem-stet's call it. -olnnerUmc in l:It'"ati:av.u. w ~tlldc:ni!! UUght write -Sr("akfl!St TlJn~ in Toytown," bnHdtng on the tr.xt ttl create thrlr own meanings and unages.

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Encourage ehlldren to wrlt;.e their own poems= In I'lddltjOT] to having chfldren inncnJ<lt~ on the poems In lhi!'! hook; give them plenty of opportunrtres to write therr ()WJ1 free verse, The following poem was writkn by Ii Af1conCI-grader in Masaar.hu~ts who had boen. immersed In both reading and writ.1ng poetry by WCLY or III "Poet In the School~ pmgralTI_ What a great Irtlk~lht!'l yrn.mg poet .has, T

forsythta
I'm a fawily falltng falllng

Hum
of 1~ lmT!rt1ng suns

ull ~

reach the ~owld.

Bees oome humm1ng a tune qf poll (':T1 sadness, It ts lot day of I~h Lwhen r waker am -to the heaven of fiDWCTIOI, it's Of. luvdy Rtgtlt of blends $ln~1Ioo!: heaven (If ~hja hum.
-Llrl(l.«,w ~~1D.RIl

Heath School, Ma"'~-wtl uset ls Publish oblldreD.·s poeml!l~ Bind students' poems inLn a "Pcrnonal Poetry It can ooritam puhlt!'lhed poems as well H!'l poems students have wrltLen. Book" for- each chtld,

~oatry _d art: Have ~tud.entR tlh rstrate poems m th.U! book, without showtng lht:m th~ accompanytng illuatrattrms, Afterward. wmpa:n= atuctenoo,' pictures willi thoae In tllc "book. How did each approach the sarw= subj=t.? 'W'hat's the same? What's dlt'fcrent'? DI.Sc;L.J~ how =cry artist+whether poet OT 11lustrator---···brings his OT he"\"own POint of v iew to 9£1mc:t.lllng. A3 a compamon ar.t.1v1ty, grve children j1.l st thc. tttle of one of the poem!'!, and have them wrrte a ~ abotrt It. Then COJn~ U. to the poem in the book.
~ poetry home: You arc ~lCOllle to photocopy pagcs from thls book Lo send nome studerna' rHTntlk:!>_ Younger chtldreri TIltght enjoy colo.rIn.g in 1.bt= poerne' 1llustrations as home actlVl.ty. Invu.e raxnill= to send their owri favorll:c poems to the class.

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to
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at-

w~llope

every poem!

these

sl1,LQ,.oe~UonR will 1)13 helpful.

And TIlClRt of all, we hope

you "...U enjoy i

each

and

-Helen H.Moore

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Me and My World

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.Seed Pods
flounce a Jig in the big wind.

Maple tree m1~

Shoot.lng plumed pods

high.
tnto butterfly sky. Wrinkled and dry. spinnin~, they fly tnto gutters.
gardcn.s. and grass. By and by.

some grow.
50IIlC

die,
--Tef!]' Cooper

~,~:., Activity
lnvtte children lo collect differetrl seed pods. Discuss the diflerent ways seeds travel-eon air,
uver wa~_ on animals, and
8(J

on.

The Whirl and Twir'l

We'U whirl around.
And twirl around

Like a leaf or a feather In the windy. windy weather; And ali sink down to~ether_
-Unkmrnn

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Activity
j.J'.)eIH,

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Apples. apples. whal a treat. sweet and tart: and good to cat. Apples green and appJes red, hang from branches overhead, and when they rtperr, down they drop,

so we

c.,-'1TI

taste our apple crop!

-J-klcn

t l. Moore

{if)

Activity
a variety of ~lPPle:~Hw.ne, Dclidoll~, M~lntCIRh _ G.l'mmy Srttith, have a. range of sweet, and rart. WI'1te each $tll(l(';TlI.·~ name on il the apple vartcues acrose I..ht cop of a brgt': pteee of cfiart paper. "a<:::h appl[':, and de~lde their favorit,e. ·Each child (,:lUl then l'IfflX. the name of' the vamly they like beiOlt_ IJlscu~R I.heresuhs. Any conclusions

Milke ~n Apple Graph. Ij,r~ng in and so on .• Juat make Rure you oonstruenon-papcr- apple. lVTile Have chfldrcn sample a !,llice of

b.1s/b;r apple til drd.w?

l1nc:ler

Taking Care of Our Teeth

We brush our top teeth downwards. Webrush otir bottom teerh up. \Vc Iloss the apar-es in between,

and rlnse from a drinking eup.

-Helen

H_ Moore

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Makes Weather?
What rna kes weather? Uo you know"? What makes raln. and elect.
and snow?

What What What Wha t

makes makes makes rria kes

eummer warm and breezy? winter cold and srieezy? autumn crtsp and keen? spring so warm and green?

1 know. I know
what rna kes wcath er~

Wind and water. earth's rotation.

brln~ the

Lois of things that work iog~her:

seasO(ll:l

to each nation. So nnw we all know what makes weather-alots of th jugs that work togetheri
-Helen U, M(]('m~

{"',~ ctivity A
Hdp kim; becollle attuned to we<.lLh!~~'ln(l build tl1i?'1rob~rvatl(m 81till~ -by c.;,ndlLl.'~ simple luvesti"raLion8 thruUghOllt the year, For examptr-. in the fall, haw children chart temperatures el£Ch clay for ~ rnrm th, In J amrary • measn IT. r;:Urua.!J or snowiall: In tone w:iI~U}' month of .'o1ill'eh_ ha,,-e kid!'! observe the wind each day ana record u~ churaetcrtsttcs in a ,1ourn~1-

:~~,: Bookllnk
Re.... d ]1!f! .5tx~U_~,u!glmg(!! ojS1!iJW PH nt,neon, 1U~4), I:ly Terry Tempest

Williams. and T~ Major [Sit='lll Club I

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Egg Me On
&rrne are big,
some are speckled, SOme are brawn, AU

some look freckled. have shells. :::lllmust hatch

when the baby inside Can you e55 what they con 1 be? d
Did you say '·EAAs-'!

goes scrttc h, scrltch, scratch!

au

You're right. yess1ree!

Llelen II. Moore

tii: Booklinks.
In Lis.Fl Campbell Ernst's

must learn
"1.Ll

cooperauon

ZUuUa. urlli DDt ['\!Udn_g, 19921, two fat, vain, egg-hEllJ::hing iii ier a ~TOIft;y W<"~'1se1 robs their IJ.e!O;Ug. lea ~;ng only a eingle
d

~hldIT:n~ eM. Naomi.

Arnl!,lh ~Tl,

ch1ck

flnds an odd speckled oUj~~l ochtnd the henhouse, and hatches

Polaceo's
Jw;l Plain. Fancy tBrultriJ.ll, 19OOl.

pretty new

Patrrcia

Two Views
A bird ltkes its nest to be high and dry..

.I

The bird

But a 1ish says. ~Wetis ~tterr' is qutte riW1t.----she's best In the sky. B\Jt. the Jbh is better wetter .

It just means there' s a spot Where each one cari belong.

Now if hi~h-flytng birds are right Does. that. mean fish are wrong: Mus l certain 1y not.

fk.:· Activity
T'1e th.i~ ~m

-Helen

H. M oore

ro i'I unit on animal hOIn~s. 0 .. ~lmply use It co dfscuss the nuLian Lh~H "or. i'lll bAA"P. thvorlte spots, Invite chtldrcn to share their Iavorite placca at home. Do their pets ha ve ravorne spa L!; to ITRt. ~ll(l snooze? How .wuu L thdr hTOtlll:':l.l3 and sisters? Be ~ure tu Hh"l"rr. your "p~rft:;ct perches. toot llBk ktd5 to cnlor JlIMllrl;".~of U~IJJ..Selve~ in thrl.. 0"'.'11. <>C'!7.'f h.~hlt;).c~.

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My Shadow
I have a llttle shadow
That ~oes In and out wrth rrie. And what can he the use of him Is more tha n [ ~an see~
HF. is Vf~ry.,r eIY ltke TTI~ Frorn the heefs up to the head;

And ( s-. him

jUITlp

before

InC.

When I jmnp

in Lo lIly bed, -Hobert

Lows Stevenson

::.~.: Activity*
conclu.ct this )11;~, rstery Sh.."1.dows acttvrry, Y"ou11need: an QV€rhcad pt"OJ{)[':TDr. file foldcr, ~Dl1ect1on of Rhad(}w-produdn~ mystery nbj=u; (keys, paper dip, barsarra, baseball card, beads, coins. watchl:
~lT.~n

paper b~ L Darken

to hide

0 bjects.
UJJ the lig1.tLsleJU uf LJv:, overhead RCC th~ Dhj N':TS YDU plac~ em tl1e ovcrrread.

u~for~ Lh~ a~UviLy. Wve the n.t~ Iokler

~o rhar srudcnrx oari't

projector,

creating

tile !'(JOIU.E.'.;.pl.un that you are gOing to be putting different obj eets on Ask studA=nta to u= th~ shadows to f:,"LteS5 whul Lhe ul:!j=Ls aroo:=, 2. After you have made shadows with all the objects tn the bag. 1t~k~tndcntR
tbe overhead. which (}bj~:LS were the hardeat Lo id~W:", <utd why. ·l1u=n <iSh which O~lects ""'"(':n:~ ("".aF<l~~t tn kknt Iry 8 nrl why _ 'W'll at do 811h~ nhj ~rl~ 'have 1n common? 11 bey .ill block J~ht und make ~md{J""'l5.) 3- Invite ehil (l n::n to take rurrts pn:,&ntJng t11 rlr own myst~ry RhadowR on the overhead for clas-sruates to glLe:,s~•
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.i.lL.:l.h-Uy w.a~ .aLl.apl.ed h"UlJJ A }~r (S~h"l~~H~ J.'r<:of<o~~1"n~1 TI""k~, I~M)_

"'J fIwcl~{I

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by LYJllJ.P.:! ~.fIll:'l'

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Kkh can explore CJ't"~"ti..nghadow s lRu nn~ng Preas, 1 WWO).

shapes

(In their'

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With

H"ano. ShCJ(:l'ow~ by Phl1a

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Rainforest Animals
Where can you Ilrrd a toucan?
In the ramforest you cant H Jgb. on a limb 16 where it. Can be seen with the monkey and parrot.

Squirrels leap [rom tree to tree,

While bats (1,0 llying free,

There's a bee, mosquito,

Look

and moth,

up, there's a han~ng sloth! Down On the ratntorcst fl oor

small cr'ca t.u res galo.rc;

Are big and

The antelope, deer, and hop;, Plus terrmtes and ants UTI a log. Every day. hour hy hour, Butterflies float, on a flower.
Lizards and snakes atso play

In rainforest plarrts <111ay. d Ocelots. j aguars, Ieopards-cTIle rainforest 18 a papular address .

.....

(ii~Ac+lvl+v
Tie this poern to a untt on ,11""ruin !()Tt=:!IT. Here <.lI"'= ~mc rarn forest (un tl3riR to shar~ \l,iLh students: 11 tak~~ ~ sJoth about h alf "In hour Lv cat one Ieafl {l'e[}pL~ who are lazy aIT. sald to be slotlifltl.l PaR!;Ilon fru.it ib one or the loucEln'~ tavorne fuoos_ A jaguar is the only big cal Lha1. doesn't lVl(1[·. A boa =mdj·j~.tur ut;I1::S 1iR RtI'(>L~ Lail to grab unto IJrd.ncheR--j1l6t like a monkcyi

{~.:Bookllnk
Rain Forest by Hobin Bernard (Sehnla.stlC Protesstonat Books. facts and ac:t1'i1ty iCle<L!lJnr ctcvo:'lo PiLlfl a rain forest uniL HJOO) will give yuu hrrnrireds of

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Caterplller Garden
OVer In the garden Underneath a tree, One, two, three,
I saw

some fuzzy caterpillars,

OVer in the wrrdcn. Underneath the moon, Each caterpillar spun herself
A wouderfu 1 cocoon. Over tri the garden, Right before my eyes. Those eaterplllars a11turricd into
Lovely bu tterfltest -H~l€n
H_ Moore

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Catl."1pQ.!aT to Butr.erfly by Deborah Hdllgm<J..o. tllustratcd by Bwi weissrnan fJia1"perCo.lli:rl$. 1996) cbarte the metarnorpn o!;is of ~ painted lady l:11Jtt~dl:va~ observed by a da~!3 of children. 1[1 Butwa'!U S~()lTJ by Anea lIartton [Dutton. 1 W.J51 the lIfe cycle of a Ted adaural l:n.lttcrfl~· W Ch1'Onlcled, To- ShDW lww s.illr is mad!: from the cocoon of II Rllkvmnn, b.tlllg III A sample ur silk cloth and read aloud TIle E'mpTess Wl.d !:he SWt;u,'tWm (J\lbert Whitman. 1~!J5), Lily Toy Hong's retelling of 8 Chm~e legend.

Migration
What calendar, What compass" Do the birds own

that Jets them know It's trme

to .'(o?
-lle1en H, Moore

-:,~i· Activity
Teach your arndents

about nitgratfon. IJ!IC the poem to talk ahouf. WHyS people pT"{:ran~ for- the though W1: don't mrgratet Aak kida: How do you knnw LlJ.<l.tfall is ~UrU.J.n.g'i' Si)!IlC IT.!ipOIl~e~ Jll..ight be: the la k~ or ocean WB. ter they mi~ l awim In 1a coo!r..-, they 8~ a f~ tree leaves turnmg, the sun.light doesn't fccl 8R hoL lluw do theec RJgnS c:bwlIle our hohavior? [We bring alrmg aweaters when we go ntlb;icit:', we might cross rmr arrus and walk faster when wr."n= cold, ';ore crave hot. foods. and so on.l

(':hRngLng season+even

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When I was young I used to t.hin k that water carne

from the krtcheri sink.

But now rID. older. and I know.

tha l water comes from rain and snow. clouds above

\

H ~tays there, wamng, ill the sky,

in

our worl d sa high. And when it falla,

it flows along. and splashes out a watery song, as each raindrop js joined by more and rush~B 10

from whlch it rises, Just ltke atearn. But while U's down here
what do you I..hink.?

or' to a lake. a brook, a atream,

the ocean shore,

Some DOES go to
the kitchen
-Uden

sink!
H. Moore

To introduce the concept of t.hc. wai.eT cyie, n.l'~t get kids' teet Wl;"t wlth a dmu: luok-.and touch 11110 mdL---of r am. Take them oucside for five to ten rmrurtes when U's sprluklmg. R Rrlng along a clipboard to record thclr obacrva tiona. A:,lli kids: What dO~!3 the rain taate Uke'i> what does; It srnmd Hke when it hils the ground? How on thing!;! look Whl:'.ll lhey get v,'"et? Wl111t.rlO~51 the nun smell like? How does the rntn fed on your skin?

it,: Activity

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Frozen water becomes ice. Boned water makes steam. I like water In a foun taln Or In a flowing stream.
--cllrol W",~ton

::,'f:,~. Activity+
To show kin!;!.how it change or temperature can change .. ~ ~taLe of water, freeze =cLly ] eup h of wa ter in lot clear phl.!,)Uc glHSS. PLac~ it. I)('"~toe a cup of water. Kids may uote that the lee level i5 htghCT than the water, Point out that water is ElI! in~!,llin.g substanct= in that it. expands, ..... hen lL Ireezes-i-mnat other !;IuhRti'lTlCC!;! contract. or shrink. when they freeze . • lI[dJ,~t...,., m1 tt>1~ ~ ~IT adapted from A }i>a.r ~HQnd8-OrL ~IIL1o b). Lym'" K~1oT .Scl1.<~""LJ.. Pmf ... ~~l
floo.k£I, ] _).

Counting Senses
I SeC willi m.y eyes. I hear with my ears. Twu eyes. two ears. I taste with my TTIOUfh, 1 smell with my nose. One mouth. one riose.

I touch with TTIy hands, I feel willi my toes. Two hands. ten toes. My ~cns~ tell me I'm truly alive. Senses. one. two. three.

fou r,

fiver

-Rt~JOTdan

~'#..:- Activity*
Pl~ the Mystery Bag game, Place varmus oQjed.s Lh~L have a. ctiHUm~ texture or RC=t. jnRkk brown ~. One tu a bBg [rice, saridpapcr, a c-.a8!;.(;tte tape. 1311('.03 onion. lemon, a pencil, of chocolate, 8 tcnnl!;!. ball). Irn... children to feet smell, hsten to lind even taaee in order t["] rte determine what"s in lh~ bag.

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~ad

bookllnk
aloud AJjki'5 hook My F't1.~ Sens('.s {Crowell, 1962).

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Rainbow Paintbox
It when the rain All the colors of t.he ra In bow in the sky so high. I can name them all for you today:

I can see a rainbow. s~e it in the sky, see

has gone away.

Hed there is, a rosy red, a. red so brtght and bormy, and nrarige as a t1~er l1ly teaf, so bold and tawny.

yellow as the b1a:T.ing ~lm. that gtves us all our light.

aud grt:t:n aes grass beneath
OUT

feet.,

blue as the sky so bright. There's indigo. as dark as night. and violet like flowers. These arc the colors nature paint..;;; the sky-with

after showers.

-H~lcn H. MOOTe

Roy G. Biv
Ray" G. Btv is an Odd name fOT a fellow But what l:Jlli rrarnc rnuaris is Red Orange Yellow.

The G is for Green

of every rain bow,

which as you may know Comes right. in the middle

Next~ Dlue and Indigo Then

more pale than (lark.
V fOT

Violet-

And ilia t

COTTI

pletes

the arc!

.;.~: Activity

---Carol Weston
hnmc 1tn(l teach the StOl'Y of

MR1rc a ROY G. Br.r rainbow. Have the uhtldren lake Lnetr nltnb~ Roy G_ lliv to thctr famflfcs.
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109

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To A Friend
Let's arrarige

to exchange

love and laugh ter

now and after.
·-ud~u 11. MCH)re

:i< Activity

ruvltc each student to write u.w: aeruencc I:In lUusuat.ed class book on friendshIp.

dCR~nhtng what

:'I

fl1""n(I 1S, REnd "(he de llIJ..i oris into u

Friendship
A frtend Is a person who wishes you well, And keeps a II the secrets that you Iike to ten.
Friends share

their toys and their storybooks loa, Frte.nds can be older or younger than you.

Friends cart be rea] or made up in your rntnd, But they're always thoughtful and always ldnd. Friends can live nearby
OT

But your friends arc Y<Jurfrterirfs, wherever you aret

- R1= J oman

very, very far.

if) BooklTnks.

Meet young Annp.'~ Ull('Ol\Vl::llLWu<t1 cWli pq:;py nt:w Irlr:nfi, ~=. Stmp~n, who may be -eluerly and tn a wheelchair, but can ~I1Udo a few amanng tricks with a yO yo in Loop tJu,. Loop by I3ru1xt.rn Dugan, illustrakd by .Jarnes St~nSQn [Gree.nwiJww. 1992). DC":ITlrnlRtT~t(' how much (UDit can be to rrinke friends willi Leuh Komaiko·s rl1ymtng Rtm)" F...ari'$ Too Coolf(J, Me. iJlu:.;trated by LaUJ"<L Currrell (Hacp(=rf:oI11 nil , 1988) and ChL'i:S;Raechka's Yv[ Yes!' (OIT-nam, 1993) •

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Outer Space
I look \lP frnrn Earth and try to see The planets looking back at me. II .. I~ at bright and dtstant stars And search for Mereu 'Y, Venus. Mars, I squint at the Milky Way way up high • And look for Jupiter in the sky. Where are SatuTTI, Uranus, Neptune? • They're far away, hi~h llke the ITIOOn. •

•,

• •

• • •

."

A telescope wou1d be the best For spotting Pluto and t.he rest. But even with my naked eye 1 look for planets In the sky.

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R=d aloud the hilarlou~ i\!i;s!llir [r~ ~1IC1' Space by Marilyn Sa{llo:;r. in1J~tr.amd by Ru~r llu.Il.en (SImon & Shuster. 1989). On Mta way to return his Iibury bonks, unperturbable, brown-beamed AHf;tair h; picked up Ly u, G60l ulan spaceshrp mid whJsked to an a lkn planet. Addibcnul aliens lurk In James Marshall's Space ('..(;Iso;!', Danlc1 Pmkwaf.er'a ('my,!; (n Sp~ and Arthur Yorklnks's C.4)I11[lfUlY 's Com!ng-

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Seven Days of Supper

On Monday. mDITI rnake.s spaghel H. On Tueesday, dad's dish is rice and beans.

Thursday? Time for Grandma's collard greens.

Fr1day fs trncle'a pork chop. suey_ Corne Saturday, aun He serves sardines. I can hardly wait [or S]'_U1day. Tha l' S when I decide on the (_-uisine; Peanu t - butter -potato- chlp cake F11ledwith fudge-rippte-mtnt tee cream!

Wednt::&:lay.

!9ister Hxes Jl~h StiCkfl.

A strange choice. you say. for So upper? Thla meal's better- balanced than It seems. And after a week with nod esserr
T

This 1s th e dinner

of TTIy clrearns t
_ ..De bornh Schecte.t'

\~.~ Bookl in ks
Read a]oud Ellen Cunford's Jighlheatted ch.a.p[tl" book. whaJ:'s Cooking, JenJlY Archer? illustrated by n'anc- Palmisclario [Little. Brown. 1989J. In tltls funny talc. cntH~pT(':Tlc:1J11al J~nny otk:rR to make her frterids' school Iunohes=-Ior a fee. The.n take a look at dJffe-rern: foods and menus In. Tht.'> 1_,>~hE. Way WF.'Eat Our 1AJJi("h~ A Rook A o(]'ut Chllrinm. Arm.!fld ~he lVorld. ilhJ5t.ra~d by St.cvc Rj(lrknlan (Scho]a8t1c, 1995].

Pizza Pizzazz
H ave you ever seen a more dehct aus sight
than a ptzza dressed up to go ou t at njght? Thick tornato sauce and ITIO".l.Zare11a cheese.

rmrsrrrnorne. sausage. rrioro pepper's. pleaset

Onions, olivcs, choie~ 'peppcrornl Anything goes, just- hold the anchovies!

Top It aU off with a sprtnkle of spice. It's looking so good-Hey, who took a slice?
-Uza Charleswurth

~.~> Activity
Have a piZZa party, Milke il Simple by u~irll:!:KrJgl~h rnuffim; 0[" irtdivillual-size pizza, shdJs. Have kids help pn~paTC Rauce _ Rhrc:ddc:d mf)7ff.8 r~1130 h~c=. anf'l <'toori. Tic In to math hy ~ m..~ note ofamounts of l1lgJ.'edients, co~ Urue:;;, teurperat.ure s, halves, ei,$lhs,. qlliU'lI=rs of whole ptzzaa, and 80 on.

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Underwater
Ou ter space mu st. be like this. I think
I'm ltke a feather as 1sink. I~ it so quiet in outer spar.e't Silence S\UTOWlds me tn this pi ace. And when] give a gentle push, I float up, lip. up with a whooshr

Same things stick to me and some things won 't. Paper c Jj ps do-But Papers don't. What can ! he"
Can you Wless'? D ld yuu say "rna ~net?~

Yes, yes, ycsl

-Heleri H_ Moore

{~,: ctivity A
Rrlng in rnagnd8 of different stzes anrl shapes. WorkJng in groups, kids cari explore the n~dR' ability IQ !RJll ~ pBp<:r cl1p, Do they all pull WIth lilt:: same strength? Are some magnets srronger than others?

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Crvstal Jewels
I started out With su WlT. While and fine llke sand. Then I cooked 1t up w1th
And left iI. out to stand.
Crystal jewels water,

Sharp and shimmery and grand!

began

to

Wow,

::,jjr~ Activrty
At holiday tfmc, make spurkly crystal ereatlona to hang In your claasrnorn window, Here's how:
Materialll 4 (':lJ pR EpRom aalus :~ eups very hot water stove or Mot. plate

a1tllc-:cp~ wooden spoon

pjl_J(; dcan=a

thkk Btrlng ur button thread large clear gJas!loj :;lTI, n.m~lI clear plastiC cups pape~ lowe ls rulers craft ~liCks Jood coloring [a fr.v.. drop!; in the Epsom ~u. anlutron wiJl add a tint to thf; cryRtalR)

L Have students wa t.ch EIS you heat the water to just below bolling, 2_ St.ir lhe EpSo.ln salts Jnto the wat=. one spoonful at a time. A~k Idds: What's h~pptlilili1 to the Epsom Bait. crystals? Do they disappl.:Hr or are they still ill the W<'ltc:T? 'Tel] kids Lh~' are gOln~ to find nut.
:1. Pmrr the solunon into a glaBB Jar to cool,

4. Give each student a pi P'" cleaner to bend Into dC~~~mll.ive shapes, such as a ha.lt' rnoori, Ii heart, 01' a spiral. The !iM ~~ rrrujst, be small enough to fit tristde a
plasne cup, 5. Have studcntR h~ art 8-Ulch piece of string nT thread to their shape, tl1r:-:n lapt~ the other end to a craft ~tkk_ . 6. pour ~omc of I.ht: cooled Jipsom salt sohrtfrm trrtn U.e plasnc cups, If five Rtude-rita hW¥: the1.r shapes in the ~[]luLionliwd lay the craft stick aCT1:)s's the top of the cup: Sct t.h~ ~:ups in u place where they won't be disturbed OV€'J.n1gtrfAsk atuclerrts to predict what t.hey mtghl see tile following 011}'7_TIle next day. have Sbl(k"nIR gently pull their shapes oul nf the cups and place them on ~ :paper towel tu dry. Wh...--..t changes do t.hey see? nbe cussotvco EpROTTl aalt!l have turned Into long. tntr~k. rreedle-hke orystals.l SturlcntR (:an use a hand lens to compHn~ lh::m wtth the shape and sV".f?: of l be tcpsom salt crystals. 8, fJang thc cryatal dusters In the wmdow,

--_"{ll''-'_'' ...
(

H3

Life of a Plant
A plant
will grow from a tlny seed. some water and sun Is all you rieed.

Flrst the roots grow undergrolJ rid, they suck up rnmcrals from all around.

Then come !:l terns, some tall, some stou t. And next the branches spread about,
r.eaves

grow

in all shapes and S17.eS,

it

Watch this new W~ as

rtses.

They are as pretty as precious gems. Some plants gtve

US

Flowers bloom from

bud~

on stems,

Some

h ave

vegetables at t.he root.

juicy fruit.

New s~ds travel to and fro. By w1nd and water, on tile go. And
th e cycle keeps on going, Soon new stems an rl leaves arc showmg.
-Rjaa Jordan

M yon read thts IJ'OI=IlL aim] d. lm"'tc k:lds to act It {JuL

t'f

Activity
ur even [~hGIT:["]gr<lph dance a

to

It.

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Little Bug
A weeny JittJe bug Goes climbing up the wass. What a lot of tiny ltttle legs he has r I cari see his ey~s, Sm.all and black and shiny. I cari't think how tt feels to be so tiny!

Flower
Flower so simple and quit:L
Soft to touch. Smooth as silk.

Petal by peta 1, A.."" you melt. away, Until you are nothing

Smel~

of fragrances beyond hle,

but potpourri.
way?
TDUff -Katk

Why do flower-s ltve that

~.w,~ ctivity A
HElve childrerr

design

th~r

own floW€;"!"

and descrfbe how

It

would smell.

o.~> Book-link
1lle Red Pop!)U by Irwgard Luchl Ulypt=IiurJ. W95) deptC.1:5 the: life ~lc of' a poppy plant.

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Bugs
June Bug, stink bug. Ladybug. chinch hug, Water bug, pink bll~, Please-don't - pine h hug! Horsefly, housefly, DragonJly. deer fly, Ftrefly, Irrut fly. Buzztng -rn -your-ear

flyT

I ion eybee, 'bumble bee, QUf':eTI bee. drone bee, Worker bee. 11urae bee, Leave- me- nlone bee!

Gypsy

moth, luna moth,

Beetle and mosquilo. Bugs and 1nsec.ts Really are neat-ot Cockroach,
Cricket and

katydid,

cicada,

Grasahopper, mantis, Calm you all later!

;"it) Activity
D1M!U~albe different parts all ..nhnala howe: head, thorax, chest, abdomen (mWdle secticnl, and legs. Older ~l1l1dTcrt{!an reeearch and describe a hug of Iheir choice: boo; It travels. what il eats, what il does in the day and at n~ght..whal lype of prccectton it has, and ao Iorth,

116

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Bugs at Home
There once ~s ~ tick

"\¥hose rrarne was Tock,

He rnade his home

Beneath a rock.

There once was a

He rnarlc his home In~ide a hive.

bL'C

Whoee name was Clive,

There once was a spider Whose n.aITIC was J eb, lIe made Iits home

Out of a web,

There once was all arit, Whose name w~ JilL

She made her home

Inside a hill.

Rock. hive, web. hill, You can believe me or nol as you wtll. If they're not gone. they're living there stfll , Toc.k.. Clive, Jeb and JilU
-Hden H. Moore

'~ff.::Book tin k
Bugs by Nancy winslow Parker and
.Jnart

Rtch1U'ds,v.'rlght (GJ'eenwillow,

1987).

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Riddle Poems
I rrmst, adrnn, T have an ear, but all the same,
I cannot A cornstalk,

Ireur,

What has two hands. But not. one ann?

SOTTlet.1m es It gtves you

an alarm.
A duck.

You can ~ee me

You can see TIle tn the couritry.

In

the

tU\VIl.

Sometimes l ram up. And sumetlmes 1 aru down. If the sun shines very brightly, I ant not there at all: But everyone can see me When the raln begins to fall.
'What am I?
An umbrella.

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, Like You
Although r saw you

The day before yesterday. And yesterday, and today, TIlls rnuch is tnJeI want

to see you tomorrow.

toot

-Mill.!Iuhloo (l:!;lghth Centu£YJ

~fi,:Acttvltv
U se Illis poem Mat8uhHu

tifY Yf'Rt!'-.!'day. today,

see h~

when

dowg Icl;o500}Sun time. Uac a la!'g~ wal] calendar and ask studenta to Idenand wn:IOITaW- Tie in to th~ poem 1)y asking somethmg like: ·When did
Wh~n does Ire want tu Bee hlS friend?"

friend?

The Fight
We had

fr1end. figh t. r crted rnyseff to 3lcep last night.

1:1.
tL

1 have

.1

f
,

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And when J see my friend today, 111 say. "I'm soITYWant to pl.ay?~ I hope she'll say she's sorry. too--

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I'm sure she \1.I1l1.-that's what friends do.

-Hele.rt H. Moore

:~: BooklfnkB
Read Raste cmd fht;!. Yd!uw Ribbon by Paula dePaolo, illufltrated h)_' -Janet Wolf [Little, Brown, 1W2l On her 61Xth vIi t11 clay, Rusk a('CUSCR her ~ Lfriend Luctll o of taking her ft,ivorite new hl\1-r l'iblxm.. whiCh Lucille denies doin..El.A1Ro d.let!'k out !:lest Fril;!rlds _fCJ~ Frances by R.us~ Hoban, Illuetrated b?'" Lillian Hobarr IHaTpE:'rColllns, 1%9) and Che.ster's \o'.'Uy by "i:ev1J:lH~nlres [Greenwillow, '988),

12

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can you 1
A rainbow.

You can walk on this If it'~ wet or dry: You can put It In a paU And make a ple .

I am round like a ball And I live in the skyYou wUl see me at night. If you look up h1Ah.
Tbe moon,

-Helen

H. Moore and others unknown

Ronnk Larkfn t\"ima'a Jus~ Lk_YO'Hrl&ach and Otht,'"I' Rtddk' Poems. with ptmtnw-aph!;l by G4=u~ Ancona f&hok'lSt!C, 1992). ron sl~t!l of four+cc-n ~ort. clever, rh;lo·llllrl.J:l riddles that describe an object for children La identify. will! a color phoro of each all~r. Charles Chigna's RIddk· Rh1<l1l"k's.llustrated f by J\111a Gmttln tUttl[':_ Brown, 19'J51. presents 15 more poems about errrrrrmrn [jbj~u; and animals fOJ' students 1;0 name,

::.i..~ Booklrnks

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Togetherness Chant
We like tnys! We like gaInes wtth lots of notsel

We like ptzzat

We Hke hot dogs t

We Uke. M1A!

We Hke chant~ng
OUT

riame-olal

Hector, Nelson,
Kiko, Jane,
Michael. .Justln,

Tasha. Zane.
Devon. Kevin.

Mallory. ZackGive me five

and I"H ~e
tt hackl

Brandon. Kctsha, Darnell, Sue,

Hillary. Isaac,
Marmrs , Lotr.

Corne play wit.h us, we'll play wilh yuu,

Together there's nothing

'We

can't dol
-Hckn H_M{"]OTC

To croare ."I thc:ljng of ~la~~room rmmrmrntty, invite (~hHdren to u= their numes recess, add ~l..'1pp1ngto the chant OT rur n 1t mro 3Jump ''-Pc !,lon~"

ii> Activity

in the poem. At

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Jump :r1ght In,

turn and spin. the ropes go 'round,

I'm off the _gJ'OlJn d 1 Jumping h1.gh. llke I can fly!
l want

to shout. then
H. Moore

Oop&-I'm outr
-Helen

{~.: ctivity A
mp~ r-harrt, play jump rope wtth your stu(lcn1::!;l.f;lth~r "Do'nblc style, with rwo ropes, or with a s.iJ~ tope. hlvi I.e children to contribute any other chanta they know, Thcfr parcnta may l1alj[':ROme t.m jllmp TOJlC c.hantR to crmtrtbrrte, t{)O~ IJ~jng the poc.m R.~ a jump
H

Du tch

Very SiUy Bugs

Not last nlght, but the night before, a very sllly spider came to my door. "Go away. yo u silly thing. you don't llve here. ~I said. "Go away. you silly thing. your home Is on a v.>eb! ~

came to my door. "Go away. you billy thing, and don't be such a pill.~ "Go away. you silly thing, your home's a big anthill. ~
NoLIast night. but t.he night before, a very silly bee ~aIIlC lo my door, "Go away. you silly thmg, you don't lfve here. no jive. ~ uGu away, you silly t.hing, ymlT home is in ~Ibtve!"
-Hekn H _ MO(}r<=

Not last night. bu t the night before, a very silly ant

if Activity
A~ a da-'l~ wr1k oth~r stanzas for other insects, such as the mosquito. Then act them out. Some
students cart be the people, orhcrs the hll_gR.
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The Ce+erplllar Momlts Advice

"Don't leave the cocoon too soon, Don't leave the COCOontDO soon."
That's what the catcrptllar moms all say to their caterpillar kids as they hang and sway Inside their cocoons, where they met-a-mor-phose, changing their eater-ypillar-y clothes for their utterly beautiful bu tterfly clothes. "Don't reave the cocoon too soon!"
-Hr.lcn H, Moo~

CtrlldTCT\ llllo .... lb~ tongue-twisung rhyming wordptay of s..'"tlll Mdlratncy'S Th!_' CulerpilJmv W e FfglH"iI1ustrEt.ed by Jill BaTt.on. (Candlewkk. 19961, "where a mmgluy caterputar 111 the middle of the ntght./\t.,Ioke t.hr. other cat.erpllla.T!;I/ior a C<i Let-pillow tl1'lht. ~

Bookljnk

The Ketchup Bottle

When you lip t.he ketchup bottle, Ftrst will come a Ilttle. llien a lot'lll
-·Aulhnr Unknown

::1~)Activity
Who hasn't had lhl ~ expertence?
lJRC

tlUs poem

jllfiT

because it"Umake cluldren

SlTIilc_

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Enough ts Enough!
My mom says good [or everything on earth
rain is

and I believe iL-

But our town's

had enuugh now. and I wish the rain would leave iU

-H",Ip.n H_ Moo,.",

{~.:Bookl in k
PMt'\~ k Skene CatUrlg's 11~e C}ococ(J/al.e T<mch,. Illustrated by Margot Apple tMorrow. ] 9n:lJ t!; R. wonderful L~~ on the nld f'1T~k" myth. th.~ trrnc presenting John Midas, a boy who thinks he em 11«VP.l- nilve lOO ITIU ch chocolate,

Four Seasons
Sprtn ~ is showery, flowery. bowery. Summer: hoppy, croppy, POPPY. Autumn: wheezy. sneezy, freezy, Winter: slippy. drtppy, nippy.
-Author Unknown

:".fi~ Acttvt+y
rnvltr. ~llll(lmn to think of other descriptive words [or lht: four discover more words that rbyme with LJle words in Lh~ poem_
~<i~!,l_

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Bedtime for Llamas

"Oh, my lovely little Hama·kiTI5." the rriarrrrna llarrrma said, "l wtlJ tell you one more stoT}"", th en rn tuck you into bed.
H

-rhank you mamma, ~ said tbe llamas, In their Ilttle llama way.

for they loved to hear the stones mamma told them every- day. So

the 11ttle Ilarnu children brus hed their Itttfe Ilarna tcct.h. (They were sure to gt..1. the orrca on lop and also underneath.)

Then they- washed thefr lit.tle faces.

and their Ibm a han d S 0l11.deet. f and they got into thefr places and pulled up their Uttle sheets.
And llio~ llamas in pajamas h~h.:ncd carclully to hear all Ihcir favorite bedtime stories from. their m.anuna Ilarna dear, But no rna t.ter how each Ilarria tried to stay awake to hear the endjn~ of the story as the final pa~e draws near. t.hey start to close th err Ilarria eyes,

they nod their llama heads. and long before the story ends. they're sleeplng in their bedsr
-HcI~n H_ M(Xlre

Not all bedtimes are tranquil, At bedtime. when Granma slmm t.hat sq1H"~aky old door. Naihankl Willy ymvlR with fright. un t.Jl Hhe has pluced a cal. a dog. a pig. and a cow in bed to keep him company in NaO-truHel U!y. Scared Stuy by Judith Mathews and Fay RohtnRorln. Hhl5ltrat.cd bJ.. W Alex N1tt~h(":V [BnHlhmy, 1994). In WInd Sa.y_'i Goodnighl. by Kaly H.yddl. illusLr<lted by David J urgen~n rllouhglOJ:~. Miffiin. 1994), one child oannot fall asleep with the mgh t nol scs mlt!;oid c the "V.1ndow-Moc·k1n~:lrd stngtng, Cricket ftddltng, Frog stru rnming. and Mnih dandng-un l.ll ClmJd tn~n~R.

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The Sad. Sad. Story

of the Piggy

Who Got None

Oh, did you ever hear about The pfro who 40t. rrrme? All the other ltttle pi AA1es

Had therr moments in the sun.

Thin k a bou t it for a rrrirru tc, T111nk a OOu t. tt If you dare.

[Ta ke your :;;-,hoes off, if ymJ have to,

count the p1AA1~sy()U find there.]

F1rst of all, as you'll remember. Was the piggy who went out. To the market she was p;oiM, 'Cause she liked to get about, The next pIggy-wig was different, 'Cause he didn't llke to roam. lie's the quiet l1ttle pIggy, He's the one who stayed at home.

7~:

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Then there

W"'aS.

as

ynu'Il

remember,

The young piggy who got beef,

Although really. how a pig Can eat. a cow's beyond belief!

Now, skip ahead lo n u mber ftveTha t ericrgettc pjg. The story tella us he ran fast,

Though he was not so big.

Out let's get. back to number [our, The piggy who got. none, .. Whik: P4'J;{yOne went out. the door. To market, to have Iian, And little Piggy Two stayed home.
And PlI1,gy

Five

did

run.

Whtle Piggy Three ate roasted

WI.thout a stngle care, POOT Piggy Four got nolhlng-NONEl I ask yo Lt. is lhat fatr?
---f1den H,
MflUI"e

beef.

/~;.Booklinks
AL.I('Irq

In a IHm,- take Oil tlngeI").ll;:Lys lik.e '"TIu>;! LilLIe PlggIc went t.o M<U"ket.~ meet ~h(": wee porker» of arrd Don W<.:Jods' l"i99W.~ lHan·{J1.I'"t. \ BO 1) as t.hey dan= OIl nngcrs and HlC5 before in" Hille for wee kiSSL":R goodnight. AcCfu~tnlyour ~hJd~nts with a w:1dc: artety of nursery rhymes v from the large, atl1'<lctlvc: collectton My VenJ F'l:rst Mo~h.eT G00-5€. edited by iwl..'l Opie anti 1!llJ!;truted hy Rosemnry Wdl~ [CandleWlr.k. lOgS},

-"Is;r.~'"

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Mr. Ladybug
A ladybug went to work one day,
and said to her husband,

"Now while I'm away, please take care of the house. and S'l.veepthe floor. and don't let the baby bugs fly OU Lllic door1~ So he polished. and cleaned. and vaeirumed the rug, he fed all the baby bugs, gave each a hug. and when he had finished, he sald with a ahrug, "It's re-ally hard, bemg a man ladybug! Oh, I work. and I work, just as hard as I can. 'Cause it's really hard. being <.I ladybug man!"
-Hdl::ll H_ Mt1QTC

(fc".~ Activity
Read Ellmld Eric Carle's The Gtoucli.!;1 Ladybit{l_
n.~CU6S how ladybt.tgOi

goL L.h~[" n~_

Popcorn
Pop, Pop. popcorn. popping in the po tJ Pop, pop, 1)(l[X!UCIl. eat It. while It's hotT Pup. pop, popcorn, on the topl When I cat popcorn, I can't etopl
··-lld= H. Moore o<;~,}

butter

Activity

Usc thss poem to introduce the conecpt of area, Have children ..... ark tn groups to predict how the ourrl will ehangc": wh~n popped. G~ each gmup a small amount of unpopped kerriels. have them place th em d~e lu~t:l.h!:'.l" lot. pteee of papIT and draw a circle <J..£[JUnd them. Thcrt have on the grQUP predict L.h~ area Lh~ cnrn wt.ll take up after they are popped. Then pop the groups' kernels EU1dallnw them to laJ" 0 ut the 1J'OJH!0TIl and trace agam to compare.

·:.iii Bookl in k
Read 'nJl!lie
dePaola-;!I

The Pop(,,om Book

(lloliday

HmJ;!I(":, 1978},

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Whale Sailing
Would you go tor a sail On Ute back of a whale? Would YOll sail through the ocean, so blue? . There's a lot you could see
(If

the whale would agree)

ID[}IT

It's

fun than a hlp to the zoo!

So please take the chance, If the chance you should get. To ride wit.h a whal e through the ocean. You'll get mighty wet, BuL it's worth It, you bet, Just be sure to rub on suntan lotion!

(*.:,~ Activity
"Would yOLL go fcir a dc1eJOn the back of 11 hippo? ..~ Use th~!'l puern as a model for hlily pocrna, En.courage kids to brainstorm .'2 last Itne that'l; especially zany.
wriUug

OTher

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We Are One Wo·rld

Pierre lives In Canada.
M::Irla ltves in Spain"

Hut. both like to ride their bikes Along the shady Jane.
CI

Ramon Is

Ltv Ifves in Norway.

in Peru,

Bu t both laugh with the giraffe .When vtstttng the zoo, Anwa T Is Egypt1 an, Kim is Japanese.
But both TUn beneath t.he sun And fly kites in the breeze.
(I

Jack is from Ute U.SA. Karlntha is from Chad. Ell t both can 1.oV1"1te a poem at night

Upon a wrft.1n~ pad . Children live all over. The world's a gianl ball. Out far and near, irs vCI)'"clear We're one world after all.
-Melsh
GoldJ.s]}

<Ii) Book links

~eL by Aliki (Gtet:u",'illuw. 199b'), whtnh t!; a ch~cr1iJL i'lN':IT1mt of wavs clnldren und meet (:,EI£h other wortdwtdc. AU t11B o.lD1'·s of tht:< EaHll (MOr'l'{lW, 1994) uy S!!cila Hamanaka 1~ 1I1w a poetic paean to children worldwide.
Rl:1I(l ffe.Uof Goodb!JC!

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Sock Sorting
~My goodness, ~ said the Ca terptllar,
S Ll eh a mixed -u p rnessert I need help to sort. my socks---And put them neatly in my drcsaer. Yellow socks, and orange socks. And PUlPIt: seeks, and green.

~J am

Red, and bhrc, and pink ones, too, And strtpcd ones in between,
Tve put, them in the waeher,

And I'\'~ put the-m in the dryer, And now they're in a jumbled heap
That keeps on growln~ hj~h~r!~

"Don't

WOl1y,~

satd the Kntydid,

thp. bl u es with blues.

"T'l] help you sort. t.hem out-e-

The reds wtth reds,

Th.'lt'S

what it's all about.

all un til

We'll sort. them

each color's standtru; in iLs pile.

With you and I bolb sorting We can do it with a smile!" "Oh. Lhank you," said the Caterpillar, "Come and have a seat. ArC'"Il'L yuu awfully glad that you

Don't have

90

many feet?"

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Cut ~ol(tr~.,,-l rapping w half = Illil.ny ~LiI'8 M each pattern or color, Invite ~'hilJre.l! Lo put

~*.:Activity

[JaP(T l~lkls and partorna. (":"i"~.l fnto pairs of srnall sock shapes. ~ there are children ill cl.. "lSS, and make SlIT(, th~Te":'~ rnor'c than nne pair of 50 chtldrcn can aort (e_g., hOIO red, three floral, etc.l, l.)i~L..-iblLte socks, like S<.Xh£! iI~ piles, to 80J1, ;:>1)(1r~ph the IT.~Lllt~ on a ~hali: . g

130

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A Dinosaur at the Door

Would yuu open your Tu a Dinosaur'? door

Would you open rt wide and say. ~HiN? Would you welcome ntrn in? Wnuld you say wtth a grin. ~~.~ so Lerrlbly ~lad you carne by~'?
Jfyuu did, you might lind That it pays to he kind. For a dinosaur TT1akCS a great They're bj~, and they're fun,

per,

They go "trrurnp" when they And t.hey don't mind tf you Get. them wetT

TUTl.

So open your door To a big dlnosau r, And welcome hiIT1 inlo your home. Give your parents a shock..

Be the first on your block

With a borne where the dJnnsaurs roam]
-H clcn H. M{Jon~

U~nJ.atd Most's H""w Big W~re the Dlno..'=iJTS? (Han:om1, 1994) ~om~ the size of dlnosa.ur teeth, hr.ada, w)d bodies to or.oncrel~ moderrt obJC(':ts. !U} ehildren can comprehend ,j iast how massrve th ('Y were, Gel out the t:'l pc meaaures .

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There was a rich raccoon Who llked to sleep till noon. Every day at dinnertime fie ate a macaroon. There was a little otter Who liked to swtrn in water. He never swam in winter 'cause He liked his water hotter. There wa s a llttle fox Who had the chicken pux, He had to lie- in bed
And ltsteu

to

his music box _

There was a little beaver Who said. ~I have a fever. ~ Rut she was known for telling fibs. so No one would believe her. There once was a Da lrna tian Who took. !i long vacation. He went by plane .cause driving caused him Too much aggravaUon. There was a moose named Bruce Whose shoelaces were loose. l Ie never Iearned to tie them, IJUL that's rea lly no excuse. There was a 1111.1e newt Who learned to pi ay the Ilutc, TIle neighbors all complained
But he just didn't gJve a hoe L

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Tfter'e was a IilUe chimp Who was quite a ltttle trnp,

He liked to go to resta 1l ran t.s And order J umbo sfrrtrrrp ,

'There was a bll tterfly

Who ate a ptece of pie.

He said he baked it. by hiIuselfI think that. was a lie, There was a little bear Who had a lot of halr, It covered him so well, He didn't raced a thlng to wear,

Th ere

W""d.5 a little mouse Who had a fancy blotrae. She said. "Someday I'll wear il

Wheri I live in th e White Housel ~ There was a little due k Who had a hockey puck. "If only] could skate. ~he said, ~rr:1 really he in luck. ~
There was a killer· whale

Who read a fairy tale. "I love to read," he satd, And sipped some fizzy gtn ger ale. There was a nlghtmgale Who rode t.he rnoriorafl. It's such a SC~"lIy rtdc It made her turn a lillk pale.
-He le.n H, M OOI"C

;~~~ Activity
The foUow1ngpoems ElTt: ill! about sJlly animal!'! tn rat.h~ !,lLnutg<:: $ULL .._1.t101lS_US~ t.hcm . mote wordplay, !;Ipark i'itndenl dt!,l~uSSlOH, art. or WT1tlng lcks~_
I.u pro-

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, Look in the Mirror

t look in the mirror and what. do I see'? A pair of eyes looks back at me. A nose, two cars, two eye brows, too: Two lips, and teeth. to say. "Tlove you. ~ I look in the mirrorand what do 1 see? I look in the mirror and T sec ME!
=-Helen H. Moon"

~~,~ ctivIty A
Create a 11ngc.rplay ba~ed on this P[]r::ID. hile you read the poem aloud, chUdIen elm pretend W to hold up H!iIT{IT:S olJld look at tuen- rcflectionx, pouintillj( out tbeJl' [("~tUJleS <I!'> they're named, You may also wish 10 11SC thi!'l poem when t~8c.hlrl.g about rnatchlng pairs.

Happiness
H appincss 18 the tWng in my heart that swells, Happiness 15a sound lfke belts,
- -Hclen II. MOOJ'~

(k Activity
Thia poem
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8~

happineas
a b:xture

41Ure.renl.ways:
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Or

~tster~ smile]. nr as some OID<:rsensory exj),=nc.nee, Invtre students

poems,

l~l the sound of bells, Children may enjoy th1r:tki'lll of happJne..~~ (Lh~ softneas of <} favorll~ blanket) or a .sJ~hI. [their h.."by brother

to write thetr own

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Feelings
We p.F.lC':h have feelings, me and you, Sometrmes we're happy and sorneumes we-re blue. When smneth1ng sean:~us, WP. feel afraid. We all feel prOlJ d of 9om.cthfng we've made.

Vlhen we want to know more, we reel curious. When we slip on the floor. we feel furious.
We sometimes feel Ionely when there's nothing to do. We sometnncs feel hunger when there's nothing tn r-hew. We aU feel excited when we make a riew friend. I'm fce1fn~ sony 'cause my poem must erid.

Invne ~tUdcr1tB lde.uufy the fec!lng ",'()nl~.i.u the po~m {b.,.'I.ppy, bhre, ati<l1(l, proud. curl(ru~, furious. lonely, hunger. =cited, sany) and ct1!;'(,:US8 tbeir ~ricnces. of tlllil!e fedtngFo._ "What. makes them fc:cl the way they riG? tnvtre s(m.lt:nls tn draw their [=.lings. Dr create tJJ.eir own feding pm'!m eobused on this model.

<~i·Activity +o

Love Is
Love Is safe and snu!,:_ Love 1s soft and war'm.

Love is a frIendly bug. Love is a good-luck cha rm,

-Helen 11. Moore

Of (!UUTaC:. rhia poeen 16 a natural fur va.l=tin(:·!; Day, Uwugh JooTIlJ could use il anyttme you aud your studems lalk about feelings. r::hildren ~L enjoy 1Jlustm.t.wg the eon~cpt.s of !O\.'~ deanrtbed, or adding their own lint:!;I to the poem, (Jr. encourage U)t:UI L{l he: reporters whu gBthcr deflni tJrm.I'l of love from kld!'i In otherctassca. OompJle .it <ill in a r~ List of LUVf: h l'Il1wa}r dts play.

<€:~Activities

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Manners
We say ~Please, *
and

We say "Thank you. " *Excusc me. ~

'We

When

sneeze,

That's the way

we do what's right. We have Manners.

We're polite.
-Helen 11. Moore

;.~:Activity
'rhis pnC':ITI mlght Inak~ a nlee poster lha.l rr.mtnds children of t.ne 80rtS of ~ha."ior tl'~t ",,"'1ll make the classroom a h ... "lPPY plli[T. to be,

The Swing
How do you
like to go up in Up in the air so blue?
iI_

a swing,
thing,

Oh, I do think

the pleasantest
cari

Ever a child

do!

Up In Ute air, and over the wall, Till I can see 80 wide. Rivers and trees, and cat He and all
OVer the countrysidc-cTill 1 look down on the garden

green, Down on the roof 50 brownUp in the atr I go flying a~aJn, Up in the air and down r
-Robert
Louis Stp.veMou

::,~~. ActivJty
Invtte children to ride GIl the _1ngs dlJriIi.I{ rece-ss. Afterward. have th,;o,n\ dlscus» v.rl.th a partner wh~t they saw, MRIr(; a class li!,ll of what students SRW from way up high-then turn
it

Into a poem]

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ttlccupa!
And

once ] vi.andered om r But notrung bea ta th e s uftcrin g

Once I bad a tipHnterl Once I hac:! a coughl Onoe I had mosquito bites!

The hiccups.

that I did endure. that Ume 1 had

cause lor hiccups. there's no curer J th ought tha t I was d oorncd lo hiccup each and CVe1Y day! Bu t suddenly, (just. like they'd come ) my hiccups
werrt away!lt --Hekn
H.

Moore

Read thls poem ~loud ",,11.11 cxagg~rat~fi p.rnphH~a on the ·calam(ltH:'~~ the speaker ernrmerutes. La help sLud(:l1ts enjoy rh€o po~m-F>melodrama. Invtte sl.llCtcnts tu dl!'>(":1.t.ssimes when tile)' have t made a tuss UVeT noth.iu,E(" !K:T1(lus~

~~*,: Activities
':~i

Booklink

Get everyone l~ugl1lng about

th€'.Ir illlmcnts wilh One Cow COU!)I~s;A Cow1iirl(j B(}(}k_/b~ the Sick and M"ist:lUb[e by Chrrs ltnr. Looruies. llh tstrated hy Pat J.Jypoifi (TJC knor & F1€'Jd:s, ] ~94),

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Almost Lunchtime
J could eat a mat big hunch of chips and salsa Jor my Iurich. and Lop it off with fruity punch, and then some more chips, crunch, crunch. crunch!
-Helen
H, Moore

;'.*.,~ Activities
TR ric With !,ltll(lenls about what Lh(:jo- crave when they're 11\Lngry. [~ It alway!; the same th~ as Ii healthy lW1C.h'! Have them draw 111m f('lvortLe lunches and then make class grdph~to show pr~t~rerlce~ for main course, li(:,SElm. and bcvl'>J"~e. M81{e ~e.r1~aI17~~nCltul about the class from the data, Paste ptctures of rheir fuv[)rik IWW.h~R on paper ptace nlat!'. Rnd 11l<~ a ~las.s book of

favorIte Ieasta,

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Booklinks

l'-oo! around with food rhymes and good marmcrs. wiLb in~plraUun from the annuals in Ch cryl Chapman's Pus~ thP. PrllWn;:, Critter$, iUu~trated by SUsall L. Roth WOUT Wlna8 Preaa, 1993)_ In pc~_m~uO(alea (fOlktales r.xp]aIiling 11OW Or why sornethmg came tn he), see how humans were t rewarded and ~unj;!'lhed wiLh food, inclm11ng Mwy-,JQatl Gernnn'S Why thE>: Sky 1:,; FbT Away; A JViy,;:nanl'[Jlktar('1, Ilhratratcd by Carl;';! Golembc {Joy SLr=t/Llttk. Brown, 19'.)2): LIIy'l"uy Hong's Chtnese tal~ HLlW dIP. Ox S!.aT F~1 From ffp_(W('I~ [ALb£Tt WhiLrnan, 1991J: and Krlsuna RodanEIB-~ Nalivr. Ainertcan Zulli story Dt'Q9CJ~II:u's Ta~ (Clru1Q.1:l, 1991).

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I often tilt and wish that] Could be a kite up in lhe sky, And ride upon the wind and go Whlohcver way I chanced to blow,
·-Unknown

Have students measure th.e ~lrengt.l1 nt· the ,",,'ind by m8.1I:1L1g wi.nd!mck. Here's what you'll a for each Rt.mi(':nt~ ~ 16-by-!'l""-inch piece of tagho.ard {An uld mi;ml1a tlle folder t~ut in half kr:L,MiliW"isc works nIcdy_l to a 1argt: paper r.Hp • 3 Fj=~" of kite strtng, each 12 inche!l lOllg • 6 pieces of crepe paper, t:a.eh 18 mches lung (8tr1p.<> of fabrfe lhe !'laTIlC length win work, too) .• colored mark{":TA, orisu-uctton paper, watercolor paints fur decorarrng c • hole-pun{"h • s.tal~l""r st.cps~ 1. Hn ve !; L1.l d~nta decorate th riT pieces of ~bnard, 2_ 'Vcatherp~'(luf !,lLud~nta' decorated ~l-d by hlloinating_ 3. Roll taghoart;l into cylirrdera and staple I.h~ edges together, 4_ Have:: st uderu,s !,lLapk the six !0J1.S{ atrtps of crepe paper innl md the cyltnder aSi shawn, 5, L"!,l~ the nole-pu.nch to make tJl.rt:t: hDL~s evenly spaced armtrid the lop edge of each ~llild'5 cyhnder. 6, Havr. atudents thxea d a 11(l kuot a pteoc of ,o:o.trIt~L..hrDUgh each of the holes, 1.h=n tic ."Ind knot W1 three pieces of !,l nng around oue end of L the P8pL:T clip, 7. Tak.:: ".-tud<='uLs uut1'l1c:k TO tty tht:ir wmdsocks. They 811ou1d hold t1Jt~'m away Irom thdT 1:lodie~. t Iave -'l.t.u dents J~"T1h~ the stre..:Il-, ....h of t.h~ wmd h~' observing lhMl- wtndsocks.

:".*~ Activity

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I Am the Wind
1 am. the wind, I bJow the wave s and trees and grass.

All these things know, ..

I am the wlnd, I blow

they make way when I pass.

-Hdcn H. Moore

Seeing Things
r uemy on
back in the green and I g<.I7.e m the sky. And to me

and fragrant grass

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~t the douds

what I Bee 100ks ltke a men a ~eMe

as in the green and fragranl I lie. grass

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I see t.11 rtl es in a poo 1T lots of fishes tn a school. and a lizard who is quite a cutre-picl I see

kittens in a box, and a ra bbit, wearing socks,

as i watch the clouds above float by~

Take the class outside to do their own cloud w~ tching, Us.lng a large piece of chart paper,
collaborate as a cluss on a cloud poem,

~'*,:. Activities
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What Is Pink?
What Ia pink? A rose is pink
By

a.

fountam's

brtuk.

What is red? A poppy's ~ In ils bnrl ey bed. What ts blue? The sky is blue \\'11 e l'e the clouds float through. What is while? A swan ls white Sa1l1ng in the lighL
What Rich What \Vith

18 yellow? Pears are yellow, and rtpe and mellow, is gre~n? The grase is gr_n,

small flowers In bel.wceri, Wh at ts vlolCl? Clotrda are Viole L. In the summer twilight.. What is nrange? Why an orange, Just an oranger
---ClrrJstJ.o.a
Rv!,l~U1

~.~.: Booklink

Read My Manu ColoI<:d Day_" by Dr. SeU:>;l5(Knopf, 1gElS), Have children wrttc ~ Jetter to S()IU~rmc d~C1"iblnP: lot color by comparnu; Il, LD otl1c-:rthings that une can !'l~~, hear, taste, arid loucb.

Trying to Tie My Shoe

OO-OO-OO-OO-CX>l I cannot tie my lllIue.

I've tried and I've trled, but il just won't. be tied,

no matter

what

I do.
1L Moore

-He-len

lnvne children to share ~viLl!a partner a story' of ~ time wbnn they had lruu ble learniug 1:0 do ~ollLr::thjng_ GlVe examples tn get them tlrinking, ~m{'h as Je<l1'Hing L{l t:u1. a paper snowflake. U5IC a can opener, Dr hlTIloi h<).ir. Stuck"Ilta can ~h .. re what it is they l~:lrne(l to do und pcrhapa even teach ~~H:h other how w do It_

:*.'- Acttvt+tes

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Ten finget·s,

Ten toes,
Two eyes,

One nosct

two

cars,

two lips.

Fingers tickle, Toes can wiggle, Eyes can twin kl e, Nose can wrinkl e. Ten fingers,

Ten toes,

Two L-yeS,

One noset

two ears, two lips,

--lidcr1 H, M~

i!,~Ac+lvltl es
Create a flng~r play
Invitr. parents tn teach Its_L,I

example, The

go aJong with the poem, and p1ay tt With the class, diff~ren.t fmgeTplays to lhc class, If el1tldren already know BitS!) Spill£Jj mvtte them to teach t.h~m to the elEl;!;lS.
til

othr:1""!'I.(for

Shoe!'! ('ml CIOlUSC more probterns than just <x>rl:linguntied. Read stoud Mrs. T0fJ9{e"S 1JemJ:ftJW Bl.i.u;! Shoe by RobUl Pulver, 1llus.!£atcd by R. W_ AUe)" (FoLlr W1ncts, 19H4) and specu late on huw

":"w~" Booklinks

teacher Mrs. Toggl~ mtght ..escuc her shnC': frQJ1\ a high tree branch_ And in MR.rgaret Mill(':f's W'hnsc SI-we!' [(}r~nwillow. 199U chtldren muet guess the idC':Tlt.rty ew.~h ShQe'8 owner, of

Picture Books
The thIng about a picture book Is you can look and laok and look AI. the same drawings every day And see them in a dJfferent way,
---Cru'Ql Weston

{~"~ ctivity A
Working in paira, have chlldt't?ll choose an illusLTRt10n ll'Om a c))J!drerl's book that they have not read, Children can lake tums I.dl111gth~lr partners lhe story, arid the feelin.g5. the pteturc iu~T!)S, Throu gh this ~U"11y, chlldrcn come 1.0 see that I.wo people can look at the same tlbjcct and "~e~diffP.refiL things 111 iL

22

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Books
If you read a fcw, then yuu Tl know It'a t.ruc: books are good for you r Chefs read cook books, Pirat.es'l "Hook" bookst Lrtt.le kids read lift.-ancl-look oooks! We read books of POP.TllS and {Jrose-Burne of th ese and some of those

Read some too, and you'll agree,

books are good for you and
ITIer -Helen

I L Moor(':

::,~>Booklinks
14 book-rr-la+cd poems in Good. 800K:s. &.od T1JTlF.r selected by Lee Bc:nnett b:'I" H ~ rvey Su=vcnADn (l-{cu.'perCulUns_ 1000) and L.aJk up the treasures in your library with Barbaru tI.. Huft'!; Onw lm;We the l.tbrory, illUSlnit.cn try. Iris V~l RynMl:':lt n.Jljjc. Brown. 19<.;10)_Dcnl011SutLl.I= L1le importance of read1ng wtth Dick tung-Smith's TIlE:' Sch.olJ~ MOLIS~·,JluH1:Tat~d by Cynlhla Ftahel- {Litlk. ilrmvTl, 19951, ITx.plnrc the: corrsequereces i of ~ Ilfelime wlrhoutbcoks in Awn Chip und 1hP.G~r Trtpl« Creek n.:tm Affair Ly PHt.r1M~ Pelaccu [PhilomeL 1W6J,
Hopk111~, I1llL"S Lralt!CI

Read aLom'! the

At Schoo'
I for~ot the Lurie to a song. Once r !2:ot y spelling words wrong. m Once in @'T1l J fell on my far. P.,

Once

Once my Juice spllIed all oVP.Y the place. D u t mosfly school Is fun. fu n, fun I run, wit.h frtends in the p1nyground sun I learn. to read and I read to learn
[ feed our fish -

-we

each get n

turn

I add and subtract and COU11t. qulte well. I go 0.£1 lie1d trips and do sbow-and-icll And sorncttrnes when there's extra tirnc My teacher 1P.ti'5 us write a rhyme,
-Carul Westfln

Afu=r TC"l'l d1ng the poem alQud a few UTIU".I'i., pull out Lh~ Thym1ng words and, II!'! a. class, bramstorm a JisL nf o+her won..l!'! Lhat. rbyme will! l.hcm _ Then allow chUdn':n co wrrte their own r'hymjng couplet abuuL !icho ol, '111etl wor k a!'l a Cl...13:!; to illTang~ th~ roUpld~ int.o a class puern.

~*::Activity

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Schoo' Bus
Vroom. vroorn, Hop on, there's That
'l.TIJoOm-

room,

On the shiny vellow school bus

ts takl ng us to sc h noll And when the school day ends. We'Il ride with all our friends

On the shiny yellow school bus That will bring us home from schooll

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Actlvl+l es
u.hl poem
Lu introduce or practice some lu~ ..,..-u[,Je.r:u:,; jWioh·ing people on a bus. f'or Tom 1~ I;Itt1Tlg 1n trout lif M1gud hut hchmd Sh~ma~_ Sllamac b; !-llWnj,i;tn the UUTd
1;0

example,

seat, V"'here ss Mi.gue1SlUlng'i' Want

teach curdtnal numbers?

Draw

('I

large bus

arid

sacrrphras-

gf!~S on chart paper, OT hav~ students act out the people

different places

on the bus and discuss

~ilUn,E!; Il the lm:s, 1'1.L= st udente ll~ O how you would say WllC~ 1tIT. ~1tt.1tlg[Dankl 1<.thfrd em

me bus, etc.), You can also LLse the poem as. a spl'1.n;Q;bo._"LI'd Introduomg for
ca. such a~ tn._fhmt

Cit:

preposmonal

hF.htnd.

across_from_

Crayons
All sluny, straight, and new. J lent a. frleod one crayon,
Anrl----()Ops-l
t broke

I had a box 01" cra.yon~.

in twnt

with one crayon-we

My friend sard ~hc was soIT)f, But I said uI don't care, 'cause nnw we both can color

can share!"
H_ MOOI"'C

-Helen

Uec th I~ [>O~ ro hi J[kl ~,-,lIilhorarton ~klll~. \Vnrkl ng In pi'll r~, k[d~ can create a ptctn re togcth~-_ nt Itave OJ!~ child draw half lhe pteture and the other cbiW HuioSh iL ·1'0 eKte.nJ the arl1'1!1.Iy. jnvite th(~ partners j n nollii borato on a RtHry or pm= j [] 8t:cnmpany the pkluI"e_

:i~.:Activity
<s-r:
-, I'

""

2Lf

-"'P"~

',..,.: :'i--"':.-.---, ~L-.,,:

_~. ,~

,,*,.,_

·1',

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~." '

~.+... ··W'~~~';
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"'$-." ,.

New Pencils
I..on,~and tfrin v.it.h pointed tops wa.1.tln~ In my

pencil boxYelluw pcrrctfs,

(Number 2) Do just whaL I tell them lo--They can draw both straight and wavy,

Draw one boat, or draw a navy! [Even drn w french fries wtth ¢Cavyn
New pencil s , I love yo
II

-Hf:1Cl1

H, MOC'I"e

'i.: Ac+lvl+les
SlJ.ch _:

Put. together <1dUBS bOClkby invrunu ~aeh

pi(!kW up a pc.ndl

st.1H"knt

to create an oTginal p:'Ige. followll!g a

d..ew. '

Lormat

and U)i~ is wl"U;!t.

Transportation
ShiV~ sail on the: water. Planes fly lliroll!2:h the air. Cn no;and trams 1""0II Oil the Iarrd.

Ami take

uS

everywhere]
--lld~Il H. MO(tl"C

ik Ac+Ivl+v
travel to R(":hool,

~~ t.l1c books "lilis is Ille Way "r~> Gv I.u S{:hoffi: A Rook AOOul Children. Arou no tlv: VI!urld by Edith Baer, illusrra ted hy Sl~""'t:' Qjurkman (f.k h l)h.l.:';U~'. 1WOj arid 011 tilt'! Go by Anne Mo1n1s, [Lctrrrop.

photos by Kr.n Heyman

1990),

Create

elH H!'l

graph Illlalrauug

the rlUlcrent waya kid!'!

_:_: : -'-:f;.-..... "...

-r. '", '

:..i:.

:. ...-.'__

"*'~
~I I I

25

.-

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~: II•

'

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...

Safety
TIl ese art: the n] lea tha L we obey. To keep us safe at school and play: "Practice staying out of dtl..ngcr:

Never talk t.o any strangerl~ "When you ride your bike at nlght. Make sure you wear something whitct" "Red 111 eane ~Lop. yellow means watt.

and gre~n means 'go, go. go!"

YCI)'"

These are the rules that keep

lJ

The

best rules to know I

-Helc:n
H_

s safe-

Moore

Tk Ull!'l poem to any lrlnd of l=n!> hulletin boarda, or a school R.~b!y

~,~.~ Activity

on safety_ U!l~ it as a part ofsafety buoklrl;;, posters, un safely.

Snowman
Snowflakes falling
thtc k and fast, build ;:l snowman

make him last. ..

Snowilitk.cs falling.
swlrl1ng. slow.

my snowman meltedwhere'd he go?

-H.-:len H, Mnorr.

(f.,: Booklink
On a !mOW)' d~, sacks !)t nuts, seeds, a t"ld found obJp.cts
<In'

pcrtE!c:t.

deoorutione

ti:w Illitki.ng a

snow dad, mom. hay, gIrl. cal. ~md dog in SnOUJbal1sby Lnjs Ehlert (H~n-CQUlt, 1995)_

, ,

26

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Snow Words
Snow J ack.et. snow boots
Snow pants. snow suits. Snowflakes. snowstormSnow
-IIelt:n

Is cold. but we fee] warm.

H. Moore:

{€: ActTviti
D13CU88

83

compounfi words and phrases, Make a ill; L of otrier cornpcnrnd wnn::ll'l. !'>u(,:h a,8 Sltnglasses, snowball rarncuat. and 80 forth. TfJlk about the meaning of the poem, dIU..! whaj, Lhe poet mearia whcn Bhe 58Y'l-. H~.nowJ6 cold but we Ieel wurrn," What othcr nonrnatCTIal thing.:'!

make us ~l

warm?

(21.

hup;. love, a brother

Dr RtFl1r.TJ

Hat
This is the hat lhal I wear on ITly head. I wear il to breakfast. I wear it to bed. 1 wear it to school. arid I wear It. to play. 1 wear It all nlght, and

wear

It all day.

I wear It in sprtngttme

and !:;iuITIITIer,

and Iall. When I read a book J love of all.

or when I play ball. It.·sthe piece of my clothing

1T10St

ITIy wonderful.

beau tiful.
hat! ---HeJ.~.n H. :Muu=

':~i Book\inks
Read aloud Ann MOIT1B'~ Hats, Haw, 1I~!$r [Lothrop. 1089), Invite atudcnt~ toO hnng In their OWn hats and make a graph, deI~Oting color; tf'Xhm:~. brtrns or brimless, and so on. I'm UJukirJq_far M!I Hal by Arthur Spc= lS~h()la~t!(:. 1989) ts rulot.h~ dt:JiWll.ful story,

:;; -.~~~ .... ".v. ~-~~0',,' -~,

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~."

27

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«,

~~
I I·

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~"

~~H~..

The Red Ball

The red

ban

slipped from
the baby's hands, bounced, bounced.

bounced. d own the cement stal i-s, zoomed past the fire hydrant,

raced through

a championship game of hopscotch, crossed the street, rolled under

a blue car,

then zigza;!1,gedbetween
t wn

dozen

p2l1'5

of feet,

unul one sneaker

kicked it up Irrtn the air Willi such Ierne

tt landed wtth a l'L UNKT in t.h e tidy riest

of a jaywho, by the way,

is stIlI waJtt ng Ior the eur1011~ thing

to hatch.

;~~: ctivity A
Dnn~~ the everrts that happen in tblA poem to h~11) students pracuce ~qUeJ:ldI1g ~K;1lJ:;,_ Students m~y C':l"lJOy ~Lmyooru:dill~ _ ,,~ illuatrarmg It iL cormc- strip 81)-1 with linr:", rwm lhr: c, poem and 8cOOJllpar1,1ng IllLL~t.rnt1(lJlSfur r:ach of the strip OOxC~_

28

~~S;:i -~I I

I~

The Mitten Song

"Tb.umbs 1n t.he thumb-place. FiIIgtno all lugclherr" Thla is the song we sing In mitten wcallier. When it 1 scold. Il doesn't rrratter whether MiUCD5 are wool. Or made of tin est 1 ther, ea This is the song We sing in Inltten-wenther: ihlUllbsin UU.': tfrurnb-place, f11n~eraall togdhcrl"

"'~.; Activities
FI(?"~'ld Breit's =Ldling of rho Ukranran folktale, 1lw. M!J'1p.n. tpUtnam, 1989] anti '11[£dar.kef: t Jan WOi:e- in alE<' Snou_, by ShIrley NIet~e], illu:,;l..nt.lI=d by Nang.'" Wlnslow Parker (Gn:t:n""illaw. lM9)_ Thr:n invite children 1.u wrtte thr:lr own stories about snuw d[)t.hcR_

Sneezing
Through my nose,
Air comes in lickly Then very qulcklyOut it gOf~S; Ahh-CHOOf

With every

SIlt::CZl:

J h::lve to do.

l rna ke a breezeAhh-CHOOr-Allh-CHOOr
-Mary
t outse

AUen

:if.: Activity
to a class l.:ulki.:U~m. m,.r.ntlng sentences i dang!~ i'lnd so forth.
the torrrmrro'n Q r u~'" of words such as bl.I7.7_ nO<rjn pop. urrd dang tha.t like the W()rd~ they represent. Pui..nl crut the: lla(': 01" rhis kind of wortl in the pnr:m, then oralnf'ltoTTll <t. ll~t of ul.her OnQn"lat.opOoP.1ac: words, Kid~ CloU1 each contrlbll t.e text and illu:;; i..cHUons
Di5.r:ll!;;'~ onornatopceta,

sound

such

H!'I;

"The bubble goes pop]" -rhe [\YITlhal OC"S g

~:ti:
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-,,......~ .-~,
~I I : ~ .
~ ...I II

29

.:: __ ... :ti.~'~': ". "

··.1' .......

Chicken Pox
I've ~f)t. th

it.c:hy itchy

scratchy scritchy
11ead -to-socks

drfve-me-crazy Chleken Pox

-Terry Couper

{~.:Bookli n k
I've Got ChiCk:l'"n Pox by TTu~ Kclly (TIlinon, 1994) gL~ rator Je,;~ l.hTOU~ H long wcek of being sick, kt(.'llo;about the iLIncHs
lUI

It thll~

nar-

Flu
I'm wheezina I'm sneezIng

I'm coughing
so loud.

--

.~

rm sputtering
I'm muttering My head's in a dOUG.

They say U:s ;:]fever, TIley ~ay it's the fill. TIley tlay tt's mysterious. T say, "Ah .. .ah.. ,CHOOr~
_.Terry Cucper

~.*-~: Act1v7ty

Whe\l! fill ~~n 8TTt1..-c:!;, take the opportunity alck. It'!; also a good Gme to review pT~cdure5 hands, eovermg rnn ....hs when coup;hiIlf(, etc.l r

lu [=8.~ gct-''I'("ll cards for chtldren who 8I"e nut for l'ecludrl.,Ll Lhe spread of gr:rma tw::'lshiltg

30

~~~-;~
_.: i

-, ~

Tooth Truth
r
have a 11 tile

space

in the rntddle of my face.

Arid in that space. there used to be a too-tho It It

was Itttle, was white.

it

An d
that's

and a

fatry carrie and the truth!

JU st f~11out. orae n tgh t. took 1t-

that they get from underneath

ITly pillow a~ I'm sJee.pinj(t' That.., I wnrrder.
-Helen

The fully lcfi me IIluncy when she took m.ytooth awaytook it from the pillow it was under. What do falrtes want with teeth

H _ Moon=:

:~~.~ Ac+lvt+tes
lm.1t.catudcnts to speculate about what the tooth fairy does wlLh l.heir bang tl1(':1TI a Ime across the classroom. on
l.et:

Lh. L'reHie tooth _

shaped stationery out of 8~by-11-inch while pap!:T_ dt!'l1T1tmk. aml invite atudcnte to use the PElP~ 'tooth' to write [OT fllM:a.teJ their tdeas about what the tooth fuJ.ry does, USlrl.g dulh=piIl8.

....- I ~__ _

. '..J'..,.. 'I"

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I I I ,~

-1M '

31

At the Sea-Side
When I was down beside the sea A wooden spade t.hey gave to me To dig the sandy ahore. My hClJeswere empty like a L"Up_ In every hole the sea came up. Tin it could come no more.
-Robcrt L.oui~ s~

iii) Booklinks
JJmce M~Mman:~ 0nP. SWt; A Boo~ o_fTersc V~'rse {ffoJiday Houese, 1~90l takea readers along for a day QL tne beach. ,,"'he.n IT.a~ Lh(,: book aloud, shnw the colnr photo on each rlght-llimd puge and cover up the Lvro-wordpoem un each Ieft-hand ~g~_ Invne children to gu~~ what the lInage Is. Then Sill,(.!; along Wl 8 lrttle ~rl spends ~.ch dayR with twelve MUlls R.-g1it.Ilng. eleven wa,'€S a-crashing. on down to one little purple sea anemone in F-Jlz:aJ.Jt:thLee O·DOTUl.ell·~ s.prightly The Tw.eloc Da9s oj SW7l1J1.er. ilIu~trated by K..-.ren Lee Schmidt (Morrow, 1991J_

Sand.
Sand In my swimsuit. Sand in my hair. When I f/.O to the beach Sand gets everywhere! I wonder. J wonder. Oh, how can there be &u1d left.at the beach

When there's so much on me?

- -Helcri H. MDore

=¥:: ActTvity
Dtscuse how sand is m<id~_You rm,JY also wish to bring in sea glass and broken students bow the sea ani! surf break and soften th(,Ju. aheds to ahow

32

~~{(
_~~ ...: "1"

The Wondering Moon

Today, an trrruwual s1~t palely" pecking down from the daytlme sky: I saw the moon r
(Tholl!O':h H.wasn't nlghtl) met my eye,

1 said to JTIYSelf: "That's the moon, alrl~htf' 1 think it gat Jealous, and CBmF. back to see what t.he sun does F.V~y day, with me!

{~.:Book ltn ks
Explm-c the lC':gcnd~ (If the man in the moon USing Lots Ehlerts MOOrl H:.o~; A J\?wViulll'<:>!kruk (HLl.I"~uurL, 19f::12} 8l"Jd Thny John!,li.on'H M~:dcsn t(}lktak w Ld C(J~oU!._ HluRtTstcrl by Torruc rlcPaola [Putnam, 1994). Un L«zo (l lu Luna: '17iP. Tale of Rahbtt.

Goodnight, Sun
The sun sltdes down
the west of the sky, from the perch It held at noon, so high. And at sunset it pauses,

to tell us goodnigh t. as tt tu ITlS off the daytime, then t.urns out the :f4(ht.
-Helen H_ MOo"lIT.

".If:Activities
1l:L1s poem can tie ill 10 a lessori UIl dlreclions: Lhc snn riRC".R in t.h~ CI'l!>t. an d sets in the west, and at noon H'~ a.l, jts highesL pomt. Make.'l atrndtal In the schoolyard by :s;tiC~ il slraight slick inlo El patch of diIT.lor a dirt-tllled coffee-canl and drawulg H c:iITk around lL lJ= pebbles to lTI8rk tl1r hours and allow studert.lB tn obse-rve the": w~ the stick's shadow travels ru'Qw)(] the circle. Compare the ~hlidow to th~ l1an{ls a clock,

0"

~{;i .
- . ~I . ~

33

:.. l+',.

Ralndrops
rain drops
drip down all day

tong,
(J rip down, .o;Up down,

sp.la~h111g out tbeil- .song_

thunder- ~l'ashln~ splisf1iag

eplashmg,
supping.

<kipping. ra 1l1.1Iig rl own rhetr rumy rainetrop 8un~"

-lIekl1

1-1.

MOOH;

(/f':
wruc

Activity
oj ~ OO!~(_'Td(": poern; Its ~hape Tcfk'ds tt~ couu-nt. t;ge it to help students
thldir own

Till'; is an example

("-'-w~:ere Il'IH:'ms,. For tusptratlon. t~ke a. IMk <I.!. Jo.'l:n 'Smnfj.eld (',fal:J.am'", i1wcnti\l'e (":o111"" ..'i:ID1i1 OIf concrete poems, SjlU:,;h 5pku;h (TK1{[lOl- 1'.. l'leld8. 1!)O.. 1}.

::~'~f<' ~
:( :.

,I·.

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,.~-

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...

~ .-

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Rain
The rain is rainrng all nrrru nd, It falls on lidd and tree. T TIl jns on the umbrellas here, t
And on the sbtps at sea.
-Rub=t.
L01l11;o

Stevenson

Read Tl'w Junior Thzmder LordT a 17'" century Chinese foJkta1c rctnld by La 1] renee Yep, illU~lrolt.ed uy Hobcrt. V:m Nutt (BJ1dgewatet UUDks. 19H4) to take an Imagmatrve look. at how rElin falls from tlle C':louds, On a gray day, studcnta will take to Biotby Diauk, who hat.= gct.ttng wet un1:!l her- gt'andfathC':T JlTC1, ..1oi",,_'lo her With boo18 and. an umbrella rn Amy He"5t's In the 1«~fn wi.th Bab_r,r Duck. tllu!'ltrated by Jill Barton (CElndl~r.k, 1995).

White Snow
The snow is white and dean.

It makes a luve1y scerre.

and makes the world go "hush." It looks so very prettyun til it turns to slushl
-Hr.len H. Moore

It covers cars. and trees, and sfreets,

:~ltActivities
O:tscuss what snow iB. how tt t!;l made, and the cuneepta of frcedng and meltmg, Talk about

why

81uBh. Watch an ice crsbe rnr-lt. Place same-ssze lee cUbelol n various i Vle=~ ofthe room-eneur tht: radlatar, m~8Y- t.11~WIndow. and so forth, Wal.t:h to 51~~ if the ice melts at different. rarea. J)1~a.s what you observed. D{_.vclop an at-horne actrvtty that le!,lLs kids' predictioria fnrthr.r_

snow t.llTnllo to

~~1ii~
I.,'

35

~~'""JII""

Falling Snow
See the pretty snowflakes I'<illing from the sky. On the walk. and housetops Soft and thick til ey He, On tile window-ledges OIl the branches bare: Now how last they gather. Where the g:ra.s s was green: Covered by the snowllake,oo;, Not a blade Is aeen.
FHHn;;>; all the air, Look Into the garden.

An

Now the bare Irlank bushes look soft and white, Every twig Is ladenWhat a pretty st¢lltr
. -Au thor Uriknown

~.:;jf: Activity
Create a progr=slveoly -.:hanglDg fumneIbolUTl display t(> go along with LhC': ction of tills poem, a Fin;t rualse <l strnple outdoor sc~oe with bare lreca, a ~dewruk... and holl~p!s. I'!~ del!.L"ribc:d In thC': rtrst stanza, ell t RllOTh"flak.cR 0 ut of white flarm el Or- felt CO cover the green grass in the second ':I1..aTI7.~, [juu some .!;uitd "snowshnpes" La rover the "bare b[i'lck buahcs" arul other scenery iu Lh~ last stanza, 11lt~TI.~E' you IT.~d the ~1U. you C(\11 change the tkmnelboam to correspond 1.0the lDl.<J.ge~ tn the poem.

36

''''' ~
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, ,<

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Snow Haiku

1Wo visually
AU
&W;(N~

arresting COU€ct.IOllS of haiku are Deml's In t.he Eyes of Ow Cat~ Jap.:.uiese POG'tryfor Ukn[~ ...nou, 19H2:)ami Sylvia Cass~dy and Kunihiro Su~k<I..ke'~ Ned DragmifI-_f./ OTL My ShaiJldp.~ 1l1u~tJ<lt.cxt hy ~otly Rang {H1I1"pITCot11n!;l, 19921-

Our New Baby

to stay" She arrtved just y€sterday. She doeau't talk try).

o u.r new baby

ca me

(she doesn't

A]1 she does is sleep and cry.

sr 111 my pa rerrts real1y love her-e(cari't, SCL.'ITI to gc l

enough of hern
I wonrler if they felt this way. when I was the baby who came co stay? -HdenH_
~O(J~

{If.; Bookl in ke
ExpIDIT. tl1~ l=U€;R ofjC('l)OU8Yconnected with a new baby by reading Mary Jane Auch's Monsl~>1" Brother (HolJd..-.v House, 1994l. 'Fwu u .. ~r ~iWiLL~ rivalry clus.sics art: Kevirt I1enk='~ Julius, h fkw_yv_[ a~' world (Gr=nwHlow, 1990) and .JHnc Cllt.1CT'R Oarql and. Gran D(1fl"t l.vee Hahfp_~" illuRtmt~d hy Su 'lo~ n no), 'Ry(1 n {S~holoetro, h 1993),

:...:tc.~ -., .....

~. I I I

<ti-

37

,~~-

-::",~,,_

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-~::f.i. :
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II

The MaH Carrier

See the mall carrier. sv.1Jlging along. Her ba~ is deep and wide. And messages from all the world Are bundled up insid e.
--Au thor Unknown

~~'ft lin ks Book

Get YDlU-students excited about wrtt.lng and sending their own rnatl, USlng Judith Caseley'a De(lT Artnu,' (GIT.~nwillo\o'·. 1~91l. a story a bmrt the .joy having a P~II pat. tn ~ ftter Rahbtt by Al.m.a. F10r Ada, illu!,llrated by Leshe TTyOJl (Ath=Ii::IJm. 1994). Iulktale charaetere Peter

or

Habbtt., the TIu-= Little P1,g:>J. GoklllQ('ks. Baby Bcar, and even the 'Wolf ~hang('! correspondcnce, NOle Lhat rnailrabbus an:: not as efficient as Irumarts with Linda TaylOT'S The" Leuuc« Leqf Bft'Ulliay f.P.trer. Illu~r.r-at.C"(l by Jul..i~ DUTT€ll (Dial, 19S15), where Duc.k sends a blrlhday pal..n~ Lo GlXl<'je. aJl(! Rabbit has trouble (tcl1re.r1ug i L

Headstand
The sky is my sidewalk, My feet kick the moon.

TIle douds are my puddles for wadIng in Jun.e_

The prtckly tall gras.se;;:

J

wear on my head.

When brown hair gets tiresome,

I have green instead.

-Teny Cooper

~.f.~. Acttvi+les
Before r=dtng the poem aloud, make ~UTe children lDlov; what B. headstand j!,l: trrvtre them to bend over and cl~l.!ribf':what 111~Y when t.heir h~ds are upsroe-down by thf':tr feet, AIkT ~ ~8filn.g, ask thern it" they undcratarrd how feet might ~kir.k the mOOIe Dr a person might ll~'i~ "clouds lor puodlefs,~ Chlldn::n couW I.Jy wnnna t.hdT own "topsy- tun,.. ~ pcems. y

,~

·l

38

~¥.,: -'., -,'

'~'

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Reading in Bed
Oh, what could be better Than reading In bed,

Or thtnklng abo u t
All the books With lliaL you've read?

someone

who loves you,

A father. a mother. A doll. or a pet,

or a sister or

brother.

A grandma, a grandpa, an rmcle, an aunt-

(Can you think. of anything I can'U)

better'?

W1lilc ou tsdde the sky Is all lwlnklJng with light, FrUIn stars that $htne down As we sleep throuW"l the night.

Oh, what CQu1dbe better Tba.n l:ikcpfng in bed, When Lhc books that you love Fill iln.: drC3ITIS m your head'?
-H den H. Moore

~~.: ooklink B
SuphJe and Sammy's Ubmf'l} Slet.>pOL'E:'rby Judilh Ca!'leiry [f'.Fc~nw111(ffi-, J 993) takes readers tu a special night libnu:y !!I toryttrne with t11c 1thT~Tl~n. where Sophie gels the idea of pre=n tjng a before-bed f>tmy program tor he-r lIttle broUler aL horne,

.~.*.~
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39

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Primary

Concepts
.,,:~'.J t

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,~
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]00 Is a Lot!
100 dogs, 100 cats, 100 heads for 100 hnrs. 100 women. 100 men. lOO'~ more than 5 or 10. 100 bn ttons, 100 conts, 100 S~ iJs for 100 boata. 100 ceo ktes, 100 cakes, 100 kids w1th bellyacries! 100 ahocs, 100 socks.
lQO keys

for

H)O

locks.

] 00 pudd1es 1111~h ty dirty. 100's even more than 30. 100 daugh tera, 100 sons.

100 franks on ]00 buns. ] 00 trees. 100 plants.

100 Plcrrics, 100 antsf 100 ts a lot to COUTIt., 100 ts a LARGE AMOUNT! 100 rots and 100 bugs_ 100 be.p.s, 100 birds. This puem. has 100 word s!
100 k1::"!ses. 100 hugs.

\*; Activity
Usc thts poem whcri you teach Lhc r-rmcept of 100_ tn fll8p1ay un a tah 1c wtth lhe ~o('m.
C hiMn'.n

can try ~·Dll.cc"rjng I00 of

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The Up and Down Kitten

The firemen carne
My kitten dim bed right up the tree, but she couldn't. climb back down.
to

rescue her.

~~1

from th e other Side of town. One fireman cllmbed up llic tree And bruught th at kl tten down. Now. pretty kitten, stay with me. stay here on the gTOurid,
-I lelen H. Moore

Illustrate

~.*,:Activity

1.hi~ poMll

on a flannel

beard.

or ad it out Wlth doUs Or puppd.a.

Maps
where we need to go.
Maps help uS figure rru t.

which states we have visited. and which we'd like to know. Maps show lakes, mountains. rivers.

north , south. cast. and 'West.

MOopsshow parks. 'beaches,

cities,

But do not pick the best. See how emr nation lles between the Atla nttc and Pacifie? Ma pe n.aII1C all fou r oceans=they're woriderfully specific.

(i{ Activity
Give children a t~mp]ate of ~ Uniled St8t(,,-<:Lto trace, 1hen ,L(ivethem ;!!ott day and ask tht=m 1.0 pIT.F.I'l . rnto the shape of Utdr ITa Mug. ThIS tactile =p~·rj[-:Tu~r. really Imprints 1 the shape in students rnernortca. 01 d IT .... 11 n dren ~'cl.n aI"'(J label tho;! oceans, bord~ COu:nt:r1~R, arid land features. I r~~ burlap SCI"apS to mark rnountams: blue yarn makes it great MissISSiPPi rfvert Sha rc M!}Mup Buuk: by Sanl nmclll (Ha.l'percoJlim;. 19~5).

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f had a sock, bu t I couldn 't match it.

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The Terr-Ible, Wonderful Day!

and 1 co 1I.1dn 't catch iL I had an Itch,
My b.-"1.1.1 rolled off,

and I couldn't, scratch it. Oh. what a terrible day!

I found my sock! (IL was under my bed.)

I found another

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ball, instead. I took off my hat. and I COULD sorarch my headOh, what a wondcrfu1 dayr
--Helen H. Moore

:,.fl· Activlty
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t,

Croeate.El hart on tlJe blackboard. Using the h~c1111g8Tt:niJ)le and WunrlcrtW. iuvitr. nhtldren c categortzc the evenm from !.he poem,

to

~
~

~ {*,: Bookl inks.

fkUy's perfect fiay gellO! OT"Fje W before tt gets better when sht: acrs out [0£ Lhc store to bring Inune dozen <=~ and dropa them all tn AJJco':' Schen:I(!':,>, Duti;n thp. Road, illu~t.1"ated by E.B. Lewts (Browncteer Pn=~/l{:rrcourl Bmce, 19!JSl_ UUy's PuIple F'klsuc Purse by Kevtri Henkes (Gree.nwillaw, 1996) taaea mouse Lilly thruugh a. day IJf emotional. u ps .anfi do",'n~ wl1r:n her beloved teacher. MT. SIlnger-. rna l!;es her- wal t to sh(Jw hcr new pur-= to the da=_
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Down the Hill

Down" down the hill, How fast I go. Over the grasses Under the snow. The wind must feel
II.

Me goIng fast. whistles as

I'm going past.

Ever so fa st, We fiyi We fly!

-Allt.hor

Down, down the hill. My sled and r.

Unknown

::,~:: Activity
.. sk ehilrl~n Jf they'..c (":'1."(':1" heru'd Lhe-wind wlustle. On they think, like th(, chl1d/~p~!tkcr ~ In thJs poem, that lL'a wht60dlll~ ~aL" them? Dj:!;~m;~ the- notion of peraontrlcatlon that t~{': wh1~lIir~ wiI rd excmpunes, A~k tf they know of other expreasions that 8!trl ~mte .human ~,l[:tjons and

emouuna to

nature

k-Io!: ..

a mglng

rive. or

lonely

mcurrraml.

Shadow Show
Shadow, shadow on the wall ymJ r pray Jul trtc ks are magical.
First you (O.hrtnk down oh so small,

and then you grow up

twelve Icct talll
-Terry Couper

i< Activity
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Read Bcu~Shadnw 'by Frank ARl':h. TIl<:lU. m'llng an overhead prQJ~tOJ:. have smdeuts expertmo::nt with Lh(': ways lhejr Hnati(tWS cll<Ulg~ dcpendtna {m th"jr proxlmuy to the Ught ~{JUIT.~_

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Taking Off
The a1rplane taxis dawn. the field .And heads into the breeze. IL Hft.g its wheels above the ground, It, skims above llie trees. It rtses high and Wg:her Away up toward the SUIl. It's JusL a speck against the sky and now-

and now-It's gone!

-l\uLhor Unknown

Take childr=l nut to the playground and dernonatt-ate how thi.r~~ look smaller at ~ tJistance by }JEn1ng 11student walk huther and farther ilW<1.Y frruu I.h~ j!!Tmlp, and then retUTTI. Invtre children In truk about what. they saw happening and how this rntates to the poem_ J!;i the plane really
go.rre"! Dor.~ the pdarie n=ally shrmk? WiLh old Cf" kids, perspective in painting and dra- ..... ing_
),'QU

~.~,~ Activity

(."()Uld ltnk the poem l.o a lesson on

She 19 big. He Is liUle. I'm the one who's in the middle. I'm never out there on the end. On etther Side I've got a friend

to tell a Joke or rid die,

in

to me, here
I like

the middle"

I like it In the rntdrlle , yes.

tt

In the middle,
- ·aden H_ Moore

:ii)
orie

Activity
fiR.

Use this poern ,.

a math cormerrtton to
nf (tU'terent
s.i<Ie~,

(U~CUSS Tr.l-"ltlve

size. ~k

ehllnTcn

to ideuli(Y

t.h~

middle
rhc

nf three oqjed.s middle one.

or arrange

tht::mHC:rvr.s in groups {J[ I.hT"C(':, 1:0 ide.aLify

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The Shape of Thjngs

What is a ctrck? Wool is round? A quarter rolling on the ground, A wheel is a circle, SO is the moen,

A bottle cap, or a big balloon.

What ts a square. with sides the same?

The wooden board for a checker game. A slice of cheese, a TV screen. A table napkin to keep you clean. What is a rectangle, etraight Or tall? The duor that standa Withtn your wall, A dollar hill, a loaf of bread. the mattress lying; on you r bed. What is a triangle, wnh sides of three'? A piece of pie [or you and me, A rnusrcal trlangl e, ding. ding. dtng, A slice of pizza wtth evcrythJng! Theee are the shapes seen everywhere: a triangle, rectangle, circle, square. If you look closely where you've been, Youll surely gee the shapes you're Inl
-Me.ilili Goldlsh

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:i!.~Act1vity
YQW~

children mlghL =j(1J. niakmg a shape snack. Discuss whiit could be broU!=lhl to school to cat th~ l_q round, trtangular, square, and rectangular. Then have the children create a rnufushape srrack=-for example, ,'on COLJ.d make an ffit1;lle express train usjng square graham crackers. ronnd could~, triang1~ crackers, etc.

~,~:, Book Ir nk
Whlli Am l?: LooIdng Through SJlJ:Jp~R at App1e_~ and Grapt"-5l>ji N_ N_ Charles. 11lustrd.led by Leo an d Diane DIllon (Uluc Sky :Pr-t!!i~/Schu1a!;,t~(", 1994), is a .rh}"11ltr\fl gut:!;I~tng gauu= of truns that

tntroduocs oolurs ~nd shH.pt':!;.,

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The wheels
ROll

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and

or the
round,

bus ~o round and round,

rrrurid an d
TOU rid,

The 10Vheeiof the bUB go round and roun d, So All through the town. The driver on the bus says "Step to the rcarf" "Step to the rearl Step to the reart" The driver On the bus s::J,YS -Step to the rearl" All through the town. The people on th~ bus go up and down Up and down. up ami clown. The people un the bus ~o llP and down All through the town. The kids on the bus gu yakkity-yak.
Yakkrry-yak,

The kids on the bu 5 12:0 yakklty -yak. All through tho town. The drtver on the bUI3 says. "Quiet, pleasef" ~Quiet~ please! QuIet. please]" TIle driver on the bus, says. ~Quiet. pfeaacl" All through the town. The wheels Round and The wheels Alllhrough of the bu 5 go roun d an d round. round. rourid and round. of the bus go round and round, the town,

yakkity-yak..

;,*"c Activity
-art okl1"" bu t goO<:.l.io=-is fun to ad. out., :m.-l chant in l.Ulllion, Siudcnt~ ITllght c:nJ oy trmovanng on the text and 8ddlng thetr own aClh·jlle~ LhaL .Bk~ p18cc-:on the bus as it h~s tlU'ough L1~ L[)WT1. nCOTJlor~te I thts poem Iruo a Lhcmr. 1mU. on transportntion. "fbi!> pocrrr+:

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Machines
The wh eel s on machines go round anti round, Hound and round. round and round. The w heels on machines go rmmrl an r! TOll rid.

Whlrrmg

the+r !'l.()unti.
go ping. plng, pmg,

The ptns on machines

Ping. ping. ping. ping, plna, plng. The pills On machines go ping. ping, ping. Pulling the sprlng,
The rod s rm machines go side to side. Sjde to side. tlidc to side. TIle rods 011machines go sine to side.

See how they sltde.

T11P.

The pulleys on
I Ilgh off the

pulleys on machines go up and down. Up and down. up and down.

machln

es

~o up and down,

gl'OlJ rid.

The screws on machtries p,o twist. twist.

Twist 11ke your wrtstt

The screws on machines go twist, tw1 st, twl st. Twia t, lwtst, twist. twist, twl st. twtst.
twist,

(~: Activity ...

t'. rm1kl tll~

Imoil~ children 10 in venr the'" rnachtnea [io?

(moT}

m~r:n~n~~; trrst dnlwlng

i.h r-m, Lh~L lmiltling

them, What

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TelHng TIme
The long hand pomts, the minute, Did you know each hour has
sixty" m1n utes in il? Vlhen t.he short hand says twelve, And the long had does too, By day it's high noonAnd tbats luncht1m.e tor yout
-.(;atul Westnn

The W10rt hand points the hour.

Oldcr chtldre.n can Jll.ake a ?t~ chart with 24 secncns, ~=h (m I: rcprcscnttng an hour uf the day. to illul!;tralt: how t.hey spend theU' (jm~. Fur example:-. If they slee J> for ti huurs, thr:y WIll label 6 sections "sleep" u.r color thc:m, with a certain color, Ymmgcr- r.hlldren can develop Ii. sen~c of how ~ urn= mfriufe 1~ by explormg the diflt=renl th1ngs they can do In one mtruate. l:i:xamplcs: How many tunes l:aIl ytlU WT1t~ your name. or: iIl.ilia.l~'! How 1TULnY0 rnping jacks uari j you do? Fallow up by r=.ritng J[!St a M[rtu~! by Teddy Slatcr [Scholastic, 19B5)_

~.*,:Activity

The Half of l+
Half of e1~ht is four. Half of fcmr ts two.
Half uf two js on e. Now what cari we do'? Half of 001.:: is one-half. Half of orre-half is one quarter. A carrot. when you rmt it.

Gets shorter. shorter, shorter,

_.. Carol Wt:Ht.on

:~,~ ctivity A
Rqui Ea!1ng FracUulI.s by Bnu~c l\fC'1I11ll<UlSchul=; I..k, ] 9~ l ] ~nd then 11hUe something for the ( class lo ahare. ~mch as pie, cake, or brnwntoa. Teach that a Iraetion iH a part. of a whole and ~hov.· the dlfterence between sm ~!lCT tH and larger [~) Iraerioria by a8k:1ng kids: Would yOlJ gr.t more cake if ymJ shared rt wrth 3 people or 12 people?

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Down! Down!
Down, Downl Th e leaves arc falling over the town.

Yellow and

brown

~.~.: Activity
Use thIS poem as lot (~~nkrpj= fur an 8.UtU(JUl bulletin h03,rO, Copy the J:eJ{[ in large d~[:[}T"ftt.1"'"(': Iettera onto h~(:ldng paper, und pla{~ ycHow and brown leaves all aronnd thr. poem, On each leaf, children can WT1 a fl'lct abou t the ~Wl. t!=

The leaves had a wonderful frolic. They daTIr!OO to the wind's loud
ThL')'

sorig.

whirlP.d,and they floated. and scampered. They ctrcl ed and flew along.

The InOOn saw the ltrtte leaves dancing, Each looked like a small brown bird.

The rnan in the rriorm smiled and lis tericd, And U:Liss the S(ll1g he heard. i The North Wind fs calhrig, is calling. And we rnuest whirl rou nd and rormd, And then, when our dancing is ended. We'll make a warm qutlt for the ground.

,*: Booklinks
so
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---AuthQl· Unkncwn

Foster an appte<::iat..l(m for nflture WIth Harry lkhn'!;I brtcf attecnonnte poem -lh:'t'!;, tlim;tTan:;(I by Jam~ F.ruUcoct [Henry J lull, ] 992J _ On the night of the ui!1",g("".5t. hrlghtest harvest full IJl(JUrl, Po6sUUl decides to throw <In autumn party in Pos_'>rml's HQn~s[ MOOn Uy Anne Huntr.r (lluuiU:Jkm M1fillD, 1996)_

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Butterfly Garden
Flu t+er, flutter! What do you sec? Eight bright but tcrflies fly1ng fred I L wou ld be nice if !.hey would staybu I. flutter. flutter. six sa 11 away.
Then two butterfltes are left to' play.
- Liza C harlcswortb

...

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;'.#..~ Activity
UR~ the for mat uf t.h~ pnr.lll to teach w- prar-ttcc subu'acUun_ C.hang~ th<" numbers in the poem to create many dttterent problem!'> tor' children to ~.cl nut-for example. children can pretend to flyaway from <1. ~ard<=n to demonstrate the- m.'tt.n_ Or they ~an usc mall ipulatrves at Lhcir ~~a:t::s_ Older children oould create their OWll butterfly subtraction P0l;lll!;'o. aud then cOTTlptk: them in <.l cla!'05I book,

Storm
Ou tstde, Hghtening flash es! Outatde, wild nun lashes! Inside, we are sale. Inside, we are war'rn. Inside. there 15cornfort, Outside, there is STOltM!
-Helen H _ Moore

au tstde.

thunder crasshes!
. ./. f"~ d'

{ft..: ActTvity
Using a 1:l1g piece G[ ehart paper, Im"ik chilrfren to create un InsidcjOtJtslde weath~ charactertstlcs J)nmthmcrl tn the poem in ..he approprtate culumn!l_ by havrng the daBH coltaborate em other tnAtde/outside poerns [hot I;IUllllller sturm. an d RO forth), chart. Ji~Ung th.o:': F;rt",nd {he I<::'EilTling d<J.Y.blt'11:an:i. wmd-

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51

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What rf?
What if sriowballa
Wh at
W~Te

if wa ter were dry? Wh~t if parrots oould swim.

hot'!

and opposums could fly? What ff: Tea chers were kids? Doctors riever ~'1.veshots:
What if:

Cooks put the lids underneath cooking pots','

What.lf;

saying; "than k you ~ was rude. and your parents still thought you should eat baby food? lf all good llTIngs WP.TF. bad, and all bad things were ~ood, the world would be different. iL certain Iy wouJdWould you Hke it'?
Not 1-

Meanness were nice,

I'd go out of my wits, If I had to get used to all these oppoettcel

-Hde.n 11. Moor~

;W> Activity
Bctore reading, r'e... ew Inc concr.pt of opposues. i ),.'iving cl':ampl(':~ of things th ... an: the aamc and .l things LJw.L are diffr-rcrrr. Me r l"eadj.u~ invi Le ch1irtrcn to create lb.dr own ·Wha r. It'_." poems . ahmrt 11world whe-re thu1b'l; ~ thc (}PP081ce of what W~ knm .._

52

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7
"IL

Wha t is uridcr the grass, Way down in the gnJUnd. Where everything is cool and wet. With darkness all around? Uttle pink. worJ1l....<; live thef'e~ Ants and brown bug.~ creep SoHly round the strmes and

rocks

Where roots are pu~hjll.": deep.

Do they hear us walking On the graJ:l~ above their head s;

I Iear us running over Wh He they sn uggIe in thctr beds?

TT1Wd uudergnmwl 1.0 :,;~~ LJJ.e IIlHIly rnoml'L ~nt.I'L cousrruct as they go about their' wurk in Patricia I.3rennan Dr.ITlllth·!; eye-openmg nonncuon pkLu.£t: bonk ·/1wSf! Am.=ing An.t_~,1nustrated by S. D. SchJndler [MacrnillEiJl. 1!*)4J. In Mc:gan McDonald'l; lMeets Are M!J Life. iJluslratecl by PenAl UreLL Johnson tOrchaTd. 1995), Amanda t)_'<.Ulli':~.n~l~iu rernatrrs t:DIIlIIrlLL~d 1.0 Htudy1ng bllgA. thmlghller classmates tea:s;e rrer aboui. her pa=1on.

~*:BookHnks
··1·'

Seasons
Summer is hot.
Win t.er is not. Except. t.ha t. Is if you I1Vp. in a spot,
where
SUIIlITIer is cold,

I:lTId Winter

is hotl

i~: Actfvlty
t:se a glnhc: to") demonstrate Don'l: worry abuuL l.eachinK

-Hele.n 11,Moure

that wh~u it:!; wmter in t.h~ (J.S .. U:f'O mmer down in ALL:;;t.J·al..ia, an t.r.nn~ l1lIT-llemj.~pPl~n:'---f~r, fur sout h. uu. I.h~ oilier aide of tric wnrfd J:(el~ the [=-rme~t. a~ro!;!;~ Tie In to a diScushlon of uppnat 1.=. or a 80Ma i !'ItlH:tl(':!;I exploranon of environments nrourrd Lh~world.

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53

I Am an Oak
1 grew from an acorn. small;
with a tiny cap. and a Uny stemwho knew I'd grow so tall?
-He.II::n H_ MD~

I am an oak. a mighty tree,

~:W.~Activi ty
YOWl._ger children

""ill enjay acting mlt the poem with Vlvald1's "FOlIT Seasons" as background mllaic_ Older cl1lkIren can collect vartous seeds, fruit!!. or 1~a.~B from arorrrsd t:h() achool, Uslng
nature guid~. children can id.entj1'y the trees their specnnens come from. and then write riddles about their trees. Share the riddles with claaamates. Dr make a ru..llway rtddle display for other clasaes Lo ~nj cy _

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Seasons and Special Days

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Back to Schooi
and on the streets we see, h ool buse-s filled with children where ice cream trucks ahould be,
Sf"!

SUlumer's almost gone now.

-uden

! I. :\01.(}<~

iii: Activity
Th1 ~ pC"lr:m might

make a nice centerpeiee

R

for a "Wd<~Clmc B.a~k to Srl1 nnl" bulletin

board

display, or yuu could tncludc 1t 1n

back-to-school parent letter,

Pumpkin.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin. pumpkin
Big and round

Pumpkin. pumpkm all the gruund.

Wi th my Linger

smile upon Your orange face,

A

I will trace

-~~Activity .'
Cut out pumpkin shapes [rom onmgf: constructton paper, staple twu sh.a~ Logdh~ along nne aide to make a bookkt. 3 nd Invrre children 10 decornte Lhe front with a pumpkin faf:r:_ f'I;I sre a mpy of the poem Inside, Si.nc~ the puern hHSa jump-ropc-nhant rhythm. mvrre klds 10 so=t the
poem to inoverneru.,

56

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October Haiku
October mor ntng, Puns of cold brea th 1n llw corder atr.
- I Ielen II. MnoIT.

:~.*.~. Activity
DISCu:s~ the hafku forTIl With ktds, Have I.h~ wr1t~ oth er haiku about October.

Ha1loween Fright
In me starry dark ofthe autumn sky. a ghost-shaped cloud went drilling by. That cloudy ghosL looked down Lo see a boy. shaped shadow

tha t. he longed to me.

My shadow and the cloud gave each other qurte a frighl. then they shared a laugh together on a Halloween ntghr,
-HrJcll H, MOO1"e

/~.:BookHnk
Read It. [~Kcd lik~> Sp(1i MWi:. hy Charles Green Sha
\OJ

(I J ~Yp(~n:;DH1nR,

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Fa" ls Here
"'all ts here. is corning to an end.
Su rnrner's, flrnshed,
SUTIlIIler's gone. Winler's round the bend. Fal1 is piJes of CIU nchy leaves, orange, gold, and red,
A n other

year

Fall 1~ sweOl ters wtth long sleeves

and blankets on the bed.

FaU is football, Fall is pu mpklns,

Fall's where Summer ends. And Fall is coming back to school, and seeiug all ITIy friends.
-Hden H_ M{1orc

:':;~ Activity
lJ~~ thtR poem at the beginning of the school }'~ill" 1.0 welcome TduTnlng I'ltmk:nm, Stu{lcnts may also en,IOY Innov,,-ung OIl the !.ext. adding thdr own "Fall Is..;' ideas, They can perform Un:: po~ l!Iumdtng in a ctTde or a ttne, recmng tbeit' JjI~ uue aft.e~ annthcr;

Chief Seattle's Lesson

Seattle wa..~ a teacher Who tau_El;ht s how to care u
For all the llving th1n~s on Fresh water. and dean air.

earth.

"The earth does not. belong to us, ~ Creal Chief Seattle satd, "We sometimes th j n k 1 does, but we t Belong to earth. instead. ~
-IIekn H_Monrc

(fi~ Activity
Usc this poem dLLI'Inp;an autumn !;UJdy of Nat1V€;American environment, esp=1aIly aTOll mi F~ rtl1 Day, ~~~~-cultures,
01'

to spark

inL==t

in the

58

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Thanksgiving
The year Iras lurned tts crrcle, The seaSOIl3 COITIC and go_ The harves t is all gathererl in And chllly nurlli wmdes blow,
Orchards have shared their treasures, The Ilelds, tfierr yellow ¢ra1n, &J open w1dethe doorwayThank..<;~S'j_vin~ comes againt
·-AulhOT lInknmo.m

Utj"f.J'TC.' Ttu::mk;g(uir¥) hy Do1IVP11key (Schol.a.stlC, 1990). <l spoof of M[]nn~-~ Chri!,lUn8S PO("":TTI, t."lk(':s us on a school trip to FillTI~ Mal:k'R t.urkey farm. where the kids s.muMlt out, dgh l tJny goh olcn;o to save them from b~OUliIlg dirmer,

<f<

Booklin k

'Tu-'QS rhe N@ht

December Celebrations
Every

yp.ar at Just this time.

FaJIliHF.S around the world remember. With presents and with parties,
AI] gath~T to

In cold and dark December.

I'

for people old and young. So every year. around the world
In all lands and rta lions. People or all ages love December Celebrations!
-Hele..l
If, Mou~

With feas tlng and willi fun, Customs and tradi lions

e
b
0

(:J< Activity
(J~ thla nonsectanan and lradltton!'l_

poem to <H.:knm',:lcrlgc

and celebrate

the different December

h[}liciaYR

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Kwanzaa TIme Is Here

"Habart gantr" -Whars the nL"WS? What's the great occasion?
Let's pun together-v'Haramboet"

To make a celebration,
It's Kwanzaa!

Time for Unily

and Self-Detcrrn1natlont
We'U share Responsibility.

and show Cooperatton,

U's Kwanzaa!

Time for Purpose, Time for Crealiv1ty,

and Kwaru:1lli'salso time for Faith.
Tt'5

Kwanzaa! Harambeel

-Helen

H. Moore

The seven vjrl:1,l es ce lebrated dUr1n~ KWEln7.all are enumerated In the poem: ['"~ch ,>,1J.1tLe j!,l ~plw.zJa.cd dUfJ.n.il u.n~ of the tUghtts of t.hQ week 1ung f=.,,-t, Sv.'al~ili words you may v.t1.sh to farniliarl7.t'

<li)- Activity

children with before n=adtng the poem

SIT.:

.Kwan~athe seven-day Afrtcan American Hari\mbt~ '1r.t'8 pull l.u,J.!;elhc-:r" 1JaOw-t glltU- -....,ha._-~ the news?"

fe~ti"RI whose

nume means

~st

frun,s."

(~,:Booklin k
There are many oooks 0J'.l KWllIl'lnza your ~Lu(!c':nt.smay ~oy. mcludtng; MH FIrst Ku~ Soak by Deborah M _ Newton Chocolate. illu~ Lrat.c:d 1:ly Cal MI;ul!,lg [SchollSlli!. 1~92J; It's f(wWl7.Ga Timet by Unda and ChLy G0l;16 (Phllomd. 1'(195); Cek'bra!ing Xu.=a by Diarie Hoyt-Goklsrnith, with color photos by Lawrence Ml_gdaIe UloJida~. House, 1~): and SeL.-en Candl~'l; for Kwanzaa by Anrlrea Davis Pln!m.:oy, !llLL~lralt=rl hy 6rJ.an l'1nkn~ !Dial. 1~93J,

:1

60

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The Twenty-Fourth of December

n~e clock UCk~slowly, slowly In th~ hall. And slower and more !';Iowtbe kmg hours cr-awl:
It

\Vou1d never pass away; The clock ticks sfowly, s-l-o-w-I-y

seems as thou!2:htoday

in

the hall,

-----Aln:hor Unknown

\if::- Activity
The dl1Y before
11k~an hQllr_ lnV'lTp.,;(fllfl"nts

Chri!,lurl<iB ~ ju~t Que of mursy times in a kld's life that each rnrnute may "seem rn Sll~~ nthf'T Tll(lmp.ntf'Oof gn,,:u i"'lnt1~lp:'ltjon-thc day bdoIT. a
~L

b.i~lhday party. willUn~ lor

favorite ~ldpill'ellt'~

visrt, summer vacatton, and so 011,

"Gurig Hay FaL Chuyl" In Chrna, every girl and boy celebrates in a very

special \1;,..-ayWIth fireworks and dragons. colored red an d gol dThey welcome In the new year
away the old!
-H den H" Muon!

the New Year

and chase

i?f BookHnk
In Sam anti the T.rJr.klJ hfoney hy T(an:~nChinn" wir.h m lJ!rlraUonR by COTTI~liusVan Wright and

Yll~ HW~L l i u (ke & Low &OM. 1995). ~LyOw~

during Cl1im:".= l\" C":W Y['".ar_

boy

learns an nnportant lesson about charity

~~~~--, • I I~

~ ."

61

January Starts the Year

January, February. March, April. May. TIle first five months are A-OK.. June and .mly, AU6fUst, September; How many aummcrs can you remember? October, November, December's the end, Any month's a ~ood tlme to make a new friend. Flfty-two weeks or twefvc months 1n a year, As each month ends, a new one Is here. Winter and fall. summer and spr1ng. These are the seasons that each year brings. The days in a year conic to three hundred Isn't it great to be allve? eixty-five.

- Risa.J ordan

(fi.~Activity
TIUs puern provides a good oppornmrty to teach or practice the order of the months of the year. Older Idds can dtscuas why we have 1~ months and why there au: 365 days in R, year.

~~~:.

62

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Martin Luther King .Ir;

9

When Marttn Luther

His father taught h1m to be brave and true. His father was a preacher. 'and when y01.Ulg Marlin gn:w. Martin learned t.o be a preacher, too.
Martin worked for .1u sttce.
Martin worked for peace. Marlin worked so people cou ld be freeMartin had a dream llial someday

King

was just

a tiny little boy.

Childrt:n everywhere Would live In freedom and equality.

M.artln Luther King preached hts message far and wide, In Washtngton they heard his message ring. But fhere were some who didn't. want to hear what Mart1n preached. And so they shot young Martin Lu ther J{jn~,
Martin

~
i ~

worked for justice. Marttn worked for peace. Marttn worked so people could be free,

MaT1.1n ha d a drea rn that someday Chtklren everywhare Would Irvc in freedom and equ aJ11y_
-Hdt:n H. Muore

{~,~ Bookl trrk

Hmd aloud A Picrurc Book (Holiday H{lU8e. ] 9H~l_

of Manu~ Lu.lllE:'r Kfny_

Jr. by LJa vld Adler,

ill uatr-ated

by Robert CElBtila

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63

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Valentine~sDay
tsung 10 rhe tune of ~M} OSTling Clementtne"]

Take sorne paper, take some scissors. Cut a hc~rt. and then dc~fgn, \Vrtte a message in the middle: -win yuu he my Valeritmo?" Take a doily. add some cupids, P2 ste them all into a line. Gtve your dony to your uest frlerid
As, a special Valentme!

Take a JUiL'P. can. pick some flowers. Put them in ",,1th colored twine. Give your present 1.0 a loved one. And they'll be your Valentine. Take some gumdrops and some lcllfes, Add some rnui ts. six. L':igh t or nine. Make a dandy box of candy For your sweetest Vak'-nUne.

~.f<Booklinks
On Valeriunea Day. I[)ncly f<J.Ct.my worker Mr, Jiakh re~~hT.50 a huJ§l~hox of [~R.ndy frum an Anonymous adnnrcr .~n.J eh.'l,t"q!;~:!; it hj~ 1[f", in Somcbud~.J r-m:o.s You. MI~ l1a~h, a hearrwarmlng tale f..,y E1]eeu Spinelli. illll~uakd hy Paul Yalov>'!l;,:, (Rn~db1.Uy" 1991). Along willi the lli~e vstenL[n~ poezna (}Ill)e~l [)01l1pO~t:!; fm· the kids In ld!-; ~l~ss, he wrrtes two that arc not :;;0 ntoe 1n Dlau~ d~ Gru<Lt'a R[)$8:; Am P[,tk, YOW" Feet ReQr1b1 SUnk tM.urnlw, I9~tlJ"

~I

._

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- I. I ~~

Flowers

cards

arid csmdy. On Valcrittnc'a they're daridyt . -He-len H,

Day,

MOOl"e

T(,".'l.Chhtklrcn how t.o rmt, nut. a h~~~T1. roldtng a paper in hill.f suid vulliIl.g on the curve, Then c by make valentines wilh messages of gifts YOu giVe t.-. p.~(':hm.llP.T, sllC':has help with .hDmework. a hug. !,lhar1n~ a bnuk t.ogt=l.heT_ Older ~.tut!t:I!l.!s IU~hL eJ..l,joy putnng men- valentines U1 a box, to be delivered on Valentine's Day, Or Is there a .place 1n yQlll:" +own, such = ~ nUnlin~ home O~ ct hospital. i..hal would eJ"~{Jy reeei virJ.g words of w:acm Lh'?

::.~.: c+lvl+v A

Poem for President·s Month

If 1 WF.r~ pTF.S1dF.nt. th ts is what I'd do~ ld cornbtrie Lincoln's thinking with all that Je ffers an knew.
were presi den tand thfs I know for surer d mix the courage of Roosevelt with all that Jimmy carter felt.

If I

Yes, if Thad

t.hat Job T know I'd t.TYto be ltke :=:IIIhp. r.ann¢ prf'::;<;1c1E':nt~<; t

in Arnertca'a

hbtmyt
-Helen H_ Moore

::~,:. BookHnks
Read aloud &lith KLLn.h...-u'drs Honest Abe fGreenWlllov;, 1993}, a simply rold htClgt"."Iphy, wtrh hug~. dC':T."Itkfl, N'llort"lll gmr~cl1~. prtmrnvc folk lirt-!il.yl.~~ pHinUng~ M~~'Hh Z~Wi~_ .Jarues

CroSlS'S Giblin':;; GE.-oIg~ Wushirl.4lOli.; A Pictur«: &ok BiOgraphy (Sc:ho1astic. 1992), wJtl1 mastcrtul pain Ling~ hy Mkh~cl D()oltng. i!,l an engrosstng in troduction 1..0 U!~ Ilfe of U LLr JJ.r.~ l prestdesu.,

uy

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And young Geor~e

Between just

Everybody knows the story of the cherry 1.reeHis father asked. 'Who ClJ t this down T
answered,
n d you"

"Met"

Now that's a pretty sfory, but I don't think Goor~e would like It, 'cau.se.

men

It's probably not truer

There are a lot of other t.hjn~"l George Washington
Uk.e Yet whal do we remember?

making maps, and farming, and he was a soldier, toot He was our country's president, t.he very (]nil we had.
That old tree of George's dad!
-UeJen
II. Moore

did do:

Mr. Lincoln
You know ML Lincoln-eno fancy clothes for hiTTI: A stovepipe ha t. a wrinkled coal.
and whtskers on his chin.

You know Mr. Lincolnhis face Is on t.he penny. In life, that far-e was lined ,,",:iUI are, c for troubles, he had many.

That brave

MT.

Lincoln

said slavery 'OVa s wrong. lIe led us through the Ctvil War. and kept our cou n try strong.
1hat

humble Mr.

Lincoln,

bad in him something ,wandthat helped htrn rise from poverty to lead our mi~hty land.
-H~kn H. :I.o\oon=

66

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