Category Archives: Class Visits

Animal Habitats – Kindergarten Grade Class Visit

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Last we had a visit from 2 Kindergarten classes wanting a library visit to go along with what they were currently learning about — animal habitats.  Here’s what I put together.

MOVEMENT: My Wiggles*

BOOK:

Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats by Il Sung Na

MOVEMENT: Hi, My Name is Jo*

BOOK:

Looking Closely in the Rain Forest by Frank Serafinia

MOVEMENT: “Shake My Sillies Out” from More Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi

MOVEMENT: Grandma’s Spectacles*

BOOK:

Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton

VIDEO:
 
“Over in the Meadow” from The Wheels on the Bus…and More Magical Stories. Based on the book by John Langstaff, with illustrations by Feodor Rojankovsky

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

 

Book: Listen to Our World by Bill Martin Jr & Michael Sampson, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Book: Over in the Grasslands On an African Savanna by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Jill Dubin
Book: Where To, Little Wombat? by Charles Fuge
Book: In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
DVD: “In the Small, Small Pond” from Antarctic Antics …and More Hilarious Animal Stories
Books: Looking Closely series by Frank Serafini

HOW IT WENT:

At first I was a little hesitant about the theme, but as I started looking around for books on the topic I warmed up to it.  I used Welcome Home, Bear first, because it focused on a lot of different habitats, then for the rest of the storytime I focused in on single ones: the rainforest, the forest, and the meadow.

The kids LOVED Looking Closely in the Rainforest and had a lot of fun guessing what things were.  I just read the large type on these, and not every detail about the animals/plants, etc.  I would use these again.

The video wasn’t the best choice, I think the kids may have been a little bored with it.

ATTENDANCE: First Group: 32       Second Group: 34   (adults and children)

PRESENTED: Wednesday, October 18

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my
A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Fun With Words – 4th Grade Class Visit

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I did this class visit a while back, but I thought I would add it to the blog just to remind me what I did.  I always have trouble thinking I what to do for the older grades, but for this one I thought it would be fun to have fun with words.  Originally I was thinking about including something about where words have come from (my linguistic undergrad roots are showing…), but it morphed into this presentation.

BOOK:

13 Words by Lemony Snicket illustrated by Maira Kalman

BOOK:

Yum! Yuck! A Foldout Book of People Sounds by Linda Sue Park and Julia Durango. Illustrated by Sue Rama

We started this one off with a discussion of what different languages everyone in the room spoke.  Then we played it as a guessing game to see what all these words translated to in English.

ACTIVITY:

Happily Ever After Mad Libs by Roger Price & Leonard Stern.

We played Mad Libs for a few rounds.  I gave kids the option of watching a short movie, but they voted on playing more madlibs.  To extend the life of my Mad Libs, I actually made copies of the pages and filled in the copies as we played.  Then I gave those to the teacher so she could take their stories home.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
  
Book: Mung-Mung: A Foldout Book of Animal Sounds by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Diane Bigda
Book: I Scream Ice Cream: A Book of Wordles by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Serge Bloch
DVD: “Max’s Words” from Pete’s A Pizza .. and more great kid stories

Soup – Class Visits (School M)

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Because I am doing infant/toddler storytime this session, my class visit day has switched!  You’ll see that reflected in the different grades here from my first Class Visits (School M) post.

I had so much fun with my preschool soup storytime, that I decided to continue the theme in these class visits.  I know you all are probably getting tired of seeing soup posts, so this will be my last one.  At least until next January.

Kindergarten
BOOK:

The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

PROP STORY:
Soup Pot with Food 2 Soup Pot with Food 3
There were too many children in this class to pass out the veggies like I did for preschool storytime, so instead we sang this identifying song and I held up the plush toys one at a time.

Open the Fridge
(to the tune of “London Bridge”)
Open the fridge, what’s inside?
What’s inside?
What’s inside?
Open the fridge, what’s inside?
Here’s some _________.
(Have kids fill in the blank with the name of the veggie you are holding up.)

Cook them in a big soup pot,
Big soup pot,
Big soup pot.
Cook them in a big soup pot
Love that soup!

BOOK:

Carrot Soup by John Segal

FINGERPLAY:
Pea Soup
(hold hand up with all five fingers extended)
1 little pea jumped into the pot (fold one finger down)
And waited for the soup to get hot.
2 little peas jumped into the pot (fold one finger down)
And waited for the soup to get hot.
3 little peas jumped into the pot (fold one finger down)
And waited for the soup to get hot.
4 little peas jumped into the pot (fold one finger down)
And waited for the soup to get hot.
5 little peas jumped into the pot (fold one finger down)
And waited for the soup to get hot.
Finally the soup got so very hot
All the little peas jumped out of the pot. (quickly open hand and extend all fingers.)

ROUND THE ROOM: Asked all the kids to share their favorite soup

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ATTENDANCE: 25 people

1st Grade
BOOK:

The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

FLANNELBOARD:
Soup from a Nail
Soup from a Nail Flannelboard 1 Soup from a Nail Flannelboard 2
Template and Story from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra

BOOK:

Chicken Soup by Jean Van Leeuwen

ATTENDANCE: 24 people

2nd Grade
BOOK:

Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh

FLANNELBOARD:
Soup from a Nail
Soup from a Nail Flannelboard 1 Soup from a Nail Flannelboard 2
Template and Story from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra

BOOK:

The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

ATTENDANCE: 25 people

3rd Grade
BOOK:

Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh

FLANNELBOARD:
Soup from a Nail
Soup from a Nail Flannelboard 1 Soup from a Nail Flannelboard 2
Template and Story from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra

ATTENDANCE: 31 people

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

BOOK: Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
BOOK: Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
BOOK: Soup Day by Melissa Iwai
BOOK: Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak (in the Big Book version)

HOW IT WENT:
Pretty well.  The 1st and 3rd grades showed up a little late, which is why their list of activities is shorter than the other grades. I’ve gotta say, planning for all these different age groups in one visit can be a little difficult.  I think I’m still learning how most effectively to do that.  Anyone have any helpful tips?

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page