Bear Mini-Unit

Grade Level: Kindergarten
Teacher of Lesson: Rebekah Calhoun
Approximate Time: 35 minutes

Objectives:

1. Students will recall from a previous story that bears sleep during the winter.	Knowledge
2. Students will repeat the phrases of a song about bear hibernation after hearing the teacher model the song phrases.	Knowledge
3. Students will lead the song while other students follow after hearing the teacher lead the song.	Application
4. Students will identify steps of hibernation as the teacher holds up the sequencing cards after hearing stories that discuss hibernation.	Application
5. Students will reconstruct the hibernation sequence by placing the steps in order at their seats.	Synthesis

Materials:

1. Book--How Do Bears Sleep?, by E.J. Bird
2. 25 Copies of Hibernation Sequencing page (from CTP Bear Theme Unit book, page 26)
3. 25 Long strips of construction paper
4. Glue for teacher
5. Crayons and scissors for each student
6. Lesson Plan (including words to "Bear is Sleeping" song)

Procedure:

1. Call children to the rug area.
2. Ask the children if they remember from the story this morning what bears do in the winter. When they say sleep, explain that bears eat a lot of food and then they sleep during the winter. Tell them that we will learn a song about that today.
3. Teach children "Bear is Sleeping" song by singing one line at a time and asking them to repeat it. Sing all the way through three times.

   Bear is Sleeping (to the tune of "Frere Jacques")
   Bear is sleeping. Bear is sleeping
   Let it snow! Let it snow!
   Sleeping all the winter, sleeping all the winter
   Snug and warm, snug and warm.

4. Divide children into two groups. Let one group lead the song and the other repeat each phrase. Switch the group roles and sing again.
5. Read How Do Bears Sleep? (This book talks about a bear going to sleep in the winter. The author asks questions about how the bear sleeps.)
6. Put the hibernation sequencing cards that I have already colored and cut on the easel. Hold up each card and ask the children what they think the bear is doing in each picture.
7. Ask the children what the bear would do first when getting ready for winter. Place that card first on the easel. Do the same for the second, third, and fourth steps. (the order is eat food, find a place to sleep, sleep during the winter, and come out in the spring)
8. Have four children come up to the front of the rug area. Pass out the sequencing cards to them. Tell them to stand in order. Ask the seated children to put thumbs up if they are in order and thumbs down if they are not. Review the order.
9. Let other groups of four children come up at a time until all the children have had a chance to hold the sequencing cards.
10. Tell the children that they have their own cards at their tables. Tell them to color and cut the cards and then place them in order at their seat. Tell them to raise their hand so a teacher can check the order and glue the pieces onto a strip of construction paper.
11. Release children by table numbers.
12. Assist the children with their hibernation sequencing strips. When coming upon children who have the order wrong, ask them to explain what happens in each picture. Then ask the children what order would make sense.
13. Have the children place the strips on the back counter and clean up.

Evaluation of student learning:

1. Were the students able to recall from this morningsís story that bears sleep during the winter?
2. Were the students able to repeat phrases of the song when I sang them?
3. Were the students able to take the roles of leading and following when singing the song in two groups?
4. Were the students able to tell what the bears were doing in each hibernation sequence picture? Were the students able to tell me the order of the hibernation sequence pictures after listening to the bear stories?
5. Were the students able to reconstruct the hibernation sequence at their seats by placing the pictures in the correct order?

References:

Bird, E.J. How Do Bears Sleep? Minneapolis, Minnesota: Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1990.

Henry, Lucia Kemp. "Black Bearn's Winter." MAILBOX. Pre/K, Dec/Jan, 1994-95, p. 19. (SONG)

Bear Theme Unit Book. Cypress, California: Creative Teaching Press, Inc., 1990, p. 26. (SEQUENCING CARDS)