To begin this week we have been talking about fish. In February we learned about ocean animals, and in March we will talk about ponds. Fish live in both of these habitats. As an introduction to ponds we made a KWL chart that began by asking the children what they know about ponds. The children only listed that ponds have water and they have fish. Fortunately, there is a lot more to learn.
Two of our favorite read alouds have been The Rainbow Fish and Pout, Pout Fish. Before I read the story The Rainbow Fish I gave each child a shiny scale. They then listened to the story. Shining from Rainbow Fish's multicolored body are several shimmering silver scales. All the other fish in the ocean admire him and want to play, but Rainbow Fish is too proud to play with them; nor will he share his sparkling scales. Alone and friendless, Rainbow Fish soon learns that generosity is far more rewarding than keeping everything for yourself. After the story the children shared their shiny scale with a friend, as a way to take what they learned and pay it forward.
At centers the children made a Rainbow Fish of their own. They cut out its body. They put their hand in a bubble wrap glove and painted their fish to look like it had scales. Lastly, they put on the scale that their friend gave them. At my center the children fished for rhyming words. When they caught a fish they looked at the picture on it. They then matched it to the picture it rhymed with on their recording sheet. At an independent center the children used pattern blocks to make pond animal puzzles. At the last center the children were given a cup of fish. They spilled them onto a pond. They then arranged them in numerical order. Lastly, they practiced writing numbers on dry erase boards.
What fun activities! And I'm glad your class enjoyed hearing the story of The Pout-Pout Fish.
ReplyDeleteBest Fishes to you and your students,
Debbie Diesen (author of The Pout-Pout Fish)