This giraffe craft is an engaging extension to Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees, a beautifully illustrated rhyming tale about a giraffe named Gerald. Gerald is clumsy with spindly legs and crooked knees.
At the Jungle Dance, the warthogs start to waltz, the rhinos rock ‘n’ roll, and the lions dance a tango that is elegant and bold. As Gerald approaches the dance floor, he is teased and laughed at by the other animals. They tell him, “Giraffes can’t dance!”
Humiliated, Gerald creeps off toward home. Along the way, he meets a wise and gentle cricket who encourages him to listen to the music around him: the swaying grass and trees and the branches in the breeze. Suddenly, the giraffe begins to dance the most beautiful dance. The other animals quickly gather around him, entranced by his moves. Gerald proves that it’s okay to be different, and that anybody can dance – they just need their own sweet tune.
Provide each child with a giraffe (older students should be encouraged to cut out there own). Learners will uses their fine motor skills to tear small pieces of brown construction paper, and to cut small pieces of yarn and pipe cleaner. Children will then practice their spatial reasoning skills by placing the torn paper within the allotted space on their giraffes. Finally, they will glue the spots, eyes, tail, and horns. Supply crayons and/or markers, so extra details may be added.
During this activity, make it a point to facilitate discussion about the book’s message, and to have some fun with rhyming (e.g. What rhymes with giraffe?).
A young boy named Jack verbally designs his ultimate dream car.
Inspired by zeppelins, Cadillacs, trains, old planes, and the infamous Weinermobile, Jack crafts a spiffy sedan of the future. Composed of shiny chrome and vibrant colors, no detail or amenity has been forgotten; the car has a snack bar, a fish tank, a fireplace, and even a pool!
With Robert the Robot at the controls, it’s time for a test drive! This whimsical creation of the future has the capability of traveling on land, in the air, and on and under the sea.
If I Built a Car car, with it’s 50s retro style illustrations and concepts of science fiction/fantasy, rhyming, and new vocabulary, fosters imagination.
After reading the story, have your students brainstorm some design ideas of their own. Provide learners with this writing prompt and ask them what they would do if they built a car. Older children may want to copy and/or write their own words. Have younger learners dictate to you, and repeat each word slowly as they watch you write it out onto the sheet. Encourage all students to draw a picture of their story in the space provided.
Vroom! Vroom! This Transportation Math and Literacy packet is sure to get those little brains revved up. It contains 12 worksheets and 4 learning center activities that strengthen the following skills:
– Counting
– One-to-one correspondence
– Classification
– Number recognition
– Number order
– Addition to six
– Set recognition
– Graphing
– Number formation
– Ordinal concepts
– Size comparison
– Language/dictation
– Upper and lowercase letter recognition
– Beginning sound recognition
– Ending sound recognition
– Phonological and phonemic awareness
– Fine motor
– Following directions
Print this activity out on cardstock (laminate for heavy use). Students will name each picture card and clap and count each word part. They will then place the card on the appropriate train, e.g., gir-affe/train #2.
DINER DASH – RACE TO THE TOP (COLOR 1 SHEET & 6 POCKET CUBE/DIE CARDS/B&W 1 SHEET & 6 POCKET CUBE/DIE CARDS)
Print this activity out on cardstock (laminate for heavy use). Cut out the cards and insert them into a pocket cube/die. Provide pom poms, vase gems, mini erasers or some other manipulative for children to use as markers. For individual use, the child will roll the cube/die, identify the picture, and place a marker in the appropriate column. Repeat until a column is full to the top; that vehicle wins. In small group, provide each child with his/her own sheet. Children will take turns rolling, marking their own roll. First person to fill a column to the top wins the Diner Dash! Encourage learners to take a good look at their graphs, and discuss which of their vehicles came in first, second, and so on.
TRANSPORTATION NUMBER PUZZLES (COLOR 3/B&W 3)
Print these out on cardstock (laminate for heavy use), and cut the puzzles into strips. Students will complete the puzzles (school bus, airplane, and submarine) by placing the pieces in numerical order.
ALPHABET TRAIN – LETTER-SOUND ASSOCIATION PUZZLES (COLOR 26/B&W 26)
Print these cards out on cardstock (laminate for heavy use). Cut the puzzles in half. Students will say the picture name and work to match it with its beginning letter.
WORKSHEETS (B&W 12)
This Transportation Math and Literacy packet also contains 12 worksheets. Included in that number is a writing prompt to go along with the book If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen. You can read more about this book and activity here.
We're Gigi and Zoey. We teach a two-year program (preschool and pre-k), and we're passionate about Early Childhood Education and the philosophy that children learn through play. Our goal is to prepare children for kindergarten while making learning fun.
We hope that our resources inspire you, and that you will share them with your little ones.
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by Chris Van Dusen.
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