Spring Lesson Plans Theme Unit and Activities

The video below demonstrates how the emergent readers within the theme unit introduce the concept of the changes that take place in "Spring", as well as, how they are used to teach beginning reading skills.

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Shared Reading - Using the Emergent Readers

The pictures would be placed in a pocket chart with the text written beside them for all the children to view as a shared reading experience.

Follow-up Activity - Emergent Reader One - Mouse's First Spring

This reader is a simple retelling of the book Mouse's First Spring. It introduces the concept of the changes that occur in the Spring season. There are two versions of the reader. In version one, the children are required to draw the pictures using the ones on the page for a reference. In version two the pictures are displayed and there is no interactive component.

Photographs

In the theme unit you will find photographs of what Little Mouse saw during his first Spring experience. These can be placed in the pocket chart OR the pictures from the emergent reader can also be used. These are good to use for discussion purposes.

Follow-up Activity - Emergent Reader Two - The Sounds of Spring - This reader introduces the sounds that would be heard during the Spring season. The children will be experimenting with sound in the Science Center after.

Follow-up Activity - Emergent Reader Three - Goodbye Winter - This reader also introduces children to the changes that occur in Spring. The story line is simple and predictable making it a great story for shared reading.

Preschool and Kindergarten Centers

Preschool and Kindergarten Games

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Centers for Literacy - Seasonal Sorting Game

The seasonal sorting cards would be used for activities related to introducing the children to the concept of changes that take place in the Spring season. These could be used in the Literacy Center or Math Center. All the cards would be placed upside-down. Each time they draw a picture representing the Spring season, this would be placed on the sorting mat. The first person to have their sorting mat completed would be the winner.

Rhyming Card Game

There is a total of 36 rhyming picture pairs as displayed in the photograph above. These would be used to introduce the concept of rhyme. After, the children have gained an understanding of this concept, the cards could be placed in the Literacy Center for the children to play matching games on their own.

Rhyming Bingo

The rhyming picture boards could be used to play "Rhyming Bingo" outlined in the "Suggested Centers and Craft Templates" link on page 22.

Preschool and Kindergarten Writing Center

This activity makes a great Spring bulletin board craft and writing display. The bunny would be cut and assembled as displayed in the photograph. The children can complete the writing template by telling what they like about Spring. A blank template is also available to create a different writing composition.

Preschool and Kindergarten Math

In this theme unit the children will be working with 2-D shapes, sorting and counting seeds. The children will be completing activities related to identifying shapes.

Paper Plate Shape Sun (Circle and Triangles)

The paper plate would be painted yellow and the triangle templates would be traced on orange construction paper, cut and glued to the paper plate.

All the templates are found in the theme unit.

Shape Umbrella

The umbrella could be painted/colored or copied on colored paper. The children would cut the shapes and glue them on the dotted lines on the umbrella as displayed in the photograph.

Tangram Puzzle

Children can cut the tangram puzzle pieces to make an interesting design using shapes.

The Tangram Puzzle is found on page 34 in the "Suggested Centers" link.

Preschool and Kindergarten Crafts and Literacy Connections

The story Mouse's First Spring by Lauren Thompson is a great introduction to the Spring theme and the changes that occur during this season.

Mouse Puppet Follow-up Craft Activity

As a follow-up to reading the book the children could make a paper bag puppet pretending to be the mouse in the story and discussing what was seen.

The story It's Spring by Linda Glaser could also be read to the children to reinforce what they previously learned about the signs of Spring.

Craft Tips - Prevent Paper From Curling When Painting

Place painter's masking tape around the paper on a piece of cardboard. The tape can be peeled off when the picture is dry. The white border remaining can stay as an accent piece or can be cut. This prevents the picture from curling.

Pussy Willow and Vase Art Follow-up Activity

The paper would be taped down on cardboard using painter's masking tape to prevent curling. The background is painted blue. The vase would be traced on colored paper and cut. The pussy willow stalks would be painted in relation to fitting in the vase. The vase would be glued down accordingly. The pussy willows would be painted on using Q-tips.

The story Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn M. Branley would be read to the children to help them understand why we have seasonal changes.

Spring Tree Craft Follow-up Activity

The tree trunk would be colored brown, the sky and grass would be painted. Red, pink and white tissue paper would be torn and scrunched and added to the tree.

All craft templates are found in the theme unit.

Dressing for the Seasons

The book Who Likes the Rain by Wong Herert Yee would be read to the children and a discussion would take place about what activities they like to do in the rain. The craft activities outlined below would be used as a follow-up.

Version 1

The children color or paint the clothes on the body. The body is cut (this would likely require adult intervention). The child's head shot would be cut and added (this would require cropping the photograph to fit the body). The children would color and cut the umbrella and the rain hat; these would be added to complete the project.

Version 2

The children would color the clothes on the body. They would add facial features (eyes, nose and mouth). After, the body would be cut. The children would color and cut the umbrella and rain hat; these would complete the project.

Duck and Umbrella Craft

The duck and umbrella would be colored or painted, cut and assembled as shown in the photograph.

Preschool and Kindergarten Crafts About Beautifying the World

The story Rose's Garden by Peter Reynolds is a story about dreams and perseverance, resilience and faith. It teaches the children the power of dreams. In the story a character named Rose travels the world in a fantastic teapot, creating gardens in neglected cityscapes.

Follow-up Craft - Teapot Garden

The children will create their own teapot garden using the templates provided. The children would decorate and cut out the teapot. Using the flower templates provided, they could trace these on construction paper, cut, assemble and add them to the teapot as shown in the photograph.

Beautifying the City Art

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is a magical story about a young boy and how he pursues his dream of beautifying the world, one step and one person at a time. The little boy inspires a city full of people to transform their drab environment into a lush garden.

Follow-up Craft Activity

Children will create their own cityscape garden as viewed in the photograph. The paper would be held down by using painter's masking tape. The children would paint the skyline blue and ground green for grass. After they would paint the outline of the buildings black. Tissue paper would be torn and scrunched representing flowers.

The book A Nest Full of Eggs by Priscilla Belz Jenkins is a Science related book that explains about the lifecycle of a robin.

Follow-up Craft - Nest Full of Eggs Craft

Children would draw the eggs in the nest, color and paint the background.

Spring Bird Craft

The bird would be painted and cut. After craft feathers would be glued on.

All templates to complete the activities are found in the "Seasons" theme book or in the member's area.

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