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Teaching the the concept of shapes can be most effectively done by introducing this within the different theme units. This min-theme will provide you with the templates and suggestions for introducing shapes in the different theme units provided.

Zoo Theme Shapes

After reading the book "Good Night Gorilla" by Peggy Rathmann the emergent reader "Zoo Animal Shapes" can be displayed and used as a shared reading experience. The pictures can be placed in a predictable chart and the words written beside them or the pages displayed on an overhead or smartboard. Children will have fun discovering the different zoo animals and their related shapes.

Sample Page from the Emergent Reader

Zoo Craft Shapes

Children will enjoy completing the crafts shown below with the focus on the shapes used to complete these zoo animals. These animals are all mentioned in the book "Good Night Gorilla".

Elephant with a Rectangle Trunk

Children can paint, cut and assemble the elephant template. The rectangle trunk would be cut and glued on. Note: In the photograph the trunk was painted on both sides and then rolled up to give it more of a trunk-like appearance.

Giraffe and a Heart-Shaped Face

Children will paint the templates as shown in the photograph. After the templates would be cut, assembled and glued accordingly.

Circle-Faced Lion

The children would paint the lion templates. The templates would be cut, assembled and glued accordingly. Brown yarn or paper shred that is used for decorating gift baskets was glued on around the mane.

Square-Faced Gorilla

The children would paint and cut the square-faced gorilla template. After,square pieces of black tissue paper would be scrunched and added around the face to represent the gorilla's fur.

Monkey With and Oval-Shaped Body

The children would paint, cut and assemble the monkey body parts found in the link below. This project could be completed after reading the emergent reader "Five Little Monkeys" also found in the link below

Picture Version of Reading Selection

Triangle-Shaped Armadillo

Again, the armadillo would be painted, cut and assembled. After, the other facial features would be added.

Transportation Theme Shapes

The "Little Engine That Could" Activity

After reading the book "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper and written by Richard Walz, the simple story retelling of the book can be used as a shared reading experience. The emergent reader "Story Retelling of the Little Engine That Could" can be made into a big book using the enlarged pictures, predictable chart, projected on an overhead or smartboard to use a shared reading experience. This would be followed-up by making the shape train displayed in the photograph.

Sample Page from the Reader

Big Book Sample Page - Color Version

Shape Train

Directions for the Craft

The square face could be copied on blue cardstock or paper and cut. The other shapes could be colored, cut and added to the face to make the train as displayed in the photograph to the right.

Shape Bus

The bus could be copied onto colored paper as shown in the photograph. The shapes could be colored on another color of paper. The children would cut the shapes and glue them to the dotted lines displayed on the bus.

Weather Theme Shapes

Included in the theme unit you will find color and black and white food pictures. These could be cut and added to the shapes that match as displayed in the photograph.

Oval Shape

The focus math concept for this theme is shapes and learning about the calendar. This concept is integrated into learning about the weather. After reading the emergent reader "Cool Clouds" and singing the song the children will be introduced to the oval shape. They will be turning the oval shape into a cool cloud like displayed in the photograph.

Circle and Triangle Shapes - Simple Snowflake for Cold/Cool Weather

After working with ice cubes and thermometers from the lesson plan, the children will be making a snowflake to represent cold/cool temperatures. The circle would be cut with pinking shears and the triangles colored blue to make a simple snowflake.

Star and Circle Shape - Sun for Hot/Warm Weather

After doing a simple experiment outlined in the lesson plan introducing the concept of hot and warm, the children will be introduced to the star and circle shape (review). They will make a sun similar to the one displayed in the photograph for hot/warm temperatures.

Rectangle and Square Shapes - Rainy Weather

The children will color or paint the umbrella and cut it out. After, the shapes would be colored and cut and added to the dotted lines on the umbrella. Prior to this, the children would have been introduced to the rectangle and square shapes. They would have also done the rain experiment that is outlined in the lesson plan.

Diamond Shape Kite - Windy Weather

After, the children experiment with wind (from the lesson plan) they will be introduced to the diamond shape for kite. The children will be blowing through a straw to spread the paint on their kite (pretending to be the wind). After, colored diamond shapes would be added to the kite and crepe paper for the tail.

Food Shapes

Included in the theme unit you will find color and black and white food pictures. These could be cut and added to the shapes that match as displayed in the photograph.