Fictional Bears vs. Real Bears

One of the strong impulses of the Common Core Standards is the use of non-fiction reading.  When I work with the fairy tales like the Three Bears - I think it is a wonderful opportunity to compare real bears vs. the three bears.  We research bears by reading non-fiction books from the school library.  This integrates science into the curriculum in such a powerful way.

We make two habitats:  Real bears and The Three Bear's home out of paper bags


These sweet paper bag houses are from www.charlottesfancy.com.

Each child will make a Three Bear's house. To make the paper bag houses:

• Fill the lunch bags with newspaper. 
• Fold down the top.
• Pick a scrapbook or construction paper for roof.
• Fold over top and staple.
• Cut out windows, doors and other details from various papers.
• Use markers and crayons to add features.

How to make paper bag bear habitats:

• Method One: Teacher Prepared
• Method Two: Child made

We discuss the life cycle of the brown bear and important facts.  Again, to translate what we discuss and create - I provide a graph to document the children's understandings of fictional and real bears:


Click on graph to download both papers.



Another way of looking at the differences between real and fictional bears is with a sentence graph:


Click to download graph.
 
I like to put this on the smart board and fill it out with the class.  I use these graphs all year long. ( I eventually have the children writing sentences from them in the second semester. )   I read each sentence out loud after we are done filling it out.  ""Bears can hunt.  Bears can climb." etc.

Here is an example of one filled out:



I will fill the same graph out with the three bears to compare the differences.



Here is another little poster I made to help discuss the differences between real bears and their lives and the Three Bears fairy tale.

3-D Paper Habitats 101 - Part 1

There are three basic 3-dimensional techniques to have in your teaching toolbox.  These three habitat basics can be used to have children demonstrate their understandings of current science studies or character settings. Over the next week, I am going to share how to make these habitats.  On Friday I will cover how they can fulfill Common Core Standards.  Stay tuned for a rocking week!

Today I am going to show you how to make a basic paper bag tree.

 Begin with an open bag.  I glue it down on a paper plate for kindergarten.  Older grades will not need this support.

 Have the children cut half way down the bag to make the branches.  Tell the children to use their pinkies to measure how far apart to make the cuts.

 Next, twist the bottom of the bag to form the trunk.

 Twist each branch.  Older children can stop just before the end and cut the end into two more branches.

 Twist those two ends on each branch.

 Older grades, twist the bottom corners for roots.

 Glue to paper plate or other surface to begin creating habitat.  

Go ahead and grab a brown bag and try to make one!  If you have any questions - let me know because you will not want to miss tomorrow when I will show you how to make the four seasons with these trees!

Tuesday I will show you how to make animal habitats in these trees.  

Oh, how the possibilities are endless!!!!!

Make a Panda Bear Habitat

During our China unit we study the panda bear and learn a bit about it's life cycle.  The children love seeing the newborn panda photos - so pink and appears hairless!  I think it is important to have the children create the habitat of the animal we are studying.  It brings multiple sensory learning which gives ownership to the knowledge they have.  It is also a great demonstration of what they have learned.  Finally, it gives a tool of conversation at home - that they can show the family and tell them what they have learned!

A finished Panda Bear habitat!

What you will need:   green cardstock for the base, bright green copy paper for the bamboo trees (8 1/2" by 11" cut in half), blue paper for water, and black line images of panda bears (I googled for images).

Step One:  Roll the bright green paper to form a tube.  Secure with tape.

Step Two:  Make tabs to glue the tube down.  Cut fringe-like cut at the top to give a tree look. 

Step Three:  Secure the tree down by applying the glue to the bottom of the tabs.  You can also tape the tabs.

Step Four: Press the tabs to bond to glue to the base.

 

Step Five:  Panda Bears live in a forest of bamboo trees.  Make lots of trees!!

Fun fact:  Panda Bears eat bamboo and can spend over 10 hours a day eating!  Quick!  Make more trees!

Step Six:   Add water or any other details you would like!  Cut out a family of panda bears.  Done!

Hibernating Bear Dens

Art is such a powerful way for children to own information.  In science when we learn about an animal I try to find a way for the children to recreate that animal's "habitat."  

I read and talked about some of the facts about the hibernating bears.  The children love creating these habitats.   It is a powerful way for children to talk about what they have learned.  They can also "play" with the habitats and re-enact what that animal does!

To make the paper sack den cut off 2 1/2 to 3 inches of the brown bag.

Cut a hole at the bottom of the bag.  This is the entry into the den.

Fold the top over and glue (or tape).

This is the most important step!  Press the top down to flatten the top.  Then put your fingers inside the den and push the sides out a bit.  This gives it that den feeling!

I let the children use their own drawing to make the bears, cubs, fish, or whatever else they decide to include.

One student's bear.

The last step is to paint with snow!  To make snow paint - squirt shaving cream into a cup.  Squeeze a good dollop of glue into the cup, a small dollop of white paint and stir. 

Apply snow where desired!