BCP DRAFT LIT 85
Kindergarten - Literature - March - Overview
The literature lessons for March all tie in with other parts of the kindergarten curriculum. The teacher should note the suggestions made concerning when to teach specific lessons.
Please note: the saying It's raining cats and dogs is included in Science Lesson 32, the poem Star Light, Star Bright is included in Music Lesson 21, and the poem Rain is included in the Art/Craft Lesson.
A list of Japanese and Chinese folktales appropriate for reading aloud is included in the
Literature Lesson Momotaro: Peach Boy. You may wish to consult this list prior to the lesson if
you are planning to read other Japanese and Chinese folktales.
Literature Lesson Poetry - Teach after Science Lesson 32
Literature Lesson Momotaro: Peach Boy - Teach after History/Geography Lessons 21-23
Literature Lesson The Bremen Town Musicians - Teach after History/Geography Lesson 24
Literature Lesson The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids - Teach after History/Geography Lesson 24
BCP DRAFT LIT 86
Kindergarten - Literature - Poetry
Objectives
Listen and respond to poems about rain.
Develop oral language.
Experiment with sounds.
Materials
Text to the poems (printed below)
Three water glasses
A pitcher of water
A metal rod (an ink pen works fine)
Teacher Note
Teach this lesson as a follow up to Science Lesson 32. See also the Art/Craft Lesson.
Procedure
Say: We have been learning about different kinds of weather in our science lessons. Today we are going to learn some poems about rain. Ask: Do you remember what clouds are made of? (Science Lesson 31- -Clouds are made up of very tiny drops of water. ) Say: What happens when the cloud becomes full of tiny water drops? (The drops fall from the clouds as rain.)
Say: Let's name some rainy day word sounds. (Allow children to respond. Possible words might be drip, drop, pitter, patter, splish, splash, crash, bang, etc.)
Chant some of these sounds over and over. Allow children to join in. Encourage children to feel the different rhythms of the words.
Add body sounds to the words. Snap your fingers for "drip, drop." Pat your thighs for "pitter, patter," accentuate the "sp" sound on "splish, splash." Clap hands and stamp feet for "crash, bang."
Teach children the familiar chants Rain, Rain, Go Away and It's Raining, It's Pouring.
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Rain, Rain, go away,
Come again another day.
It's Raining, It's Pouring
It's raining, it's pouring,
The old man is snoring.
He bumped his head
And went to bed,
And he couldn't get up in the morning.
Note for teacher: It would be wise to experiment with achieving these tones prior to the lesson. Set out the three water glasses. Add water to each glass until you have matched the three
tones in these chants. Play the chants on the water glasses by tapping the edge of the glasses
with a metal rod (an ink pen works fine). The children may add to the music by making the body
sounds developed above. Assign part of the class to play the part of drip-drop and pitter-patter,
BCP DRAFT LIT 87
Kindergarten - Literature - Poetry
another group to splish-splash, and the last group to crash, bang. Encourage the children to keep
the same beat as the water glass tones.
BCP DRAFT LIT 88
Kindergarten - Literature - Momotaro: Peach Boy
Objectives
Review the continent of Asia and the country of Japan.
Listen to the story for enjoyment.
Materials
One of the titles suggested below to read aloud
A peach (You may wish to bring in several peaches and serve them as a snack.)
Suggested Titles
Hooks, William, retold by. Peach Boy. New York: Bantam, 1992.
This version is a good read-aloud choice. The color illustrations provide glimpses of Japanese traditional costume and architecture.
Sakuri, Gail, retold by. Peach Boy: A Japanese Legend. Mahwah: Troll, 1994.
This is an excellent read-aloud version. Soft watercolor illustrations add to the beauty of the book.
Shute, Linda, retold by. Momotaro, the Peach Boy. New York: Lothrop, 1986.
This is also a nice read-aloud version.
Teacher Note
This lesson should be taught following History/Geography Lessons 21-23. You may wish
to teach this lesson in conjunction with the Art/Craft Lesson on Japanese fans.
Procedure
Review the continent of Asia from History/Geography Lessons 21-23. Ask: What is the name of the largest continent in the world? Can you name some of the countries of Asia? Point to Japan. Ask: What is the name of this island country? What are some of the things you remember about Japan?
Say: Today we are going to listen to a Japanese folktale. The name of this story is Momotaro: Peach Boy.
Show the peach. Ask: What is the name of this fruit? Have you ever seen the inside of a peach? Cut the peach open and allow children to examine the pit. If you brought in several peaches, cut and serve them at this time.
Say: Momotaro is the name of the little boy in the story. It is a good name for the boy because it means "Peach Boy," and a peach boy he is. In this story the little boy came right out of the middle of a peach!
Ask: Can this be a true story? Why not? (A person could not come from a peach.)
Say: Listen carefully to this Japanese folktale, Momotaro: Peach Boy.
Read one of the versions of the story listed above. Spend time examining the illustrations.
Following the reading, discuss the story with the children. Allow the children to share
their feelings regarding the story and Momotaro's battle with the oni monsters.
BCP DRAFT LIT 89
Kindergarten - Literature - Momotaro: Peach Boy
Suggested Follow-Up Activity
See the Art/Craft Lesson on Japanese fans.
Read other Japanese folktales. The following titles are all good read-aloud choices.
Bryan, Ashley. Sh-ko and His Eight Wicked Brothers. New York: Atheneum, 1988.
McDermott, Gerald. The Stonecutter. New York: Viking, 1975.
Snyder, Dianne. The Boy of the Three-Year Nap. Boston: Houghton, 1988.
Tejima, Keizaburo. Ho-Limlim: A Rabbit Tale from Japan. New York: Philomel, 1988.
Uchida, Yoshiko. The Two Foolish Cats. New York: Macmillan, 1987.
Read a few Chinese folktales. Review the country of China and the Great Wall of China prior to reading one of these folktales, all of which are suitable for reading aloud.
Demi. The Empty Pot. New York: Holt, 1990.
Demi. The Magic Boat. New York: Holt, 1990.
Kendall, Carol. Wedding of the Rat Family. New York: Macmillan, 1988.
Miller, Moira. Moon Dragon. New York: Dial, 1989.
Wang, Rosalind. The Fourth Question: A Chinese Folktale. New York: Holiday House, 1991.
BCP DRAFT LIT 90
Kindergarten - Literature - The Bremen Town Musicians
Objectives
Review the continent of Europe.
Identify Germany as a country in Europe.
Listen to the story for enjoyment.
Materials
One of the titles suggested below to read aloud
A classroom size world map
Suggested Titles
Gross, Ruth Belov, retold by. The Bremen Town Musicians. New York: Scholastic, 1974.
This simple retelling, illustrated with funny cartoons, has great action scenes. This is a wonderful read-aloud version.
Plume, Ilse, retold by. The Bremen Town Musicians. Garden City: Doubleday, 1980.
This Caldecott Honor book features gentle, quiet and colorful illustrations. This is a nice read-aloud version.
Stevens, Janet, retold by. The Bremen Town Musicians. New York: Holiday House, 1992.
This version features illustrations that are bold and wild. It is a good read-aloud choice.
Watts, Bernadett, retold by. The Bremen Town Musicians. New York: North-South Books, 1992.
Large, colorful illustrations go with this good retelling of the classic tale.
Teacher Note
This lesson should be taught sometime after History/Geography Lesson 24. The children
need to be familiar with the continent of Europe.
Teacher Information
Thanks to Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, many of Germany's finest storytelling efforts have
been preserved. The Grimm brothers feared that the oral versions of German tales would change
over time. They collected and published two volumes of original German folktales. The first
volume was published in 1812, and the second in 1815. There are many wonderful Grimm
folktales. In addition to The Bremen Town Musicians, The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids will be
read at the kindergarten level.
Procedure
Point to Europe on the map. Say: We have learned that this continent is a neighbor of Asia. Who knows the name of this continent?
Locate Germany on the map. Say: The name of this country is Germany. It is a part of Europe. (If you have already introduced the country of France from History/Geography Lesson 25, note that Germany and France are neighbors.)
Say: The people of Germany are hard-working people. Many people in Germany work in
factories; some people are farmers. The people take time off from their hard work to enjoy folk
festivals throughout the year. These festivals are times of celebration. Most festivals are held to
observe religious holidays or seasonal events. The festivals include food, games, music, dancing,
and storytelling.
BCP DRAFT LIT 91
Kindergarten - Literature - The Bremen Town Musicians
Say: Today we are going to listen to a story from Germany. This story might be told at one of the German festivals. The name of the story is called The Bremen Town Musicians.
Say: Let's think about the word musician. What do you think of when you hear that word? (music) Say: A musician is a person who makes music. Ask: What are some ways a musician could make music? (Allow children to speculate. Guide the children to name different musical instruments and the voice as ways of making music. You may wish to review the Music Lesson 14 The Carnival of the Animals.)
Say: This story takes place in Germany. Four musicians are on their way to a town in Germany called Bremen. (You may wish to locate Bremen on the map. It is in the north-central section of Germany.) These four musicians run into some trouble with robbers on their way to Bremen. Listen carefully so you will know what happens to The Bremen Town Musicians.
Read one of the versions listed above.
Following the reading, discuss the story with the children. Allow the children to share
their feelings regarding the animals and how they came to be musicians, how they outwitted the
robbers, and what music they created.
Suggested Follow-Up Activity
Teach the following Literature Lesson The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids. See the Suggested Follow-Up Activity in that lesson for further suggestions regarding the study of Germany.
BCP DRAFT LIT 92
Kindergarten - Literature - The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids
Objectives
Review that Germany is a country in Europe.
Listen to the story for enjoyment.
Materials
A classroom size world map
German folk music (optional)
A version of the story to read aloud
Suggested Title
Watts, Bernadette, retold by. The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids. New York: North-South, 1995.
This is a beautifully illustrated version and is appropriate for reading aloud.
Teacher Note
Teach this lesson following The Bremen Town Musicians.
Procedure
Review the continent of Europe. Review Germany by locating the country on the map and asking children to recall information presented in the Literature Lesson The Bremen Town Musicians.
Say: Today we are going to read another folktale from Germany. It is called The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids. Ask: Do you know what a kid is? (Allow children to respond.) Say: The word kid can refer to children but it is also the word used to describe a young goat. You may have thought this story was going to be about seven children, but it is really about seven young goats.
Say: In this story there is a wolf. The wolf is bad and tries to trick the seven kids. Ask: Can you think of other stories about a wolf and his evil ways? (Allow children to recall other stories such as Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs.) Discuss the role of the wolf in these stories. Say: Listen carefully to today's story. See how the wolf behaves in The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids.
Read The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids. If you do not have access to the title listed above, What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know, by E.D. Hirsch and John Holdren, contains an appropriate read-aloud version.
Following the reading, discuss the similarities of The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids, The Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood.
Suggested Follow-Up Activity
Hold a miniature German Folk Festival in your classroom. Listen to German folk music, eat traditional German food and read other Grimm folktales. Invite the German Society or Folk Dance Club to come to your classroom and give a demonstration for the children. Have them teach your class how to polka!
BCP DRAFT LIT 93
Kindergarten - Literature - March
Bibliography
Suggested Read Aloud Titles
Bryan, Ashley. Sh-ko and His Eight Wicked Brothers. New York: Atheneum, 1988.
Demi. The Empty Pot. New York: Holt, 1990.
________. The Magic Boat. New York: Holt, 1990.
*Hooks, William, retold by. Peach Boy. New York: Bantam, 1992.
*Gross, Ruth Belov, retold by. The Bremen Town Musicians. New York: Scholastic, 1974.
Kendall, Carol. Wedding of the Rat Family. New York: Macmillan, 1988.
McDermott, Gerald. The Stonecutter. New York: Viking, 1975.
Miller, Moira. Moon Dragon. New York: Dial, 1989.
*Plume, Ilse, retold by. The Bremen Town Musicians. Garden City: Doubleday, 1980.
*Sakuri, Gail, retold by. Peach Boy: A Japanese Legend. Mahwah: Troll, 1994.
*Shute, Linda, retold by. Momotaro, The Peach Boy. New York: Lothrop, 1986.
Snyder, Dianne. The Boy of the Three-Year Nap. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988.
*Stevens, Janet, retold by. The Bremen Town Musicians. New York: Holiday House, 1992.
Tejima, Keizaburo. Ho-Limlim: A Rabbit Tale from Japan. New York: Philomel, 1988.
*Watts, Bernadette, retold by. The Bremen Town Musicians. New York: North-South Books, 1992.
*________, retold by. The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids. New York: North-South Books, 1995.
Uchida, Yoshiko. The Two Foolish Cats. New York: Macmillan, 1987.
Wang, Rosalind. The Fourth Question: A Chinese Folktale. New York: Holiday House, 1991.
* indicates annotation in a lesson