Spring is probably my 2nd favorite season in the classroom (fall is the first). The cold months can make kids and teachers a little stir crazy, but spring is hope of warmer weather and another great season called summer!
We were always in school the Friday before Easter- and then that started our week of Spring Break. If you will be in school next week maybe you want to celebrate SPRING and EASTER like I did with a Peter Rabbit Garden Party! Peter Rabbit is not a story that many kids (at many grade levels) have ever heard or read. It is an example of complex text that stands to be read and reread.
First, no garden party is complete without guests. The students and I used Interactive Writing (sharing the pen) to write an invitation to our stuffed bunnies (or other stuffed woodland creature) to come to Peter Rabbit’s Garden Party. I made copies of the invitation and it went home the Friday before the party to parents. There were so many C-U-T-E stuffed animals in attendance at Peter’s party.
No party is complete without proper snacks! Parents sent in a variety of garden veggies. Cucumbers, carrots, beans, broccoli…you name it. If it could be in Mr. McGregor’s garden we had it at our garden party and my little bunnies nibbled on all of it! I will admit however that veggie dip and ranch dressing helped the veggies get nibbled on a little more readily. Believe it or not, kids even tried radishes!
Entertainment that day of course was watching the movie! I’ve included links to the movie below!
Want to see lesson plans?
http://www.peterrabbit.com/en/fun_and_games/teachers_resources
Retell the story? Here are story masks.
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/peter_rabbit.htm
Want to use pictures to help kids retell the story? These could even be copied and assembled into a wordless picture book. Kids could tell or write the story themselves.
http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/coloring_page.php?id=50
There’s a lot of great language in this story to give kids practice with a complex retelling.
Love a little art project?
http://mrsbumgardners1stgradeclass.blogspot.com/2010/04/bunny-day.html
Could be combined with a writing task. “Would you have been like the good bunnies, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton Tail? Or a bad little bunny like Peter? Why?”
Want to WATCH online? It’s on YouTube, but I generated a safe link with SafeShare TV
Part ONE
http://www.safeshare.tv/w/CpwTwonJIn
Part TWO
http://www.safeshare.tv/w/CQwlGeZnjp
Peter Rabbit can be read online here:
http://www.cybercrayon.net/readingroom/books/bp-peterrabbit/peterrabbit.html
Don’t be surprised if this day with Peter Rabbit doesn’t get kids interested in the other works of Beatrix Potter!
