Sail with the Birds
Books to Share
- Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert.
- Flap Your Wings and Try by Charlotte Pomerantz.
- Goodnight, My Ducklings by Nancy Tafuri.
- Little Robin Redbreast by Shari Halpern.
- Who Took the Farmer's Hat? by Joan L. Nodset.
Books to Show or Booktalk
- Birdsong by Audrey Wood.
- Jennie's Hat by Ezra Jack Keats.
- Little Red Hen by Byron Barton.
- Peep! by Kevin Luthardt.
- The Tiny Patient by Judy Pedersen.
Bulletin Board
Fly High with Books!
Cover the bulletin board with light blue kraft paper. Then create a sky scene with birds, clouds, a sun, a rainbow, etc. Have two larger birds holding a book open for other smaller birds to fly in front of and read. Colorful birds can be made from paper or felt, or use photographs of real birds cut from magazines.
Nametags
Doves
Copy the dove pattern provided at the end of this chapter and cut out one per child. Write the child’s name on the nametag.
Displays
Make Way for Ducklings!
Display books, video, DVDs and musical recordings about ducks with one mother duck leading smaller baby ducks around all the materials. Purchase or borrow plastic or plush ducks to create the display.
Fingerplays
“Bird Sounds” and “I Saw a Little Bird” from Simply Super Storytimes by Maria Castellano.
Two Little Birds
(Traditional.)
Two little birds, (Two thumbs up)
Sitting on a hill.
One named Jack, (One thumb up)
One named Jill. (Other thumb up)
Fly away Jack, (One thumb behind you)
Fly away Jill. (Other thumb behind you)
Come back Jack, (One thumb up)
Come back Jill. (Other thumb up)
Two little birds, (Two thumbs up)
Sitting on a wall.
One named Peter, (One thumb up)
One named Paul. (Other thumb up)
Fly away Peter, (One thumb behind you)
Fly away Paul. (Other thumb behind you)
Come back Peter, (One thumb up)
Come back Paul. (Other thumb up)
Audio Recordings
“Do the Bird” on Dream Catcher by Jack Grunsky.
Flannel Boards
“Five Squawking Parrots” in Books Ahoy, www.state.sc.us/scsl/BooksAhoy/handbook/stories/stories1.pdf.
Color Birds
(Traditional. Adapted by Debbie Brightwell Brown. Use the ten bird patterns provided to make nine birds out of felt in the appropriate colors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Put the birds on the flannel board or onto a tree shape on your flannel board one at time as you recite the rhyme.)
This little bird is black.
He will fly out of his nest and then come back.
This little bird is red.
She’s very tired but she won’t go to bed.
This little bird is brown.
He’s feeling fine and is wearing a crown.
This little bird is yellow.
He is shy, but a handsome fellow.
This little bird is white.
She flies so high. Oh, what a sight!
This little bird is purple.
She spends the day flying in circles.
This little bird is green.
He’s the prettiest I have ever seen.
This little bird is blue.
He always takes his nap exactly at two.
This little bird is pink.
She likes to fly to the pond to get a drink.
All of these birds live in the trees.
When you are outside, look up and see!
Crafts
Flying Doves
Materials
- Construction or copier paper
- Crayons or markers
- Yarn
Directions
In advance, use the patterns provided to cut out enough dove bodies for each child from construction or copier paper. Cut a slit in the middle and punch a hole above the slit, where indicated. Pre-cut and fold a piece of paper into a fan for wings. Let the children color the doves. Give each of the children a folded wing and have them put the wing through the slit in the dove. Fan out the wing a bit. Tie yarn into a loop through the hole. Children can then fly their bird by holding onto the yarn.
Games and Activities
Bird Watching
Put bird puppets, stuffed bird toys, or pictures of birds around the room. Use a pair of binoculars to show the children how to look for birds. Let the children curl their fingers up to their eyes to make pretend binoculars. As you find birds, let the children say the name of the bird with you, says the color of the bird, or count them.
Floating Swans
Make swans from construction paper and cork to float in a large shallow pan or plastic container filled with water. Cut swans from construction paper using the pattern provided at the end of the chapter. Cut a slit across the cork. Insert the swan into the slit so that it stands up. Allow the children to float the swans in the container filled with water.
Videos/DVDs/Films
If you have public performance rights, show these videos and DVDs, or segments of them, to the children. Otherwise, display them for home use. Times are indicated for the entire film.
Angus and the Ducks. (12 minutes)
Goose. (7 minutes)
Web Sites
All About Birds
www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds
This site provides facts about birds, coloring pages, photographs, patterns, crafts, jokes, and classroom activities.
Professional Resources
Simply Super Storytimes by Marie Castellano.
Books Ahoy
www.state.sc.us/scsl/BooksAhoy/handbook/
This manual for South Carolina’s reading program includes fingerplays, patterns, games, and more.
