Bugs, Insects Activities and Lesson Plans

When it comes to books to use in conjunction with your Insect theme unit the Eric Carle books are an excellent choice. They all have facts about insects presented in a manner that delight young children. Not only do they present interesting facts but also incorporate other learning opportunities such as days of the week or counting. The books listed below are all excellent choices. Click on the titles to read the reviews about them. Press the back button to return back to this page.

1. The Very Quiet Cricket

2. The Very Clumsy Click Beetle

3. The Very Lonely Firefly

4. The well known and loved book The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Click on the link below for more activity suggestions to incorporate with the Bugs/Insects theme:

Kindergarten and Preschool Activities

Bugs, Insects Activities and Lesson Plans

Another good book to use in conjunction with the Bugs theme is The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. This is a delightful book with a repetitive story line that offers many learning opportunities. It teaches children about positve character virtures, manners, time, size, shapes and how animals defend themselves. Click on the title of the book to read the reviews on it.
Follow-up Activities
1. Discuss how each of the animals in the story tried to protect themselves.
2. Discuss how the size of the animals increased throughout the story.
3. Act out the story. Have a teaching clock displayed and have it change as the characters within the story change.
4. Gather more information about ladybugs.
5. Ladybug craft and math idea can be found in the link below:

Kindergarten and Preschool Activities

Bugs, Insects Activities and Lesson Plans

For the Bugs or Insects theme one recommendation to read is the book Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges. This is a delightful counting and rhyming book. The book can also be used to introduce adding or subtracting and kindness to bugs. Click on the title link to read reviews of the book.
Follow-up Activities:
1. Have ten flashlights available and act out the story. This could introduce counting, adding or subtracting.
2. Take a closer look at the rhyming words within the book. Have children change the initial consonant letter sound creating a new rhyming word. Discuss if this word is a real or nonsense word.
3. Discuss the ending of the story and how the children demonstrated appreciation for the bugs by releasing them.

Craft Suggestion - Firefly Craft
Paint wooden ice cream spoons with glow in the dark neon paint for the body. Cut wax or tissue paper for wings and glue these onto the body. Add finishing touches.

You will find more information in the links below. Press the back button to return back to this page.

Firefly and Lightning Beetle Facts

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities

Weather Theme Lesson Plans and Activities

I have listed the books that relate to the Weather theme below. Click on the titles of each book to read a review. Remember to press the back button to return back to this page.

1. Caps, Hats, Socks and Mittens: A Book About the Four Seasons by Louise Borden. A great book to use for introducing or reviewing the four seasons. It is done in a manner that will be enjoyed by young learners.

2. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

3. Snowballs by Lois Ehlert

4. Rain by Robert Kalan and Donald Crews

5. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

6. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Click here for more Preschool and Kindergarten activities related to the Weather theme.

Weather Theme Lesson Plans and Activities

One book I would highly recommend for the Weather Theme is Little Cloud by Eric Carle. In the book little cloud moves across the sky changing into shapes like sheep, airplane, shark, trees, rabbit, hat and a clown. At the end he joined all the other clouds and turned into one big cloud and rained.
This book offers some wonderful follow-up activities:

1. Discussion on what a cloud is and how rain is formed. Check the link below for more information:
Information on Clouds

2. Craft - children can make their own shape clouds. Some of the images in the book are simplistic enough for children to even copy them. This could later be made into a big book.

The link below gives you more ideas:
Preschool and Kindergarten Activities