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Fall Gallery

Little Bear Goes to the Moon

Activity:  
Little Bear Goes to the Moon
Lesson plan developed by Aurora Tollestrup, BS Ed.
Age Group:
Preschool
* Lesson plan objective and assessment can be adapted to use this activity with toddlers.
Objectives:  
Children will:
  • create craters in a faux moonscape to further their understanding of how craters are formed.
CDA Competency Standard:   
II.5.1a
  • Activities encourage curiosity, exploration and discovery
a) Activities involve developmentally appropriate, hands-on experiences
Materials: 
  • flour
  • pie tin
  • plastic tablecloth
  • rocks or marbles of different sizes
  • The Little Bear, by Else Holmelund Minarik illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Procedure: 
  • Place one inch of flour into the pie pan and smooth the surface until it is as flat as possible. 
  • Place the pan on a plastic tablecloth that has been spread out onto the floor. 
  • Invite children to stand around the edge of the table cloth. 
  • Give each child a few rocks or marbles.
  • Model the appropriate way that the children should gently toss and drop the rocks and marbles into the pan creating craters. 
  • After each child has taken a turn the teacher should remove the rocks and marbles and allow the children to come closer to observe the craters that were made. 
  • Explain that the craters on the moon are made in a similar way.
Assessment: 
  • Ask the children to explain how the craters were made and why different rocks and marbles made different sized craters. 
Picture

Promoting Creativity

Maurice Sendak books are worthless if not stirring the pot of imagination for countless young people worldwide. In the book Where the Wild Things Are, Max uses his imagination to be taken to a far-away land where the Wild Things live with their terrible teeth and exaggerated features. What is possibly most interesting about this children’s book is that the inspiration for the Wild Things actually came from a young Sendak’s childhood opinions of his relatives. While it is generally not accepted to speak ill of one’s relatives, Sendak identifies with the fact that children are caught in a difficult place where they are not always kind but instead are sometimes painfully honest. He identifies with children and the difficulties in their lives throughout his entire adult life which allows him to create masterpieces which enchant and delight. Capturing these honest views of life are what Sendak draws his inspiration from, resulting in creative works of literature. 
​
In 1963 his most famous book Where the Wild Things Are was published which took the children’s literature world by storm. Sendak both wrote and illustrated the book which became an instant classic. The tale of a boy who is punished by his mother and embarks on a vivid imaginative journey to where the wild things are combined fantasy with remarkable illustrations that allows a child’s mind to soar.
Picture
“What I do as best I can is out of a deep respect for children, for how difficult their world is.”
-Maurice Sendak
Maurice believed that children lived very difficult lives and that books and illustrations could be a safe haven or escape for those difficulties. While adulthood is ridden with fear and stress, he argued that at least there was an element of control. In childhood, he would often say, there is no control and constant uncertainty with no escape from it. Though most children experience happy childhoods, this is not always true. Giving students an outlet to escape from stress with a book or creative expression activity can prove to be extremely beneficial. As a teacher or caregiver, you should seek out opportunities to allow for this, whether it is in reading a Maurice Sendak book or an open-ended art activity.
In the Night Kitchen
Nutshell Librar
Higglety, Pigglety, Pop
Outside Over Ther
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  • Welcome
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      • Basic Sign Language A Resource for Educators
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