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Sample Lessons

• Kindergarten
• Grade 1
• Grade 2
• Grade 3
• Grade 4
• Grade 5

Staff

Grade 1 - Lesson 1

The Many Faces and Feelings of Bears

Objectives

• The learner will be able to identify and describe feelings.
• The learner will use words that name settings in simple texts. (SCS- LA-4.02)

Materials

Feeling Bears poster, audio cd of Feeling Bears, Bear Faces sheet, Settings sheet A and B, picture books with examples of settings, crayons, glue, and scissors.

Introduction

Students will enjoy meeting the Feeling Bears. At the beginning of the lesson, tell the students they are going to meet some very special bears. Use the Feeling Bears poster to point out the different bear faces and discuss the reasons someone might feel the way each bear feels.

Activity I:  Bear Introductions

Post the bear poster in view of the students. You can read the introductions for the bears or play the audio cd for the class so that the bears can introduce themselves to the students. After each bear introduces him or herself, ask the following questions:

1. How did ______ feel?
2. What did you think about _____?
3. Do you ever feel like_____?

Lesson Modification: Students with limited language skills can use their bodies or faces to demonstrate how each bear feels.

Activity II:  Feelings in Settings

This activity will help students better understand the concept of setting and will allow them to identify appropriate settings for the Feeling Bears. Explain to students that different places and events bring out feelings in each of us. Review the idea that the setting in a book is the place where the story is happening. Show the students pictures from a few different books with easy to identify settings. Ask the students to describe the setting for each book.

The following books can be used to discuss a variety of settings:

·         The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Jan and Stan Berenstain - Scary setting

·         Something Beautiful  by Sharon Dennis - Urban setting with some “sad” illustrations

·         No David  by David Shannon - Setting of a little boy at home getting in trouble

·         Fun is a Feeling by Chara Curtis  - Settings that are whimsical and fun

Now you can give the students the Bear Faces sheet to color and cut out, along with the Settings sheet on which they can glue the faces. Remind the students that different settings can cause us to feel certain ways. Tell the class that each of these bears is trying to find the setting where he or she belongs. Students can then color, cut out, and glue the bear faces in the setting where each bear might be found.

Conclusion

When students have finished pasting the bear faces in the appropriate settings, ask them to share where they placed each bear and how they made their decisions.

 

Activity I: Introductions

Happy Hillary:

Hi! I'm Happy Hillary. I am so glad to meet you, and I hope you enjoy meeting my other bear friends. I can't wait to tell you about myself. I really like school. I hope you do too. I like to play games at school and read books. What do you like to do? It is fun to make new friends at school. My teacher is really nice. I know you have a nice teacher, too. At home I like to play with my toys and ride my bike. What happy things do you do at your house?

 

Frightened Fernando:

Hhhhi… I don't know you, and I am not sure it is a good idea that we meet. Have you ever been afraid of anything? I am afraid of a lot of things, like sharks and snakes and spiders. When I see a spider my whole body gets stiff and I feel all shaky. You know some spiders jump and some even bite. Have you ever been afraid of anything? Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping because it is dark in my room.  I always have to have my teddy bear. There are many days I worry about what will happen at school. What if the work is really hard or what if someone hurts my feelings. I just feel frightened about many things.

Angry Adam:

What are you looking at? I guess I have to talk to you. Yeah, you could say that I'm angry or mad or really upset most of the time. I don't know why I always feel this way. People just do things that make me upset. You know what I mean. They take things away from me or give me weird looks or just say things that make me mad. Sometimes I get in trouble because I say things that make my teacher upset. There aren't many kids in the class who want to play with me. They seem a little afraid of me.

Sad Shamica:

(Crying) Yes, I am really upset. I am sorry I can't stop crying, but today has just been a really hard day. This morning I couldn't find my pink backpack with ponies on it. On the ways to school today I saw a little dog on the side of the road all by himself. I know he didn't have a home. My friends also hurt my feelings at school today. They didn't want to play with me. Plus my teacher didn't like the picture I drew. She didn't hang it on the wall. Do you ever feel sad?

Activity II: Bear Faces