LITTLE BEAR 

           WRITING ACTIVITIES

   Daily writing activities are an important component in any literature or author study.  My writing activities range from guided writing, free writing, journal writing about a story, and creative responses.  All objectives are based on the theme or story.

    An example of a patterned writing experience is based on the book, Bears by Ruth Krauss.  This patterned language book is easily transferred to making group stories, journal books, or writing center activities.

    Directions:

    1.  Read the story as shared reading.

    2.  Copy the story line on chart paper.

    3.  Use sentence strips, chart paper, or an overhead to rewrite the story.  For each page, we brainstorm several possibilities.

         Example:

         Bears, bears, bears,

         On the _________________

          Under _________________

         Washing ________________

         Giving _________________

         Collecting ______________

         Stepping in ______________

         Millionaires

         Everywheres

         Bears, bears, bears.

  This story can be made into a class book or individual student books.  Illustrations are on the top of each page; writing lines on the lower part of the page.

        Other books are available such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear;

PICTURE PROMPTS IN WRITING

   I begin this writing experience by copying an interesting picture about the theme on an overhead page.  When using the overhead, I prefer to copy pictures in COLOR rather than black and white.  To model the lesson, students discuss what they think is happening in the picture.  We web story elements on chart paper; characters, setting, problem, events, end.  They list ideas for each element and I write what they say about the picture on the chart.  Then, I model writing about this story using their ideas.  I do "self-talk" as I write to include punctuation, etc.  The entire writing process is modeled several times.

     For centers, I find pictures relating to the theme and a basket.  The pictures are glued on sturdy paper or oak tag and laminated.  Each picture has a number.  Students can select the picture they would like to write about from the basket.  Paper, scissors, glue, markers, and pencils are also at the writing center.  The students then place their writing in a folder to continue in writing and revising.

LITTLE BEAR WRITING SUGGESTIONS:

      Poems:

       1.  Use the the letters in the word "Bear" to make a poem.  With each letter, draw a line and then fill in an adjective to describe Little Bear.

       2.  Use poem patterns based on the phonics lessons or word families.  Make a list of rhymes for each set (at,all, ild, etc).   An example could be:

             My teddy bear is not very tall,

             He has one eye and nose that's small,

              He hardly has any fluff at all..

      3.  Read poems as shared reading about bears (suggestions and activities can be found in the Poems and Songs Page. (linked here)

       Other suggestions and topics:

    1.  "I took my teddy bear on a picnic and we _______________________

    2.  If I could go to the moon, I would _______________________________

    3.  The best birthday I ever had was ______________________________

    4.  My family ___________________________________________________

    5.  Write a letter to Little Bear about Arizona in the winter. 

    6.  You have grown magic wings and can fly anywhere you would want to fly.  Where would this be;  what would you do? etc.

READING AND WRITING - INFORMATIVE

    There are many nonfiction books on bears that can be used in this winter/bear unit.  Other suggestions can be found in the web page for Alaska (direct link).  One of the best books for primary students that has a familiar story  as well as great bear facts on the pages is called, Alaska's Three Bears.                                                  

  Suggestions:

       Read the story.  Chart information on the three types of bears (grizzly, polar, black bear) as you read the story.  I put headings on the chart to organize the information as well as model webbing ideas for the students. Some of the headings may include:  what does the bear look like, what does it eat, what does it do in winter, what is the habitat?  How does it move?  Interesting facts.

     As we read each part of the factual information in the book, students listen for the concepts related to each heading.  They dictate the facts they want included under the type of bear.  I also do shared writing at this time.  The kids complete parts of the chart by sharing my marker to write about the topic.

      Then, discuss how the bears are alike and different.  Students can pick one type of bear and write about what they learned.  This writing can be placed on a paper that has an art project about the bear on top.    Students can share their "report" to the group during a sharing time block of the day.