Unit written by

Author/Illustrator: Carolyn Lesser
ISBN: 0375802126
Kristine's note: This book is a beautiful depiction of life on a farm, much like that of our own. As the months of the year pass, the animals are shown throughout the seasons in different locations of the farm. Beautifully illustrated and written, this book is simple enough to teach the basic concepts of animals living in a community on the farm and presents enough information to pursue more complicated topics with older children, like months of the year, animal habitats, weather, seasons, hibernation, migration, etc.

Language Arts

Writing Activities
Discuss the various farm animals in the story. Let your student tell you which one is his favorite (and why). You may want to record his answer in this favorite farm animal minit book. Let your student cut/paste or draw a picture of the animal to the outside of the book.

2. You may want to make a mini-book of the months of the year, modeled after the book, about animals around our homes and communities.

3. Make a story retelling with a story wheel (1 paper plate with pictures from the book glued around the outside edge of the plate, in order of their appearance in the story, a 2nd plate glued on top with a small triangle cut out of it so that if fastened to the 1st plate with a brad, will show just one picture (inside of the triangle) at a time while child retells the story orally.

4. Make a "Who Lives on the Farm?" book. You could also have fun with these farm animal cards/pocket.

Math

Measurement
Lots of scooping, dumping, and pouring goes on at the farm! Let your student have fun using measuring cups to scoop and pour things such as grain, popcorn kernels for "corn," sand, gravel, seeds, beans, etc. You can even weigh/compare things like straw and seeds.

Playing Store
Play "farm market" emphasizing money for goods (slip in some basic economics).

Fun Manipulatives
Use plastic farm animals for manipulatives in math problems (we used them for sorting, adding, graphing)

Patterns
Use rubber farm animal stamps to create patterns.

Science

Nature Walk
Go on a nature walk (do this on a farm if possible)...take field guides to learn about the animals, plants and insects while there (we are learning about mammals, birds, amphibians, etc)

Habitat
Discuss habitat with your child. What is a habitat? (The area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives.) Review the animals that live on a farm. What would a forest habitat be like? How about an ocean habitat?

Liquids and Solids
Explain what a liquid is and what a solid is. Make butter from milk (shake heavy whipping cream in a mini baby food jar until thick and add salt, if desired)...liquids to solids!

Bible

Read and discuss the creation story. List all the farm animals you can think of. What day did God make each one?

Crafts

1. Make shape (using circles, rectangles, ovals, triangles, etc.) cows or pigs from construction paper (this would be math for the day, too)
2. Make a farm habitat mural on large bulletin board paper (we create the background with paint on one day and then color, cut and glue farm animals the next few days)
3. Fingerprint farm animals

Library List
Honey Cookies by Meredith Hooper
Extra Cheese, Please! Mozzarella's Journey from Cow to Pizza by Cris Peterson
DK's See How They Grow: Pig and See How They Grow: Calf
Over on the Farm: A Counting Picture Book Rhyme by Christopher Gunson
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
The Midnight Farm (this one is currently hiding in one of my kids' bedrooms!)
Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

Materials and information on this website belong to the original composers. It may be used for your own personal and school use.