Kitten's First Full Moon

Language Arts

Before You Read
Before you read the book to your child, look through the pictures together and ask your child to narrate a story based on the illustrations.

Dramatic Play
Use whatever you have on hand to create a cat costume for your children. I used some scrap batting, scrap t-shirts, and a headbands to create costumes for my kids (see picture below).



If you want to make masks (and if you have cardstock and elastic on hand), you can simply print and decorate a cat mask from Enchanted Learning.

Let your student act out her favorite part of the story!

Social Studies

Facial Expressions
Look through the book with your child and observe the kitten's facial expressions. Name the emotion the kitten portrays in each expression.

Make the My Feelings mini book together.

Bible

Bible- Memory Verse: Colossians 3:23
You can sing this verse together all week long! Sing it to the tune of Frere Jaques:
"Whatever you do,
Whatever you do,
Work at it,
Work at it,
With all your heart,
With all your heart,
Colossians
3:23"

Add this Bible memory verse component to your lapbook.

Art

Art - Grayscale
Discuss the grayscale illustrations in the book--especially observing the white kitten, white moon, and the dark night sky. Offer your children gray, silver, and black markers, pens, pencils, and crayons. Make your own piece of artwork using these colors.

Draw or trace your own kitten and shade it as desired for the front of your lapbook (or use this ready-made cover).



Art- Color Changing Milk
This activity is actually a science experiment from Steve Spangler science. Younger children may simply love the activity and not need an explanation. However, if you have an older student along for the ride, please visit Spangler's site to complete the entire experiment and to have an explanation ready.

Supplies: milk (whole or 2%), dinner plate, food coloring (red,  yellow, green, blue), dish-washing soap, cotton swab

Directions:
Pour enough milk in the dinner plate to completely cover the bottom. Allow it to settle.
Add one drop of each of the four colors of food coloring to the milk. Keep the drops close together in the center of the plate of milk.
Touch the tip of the cotton swab to the center of the milk. It's important not to stir the mix. Just touch it with the tip of the cotton swab.
Now place a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of the cotton swab. Place the soapy end of the cotton swab back in the middle of the milk and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. What happens?

Science and Math

Science- Reflection
Why does the kitten jump in the lake? She sees the moon reflecting on the water and thinks it's that bowl of milk and within her reach! Talk about reflection with your student. Get some hand-held or compact mirrors and let your student create reflections of objects around him. You can also use a kaleidoscope to discuss reflection. If you want to make a kaleidoscope with your student, search the internet for a how-to.

If your student is enjoying using the mirror to reflect things, try this simple symmetry activity.

Science- Cats
Discuss kitten care and complete the Taking Care of Kittens mini book.

Science- Moon & Stars
Spend some time this week observing all the night sky has to offer! Read the story of creation together and remind your student who created the moon and the stars.

Discuss the moon and how it looks different throughout the month. Has your student ever seen a full moon? Why is the moon so small sometimes? Explain to your student that the moon doesn't shrink and grow. The moon doesn't really change; it just looks different as it goes around the Earth. If your student is interested in the moon, explore the moon with Google Moon.

Complete these moon mini-books.

Kitty Cat Lunch
Feed your child a "kitty cat" lunch: tuna sandwiches, goldfish crackers, and milk!

Field Trip Idea
Go to a pet store and learn more about how to care for a kitten. You could also visit your local animal shelter.

Library List
The Milk Makers by Gail Gibbons
Jenny's Surprise Summer by Eugenie
Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone
Hi, Cat! by Ezra Jack Keats
Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle
On The Moon by Anna Milbourne
Cats by Anna Milbourne
The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley