TheThe MAILBOX®

TEC757

®

®

TEC757PRESCHOOL–KINDERGARTEN

JULY • PRESCH

OO

L–KIN

DERG

ARTEN

www.themailboxbooks.com

The Education Center, Inc.

A Month of Ideas to Support Your Curriculum

®

®PRESCHOOL–

KINDERGARTEN

• Target key skills with hundreds of curriculum-based ideas

• Simplify planning with easy-to-scan skill lines and a timesaving index

• Capture student interest with a variety of popular themes

A Month of Ideas to Support Your Curriculum

Titles in The Mailbox Monthly Idea Book series:TEC211. January TEC212. February TEC247. March TEC248. April TEC249. May TEC756. June

Make your monthly planning fun and easy with the Monthly Idea Book series from your friends at The Mailbox®. These books are full of hundreds of fresh, creative ideas that will add new pizzazz to your favorite seasonal and monthly themes. We’ve included skill lines to make it easy for you to see howeach activity supports your curriculum, and we’ve added a handy index to make locating a particular skill or topic a snap. In addition to the terrific activities in each book, you’ll also have access to a brand-new Internet site that will allow you to fill out forms online and print patterns and reproducibleseasily. All of these great features make The Mailbox Monthly Idea Book seriesyour ultimate monthly resource!

Enhance your teaching every month with these essentials:· Creative, open-ended art suggestions · Craft ideas · Literature connections · Movement experiences· Timesaving patterns and reproducibles· And more!

· Language experiences · Manipulative math suggestions· Hands-on discovery suggestions · Songs, poems, and fingerplays · Cooking ideas· Student-created booklets

TEC757. July TEC758. August TEC202. September TEC203. October TEC204. November TEC205. December

TEC757

Usethisguidetoplanyourclassroomthemesthroughouttheyear!Withallthesegreatideastochoosefrom,you’llwanttoownevery oneoftheterrificbooksinthisseries!

Preschool–Kindergarten ThemesA Year’s Worth of Planning at Your Fingertips!

JanuaryTEC211

NewYearSnowMittensPolarBearsBreakfastMartinLutherKingJr.CalendarExplorationsFairy-TaleCharacter

LessonsDinosaursCommunityHelpers

FebruaryTEC212

DentalHealthGroundhogDayShadowsPancakesValentine’sDayCherriesChocolatePostOfficeHeartsAlikeandDifferent100thDayWhales

MarchTEC247

St.Patrick’sDayShamrocksRainbowsSpringWindLionsandLambsNature’sMusicClothingPigsFoodPyramidCircus

MayTEC249

ButterfliesFlowersPicnicsMomsandDadsAfricanAnimalsRocks,Dirt,andMudMagnetsBeesWildWestStrawberriesBeach

AprilTEC248

SeedsRainRabbitsBubblesPondLifeTransportationChicksEggsEarthDayAntsBabyAnimals

JuneTEC756

TheSunOutdoorsFeetLadybugsDairyMonthSharksLibrarySummerNightsCampingWormsandSnailsFruit

JulyTEC757

TheRed,White,andBlue

WaterCookoutsWatermelonOppositesRainy-DayRescueTravelingBaseballIceCreamRecyclingFish

AugustTEC758

SunflowersPetsLemonsBalloonsGrassGroceryStoreHatsTastyMathBoatsTeddyBearsGood-ByeSummer

SeptemberTEC202

BirthdaysSelfFriendsHousesNationalGrandparents

DayApplesFarmAnimalsMexico’sIndependence

DayMotherGoose

OctoberTEC203

LeavesFamilyFireSafetySpidersPizzaPastaPopcornNighttimeCornfieldPumpkinsHalloween

NovemberTEC204

AlphabetVegetablesSchoolSafetyNationalChildren’s

BookWeekSpaceTurkeysNativeAmericansand

PilgrimsThanksgivingAnimalsinWinter

DecemberTEC205

GingerbreadHanukkahTrainsMiceNoisesCookingGivingEvergreensChristmasKwanzaa

Table of Contents

The MAILBOX®

®

®

About This BookAbout This Book

We are family...

Except as provided for herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or storing in any information storage and retrieval system or electronic online bulletin board, without prior written permission from The Education Center, Inc. Permission is given to the original purchaser to reproduce patterns and reproducibles for individual classroom use only and not for resale or distribution. Reproduction for an entire school or school system is prohibited. Please direct written inquiries to The Education Center, Inc., P.O. Box 9753, Greensboro, NC 27429-0753. The Education Center®, The Mailbox®, the mailbox/post/grass logo, and The Mailbox Book Company™ are trademarks of The Education Center, Inc., and may be the subject of one or more federal trademark registrations. All other brand or product names are trademarks or regis-tered trademarks of their respective companies.

Manufactured in the United States10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

©2002, 1997 by THE EDUCATION CENTER, INC.All rights reserved.

ISBN10 #1-56234-190-1 • ISBN13 #978-156234-190-9

Managing Editors: Cindy Daoust, Scott Lyons, Deborah G. SwiderEditor at Large: Diane BaddenContributing Writers: Barbara Backer, Jayne M. Gammons, Diane Gilliam, Linda Gordetsky, Ada Goren, Lucia Kemp Henry, Lori Kent, Angie Kutzer, Suzanne Moore, Sharon Murphy, Vickie Mockaitis Pacchetti, Mackie Rhodes, Dayle Timmons, Virginia ZeletzkiCopy Editors: Sylvan Allen, Lynn Bemer Coble, Gina Farago, Karen Brewer Grossman, Amy Kirtley-Hill, Karen L. Mayworth, Laurel Robinson, Jennifer Rudisill, Debbie ShoffnerCover Artist: Clevell HarrisArt Coordinator: Theresa Lewis GoodeArtists: Jennifer Tipton Bennett, Cathy Spangler Bruce, Pam Crane, Theresa Lewis Goode,Nick Greenwood, Clevell Harris, Lucia Kemp Henry, Susan Hodnett, Ivy L. Koonce, Sheila Krill, Mary Lester, Rob Mayworth, Clint Moore, Kimberly Richard, Greg D. Rieves, Rebecca Saunders, Barry Slate, Donna K. TealTypesetters: Lynette Dickerson, Scott Lyons, Mark RaineyIndexer: Laurel RobinsonThe Mailbox® Books.com: Kimberley Bruck (manager); Debra Liverman, Sharon Murphy (associate editors); Jennifer L. Tipton (designer/artist); Troy Lawrence, Stuart Smith(production artists); Karen White (editorial assistant); Paul Fleetwood, Xiaoyun Wu (systems)

President, The Mailbox Book Company™: Joseph C. BucciDirector of Book Planning and Development: Chris PoindexterBook Development Managers: Cayce Guiliano, Elizabeth H. Lindsay, Thad McLaurin, Susan WalkerCurriculum Director: Karen P. SheltonTraffic Manager: Lisa K. PittsLibrarian: Dorothy C. McKinneyEditorial and Freelance Management: Karen A. BrudnakEditorial Training: Irving P. CrumpEditorial Assistants: Terrie Head, Hope Rodgers, Jan E. Witcher

It’s hard to believe we could improve on our best-selling series of monthly idea books—but we have! In this edition, you’ll find the following exciting new features added to our irreplaceable collection of curriculum-based ideas! • A Web site containing even more classroom resources complements the

hundreds of activities provided in each book. (To access this incredible site for free, follow the simple instructions found on page 1.)

• A skill line for each idea provides a curriculum reference at a glance. • A comprehensive index makes selecting and planning activities a breeze! We think you’ll agree that these new features make this series of monthly books the best ever!

Table of Contents

The MAILBOX®

®

®

About This BookAbout This Book

We are family...

Online Extras .................................................................................1

About This Book ..............................................................................2

The Red, White, and Blue ................................................................4Plan a star-spangled celebration to salute the USA.

Water ................................................................................................14Beat the heat with this deluge of wet and wonderful activities!

Cookouts .........................................................................................24Get youngsters fired up about this summertime tradition. Burgers, anyone?

Watermelon ...................................................................................29 Serve up these juicy activities and watch the melon mania begin!

Opposites ........................................................................................34Look up and down; look in and out. Find this unit and give a shout!

Rainy-Day Rescue ..........................................................................44Don’t let rainy days leave you feeling blue. There’s plenty to do!

Traveling .......................................................................................54 It’s vacation season, and this unit is a trip!

Baseball .......................................................................................59 Make the pitch and little ones will quickly catch on: Baseball is hot stuff!

Ice Cream ....................................................................................... 63In a cone or in a cup, everyone loves to eat it up!

Recycling ........................................................................................ 73Turn trash into crafty treasures with these ideas.

Fish .........................................................................83 Goldfish and guppies—oh, goody!

Index ...................................................................94

Fo r t h e r e d, w h i te , a n d b l u e !

Hooray for theRed, White, and Blue!

Hooray for theRed, White, and Blue!

The Red, White, and Blue (sung to the tune of “Happy Birthday to You”)

Oh,thered,white,andblue. Oh,thered,white,andblue. Giveacheerwecanallhear Forthered,white,andblue! (Cheer loudly.)

Oh,thered,white,andblue. Oh,thered,white,andblue. Standuptallandgiveyourall Forthered,white,andblue! (Stand tall and salute.)

Oh,thered,white,andblue. Oh,thered,white,andblue. Shouthoorayeveryday-ay Forthered,white,andblue! (Shout, “Hooray!”)

Introduceyourlittleonestotheideaofpatriotismwiththisstar-spangledunit.TrytheseideasfortheFourthofJuly,orforanypatrioticholidayduringtheyear.

ideas contributed by Lucia Kemp Henry

Everything’s Coming Up Red, White, and Blue

Reciting a patriotic song Getyoungstersinthespiritbydecoratingyourclassroomwithapatrioticflair!Hanglotsofred,white,andbluecrepepaperstreamersandAmericanflagsonyourwallsorfromyourceiling.GatherpicturesoffamousplacesintheUSA—suchastheWhiteHouse,theLincolnMe-morial,orMountRushmore—andaddthesetothedecor.Cutaclasssupplyofconstructionpa-perstarsinred,white,andblue,andlabeleachonewithachild’sname.Attachthestarcutoutstochildren’sseatsorcubbies.Whenyourclass-roomisanall-Americandream,invitelittleonestobeginyourpatrioticstudybysingingthesongatright.

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Fo r t h e r e d, w h i te , a n d b l u e !

Hooray for theRed, White, and Blue!

Hooray for theRed, White, and Blue!

Tri-Colored TreatsUsing sense of taste

Aftertheflag-makingactivity,inviteyourlittleonestoenjoysomered,white,andbluetreats.Servevanillaicecreamwithstrawberrytoppingandblue-tintedwhippedcream,orasimplefruitsal-adofslicedstrawberries,blueberries,andbananawheels.Besuretoputthesetreatsinclearplasticcupstoshowofftheircolors.Nowthosearetreatsfitfora…president!

Free-Form FlagsFostering creativity, developing

fine-motor skills Inviteyoungsterstoaddtoyourred,white,andblueroomdecorbymakingthesefree-formflags.Haveeachchildselecta12”x18”sheetofred,white,orblueconstructionpapertouseasabackground.Thensetoutpaperscrapsinred,white,andblue;scissors;glue;andgummedfoilstarsorprecutpaperstars.Encourageeachchildtocutshapesfromthepaperscrapsandgluethemontohisbannerbackgroundtocreateanoriginalflagdesign.Havehimaddstarstocompletehisbanner.Displaythefinishedflagsonyourclass-roomwallsoronabulletinboard,orhangthemfromalengthoffishingwireoryarnstrungbetweentwoclassroomwalls.

My Own Old GloryRecognizing the U.S. flag as a national

symbol, using a variety of art media Afterlittleonesmaketheirowncreativede-signswiththeprojectdescribedin“Free-FormFlags,”encouragethemtoattemptmorespe-cificreplicasoftheU.S.flag.Beginbydisplay-inganAmericanflagandgivingyoungstersabrieflessononthereasoningbehinditsdesign,includingthe13stripesthatrepresentthe13originalcoloniesandthe50starsthatrepre-sentthe50states.Thenprovideeachchildwitha12”x18”sheetofwhiteconstructionpaperanda6”x9”pieceofblueconstruction

paper.Demonstratehowtogluethebluerectangleintheupperleft-handcornerofthewhitesheet.Thenprovidegummedfoilstarsandinviteeachchildtoaffixasmanyasshede-sirestoherbluerectangle.Setoutredtemperapaintandwidepaintbrushes,andhaveeachchildfinishherownOldGlorybypaintingredstripesacrosstheremainingwhitebackground. Ifdesired,setthefinishedflagsasideforusewiththe“PatrioticParade”activityonpage9.

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Patriotic Puzzles Using problem-solving skills, awareness

of physical shape of states Emphasizetheshapeofournationwithsomemade-in-the-USApuzzles.LocateasimplemapofAmericaandmakeseveralcolorcopies.Gluethecopiestotagboard;thencutaroundeachmapoutline.Cuteachmapintothreeorfourpiecesforveryyoungchildren,moreforolderstudents.Assignadifferentsymbol(ashape,anumber,oraletter)toeachpuzzleandlabelthebackofeachindividualpiecewiththatsymboltoavoidmix-ups.Puteachpuzzleinaseparatezipperedplasticbag.PlaceallthepuzzlesinacenternearyourclassroommapoftheUSA.Theninvitelittleonestoworksomemapmagic!

Our CountryUnderstanding important symbols that represent America

Ofcourse,theUSAmeansmorethanred,white,andblueandtheStarsandStripes.Engageyourstudentsinanage-appropriatediscussionaboutourcountry.Jump-starttheconversationbypointingoutthepicturesoffamousAmericanplacesondisplayinyourclassroomandshowingamapoftheUnitedStates.MoreadvancedstudentswillenjoythebeautifulartworkinthebookAmerica the Beautiful illustratedbyNeilWaldman.WhilepreschoolersandkindergartnersmaybetooyoungtofullyappreciatethefreedomsweenjoyasAmericans,they’llcertainlyappreciatethebeautyofourgreatland.

Simple SongsReciting songs

Manytraditionalpatrioticsongsinvolvedifficultlyricsandabstractconcepts.Teachyouryoungsterstheseverysimplesongsaccompaniedbyfamiliartunes.

It’s My USA!(sung to the tune of “Bingo”)

MycountryistheUSA— ThecountrythatIlove-o! It’smyUSA. It’smyUSA. It’smyUSA. Thecountrythat I love-o!

Sing the song two more times, replacing the boldfaced words with yourandyouon the first repetition, and our andweon the last repetition.

America Is Home (sung to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)

Americaisbigandwide,bigandwide,bigand wide! Americaisbigandwide,anditishomeforme!

Americaisproudandfree,proudandfree,proud andfree! Americaisproudandfree,anditishomeforme!

Americaisyouandme,youandme,youandme! Americaisyouandme,anditishomeforme!

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“All About America” BookletRecognizing important symbols that

represent America EncouragestudentstoputtogetherthesebookletstohelpthembecomefamiliarwithsomeAmericansymbols.Toprepare,duplicateaclasssupplyofthebookletonpages10–13onwhiteconstructionpaper.Thenreadthroughthedirectionsbelow,choosethemethodyou’dlikeyourstudentstouseforeachillustration,andgatherthenecessarymaterials.Havestu-dentsworkinsmallgroupstocompletetheirbooklets,orinvitethewholegrouptocompleteonepageatatime.Discussthebooklettextasstudentsworkoneachpage.Whenallherpagesarecomplete,haveeachchildcutouthercoverandpages,stacktheminorder,andstapleherbookletalongtheleftside.Thenaskyourpatrioticpreschoolersorkindergart-nerstotaketheirbookletshometosharewiththeirfamilies.

Cover: Writeyournameontheline.Colortherectangleinthetopleftcornerwithbluecray-on.Drawredstripesacrosstherestoftheflag.Sticksomegummedfoilstarsorstar-shapedstickersonthebluepartoftheflag.

Page 1: Colortheeaglebrownwithawhiteheadandayellowbeakandfeet.Cutoutthewingshapesandgluethemontotheeagleasindicated.Orgluesmallcraftfeatherswithinthewingoutlines.

Page 2: ColorUncleSam. Placearealpennyunderthepaper,beneaththecircleontheleft.Useabrowncrayontomakearubbingofthecoin.Useasilvercrayontomakearubbingofaquarterinthemiddlecircleandanickelinthelastcircle.Orcolorthecoindrawingsatthetopofthepage,cutthemout,andgluetheminplaceonthepage.

Page 3: CutoutthecentersectionoftheWhiteHousealongthedottedlines.Glueitinplaceonthepage.Colortheskyblueandthegrassgreen.DrawsometreesontheWhiteHouselawn.

The eagle is a symbol for America.

All About Americaby________________

Ashley

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