Patterns

1. As you read, tape the laminated images on the board to create the visual pattern that we will repeat throughout the story   (garden, bunnies, fence, bunnies, wall, bunnies, moat, bunnies, fortress, bunnies). Each time the rabbits eat the vegetables in the garden, have the students say the refrain with you “Muncha, muncha, muncha!”

2. Each time Mr. McGreeley builds a new structure, have students pantomime building the structure while sitting in their places.

3. Stop after Mr. McGreely builds the wall and make predictions about what might happen next, using the logic from the pattern. Stop again after Mr. McGreely builds the fortress and make another guess.

 

Reflect

Describe: What happened in the story?

Analyze: What patterns did you see in the story? What time of day did the events happen? How was that a pattern?

Relate: How did you use the patterns to guess what would happen next in the book? What would happen next in this story if it kept going? How did you feel when the pattern was broken ?

 

Transition: "Alright, friends now that you are experts at finding and making patterns, there is someone we need to help. Now, when I put on this hat, I am not the teacher anymore, okay? I will be an actor playing a character. My character’s name is Alice and she has a problem we need to help her with. Everyone close your eyes while I put on my costume. When I clap my hands you can open your eyes." (Put on gardener hat and clap.)

 

Teacher-in-Role

 

(Nervous) "Hi friends, my name is Alice and Mr. McGreely hired me to put his garden back in order. I really need this job and I have to do a really good job to make him happy. As you know , he has this problem with rabbits and they keep eating his vegetables. Well, now they’ve eaten his whole garden and there aren’t any vegetables left. He is so angry at those rabbits, so he hired me to take care of the garden. Only, he left these really confusing instructions. He is very particular about how he wants his garden and I don’t want to mess it up. Let’s take a look at these instructions. (Open up note, pretend to read, get very distressed) Oh, no they are all patterns! I get so confused and mixed-up with patterns! Do you think you can help me? Okay, maybe if we make these patterns with our bodies, it won’t be so confusing.  I’m going to give you a sticker with a picture of a vegetable on it and that will be your vegetable. (Give each student a sticker and have them to stand in a group with their fellow vegetables) Can you show me with your body what a carrot might look like? What about peas? What about lettuce? And how about tomatoes? Great! I think we’re ready. Okay this first pattern says tomato, carrot, lettuce and peas. (Create the pattern, repeat it once. Create a row in the garden with this pattern-students standing. Once you have your row, have students pantomime digging a hole and planting their seeds.)  Now this one says, circle, long, circle, long . What do you think that means? What vegetables are circles? Which ones are long? (Create the pattern, dig holes, plant seeds.) Oh no! Now this one is colors! It says green, green, red, orange. Uh-oh, we have two green vegetables! I guess we’ll have to create our own pattern. (Create and repeat, pantomime digging and planting)  I think we have done such a great job making the patterns he asked for, do you think we might make one big pattern with all of us ? (Create one large pattern as a class.) Alright friends, let’s water the garden. Uh-oh. We have to make sure we keep out those pesky rabbits. Mr. McGreely would be so angry if they came back and all our vegetables were gone again. What was the last thing Mr. McGreely built? What should we build next to keep the pattern going? (Decide on the bigger thing to build) Do you think we can build it? Let’s build it around our garden! What do we need to build it? (Hand out imaginary materials based on their responses, walk them through a narrative pantomime to build structure.) Everyone find your own space on the outside edge of our garden (the carpet edge) and in your own space, I want you to listen to my instructions and we will build the (insert their structure). (Give small groups of students "jobs" based on the structure they named and have them pantomime building it together.) Thanks so much friends, I couldn’t have finished all the planting without you! I have to go, Mr. McGreeley should be home any minute! Let’s take a seat on our spots and close our eyes. When I clap my hands you can open them again."