This is part of my 15 minute focus series. It is based around the book Bear Snores On by Wilson, illus by Chapman. (Preview video.)

Objective: children will be able to place elements of a story in the correct sequence. (We also do a song which practices dynamics – soft to loud.)

Supplies

To prepare for class, make copies of approximately 8 pages, showing key elements in the storyline.

Sequencing Activity

Read the book. Tell them to pay close attention to the order of the story, so that later they can tell you what happened first, then second and so on.

Shuffle the copies of the pages of the book. Put one out. Then draw a second one – does this come before or after that one? Continue till they are all sorted into the right order.

You may choose to then shuffle them back together and give them the whole stack to sort again.

Song

This is a movement song (and can get loud with excited shrieking!) Put a stuffed bear or bear picture at one end of the room. Start with all the kids in a line at the other end of the room. Sing the first line loud, take a few steps to get a quarter of the way to the bear. Then sing the second line a little quieter, step to half way across the room. Sing the 3rd line quietly, then step to 3/4 of the way across. On the fourth line, whisper it, tiptoeing forward, then shout MAD at the end. They all run away shrieking to the other side of the room. Repeat as much as you want.

(here’s the tune) –
A grizzly bear, a grizzly bear is sleeping in a cave.
A grizzly bear, a grizzly bear is sleeping in a cave.
Please be very quiet, very very quiet.
For if you wake him, if you shake him, he’ll get very mad.

Or, for a quieter, sitting down song. You can do this to the tune of Frere Jacques – on the first three lines get quieter and quieter. On the second three lines, get louder and louder.
Are you sleepy, are you sleepy,  little bear, little bear.
Wintertime is coming, wintertime is coming.
Go to sleep, go to sleep.
Time to wake up, time to wake up, little bear, little bear.
Springtime is coming, springtime is coming.
Wake up now, wake up now!

Optional Math Extension

Ee did a counting bear activity. We took turns rolling a die, and taking that many bears, and then comparing – who has the most bears and other math-noticing… “he rolled a 2 – who else rolled a 2?” “Oh last time he rolled a 6 so he was way ahead of everyone, but this time he rolled a 1 so you may all catch up!”