Talk/Show Images: What are "primates"?
[Show images on iPad of a few primates and ask group for their specific names: chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, baby mouse lemur, a picture of myself--clap out syllables for names: CHIM-PAN-ZEE, etc]
All primates--including humans!--have these traits in common:
*color vision--can see far more colors than most other animals [for ex, dogs see only grays, greens, and blues]
*very dexterous [fingers, toes, opposable thumbs, can manipulate objects--"Could a turtle shake a shaker egg? Could a dog shake a shaker egg?"]
*USUALLY birth only one baby at a time ["Clearly, twins and more happen in humans and other primates!"]
"Which species of primate do you think is the BIGGEST?" [Gorilla--specifically the Grauer's Gorilla, formerly known as the Eastern Lowland Gorilla ]. Show page from Actual Size with gorilla hand and pygmy mouse lemur. "After storytime, you can compare the size of your hand to the size of a gorilla's hand!" [Have photocopied hand(s) from Steve Jenkins's Actual Size taped to wall at kid height]
Book: Gladys Goes Out to Lunch by Derek Anderson
Action Rhyme [standing]: "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed"
OR
Action Rhyme [standing]: "Monkey See, Monkey Do"
Monkey see, monkey do
Little monkey in the zoo--
Monkey, monkey in the tree!
Can you ____________ like me? [jump around, clap your hands, wiggle your tail, etc]
Song: “Dance, Freeze, Melt” by The Learning Groove from Rockin’ Red
Book: Follow Me by Ellie Sandall ["Every time I say 'Follow me!', I want you to say 'Follow me! Follow me!', mimicking the way I said it." Share fact: lemurs ONLY live on the island of Madagascar. Not all lemurs look alike--these are Ring-Tailed Lemurs]
OR
Book: One Gorilla: a Counting Book by Anthony Browne
Action Rhyme [seated]: "Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree" [OR whichever rhyme above wasn't picked earlier]
Song (with or without scarves): "Matilda the Gorilla" by Mr. Jon and Friends [Have kids throw their hands up or wave their scarves high on every "Matilda," down low on every "gorilla"]
Book, if time: Spunky Little Monkey by Bill Martin, Jr.
Closing Song: Laurie Berkner's "These Are My Glasses" a cappella."Today, everything in our book is going to start with 'P'." Possibles before opening to kids: Purple People Eater! Porcupine! Police car! [siren]
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Alternates to swap in:
Song with Magnet Board: "Monkey on my Sandwich" [version of "Monster on my Sandwich"]
Action Rhyme: "Bananas Unite!"
Book: Still a Gorilla by Kim Norman, Leyla by Galia Bernstein
