Opening Song: "If You're Happy and You Know It" [standing up] with whispered added verse "If it's storytime and you know it, say Shhhh..."
Letter of the Day
Letter of the Day
Talk: Mention that wolves are (mostly) nocturnal and are carnivores. Ask if these are new words to group. Define, ask about other creatures that are carnivores or nocturnal--talk about carnivore vs omnivore vs herbivore, nocturnal vs diurnal; then do below rhyme:
Bread and Butter, marmalade and jam!
Let's say "nocturnal" as slowly as we can.
Noccccturrrnnnal.
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam!
Let's say "nocturnal" as quickly as we can.
[Repeat with "carnivore"]
Book: Little Wolf's First Howling by Laura McGee Kvasnosky
OR
Book: The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
Action Rhyme: "Two Little Timberwolves" [Variation on "Two Little Blackbirds". Talk about how plural is "wolves," not "wolfs"--say both slowly, ask kids to try to hear the difference. A timber wolf is a different name for a gray wolf]
Song: Dance, Freeze, Melt by The Learning Groove from their album Rockin' Red
Book: Let's Play in the Forest While the Wolf is Not Around by Claudia Rueda
OR
Book: Wolf's Coming! by Joe Kulka
Action Song w/Magnet Board [seated]: "Two Timberwolves Went Out to Play" (inspired by Mel's Desk) [Talk about how plural is "wolves," not "wolfs"--say both, ask kids to try to hear the difference. A timber wolf is a different name for a gray wolf]
Two timberwolves went out to play
Under the moonlight far away
They had such enormous fun,
They called for another timberwolf to come.
Ohhhhh, timmmbberrwollff!
Three timberwolves, etc.
Five timberwolves...
They had such enormous fun
They played and played til the night was done.Action Song [standing]: "Wolf Pokey"
You put your claws in, you put your claws out, etc.
That's what it's all about--aaaaooooo! [wolf howl ends every verse]
Repeat with right paw [foot], left paw, tail, and fangs ["Grrr" every time you put your fangs in or out]
If time, recorded song with manipulative ("Beanbag Song" or similar)
Before Closing Song: Review new words we learned today: nocturnal ("Who remembers what it means?"); carnivore.
Closing Song: Laurie Berkner's "These Are My Glasses" a cappella. "Today, everything we find in our book will begin with W." Possibles before opening to kids for suggestions: wet warthog! Wicked witch! Wild wildebeest! (woodpecker, weasel, whale)
