Focus Story:
The Three Bears
by Paul Galdone

Day 1

Old Favorites: Reread charts/poems from previous stories.

Prior Knowledge: Tell students that they will be reading about Goldilocks and the Three Bears this week. If most students seem to be familiar with this story, ask what they think they know about the characters and what happens in the story. If the majority of your students do not seem familiar with the story, delve into a picture walk with them.

New Story: Introduce the title and author.; Show the cover and discuss what the story might be about and whether it is real or fictional.; Explain that there are many versions of this story.; Take a picture walk making sure to discuss the sizes of the bears, bowls, chairs, and beds.; Read aloud for enjoyment.

Day 2

Companion Rhyme: Introduce companion nursery rhyme 'Peas, Porridge, Hot' -Introduce words such as 'porridge' by referring to The Three Bears story and/or by letting them taste real porridge.; Read the poem  aloud for enjoyment.

Story: Reread- Shared Reading; Comprehension-Discuss who the main characters are and where the story takes place. Also ask students to think about whether it was safe/ right for Goldilocks to enter the Bear's house. How would they feel if someone came into their house and did what Goldilocks did? What do they think happened to Goldilocks after she left the Bear's house? What will the Bear family do next?

Companion Story: Introduce the companion story The Three Bears Songbook.: Introduce the title and author, Show the cover.; Take a picture walk. Use the pictures on each page, but also let students figure out the new size-related words by looking at the text.; Read aloud, letting students enjoy the new ending

Day 3

Companion Rhyme: Reread companion nursery rhyme 'Peas, Porridge, Hot' – Echo read., Ask about why the porridge is now cold.; Find the two words that are opposites and introduce this term.

Story: Reread The Three Bears and ask students to tell you when they hear some opposites. (little-wee/great big, hot/cold, hard/soft, head/foot);  Have students match pictures that show opposites.  (Opposite pictures are in Teaching Language Arts through Nursery Rhymes by A. DeCastro and J. Kern, p. 54-55.)

Companion Story: Shared Reading -The Three Bears Songbook - Use the pocket chart sentence strips to retell the story.; Mask letters (w,s,t,b,c,h).

Day 4

Companion Rhyme: Reread companion nursery rhyme 'Peas, Porridge, Hot'.  Tell students that you are going to change the rhyme so that only the first letter is different. Exp.- 'Beas, Borridge, Bot'   Have students say the entire rhyme with the new sound.  Then ask the students if they know what letter you switched it to. (Continue 2-3 times with letters/sounds you wish students to focus on.)

Story: Ask students what the three bears ate their porridge in (bowls). Ask students what letter 'bowl' begins with. Draw a picture of a bowl and write the letter 'Bb' underneath the picture. Have students brainstorm other words that begin like 'bowl'. Write/draw small pictures of each suggested 'Bb' item until the bowl is full. (A variation would be to have pictures already made and to have a Bb/not Bb picture sort. Have students place the pictures that start like 'bowl' into the bowl and to place the ones that do not start with the same sound outside of the bowl.)

Companion Story: Reread The Three Bears Songbook (choral reading ½ class each section); Use the pocket chart sentence strips to retell the story.

Day 5

Companion Rhyme: Reread companion nursery rhyme 'Peas, Porridge, Hot' (in small groups allowing students to track the print).

Story: Divide the class into four small groups- one group for each of the main characters. Reread the story with the groups of students reading/saying what the bears and Goldilocks say.

Companion Story: Give each student a character/object picture sheet in order to retell the story in class and at home!

Focus Story: The Three Bears by Paul Galdone
Companion Story: The Three Bears Songbook. by Robert McCracken
Companion Rhyme: Peas Porridge Hot

The Three Bears by Jan Brett
The Silly Story of Goldie Locks and The Three Squares by Grace MacCarone
Goldilocks and the Three Hares by Heidi Petach
It's the Bear! by Jez Alborough
Bear's Dream by Janet Slingsby
The Big Bears
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosin
Ten in the Bed by Mary Rees
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood
Too Big, Too Small, Just Right by Frances Minters

Possible Cross Curricular Connections

Art:

1) Make Big Bears
Each child needs 4 warm brown 3 by 4 1/2 pieces of construction paper (round ends to form paws); 1 warm brown 9 by 6 piece of construction paper (round corners to form body); 1 warm brown 6 1/2 by 7 piece of construction paper (to trace the head); 1 light brown 4 1/2 by 4 1/2 piece of construction paper; and 1 black 4 by 6 piece of construction paper (for cutting mouth, nose, eyes)

2) Make three bear stick puppets

Math:

1) Have students sort items by size/color
2) Read/Sing the 'Roll Over' interactive number chart

Literacy:

1) Sequence pictures from the story
2) Set up flannel board or book at the listening center
3) Create a Venn Diagram comparing versions of The Three Bears
4) Focus Letters - b, w, s, t
5) Sight Word Focus - -a, the
6) Have students do oral retellings, making sure to focus on the beginning, middle, and end of a story
7) Antonyms
8) Reality vs. fiction
9) Interactive write facts learned about real bears
10)  Write a predictable chart using 'Bears can ____.'

Music/Movement:  Sing and move to 'Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear'