A guide for using our resources

Children will discover what dormice do to prepare for a winter of hibernation.

Vocabulary: scurry, hibernate

Science Focus: hibernation, animal adaptation

  1. Watch a Video:

    Winter Sleepers

     

  2. Read the Issue:

    Snuggle Like a Dormouse

     

  3. Play a Game:

    Find the Hibernators

    Skill: hibernation

     

  4. Complete Skill Sheets 

    Reading Checkpoint

    Skill: reading comprehension

     

    Word Work

    Skill: vocabulary

     

    Color by. Vowel Sound

    Skill: long and short vowel

     

  5. Lesson Boosters 

  • Paired Text Suggestion: Before We Sleep by Giorgio Volpe

  • Phonics Focus: Blends sn and sl

     

  • Hands-on Activity: Make a Mouse

CCSS and Similar State Standards: RL.1.1 key details; RF.1.2 vowel sounds and blends; RI.1.10 read fi rst-grade texts; W.1.2 writing; SL.1.2 ask and answer questions

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

Paired Text Suggestion: Before We Sleep by Giorgio Volpe

  • Two friends, a fox and a dormouse, notice the changing season. For one friend, that means a whole season of sleeping. For another, it means a lonely winter. This sweet story covers patience, friendship, and hibernation!

Phonics Focus: Blends sn and sl

  • Write the letter s where students can see. Practice the sound it makes.
  • Then add an l to the right of it. It's a blend! What sound does sl make? Take away the l and add an n in its place. What sound does sn make?
  • Have students fi nd words in the article that start with sl and sn. Which one will they find more of? For an added challenge, ask students to fi nd words that have a different blend with the letter s. Examples include: sweet, scurry, spring, and nest.

Hands-On Activity: Make a Mouse

Skilsl: writing, fine-motor

Materials: Dormouse Template sheets, pencils, scissors, glue, pipe cleaners or string

  • Students make their own dormouse while sharing a fact they have learned from the issue.
  • Give each student a Dormouse Template sheet. Have them fill out the box at the bottom of the sheet with their name and a fact they have learned about dormice.
  • Direct students to cut out the shapes on the sheet. Encourage students to explore the shapes and think of the best way to create a dormouse. They can look back at the photos in the issue for support.
  • Alternatively, you can guide students by demonstrating how to create the dormouse: first glue the eyes and nose near the corner of the heart, next place the ears above the eyes, then glue the paws on the bottom of the body, and last glue the pipe cleaners near the nose to make whiskers.
  • When their dormouse is complete, have students use the glue to attach their dormouse on to the sentence strip with their fact.