 by Rozanne Lanczak WIlliams. Introduce the author and illustrator, but see if students can read the title of the story. Take a picture walk having students explain what the rain is on in each picture. Ask students 'What is it raining on? How is the little girl protected from the rain? What is she wearing/using? Are any of the insects and animals protected? How?'. Read the story together. After reading, ask students the following questions - What is rain good for? Why do we need rain? What might happen if it did not rain? What might happen to the plants and animals?
You may wish to read a story about what all living things need. A great book for this age level is What's Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld. After reading, sort pictures of living and non living things. Stress that all living things grow and that they need air, water, and food.
Companion Poem: Reread the companion poem 'Rain' (choral reading).
Reread the companion story Rain by Rozanne Lanczak WIlliams. Review how rain is helpful to all living things.
Pass out either a colored sheet or a color word to each student. Have students find their partners by matching the colors and color words. To reread the focus story, each pair of students will be asked to read their corresponding color page.
Extra Science Connection:
Talk about which of the colors in the story actually make up a rainbow. You may wish to read a book about rainbows such as All the Colors of the Rainbow (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler. Brainstorm ways that the class could make their own rainbow (paint, color, etc.). Then ask if they think it is possible to plant a rainbow. Read aloud Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert. Plant a 'rainbow' with students by bringing in annuals that are the colors in the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). Before planting, show, discuss, and label the parts of a flower. Then plant the flowers in the order of the colors of the rainbow to make a Rainbow Garden!
Companion Poem and Story:
Reread the companion story Rain. Reread the poem 'Rain'. (Choral read, letting half of the class read the first line and the other half of the class read the second line, alternatively.) Mask letters and sight words within the poem and story.
Read together the story Rain by Robert Kalan. Review with students how they recently planted a rainbow.
Introduce the second companion poem 'Plant a Little Seed'. Pantomime actions to the poem as you read it together...
I plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground.
(Bend down, dig hole, push seed into ground and cover with dirt.)
Out comes the yellow sun big and round.
(Hold arms up over head in a circle)
Down comes the rain, soft and slow
(Hold arms out over head, with fingers moving. Move arms slowly down to the floor.)
Up comes the little seed.
(Squat down. Touch fingers to floor and come up slightly.)
grow, grow, GROW!
(Move body up as though you are the flower, until you are standing with arms up.)
Review what plants and all living things need in order to grow. Begin work on a class mural showing what plants need to grow (sun, rain, soil) and the Rainbow Garden of flowers that they planted yesterday.
Make some time to read the story Grow Flower Grow! (also called Fran's Flower) by Lisa Bruce. It is a cute story about a little girl who feeds actual food to her flower and can't figure out why it is not growing!
Companion Poem and Story: Reread the companion story Rain and the companion poem 'Rain'.
Read together the story Rain by Robert Kalan. Complete work on the class mural - Use interactive writing to label the sun, soil, rain, color of each flower, etc.
Reread and act out the second companion poem 'Plant a Little Seed'. Make a torn construction paper booklet to illustrate the poem. Students can take it home to remember what plants need in order to grow and to read again and again!
(Thanks to Kim Martin for sharing this great booklet idea!)
Printable Words to 'Plant a Little Seed'
Related Garden Read Aloud Stories and Poems
Focus Story: Rain by Robert Kalan
Companion Story: Rain by Rozanne Lanczak Williams
