Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Pigs: Learning, Reading, and Writing About Them

This week we read If you Give A Pig A Pancake by Laura Numeroff.


I told my students that I was excited about this week, because we would be reading this story, and they would be doing lots of fun activities with it. We would even be learning some things about pigs.

As soon as I said "pigs," they all started laughing. I asked them why they were laughing, and they said, "Because pigs are funny!" Their responses to my question, "What is so funny about pigs?":

"They have funny, curly tails."

"They like to be dirty."

"They roll in the mud."

"They make funny noises." {Of course, they all started oinking and snorting.}

"Their noses are funny, too!"

Each year, my students do a study of pigs along with this story. An abundance of stories can be found with pig characters. But, I also have the students read non-fiction books about pigs. They're really quite fascinating creatures to study.

I begin with Pigs by Gail Gibbons. I think her non-fiction books for children are some of the best.


It's just filled with interesting information about pigs and written in a way that first graders can understand. 

My favorite non-fiction pig book and a favorite of my students is Pig by Jules Older.


This book also has a variety of information in it, and it's told in a humorous way. The children learn about different kinds of pigs around the world, pig trivia, pig vocabulary words, and even take some quizzes. The children love the humor and are completely engaged when listening to the book. The illustrations are large, simple, and colorful.

After listening to these two books, the children had so much to say about pigs. They couldn't wait to start writing. I was amazed at what they were able to write about pigs.

I used writing printables from the packet, Writing About Pigs.








The printables in the packet can be used for a study of pigs or a thematic unit on farm animals. Click below to visit my store and download for FREE.




10 comments:

  1. Thanks Mona! Pigs are one of my favorite animals. They are so cute! This freebie is amazing!
    Sarah
    Sarah's First Grade Snippets

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sarah,

      I think they're pretty cute, too! Thanks you!

      Mona

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  2. Replies
    1. Hi Jennifer,

      Thank you! I'm so glad you like them.

      Mona

      Delete
  3. Thanks for stopping by!! These printables look too cute! I love the pet pig page :)
    ❤Teri
    A Cupcake for the Teacher

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  4. What a FUN week! My kiddos love If you Give a Pig a Pancake!

    Kimberly Ann
    Live, Laugh, I love Kindergarten

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  5. Thanks for this fun freebie! I am your newest follower :)

    Rae
    Mindful Rambles

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  6. Thanks Mona! This is a perfect addition to your Farm Unit I am heading over to purchase:)

    Tammy
    The Resourceful Apple

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  7. Mona, this is so stinkin' cute! Thank you for sharing!!!

    Maria
    Kinder-Craze

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  8. I just love that you teach them all about pigs. I downloaded your pig writing pack the other day before I even read this! We are using the how to writing today in class! Thanks so much!

    Britney

    ReplyDelete

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