Eggs & Easter

Learning goal: Mammals give birth to live offspring; oviparous animals lay eggs.

• Reading= Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones by Ruth Heller, Minerva Louise and the Colorful Eggs by Janet Morgan Stoeke, Bounce by Doreen Cronin and It's Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler. Letter of the day= E is for Easter & egg.
• Art= Show Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling. Adhere butcher paper to the underside of a table, and color or paint upside down just like Michelangelo. Draw your favorite creation or a scene from the Bible. Need inspiration? I recommend reading Adam, Adam, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson.
• Science= Talk about who lays eggs and who doesn’t. Compare and contrast mammals (e.g., bunnies) with egg-laying animals (e.g., birds, reptiles and fish). Build a nest with pillows and blankets. Or, make a raw egg float by pouring salt (one tablespoon at a time) into a tall glass of water. Explain that many fish lay their eggs in the salty ocean water. Alternatively, talk about who hops and who doesn’t then have a jumping contest. How far can you jump? What might help you jump farther? (My son chose to test his superhero cape, compare two different pairs of shoes, and see if running first helped. Good ideas!) Test your ideas and mark each jump with sidewalk chalk. Measure your farthest jump with a measuring tape. Compare your jumping distance with that of other bouncing animals. And don't forget to wear your bunny ears!
• Play= Visit your local pet store, play the game Bunny, Bunny, Rabbit (a variation of Duck, Duck, Goose), or hold some egg & spoon races. For example, carry an egg on a spoon or use a spoon to roll an egg across a finish line.