After a quick reading of the book, a 6-year old spontaneously practices, is able to chant a section, and has made up some dance moves to go with it.   RahRahRadishesOutLoud

Here I teach the new chant to a large group, line-by-line. Rah Rah Radish youngauthorsconf. I teach word-by-word and challenge a group:  Teaching Insect Chant.  Here I perform a high speed version of the Fish Chant End . An older student rhythmically reads Bird, Bird, Bird_ A Chirping Chant.

Rah, Rah, Radishes: A Vegetable Chant is being released by Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster on June 16th, 2011 but can be pre-ordered at  most stores/sites now. Order from your local independent bookstore at IndieBound. I highly recommend that preschools and early child care organizations order from the folks at The Book Vine For Children. They are experts on books for ages 0-6 and they ship nationwide.

Another activity is to divide up into teams and have each act out a stanza of the chant. I wish I had video of what creative teachers did performing Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant during a recent inservice!

This book was inspired by our observations of howler monkeys in Panama.  To hear howler monkeys I recorded in Panama, click on the calls below. You can also hear toucans grinding their bills, parrots flying, hummingbirds clicking. Howler call edited Howler call begins edited Howler

Trout are Made of Trees

English/Language Arts Standards

Kindergarten

K.1.1 Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.

K.1.2 Follow words from left to right and from top to bottom on the printed page.

K.1.3 Understand that printed materials provide information.

K.1.4 Recognize that sentences in print are made up of separate words.

K.1.5 Distinguish letters from words.

K.1.6 Recognize and name all capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

K.1.22 Listen to stories read aloud and use the vocabulary in those stories in oral language.

K.2.1 Locate the title and the name of the author of a book.

Grade 1

1.1.1 Match oral words to printed words.

1.1.2 Identify letters, words, and sentences.

1.1.3 Recognize that sentences start with capital letters and end with punctuation, such as periods, question marks, and exclamation points.

1.2.1 Identify the title, author, illustrator, and table of contents of a reading selection.

1.2.3 Respond to who, what, when, where, why, and how questions and recognize the main idea of what is read.

1.2.7 Relate prior knowledge to what is read.

Grade 2

2.2.2 State the purpose for reading.

2.2.3 Use knowledge of the author’s purpose(s) to comprehend informational text.

2.2.4 Ask and respond to questions (when, who, where, why, what if, how) to aid comprehension about important elements of informational texts.

2.2.5 Restate facts and details or summarize the main idea in the text to clarify and organize ideas.

2.3.4 Identify the use of rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration (using words with repeating consonant sounds) in poetry or fiction.

Grade 3

3.2.2 Ask questions and support answers by connecting prior knowledge with literal information from the text.

Example: When reading informational materials about science topics or social science subjects, compare what is read to background knowledge about the subject.

3.2.3 Show understanding by identifying answers in the text.

Example: After generating a question about information in a text, skim and scan the remaining text to find the answer to the question.

3.2.4 Recall major points in the text and make and revise predictions about what is read.

3.2.5 Distinguish the main idea and supporting details in expository (informational) text.

3.3.1 Recognize different common genres (types) of literature, such as poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.

Grade 4

4.2.1 Use the organization of informational text to strengthen comprehension.

Science Standards:

Kindergarten

K.1.1 Raise questions about the natural world.

K.2.2 Draw pictures and write words to describe objects and experiences.

K.3.1 Describe objects in terms of the materials they are made of, such as clay, cloth, paper, etc.

K.4.1 Give examples of plants and animals.

K.4.2 Observe plants and animals, describing how they are alike and how they are different in the way they look and in the things they do.

K.6.1 Describe an object by saying how it is similar to or different from another object.

Grade 1

1.1.1 Observe, describe, draw, and sort objects carefully to learn about them.

1.1.2 Investigate and make observations to seek answers to questions about the world, such as “In what ways do animals move?”

1.1.3 Recognize that and demonstrate how people can learn much about plants and animals by observing them closely over a period of time. Recognize also that care must be taken to know the needs of living things and how to provide for them.

1.2.7 Write brief informational descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event using information from observations.

1.4.3 Observe and explain that animals eat plants or other animals for food.

1.6.2 Observe that and describe how certain things change in some ways and stay the same in others, such as in their color, size, and Lose Weight Exercise.

Grade 2

2.1.3 Describe, both in writing and verbally, objects as accurately as possible and compare observations with those of other people.

2.1.4 Make new observations when there is disagreement among initial observations.

2.1.7 Recognize and describe ways that some materials — such as recycled paper, cans, and plastic jugs — can be used over again.

2.2.5 Draw pictures and write brief descriptions that correctly portray key features of an object.

2.3.1 Investigate by observing and then describe that some events in nature have a repeating pattern, such as seasons, day and night, and migrations.

2.3.4 Investigate by observing and then describe how animals and plants sometimes cause changes in their surroundings.

2.4.3 Observe and explain that plants and animals both need to take in water, animals need to take in food, and plants need light.

2.4.5 Recognize and explain that materials in nature, such as grass, twigs, sticks, and leaves, can be recycled and used again, sometimes in different forms, such as in birds’ nests.

2.5.3 Observe that and describe how changing one thing can cause changes in something else, such as Lose Weight Exercise and its effect on heart rate.

Grade 3

3.1.2 Participate in different types of guided scientific investigations, such as observing objects and events and collecting specimens for analysis.

3.2.3 Keep a notebook that describes observations and is understandable weeks or months later.

3.2.6 Make sketches and write descriptions to aid in explaining procedures or ideas.

3.2.7 Ask “How do you know?” in appropriate situations and attempt reasonable answers when others ask the same question.

3.4.4 Describe that almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants.

3.5.5 Explain that one way to make sense of something is to think of how it relates to something more familiar.

3.6.5 Observe that and describe how some changes are very slow and some are very fast and that some of these changes may be hard to see and/or record.

Grade 4

4.2.5 Write descriptions of investigations, using observations and other evidence as support for explanations.

4.4.2 Investigate, observe, and describe that insects and various other organisms depend on dead plant and animal material for food.

4.4.3 Observe and describe that organisms interact with one another in various ways, such as providing food, pollination, and seed dispersal.

4.6.4 Observe and describe that some features of things may stay the same even when other features change.

Understanding Standards

Standards are created nationally. For example. in the case of English/Language Arts, the National Standards consist of 12 standards. Each state takes those twelve standards and develops their own objectives to indicate how they intend for those standards to be taught. Then, each school district takes their state’s standards and sometimes defines them even slightly more or determines in which order those standards and objectives will be taught. 

Therefore, the first number is the grade level, the second number is the national standard and the third number is the state objective. For example: 5.1.3 stands for 5th Grade, National Standard #1, and the state’s 3rd objective.

These are keyed to national standards and Indiana’s standards. As you can see from the explanation above, it should be simple to plug in your state’s standards, as needed.  

Trout, Trout, Trout (A Fish Chant)

English/Language Arts Standards

Kindergarten

K.1.1 Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.

K.1.2 Follow words from left to right and from top to bottom on the printed page.

K.1.3 Understand that printed materials provide information.

K.1.4 Recognize that sentences in print are made up of separate words.

K.1.5 Distinguish letters from words.

K.1.6 Recognize and name all capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

K.1.10 Say rhyming words in response to an oral prompt.

K.1.22 Listen to stories read aloud and use the vocabulary in those stories in oral language.

K.2.1 Locate the title and the name of the author of a book.

K.3.1 Distinguish fantasy from reality.

Grade 1

1.1.1 Match oral words to printed words.

1.1.2 Identify letters, words, and sentences.

1.1.3 Recognize that sentences start with capital letters and end with punctuation, such as periods, question marks, and exclamation points.

1.1.7 Create and state a series of rhyming words.

1.2.1 Identify the title, author, illustrator, and table of contents of a reading selection.

1.3.2 Describe the roles of authors and illustrators.

1.3.4 Distinguish fantasy from reality.

Grade 2

2.3.4 Identify the use of rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration (using words with repeating consonant sounds) in poetry or fiction.

2.3.6 Recognize the difference between fantasy and reality.

Grade 3

3.3.1 Recognize different common genres (types) of literature, such as poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.

Science Standards:

Kindergarten

K.1.1 Raise questions about the natural world.

K.2.2 Draw pictures and write words to describe objects and experiences.

K.4.1 Give examples of plants and animals.

K.4.2 Observe plants and animals, describing how they are alike and how they are different in the way they look and in the things they do.

K.6.1 Describe an object by saying how it is similar to or different from another object.

Grade 1

1.1.1 Observe, describe, draw, and sort objects carefully to learn about them.

1.1.2 Investigate and make observations to seek answers to questions about the world, such as “In what ways do animals move?”

1.1.3 Recognize that and demonstrate how people can learn much about plants and animals by observing them closely over a period of time. Recognize also that care must be taken to know the needs of living things and how to provide for them.

1.2.6 Describe and compare objects in terms of number, shape, texture, size, Lose Weight Exercise, color, and motion.

1.2.7 Write brief informational descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event using information from observations.

1.4.1 Identify when stories give attributes to plants and animals, such as the ability to speak, that they really do not have.

1.4.2 Observe and describe that there can be differences, such as size or markings, among the individuals within one kind of plant or animal group.

Grade 2

2.1.3 Describe, both in writing and verbally, objects as accurately as possible and compare observations with those of other people.

2.1.4 Make new observations when there is disagreement among initial observations.

2.2.5 Draw pictures and write brief descriptions that correctly portray key features of an object.

2.4.4 Recognize and explain that living things are found almost everywhere in the world and that there are somewhat different kinds in different places.

Grade 3

3.2.3 Keep a notebook that describes observations and is understandable weeks or months later.

3.2.6 Make sketches and write descriptions to aid in explaining procedures or ideas.

3.2.7 Ask “How do you know?” in appropriate situations and attempt reasonable answers when others ask the same question.

3.4.1 Demonstrate that a great variety of living things can be sorted into groups in many ways using various features, such as how they look, where they live, and how they act, to decide which things belong to which group.

3.5.5 Explain that one way to make sense of something is to think of how it relates to something more familiar.

Grade 4

4.2.5 Write descriptions of investigations, using observations and other evidence as support for explanations.

Understanding Standards

Standards are created nationally. For example. in the case of English/Language Arts, the National Standards consist of 12 standards. Each state takes those twelve standards and develops their own objectives to indicate how they intend for those standards to be taught. Then, each school district takes their state’s standards and sometimes defines them even slightly more or determines in which order those standards and objectives will be taught. 

Therefore, the first number is the grade level, the second number is the national standard and the third number is the state objective. For example: 5.1.3 stands for 5th Grade, National Standard #1, and the state’s 3rd objective.

These are keyed to national standards and Indiana’s standards. As you can see from the explanation above, it should be simple to plug in your state’s standards, as needed.