October is the perfect time of year for a Bats and Spiders Theme! Yep, for me two creepy creatures to study. They are both very interesting as well. Bats can fly but are not a bird. Spiders look similar but are not an insect. Students will be curious and what fun making these discoveries will be.
Week Nine with its Bats and Spiders theme.
Two delightful stories and mini readers filled with informational text are used. Each day includes complete lesson plans, a welcome activity(to work on while waiting for everyone to arrive and get started) story for guided reading, vocabulary, anchor charts, comprehension activities, word work, writing, themed activity or craft, math games (related to skills learning in math). Many of the pages offered are differentiated to meet the needs of different academic levels. Everything you need for the day will be included in the resource but the story itself. They can be found in the library or purchased and you can begin your classroom library.
The lesson plans focus on the following but the complete book companions are included with a number of choices.
So let’s get started!
Children love learning about CREEPY things and two examples are bats and spiders! Week Nine focuses on using fiction and non fiction to gather facts and prepare informational pieces of writing. Students will use graphic organizers to gather facts, vocabulary to develop a deeper understanding of the subjects, and paragraph organizers to create meaningful paragraphs filled with facts gathered from the text they read. The first resource uses mini readers for guided reading and then activities for using this text to gather information and develop a deeper understanding of “big words” used to describe the creatures. Stellaluna and I’m Trying to Love Bats are book companions. Despite the fact they are fiction stories their story lines share so many interesting facts about spiders and bats. You will love all of these and I assure you the literacy activities will meet all your curriculum needs. Take a peek if you dare!!
Kiddos will have a “batty” good time with all the activities in this packet while meeting core standards.
It contains:
Mini book with informational text Life Cycle Reading for detail Graphic Organizer Narrative pre write Three levels for final write…pre writer, beginning writer, accomplished writer Paragraph writing…are, can, have Opinion Writing Personification Data collection Patterns Key Words…definitions Vocabulary Cards…12 for posting Word Search Let’s Make Words These activities apply to both spiders and bats.
This packet is perfect for applying informational text to the writing process and for working on key vocabulary through word searches and vocabulary activities. The data collection and patterns embed a bit of mathematics into the theme.
Note: There are no implications for Halloween but fits perfectly with the theme. If you are a class that cannot celebrate the holiday this is perfect for you!
This story is delightful! How do you love a spider? The author has a wonderful way of sharing facts about spiders as well as helping the reader appreciate this “creepy creature“. It is perfect for the literacy portion of your day as it includes: vocabulary, word work, comprehension, writing and an adorable craft. Take a peek if you dare!!
Stellaluna is misplaced! She is a bat living with a family of birds. Your class will enjoy finding the similarities and the differences between the two. You will enjoy the colorful vocabulary, adorable craft and activities that accompany the story all related to the literacy portion of your day. I love teaching reading through a theme. Students are so engaged and building their reading levels!!
Add this adorable book companion filled with amazing sequencing and retell activities for a center.
This resource is a comprehensive book companion for “The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat,” designed for educators to enhance their students’ reading experience. It includes a variety of activities and crafts tailored for young learners, focusing on key literacy skills such as sequencing, comprehension, and vocabulary building. The resource offers interactive worksheets, story retell activities, and creative craft projects that align with the story’s themes. Perfect for classroom use, it provides engaging, hands-on learning opportunities that make reading fun and educational.
