Bear Feels Sick Unit Study

Here is a unit study designed for pre-K to 2nd grade based on a board book my three-year old picked at the library. I filed it under Health in my school plans.  It covers all subjects.  

Bear Feels Sick

Karma Wilson, Jane Chapman

Read the book aloud- either Mom can read it or the kids can read it. Take turns reading a page. Stop and let the kids fill in the rhyming words on successive readings.  Make it fun by substituting other nonsensical rhyming words.

Setting Characters Plot- Talk about the season and bear’s house.  List the characters  (Mouse, Hare, Badger, Gopher, Mole, Raven, Owl, Wren) . Have child(ren) retell story in his/her own words.  Talk about the character traits of the friends- loyalty, kindness, gentleness, patience, peacefulness, love, joy.  Talk about bear’s feelings- alone, achy, tired, stuffy, miserable, hot, cold, pain, grumpy. 

Health- Talk about how cold and flu season is commonly from October to March, during the autumn and winter. List Bear’s symptoms- fever & chills, aches, headaches, stuffy nose, cough, sore throat, sleepy, miserable, wheeze/ difficulty breathing, lethargy. What did the friends do to help that we also do? Warm cozy spot to rest, reassurance, liquids/broth/tea, cool wet cloth to head, herbs & medicines, be quiet, sing soothing songs.  Why did the friends get sick?  How do germs spread (hand to mouth, airborne, touching common things)? Talk about how hand washing is the #1 prevention for spreading cold and flu.  Rest, fluids, and vitamins also help caregivers stay well.  While getting cold or wet doesn’t MAKE you sick, it does diminish your immune system, so getting warm and dry after being out in wintery weather also helps us prevent from getting sick. Emphasize that eating healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, and avoiding unhealthy foods, like sugary or greasy foods, also helps us stay healthy. Remind your kiddos they should NEVER EVER take medicine, even vitamins, without help from an adult.

Hands on- Show your child(ren) your thermometer.  Take their temp or let them take yours. Play doctor with a doll or stuffed animal. Re-enact the story with stuffed animals. 

Seat-work- Color or draw a picture of a bear or sick child.  Following are some writing pages for handwriting/spelling/vocab that can be adapted to your child’s grade level(s). 

Science- identify the different friends. Group the friends by type (bird, mammal), where they live, or size (big, medium, little).  Pick one (or more!) animals to look up in an encyclopedia and learn more about.

Math- Count the friends.  Add 1 bear + 5 mammal friends + 3 bird friends=9 friends altogether.  Count how many times each friend shows up in the pictures.  Which friend appears the most? The least? The same as each other? What shapes can you find in the book?

Give 5 Symptoms that indicate Bear is sick:

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List 5 things Bear’s friends do to help him:

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Name 5 of Bear’s friends:

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Pick 3 words and write their definitions (huddle, wheeze, mutter, moan, grumble, fetch, soothe, coax, smidgen, quiver, fuss, fret, lullaby, celebrate, frolic, bundle).

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