Corduroy's Adventures: A Preschool Lesson Series on Friendship, Storytelling, and Creativity
This is a week long lesson plan series inspired by the beloved character Corduroy, created by Don Freeman. These engaging and interactive lessons are designed to foster listening comprehension, empathy, social skills, creativity, storytelling, and language skills in preschoolers. These fun and engaging lesson will encourage children to think about friendship, empathy, and acceptance while discussing their own experiences with their stuffed animals or special toys.
Below are detailed breakdowns of the lesson plans including a sample email to parents about the lesson.
Lesson Plan 1: Corduroy and Stuffed Animal Show and Tell Age Group: Preschoolers Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour
Objective:
To foster listening comprehension, empathy, and social skills through storytelling and show-and-tell activities.
Materials:
"Corduroy" by Don Freeman
Stuffed animals or special toys/objects (brought by the children)
Outline:
Introduction (5 minutes)
Gather the children in a comfortable reading area.
Ask the children if they have a favorite stuffed animal or toy at home and briefly let them share what it is.
Reading "Corduroy" (10 minutes)
Read "Corduroy" by Don Freeman to the class, showing the illustrations and engaging the children with questions about the story.
Pause periodically to ask open-ended questions and encourage the children to make predictions or share their thoughts.
Post-reading discussion (5 minutes)
Discuss the story and its main themes, such as friendship, empathy, and acceptance.
Encourage the children to share their feelings about the story and relate it to their own experiences with their stuffed animals or special toys.
Introduce Stuffed Animal Show and Tell (5 minutes)
Announce to the children that they can bring their favorite stuffed animal or special toy from home for a show and tell session the next day.
Explain the concept of show and tell and emphasize the importance of being respectful and attentive listeners during the activity.
Closure (5 minutes)
Summarize the main ideas from the story and remind the children about the show and tell event the next day.
Encourage the children to think about what they would like to share about their stuffed animal or special toy during the show and tell session.
Email to Parents and Caregivers:
Subject: Exciting Show and Tell with Stuffed Animals Tomorrow!
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
We had a wonderful time in class today reading "Corduroy" by Don Freeman. The children enjoyed the story, and we had a great discussion about friendship, empathy, and acceptance.
We are excited to announce that tomorrow, we will be hosting a Stuffed Animal Show and Tell in class. Your child is encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animal or special toy from home to share with their classmates. During this activity, the children will have the opportunity to present their stuffed animal or toy, talk about why it is special to them, and listen to their classmates' stories as well.
If your child does not have a stuffed animal, they are welcome to bring in any special toy or object that holds meaning for them.
We look forward to a fun and engaging show and tell session tomorrow. Thank you for your support!
Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Title / Position]
The next day so the show and tell activity encouraging the children to listen to their friends and ask questions.
Later in the week you can continue the Corduroy Theme Unit by doing the next lesson plan below.
Lesson Plan: Corduroy Adventure Stories Age Group: Preschoolers Duration: 1 hour - 1.5 hours
Objective:
To enhance creativity, storytelling, and language skills by encouraging children to create and share their own stories about their stuffed animals or special toys.
Materials:
"A Pocket for Corduroy" by Don Freeman
"Corduroy Lost and Found" by Don Freeman
Art supplies: markers, crayons, craypas, drawing paper
Writing materials for teachers
Outline:
Introduction (5 minutes)
Gather the children in a comfortable reading area.
Briefly recap the previous lesson and remind the children about their stuffed animal show and tell session.
Reading "A Pocket for Corduroy" (15 minutes)
Read "A Pocket for Corduroy" by Don Freeman to the class, showing the illustrations and engaging the children with questions about the story.
Pause periodically to ask open-ended questions and encourage the children to make predictions or share their thoughts.
Reading "Corduroy Lost and Found" (15 minutes)
Read "Corduroy Lost and Found" by Don Freeman to the class, showing the illustrations and engaging the children with questions about the story.
Pause periodically to ask open-ended questions and encourage the children to make predictions or share their thoughts.
Art Activity: Draw Your Stuffed Animal's Story (20 minutes)
Provide the children with a variety of art supplies (markers, crayons, craypas) and drawing paper.
Encourage the children to draw a picture story featuring their stuffed animal or special toy, inspired by the adventures of Corduroy.
Offer support and guidance as needed, encouraging creativity and imagination.
Story Dictation (20 minutes)
Have each child dictate the plot of their story to a teacher, who will write it down for them.
Encourage the children to describe their drawings, the characters, and the events that take place in their stories.
Make sure to capture each child's unique voice and storytelling style while writing down their story.
Closure (5 minutes)
Congratulate the children on their creative stories and praise their efforts.
Invite the children to share their stories with their families at home and discuss the importance of storytelling and creativity.
Encourage the children to continue creating stories and using their imaginations in their daily lives.
The next day you can do this lesson plan:
Lesson Plan: Corduroy Takes a Bow and Stuffed Animal Theater Age Group: Preschoolers Duration: 1 hour
Objective:
To enhance creativity, storytelling, communication, and collaboration skills by encouraging children to create and perform improv plays with their stuffed animals or puppets.
Materials:
"Corduroy Takes a Bow" by Viola Davis
Stuffed animals or puppets (brought by the children)
Simple props (optional)
Outline:
Introduction (5 minutes)
Gather the children in a comfortable reading area.
Briefly remind the children of the previous lessons featuring Corduroy and their stuffed animal show and tell session.
Reading "Corduroy Takes a Bow" (15 minutes)
Read "Corduroy Takes a Bow" by Viola Davis to the class, showing the illustrations and engaging the children with questions about the story.
Pause periodically to ask open-ended questions and encourage the children to make predictions or share their thoughts.
Introduce Stuffed Animal Theater (5 minutes)
Explain the concept of improv theater and how actors create stories and scenes on the spot.
Encourage the children to use their stuffed animals or puppets to create and perform their own improv plays for their classmates.
Group Activity: Stuffed Animal Theater (25 minutes)
Divide the children into small groups, ensuring that each group has a mix of stuffed animals or puppets.
Provide simple props (optional) for the children to use in their plays.
Allow the children to create and practice their improv plays, offering support and guidance as needed.
Encourage creativity, collaboration, and communication within the groups.
Performance and Sharing (10 minutes)
Have each group present their improv play to the rest of the class.
Encourage the children to be supportive and attentive audience members, applauding and celebrating each group's performance.
Closure (5 minutes)
Congratulate the children on their creative performances and teamwork.
Discuss the importance of creativity, communication, and collaboration in theater and everyday life.
Encourage the children to continue exploring theater and storytelling with their stuffed animals, puppets, and friends.
