Sweet Bear Snores On Activities & Hibernating Animals Lesson Plans
Bear Snores On Activities
We love the story Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. The book opens up the conversation about a whole host of different animals that hibernate in the winter! This blog post includes Affiliate Links.
The book, Bear Snores On, is such a sweet story. Here is a quick summary of the book. While Bear is sleeping in the winter, one by one, a group of different animals and birds find their way into Bear’s den to warm up. They even have tea brewed and popcorn. When the bear finally wakes up to find his cave filled with uninvited guests, he just joins their party. Here are a few of the other titles in this bear series:
The illustrations by Jane Chapman are precious!
Bear Snores On Reading Comprehension
We decided to include this little bear in our book companions pack, Engaging Readers! As you may know, this series of lesson plans focus on reading comprehension. Each day students focus on different comprehension questions or English language arts activities. We created text dependent questions that discuss with their reading partner. Additionally, students can also respond in writing.
- Monday: Predictions
- Tuesday: Retelling the Story
- Wednesday: Schema – What do you already know about bears
- Thursday: Writing informational texts about bears
- Friday: Writing informational texts about bears
Let’s take a closer look at a few of these activities.
Bear Snores On – Making Predictions
Monday’s reading comprehension question is as follows:
“Read until you get to the end of the page where the bear wakes up. Stop reading after the words, ‘BEAR GROWLS, and he GRUMBLES.’ What do you think will happen next?”
Here are a few of the student responses to this writing prompt.
We know in kindergarten, a lot of meaning is made through illustrations. We are confident and have seen this thinking transfers to text once students gain the skills to communicate through written words.
Bear Snores On – Sequencing the Story
. Almost every Tuesday is where we retell the story with picture cards. These are placed in the correct order in a pocket chart or taped to your chart paper. We also have them in a PowerPoint slide so you can display the character cards on your whiteboard.
Once we have placed the cards in order, students create their own black and white version of the retelling activity. Then this little activity turns into a hat!
Bear Snores On Craft
Add some brown construction paper and a paper plate and you have an adorable craft that is dual-functional! WIN!
Bear Snores On – Schema and Informational Text
For the rest of the week, we work on learning more about bears. We included an informational text in the reading comprehension unit.
All About Brown Bears Anchor Chart
We use the information we learned about brown bears to create this student supportive anchor chart.
All About Brown Bears Informational Writing
Students use the chart above to do a little bear informative writing.
You can find all of these reading comprehension and response activities by clicking on:
Informational Books About Hibernation
Here are a few of my favorite books we have used in the classroom to learn more about animals that hibernate. We read more than just bear books!
Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft
This is a great book that discusses how some animals in winter interact with the season.
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
This book is gorgeous. It is also a fantastic book to use as a mentor text with your illustrative studies in writers workshop.
Here is the summary from Amazon:
This book takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living under the snow.
Hibernation by Tori Kosara
This is a Scholastic book and students will learn about all of the other animals that hibernate besides bears. Your class will learn how animals like squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, and bats prepare for hibernation.
Bear Snores On Craftivity # 2
This is a craft I did with my class every year. It was one I had in my file cabinet [remember those] but I don’t know where it originated from. If it was your creation, please let me know. Here are the directions:
- cut a small paper bowl in half to make the bear’s den
- cut a half circle for the back of the den
- use brown, white, and black construction paper to make sleepy eyes
- tear construction paper to make winter trees
- add cotton balls to make snow
- draw snowflakes with white or stars with yellow… or both…LOL
Bear Snores On STEM Activity
Students also loved the STEM challenge of building a den for all of Bear’s friends. It is such a fun activity.
You will find this Bear Snores On STEM Activity along with many others with this link:
Additional Activities for Bear Snores on
I like to make this week all about animals that hibernate. The students I’m working with right now are starting these day with this riddle of the day. Each day is a different riddle they are asked to solve using text evidence.
As students come in, they listen as I read the riddle to them. Then they make a guess based on the evidence in the riddle.
You can read more about this activity by clicking:
Bear’s Den Beginning Sounds Activity Pocket Chart Cards
This is such a simple pocket chart activity that you can fit into your week. Students love to guess where the bears are hidden as they give the beginning sound. There is an optional response page.
You can find this activity by clicking:
Hibernation Poem for Kindergarten
I wrote this poem to go with hibernation week!
Then students have a copy to put in their poetry notebook. Additionally, they have an emergent reader that goes with the poem.
Remember, you can sneak that science of reading into other lessons throughout the day! We worked on dividing syllables in our small group. We also circled the words that rhyme!
You can find these poetry resources by clicking:
You can learn more about how we use poetry in the classroom by clicking:
Science Interactive Notebook Activities
Here is an activity that was created for Google Classroom and/or Seesaw. It makes a great listening center activity! Here is a video that walks you through this activity.
You can find this hibernation activity, plus 29 others:
FREE Lesson Plan Template
Click on the image below to download this free lesson planning template. It is editable so you can make changes to match your own classroom needs!
I hope you found a few activities for Bear Snores On that you can use in your own classroom.
Would you like to find more lesson plans like this? Here are a few places to check out!
Learn more about interactive read aloud lesson plans:
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Deedee Wills
My teaching career allowed me to experience teaching in different classroom environments and grades. My heart belongs to early childhood education. My job is to make teaching FUN, ENGAGING, and EASIER. Welcome!
Hi, I'm DeedeE.
My teaching career allowed me to experience teaching in different classroom environments and grades. My heart belongs to early childhood education. My job is to make teaching FUN, ENGAGING, and EASIER. Welcome!
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11 Responses
Where would I find the worksheet on The Bear Snores On (retelling) students head bands?
Thank you,
Tammy Luera
Those are included in the Guiding Readers units. 🙂
Here is a link to this particular one.
Guiding Readers for December
Do you have a full years worth of lesson plans made like you did up above for “Hibernation week”?
I am looking into buying all of your bundles to start me off with being brand new Kinder teacher. I see all of your stuff would be SO HELPFUL since we are a school that has to do our own curriculum. With me having a family AND still going to school. I really think you could help me out with this!!!
Jessica Sexton here is the link I used to purhase the bundle. It is well worth it. View our https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guiding-Readers-YEAR-LONG-BUNDLE-NO-PREP-ELA-Units-for-K-1-1912195
Thank you Kim for answering her question!!!! I’m so glad you like them!!!
Hi Deedee! I have been following you and
all your wonderful ideas for years! Do you store all your centers pieces in the plastic frosting tubs? Just wondering! Thanks so much!
Maryann
Yes! Any of the card games go in frosting containers. It makes it so much easier for little hands 🙂
Is there a way to only purchase or a place to find only the activities for The Bear Snores On? I know you have it included in the December bundle but I just need the activities for my hibernation unit. Love all your activities and ideas!
I’m sorry, we don’t have that listed individually at this time. 🙁
I purchased your Engaging Readers set 1 and 2. I cannot find Bear Snores On, but would love it!
It is in the December file 🙂