The Polar
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Bear snores.
Pretend Bear
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green paper.
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sky.
the moon in the
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5
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6
Use the paintb
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5
see
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eyes.
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13
on the page.
rush to dab glue
on the glue.
14
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Writing
No doubt the story will prompt your students to think about their own winter
experiences. Give each student a prewriting web similar to the one shown.
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Have her complete it with a winter topic and several sensory details. Then ask
Mailbo
x
her to incorporate the details into a story. To showcase her writing, instruct
the youngster to use an empty thread spool and a
cotton swab to make white paint prints (snowflakes)
on a large sheet of blue paper. After the paint dries,
fold the paper in half with the snowflakes to the
outside and staple her writing inside. Then have her
glue a titled illustration to the front of the resulting
booklet.
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gray
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long
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whit
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touch
trees.
marker to draw
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Descriptive phrases
To begin this follow-up activity, revisit the page that describes
the snow as “whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl.” Discuss the
descriptive phrase with students. Then help them brainstorm a list
of similar phrases that compare winter sights with colors. Next, ask
each student to paint a picture of a listed sight. After the
paint dries, trim any excess paper around students’ artwork.
Display the paintings with the corresponding phrases on a
board titled “What Do We See in Winter?”
gine
Topic
taste
k” on
eba
ll
rds
page
15.
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wb
all F
ight
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inte
rW
alk
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to the black pape
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(trees) from the
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t, incl
r Ac
rtim
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ga
nigh
inte
ting
Sledd
white
craft paint
cray stick
on
glue s
Word-Card Version: A player uses the
adjective in a sentence.
red
mittens as
draw lines on
Steps
4
lle
Havin
Colorful Comparisons
3
12
Ice
Danie
ls
(easier version) or the word cards. Use the
gameboard on page 17, and gather two game
markers and a die. Arrange for two students to
play at one time. To begin, the players stack
the cards facedown and place their game
markers at the house. To take a turn, a player
takes the top card and responds as described
below. Then he rolls the die and advances
that many spaces. Students alternate turns,
reusing the cards if needed, until one player
reaches the owl.
scissors
container of glue
paintbrush
black marker
Setup snow.
triangle
d
tance making
e an
r.
sters need assis
the Ificyoung
the green pape
r be
a supe
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tics at
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in the
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l its hiding spot
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r
construction pape
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white circle (moo (owl eyes)
dots
2 yellow sticky
glitter
Upon
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lly slid
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rey
g
Picture-Card Version: A player names the
picture and an appropriate describing word.
.
and fro
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ip th
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the pa
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Describing words
so it
facial
lo
oks
The young girl describes her trek in the forest
featur
like
es, ha
snow
from the beginning to the end. To follow her
ts, an
balls
example, have students use describing words as
d sc
bein
arve
g thro
they move along a wintry game trail. To prepare,
s to
wn by
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cut out a copy of the game cards on page 16.
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Plan for students to use either the picture cards
en.
Yolen
Written by Jane
Schoenherr
Illustrated by John
as a
come into play
nce, and hope
gh the moonlit
Bravery, patie
p
to
father tram throu
little girl and her great horned owl. Responding e
of a
h, its imag
snow in search
a nearby branc
on
lands
owl
Pa’s call, an
ight, ending the
light of Pa’s flashl
caught in the
ture.
nighttime adven
Win
te
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science activity on page 8.
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Who will be there?
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deep.
What games will
you play?
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Kevin
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this wbal
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story
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partic Fight
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Sarah
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l Bird
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Win
tert
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Us
night.
rate a resp
Th
wint e snowm
er
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is
en
tivitie
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s. Re story pa
di
bulle ge in. Dr fferent visit the rticipate
wint
aw a
tin bo
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st
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six-c er activ ory and severa
ard
s
Help on page paper. Co olumn ch ities th discus l
s
e
Then each ch 11 and lor and art on a snowm with
ild wr
attach
cut ou
shee en
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vit
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ite he
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ta
them
ity
to a copy of
corre as yo ch youn r name
flo
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gs
th
disc sponding help he ter to anon a snow or grap e
uss
the gr colum r place he nounce ball cu h.
n.
aph
r snow her fa tout.
resu Finally,
vo
prom ball in
rite
lts.
pt yo
th
ungs e
ters
to
Nighttime Play
Which night?
Wr
i
Pro ting
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write or illust
Snowmen at Night
Graphic organizer
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each child
bell.
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4. Have
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with page
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her: Use
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Glue the yarn to the top of the print so that the print looks like a jingle
the teac
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n
Note to
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Allow the paint to dry.
y
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5
gects that plays at
Pa
dthe
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r an
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y about
storve
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makok
Write aBo
e with
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g
itin
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Dip the cotton swab in black paint and make a small X in the
middle of the print. Sprinkle glitter on the wet paint.
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ar.
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f-a-k t from diagra e lists.
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ns
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Open the paper. Dip one end of the cork in gray paint.
Press the cork on the paper to make a print.
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rac
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Fold the paper in half. Use markers to decorate the paper
so that it looks like a wrapped gift.
2
3
Science
Stor y
on
Discussi
ry takes
ch
rac
Literacy
w?
do you kno
ve? How
make-belie
y real or
at night?
Is this stor
en only play
en the
the snowm
the snowm
you think
with
do
y
g
Wh
y doin
ld you enjo
vity wou
Which acti
k ice-cold
y?
story drin
most? Wh
en in this
the snowm
k
thin
you
cocoa?
Why do
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cocoa inst
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ere the sto
Lite
a
my e
_____
____
____
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ear?
,
____
____
____
____
____
____
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____
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___
____
____
____
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ng
Writi pt
Prom
Lun
e
Steps
1
Pol
a
Wh r Bear
at D , Po
o Y lar B
ou
Hea ear,
r?
Wri
tten
by B
ill M
A
artin
anim trip to
Jr. a
als
nd
and the zo
illus
the o intr
trate
sou
o
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nds duces
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they
yo
ic C
arle
mak ung re
E
ader
e.
sou ach zo
s to
n
y
ask d. Wri o anim
am
te
a
vo
ultit
l
e
in
lunte
Dis
ach
ude
th
p
of
stud lay ea ers to sound is delig
ch ve illust
htf
-r
corr ents p
rate elated ul tale
rb
ra
make
classespond ctice card w the a verb
o
m
each or tw ing ve aking ith its nimals n a se s a un
m
rb
o
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iv
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late
al so anima ual ca rd an
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l ill
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writinlay an anima d verb , read cards.
The d, sho ustratio s.
the
g ass d enco l sou and
ignm urag nd. K wait w book n, with w them n. As
alo
a
hile
ents e stu eep
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.
ts to
en
o
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rb
How
afte ring
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r
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imp
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were ed! Ask ortant
ca
the
verb rds on
two a farm stude is the
s in
se
write or thre , a circ nts how tting
futu
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o
re
cut and ill copie us, or the st f this
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o
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e
V
st
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r co
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d?
tw
title
ch
and een tw child
illust
o
Wh
ratio
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n to
anim
Wh
als
a
from
zoo t would
the
kee
b
st
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ory
per?
the
have
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or w
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u se
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rath
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part
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a
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Exp
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.
t of
ra
sou
pon
nds
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you
mig
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on a
farm
, at
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or
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Supplies
L unnatcNhight
____
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Responding
6" x 9" construction paper
large cork
cotton swab
gray and black paint
silver glitter
small piece of yarn
markers
glue
Snowme
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This is wh
Students create the boy’s gift from Santa with this unique craft.
cy
Litera
Story n
io
iscuss
The Pola
r Expre
ss
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Liteyra
Tell Abou
t It!
A Special Gift
ar
A Sleepy Be
5
Real Bear
and
cave Bear,
in his
elter ally wakes to be
ke sh
als ta ing eventu he wants
anim
,
gather ts to leave
forest
,
eir
ps
na
. Th ed gues
Bear
party
like
While promptu his uninvit
or awake, just
an im of asking
to be asleep
have
n!
stead
it can appear
but in d in the fu
o the
and close so
nce int animals
bear’s eyes open
include
entra
the
This textured y!
imal’s s where s of any
an
ch
ge
stor
of ea
the pa the meaning itor to
the bear in the
ription t! Revisit
nts
ve vis ar ’s
ou
id desc
ch ca
stude
be
The viv to be acted cuss with role of ea share the
his
to
d dis
n the
mime
begs
ve an
assig er students tor panto the story
cave
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s)
the ca rds. Then
oth
ch ac to bring
r circles (eye
enter
r wo nt. Ask the have ea
y
truction pape
ilia
wa
cons
s (ears)
n
ry,
fire
unfam ent stude
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the sto
a sure
n construct
a differ you reread actions. It’s
two 3" brow
s
plate
role. As d animal’ life!
e)
large paper
ne
pom-pom (nos flour
assig cabulary to
large black
th
with
wi
ened
vo
n
t, thick
and
brown pain
tale tha touts
e-filled d flame cu d
paintbrush
an
s rhym
an
er
up thi es (logs)
the fire you
black mark
around
side
to follow
d tub
dents student be
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What actice! Us fire. Sit wi . Have the
circle
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the
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rd
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ntinue word. W different wor to
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1 Fold the eyes
dents
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draw pupils
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r plate brow
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to rhym
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them w far arou
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the plate.
see ho
and nose to
eyes, ears,
?
3 Glue the
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flip open the
not re
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show
4 When the awake and fold them to
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Expla
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u know
ar
p.
yo
Bees
let
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eg
him aslee
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details
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6.
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t
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W
by Mark
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Written by
Name
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Wha
with
snowman.
s
iou
Use
eveled—
lds a glor
and dish
child bui
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a young wman is droopy
do at nig
try day,
ve?
One win morning, his sno snowmen really
ar ’s ca
ng
what
in Be
the followi s him to imagine
party
e to the
which lead
you tak
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things
an
2
three
however,
What
snowman;
the story
to build this handy! Reread Invite
Why?
.
very
is needed
comes in h grouping of text en a
No snow
ing words
d eac
hears. Wh
ear for rhymafter reading alou
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words he he draws one
ing
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e any rhym
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a volunte
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y
sno
few
part of a
needs a
s.
drawing
snowman rhyming word pair
e
mor
e
nam
t.
ing at nigh
at time play
to
have a gre of daytime play
at
the story
wing: Wh re
conditions
wmen in
The sno
pare the t include the follo
peratu
ents com
tha
s to the tem was
pen
To help stud , ask questions
hap
What
play
ttime sky
nighttime the sun at night? rence if the nigh
as
to
ns, such
d
happens
make a diffe -related questio
uld you nee e his
Would it
pose play
and “Wo
at night?
writ
draw or
at night?”
clear? Also
ed
cloudy or es could you play ask each child to
age interest
n
“What gam equipment?” The of page 9. Encour
y
any special
s on a cop into stories.
s
play idea
e
idea
ir
ttim
the
nigh
to develop
students
on
a Wils
rm
by Ka
Written
Name
By Chris Van Allsburg
Transported by a magical train ride to the
North Pole, a boy is chosen by Santa to receive
the gift his heart desires. He chooses a silver bell
from a reindeer’s harness. Once home again, he
learns that the ringing of the treasured bell can
only be heard by those who truly believe.
Mailbo
Ch
strate
and illu
Bear talks.
fish.
berries and
Bears eat
©The
Jane
d by
n
apma
Bear drinks tea.
Mailbo
x®
Lr Su n c h
.
Bear cries
©The
Pre
real from prete
Distinguishing
Help youngand drinks tea!
real
Bear cries, talks, d bear behaviors from
preten
e caves
sters sort these
draw two simpl as
In advance,
caves
bear behaviors.
and label the
paper
chart
g real bear
strips namin
on a sheet of
program paper
the bear
of
iors
shown. Then
the pretend behavof the story, have
behaviors and
aloud
caves.
After a readin the book.
strips onto the
you sort the
students help
On
nores
Bea
d cubs.
babies calle
Bears have
Bears can be dangerous.
Real Bears
tend Bears,
nd
15
16
©The
Mail
box ®
11
ard
age
s
10.