I took a long break since the return of our deployed soldier, and am finally back in the saddle again. School is in session and the household has settled down enough to focus on our beloved bookworm fun! This week we had adventures with Chicken Little.
We love folk tales around here, and Chicken Little (sometimes called Henny Penny) is a classic. Here are four different versions, each more creative than the other, that we enjoyed reading: Henny Penny by Vivian French, Henny Penny by Jane Wattenburg, Chicken Little by Steven Kellogg, and Chicken Little by Rebecca and Ed Emberley. Some end in tragedy while others surprise you with a twist or two-- I especially like Kellogg's addition of a fat hippo.
Our craft was simple but glorious: Take a sheet of cardboard, cut out the shape of an acorn, and glue items (in this case acorns from our yard and popcorn) to the cardboard. 
We played out two different versions for dramatic play. First, we used creatures from our felt board and Castle Grayskull (a leftover from Dad's childhood that served well as the fox's lair). We improvised a little-- the peacock and ostrich took the place of Henny Penny and Goosey Loosey. Next we used dinosaur puppets, with Rexy Lexy being the villain. Loads of fun!Incidentally, I do not recommend the movie of Chicken Little as an extension of this activity. It's fine as a movie, but is so far from the original plot of the story that I don't think it enhances the lesson. Aliens play a big role... enough said.
Come back around next week for some fun with archaeology!
