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February 20, 2019

Penguins in Kindergarten

Tacky the Penguin written by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger is one of my favorite penguin stories! This sweet story celebrates the differences of an odd bird named Tacky. Tacky is unlike the other birds, and this story teaches that sometimes it's good to be different from others.

After reading this story, my students make a penguin directed drawing.  A directed drawing is where we draw each part step-by-step together. I have my drawing projected onto the Promethean Board using my HoverCam so that students can see each step as I make it. We go slow and we stay together. I make sure that I don't move on until all students are caught up!

This is a wonderful activity for students who might say, "I can't draw a penguin! I don't know how!" Using directed drawings gives them a little confidence to keep trying. They are all amazed at how great their penguins turn out. My favorite part - each penguin is so very different and unique, yet they are all wonderful! If you would like to do this activity in your classroom, you can purchase the book below by clicking on the picture link (Amazon affiliate link).

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