Schedule for Adding Bill Martin Jr.’s Big Book of Poetry from Sonlight’s HBL A to HBL K: With Art Projects and Activities
By Veronica Soto
This schedule is my own and does not reflect what Sonlight has scheduled in HBL A.
Poems are scheduled 2-3 days per week, and activities 1-2 times a week.
———-
Week 1
Day 3: p. 11
Day 5: pp. 13-16
Day 5 Activity: Using scraps of construction paper, torn paper, foam, or whatever supplies you desire, have your child use small bits to shape and create a picture, similar to those shown on these pages in the book. Here is an example.
Week 2
Day 1: p. 17
Day 3: pp. 18-19
Day 3 Activity: Using fingerpaints, or any type of paint, have your child draw lines or shapes. Wait for these to dry, then, using a marker or crayon, see if they can turn these lines and shapes into an animal figure or other designs, using the book for examples. Or, draw a picture and then use fingerpaints to decorate.
Week 3
Day 1: pp. 20-22
Day 1 Activity: Try a chick craft.
Day 3 p. 23
Day 5: pp 24-25
Week 4
Day 1: pp 26-29
Day 3: p 30
Day 3 Activity: Go outside if you can, and look at the clouds. Look for shapes in the clouds. Then come in, and draw your own cloud shapes.
Day 5: p 31
Week 5
Day 3: pp 32-33
Day 3 Activity: Using mud (either outdoors on the sidewalk/driveway, or inside on paper with a small cup of mud or brown paint), stick or paintbrush, and make art.
Day 5: p. 34
Week 6
Day 1: p. 35
Day 1 Activity: Choose a rainbow craft to make. Here are some ideas.
Day 3: pp. 36-37
Day 3 Activity: Paint or draw a picture that uses all of the colors mentioned in the poem
Day 5: p. 38
Week 7
Day 1: pp. 39-40
Day 1 Activity: Create a collage using real or fake flowers and plants.
Day 1 Alternative Activity: Try to draw plants or flowers; if you have none in your area, look up videos online to see how to draw different flowers.
Day 3: p 41
Day 5: p 42
Week 8
Day 3: pp. 43-44
Day 5: p. 45
Day 5 Activity: Try to find household items you can use to build a crazy cabin.
Week 9
Day 1: p. 46
Day 3: p. 47
Day 5: pp. 48-49
Day 5 Activity: Take a Nature Walk. Pick 1-2 items and draw/color what you see. Or bring in some nature to decorate (rock painting will be in a later week, as will leaf rubbings)
Week 10
Day 1: pp 51-53
Day 3: p. 54
Day 3 Activity: Try creating unique animals. We have played a game similar to this in the past; only we called ours “The Silly Surprise Animals Game,” where we draw animal parts on each one, so each animal is made up of 3 different animals.
Day 5: pp: 55-56
Week 11
Day 1: p. 57
Day 1 Activity: Try to draw/paint like the picture in the book. This picture is nicely done, so it should be fairly easy for children to try.
Day 5: p. 58
Week 12
Day 3: p 59
Day 3 Activity: Leaf Rubbings
Day 5: pp. 60-61
Week 13
Day 1: p. 62
Day 3: p. 63-64
Day 3 Activity: Make a Dreidel with your children.
Day 5: p. 65
Week 14
Day 1: pp. 67-69
Day 3: pp. 70-71
Day 3 Activity: Use Boxes or Household Items to build a skyscraper.
Week 15
Day 3: p. 72
Day 3 Activity: Practice drawing from perspective. Find a place your child can see outside from up high. A second-story window, a tree, the roof (assuming you can go on yours safely). Have your child draw a picture of what they can see up high. Then, have them go to the ground and draw a picture of the same area from that perspective. Compare and spot the differences.
Day 5: pp. 73-74
Week 16
Day 1: p. 75
Day 3: p. 76
Day 3 Activity: Draw or write a letter or piece of mail and mail it to a family member.
Day 5: p. 77
Week 17
Day 3: pp. 78-79
Day 5: p. 80
Day 5 Activity: Help your child to draw or write their own story. If your children aren’t sure they can do it, consider teaching them Draw and Tell Stories.
Week 18
Day 1: pp. 81-85
Day 3: pp. 86-97
Day 3 Activity: Have your children make a hidden picture. Have them hide the numbers 0-9 in a drawing they make, and see if a family member can find them all.
Week 19
Day 1: pp. 88-89
Day 5: pp. 90-94
Day 5 Activity: Using foam or construction paper, have your child try to create their own versions of the pictures on these pages, such as a caterpillar, flower, or butterfly.
Week 20
Day 1: p. 95
Day 3: p. 96
Day 3 Activity: *** Look up or use a microscope to view slides. Have your child pick their favorite and draw what they see.
Day 5: p. 97
Week 21
Day 1: pp. 99-101
Day 3: p. 102
Day 5: pp. 103-106
Day 5 Activity:
Week 22
Day 1: p. 105
Day 3: pp. 106-107
Day 3 Activity: Create Silhouettes or Shadow Drawings ***
Day 5: p. 108
Week 23
Day 1: p. 109
Day 3: p. 110
Day 3 Activity: Create a picture of an imaginary pet you would like someday.
Day 5: p. 111
Week 24
Day 1: p. 112
Day 1 Activity: Rock paintings
Day 5: pp. 113
Week 25
Day 3: pp. 115-116
Day 5: p. 117
Day 5 Activity:
Week 26
Day 1: pp. 118-119
Day 3: pp. 120-123
Day 5: pp. 124-125
Day 5 Activity: Draw a picture of you and your mom/dad/family
Week 27
Day 1: pp. 126-127
Day 1 Activity: use food to create paintings or projects. We always just used pudding or yogurt, but there are many great ideas out there.
Day 3: pp. 128
Day 5: pp. 129
Week 28
Day 3: pp. 131-132
Day 3 Activity: Using green (to imitate peas) play-doh or clay (or even real peas) to create a sculpture.
Day 5: p. 133
Week 29
Day 1: pp. 134-135
Day 1 Activity: Using Construction paper, foam, or any other assorted items, have your child try to make a pretend pizza, adding “toppings” of their choice. You can make a real pizza if you’d like as well. Here are some ideas from someone way better at crafts than I am.
Day 3: pp. 136
Day 5: pp. 137
Day 5 Activity: Noodle Art ***
Week 30
Day 1: p. 138
Day 1 Activity: Make slime. Use the slime to act out Herbert.
Day 3: pp. 139-141
Week 31
Day 1: pp. 143-145
Day 3: p. 146
Day 5: p. 147
Day 5 Activity: Using household items, try to build a house you can carry with you. Alternatively, draw a picture of yourself carrying a house on your back.
Week 32
Day 3: p. 148
Day 3 Activity: Bubble Art
Day 5: pp. 149-150
Week 33
Day 3: pp. 151-153
Day 5: pp. 154-155
Day 5 Activity: Mirror Art
Week 34
Day 1: pp. 157-159
Day 3: p. 160
Day 5: pp. 161-162
Day 5 Activity: Candle Art
Week 35
Day 3: pp. 163-165
Day 5: pp. 166-167
Day 5 Activity: Sheep project. This was a fun project with sheep we did last year.
Week 36
Day 1: p. 168
Day 1 Activity: *** Fish art
Day 3: p. 169
Day 5: pp 170-171
COMPLETE!
