The Theme:

A bedtime story with an underlying theme of finding out who you are with the help of your family

Sub-theme: Taking risk and exploring new places to

discover the world “One does not discover new lands without losing sight of the shore.”

Goodnight Gecko Goals:

To heighten children’s awareness of rhyme schemes, sequencing events, and to learn facts about geckos.

New Vocabulary to Introduce: Gecko Flutter Fragrant Dew Silver Chirp Frolic Chuckled

Goodnight Gecko Blocks

Add pictures with words to blocks relevant to story theme: Tropical flowers Animals found in

story Moons and stars Ocean Palm trees

Add figures to blocks relevant to story: Geckos Cats Frogs Parrots Tropical fish Insects Palms

Goodnight Gecko Dramatic Play Hawaiian Themes in

Dramatic Play Hawaiian

Shirts/Clothing/Leis Snorkel Babies Straw Hut Props Tropical Play Food:

Pineapples, Coconuts, Bananas

Hibiscus Flowers and Palm Fronds

(All items are clearly labeled with words and picture to promote literacy)

Goodnight Gecko Toys and Games Gecko Egg & Spoon Races Snails Pace Race Board Game Hide the Gecko with a Stuffed Gecko

Directional Words Skill Builder (Over, Under, etc.)

Leap Frog (Leap Gecko) Tropical Animal Bingo (words and

pictures included focusing on vocabulary)

Rhyming Words Dioramas

Goodnight Gecko Art

Hawaiian-style fabric prints Painting with fabric tropical flowers Tissue paper tropical flowers Gecko footprint painting Painting with marbles (spider webs) Fruit Loop leis

Goodnight Gecko Library

To Supplement the Night/Tropical Theme: Goodnight Moon A Color of His Own Rainbow Fish Informational Books on Geckos Hawaiian Travel Brochures Word Wall Felt Board with sequencing cards

Goodnight Gecko Discovery

Field Trip to “Curious Creatures”

Insect Sorting Exploring Tropical

Shells Comparing eggs of

different creatures Maps of tropical

islands made available

Goodnight Gecko Sand & Water Sand

Shells Geckos Beach Toys Eggs

Water Tropical Fish Fishing Poles Tropical Water

Plants Shells

Goodnight Gecko Music and Movement

“Sleeping Geckos” Transition Activity 5 Little Mice Finger Play “All the Children…” Animal

Movement Animal Noise Identification

Goodnight Gecko Cooking

Hawaiian Shaved Ice Tropical Fruit Smoothies Lizard Lick Popsicles Night Sky Playdough Green Pudding Gold Fish on Blue Cream Cheese with

Sand Graham crackersAll recipes are written on chart paper

with step by step directions for the children to follow.

Goodnight Gecko Computers Slide Show of Animals seen in book

and tropical locations Observing Aquarium Screen Saver “Read With Me E- Books” Creating a book using scanned

images of children’s work

Goodnight Gecko Outdoors

Gecko Freeze Tag (name an animal to unfreeze)

“Don’t touch the ground” Island hop obstacle course with individual maps for children to follow

Field Trip to the Beach Nature walk to find what is in our

environment, “draw-what-you-see” observations sheets

Ravenswood Salamander Hunt (or a trip to room 12)

Goodnight Gecko Family

Field Trip to Curious Creatures Field Trip to Beach or Ravenswood

Park Family Picnic with Tropical Foods Share your favorite bedtime

story/ritual and create a class book.