10 little rubber ducks by Eric Carle

10 little rubber ducks by Eric Carle

Hmmmm….so this really isn’t an environmental book when you pick it up but it made me think a lot about products that we use regularly that will take years and years to break down, and even then the compounds they were made up of will still exist – changing the soil or water they break down in forever.

10 little rubber ducks is a sweet book as many of Eric Carle’s books are. The pictures are vibrant and the words are easy to listen to telling a joyful story of the journey of 10 rubber ducks on their way from a factory to faraway countries.
Children can learn how to count from 1- 10 but also how to count in ordinal numbers. The story explores different sea creatures and the change from morning to night.
But I think it opens parents and teachers up to the problem – what happens when things fall into the sea that don’t belong there?
So what can you do to ignite care for what we consume?

AS YOU READ

  • Look at the diet of sea animals – does plastic fall into this?
  • What might happen to each of the rubber ducks?

AFTER YOU READ

  • Look for images of animals who have been tangled up or have eaten plastic (also see my book Seagull to link in with this theme.)
  • Read this story about a real life rubber duck catastrophy: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/what-can-28000-rubber-duckies-lost-at-sea-teach-us-about

SCIENCE

  • Does plastic breakdown? Try your own experiment by burying food scraps and plastic – see which one breaks down first.

 

 

  • Do a household census – what things in your house are made of plastic? Categorize the plastic into single use, long term use, recyclable and waste.

 

NUMERACY

  • Whilst playing in the bath or playing with simple toys, put them in order. Count them from one to ten.
  • Roll items or throw items towards a line to see who can fly the furthest. See you came 1st. 2nd, 3rd etc.

PARENT TIP

  • Bath time is a great time to sit and play with your child at the end of the day – try to stay off your phone for this time as lots of fun can be had (I know I went through a phase of always reading my phone at this time)
  • Explore some eco friendly bath toy options – there are some great ones out there!  But also look at kitchen utensils and bowls, pots and containers that could be used in the bath. Children are a lot more creative than what we give them credit for!

 

Testimonials – Jack and Jill Kindergarten, Berowra.

Testimonials - Jack and Jill Kindergarten, Berowra.

Thanks so much Vanessa for coming out and sharing your book “The Bee Detectives” with our children 3-5 years old. The experience allowed them to learn so much more about Bees. We have had our native Bees for several years and had beekeepers out before. Your book took an in-depth look into classification, different ways they live, how they collect pollen and make honey.  It created lots of meaningful conversation with the children; your interactive book reading allowed them to share these ideas with each other. The extended activity afterwards of the magnifiers provided by Vanessa was a great extension to the book. The children were so excited to be their very own Bee detectives and really extended their learning.
Vanessa Ryan-Rendall
2021-05-17T03:33:47+00:00
Testimonials - Jack and Jill Kindergarten, Berowra. Thanks so much Vanessa for coming out and sharing your book “The Bee Detectives” with our children 3-5 years old. The experience allowed them to learn so much more about Bees. We have had our native Bees for several years and had beekeepers out before. Your book took an in-depth look into classification, different ways they live, how they collect pollen and make honey.  It created lots of meaningful conversation with the children; your interactive book reading allowed them to share these ideas with each other. The extended activity afterwards of the magnifiers provided by Vanessa was a great extension to the book. The children were so excited to be their very own Bee detectives and really extended their learning.

Author Visit: Jack and Jill Kindergarten Berowra

Thanks so much Vanessa for coming out and sharing your book “The Bee Detectives” with our children 3-5 years old. The experience allowed them to learn so much more about Bees. We have had our native Bees for several years and had beekeepers out before. Your book took an in-depth look into classification, different ways they live, how they collect pollen and make honey.  It created lots of meaningful conversation with the children; your interactive book reading allowed them to share these ideas with each other. The extended activity afterwards of the magnifiers provided by Vanessa was a great extension to the book. The children were so excited to be their very own Bee detectives and really extended their learning. 
Teacher notes written by Vanessa
2021-04-21T02:54:08+00:00
Thanks so much Vanessa for coming out and sharing your book “The Bee Detectives” with our children 3-5 years old. The experience allowed them to learn so much more about Bees. We have had our native Bees for several years and had beekeepers out before. Your book took an in-depth look into classification, different ways they live, how they collect pollen and make honey.  It created lots of meaningful conversation with the children; your interactive book reading allowed them to share these ideas with each other. The extended activity afterwards of the magnifiers provided by Vanessa was a great extension to the book. The children were so excited to be their very own Bee detectives and really extended their learning. 

Georgie Donaghey

I was impressed with Vanessa’s professionalism in preparing the teacher notes for my picture book, In the Shadow of an Elephant. Her depth of knowledge on the multitude of topics covered was just incredible! She has compiled a 15-page document that will allow Educators and students an opportunity to explore conversations and discover different layers within the book. Georgie Donaghey
Teacher notes written by Vanessa
2020-08-01T07:42:45+00:00
I was impressed with Vanessa’s professionalism in preparing the teacher notes for my picture book, In the Shadow of an Elephant. Her depth of knowledge on the multitude of topics covered was just incredible! She has compiled a 15-page document that will allow Educators and students an opportunity to explore conversations and discover different layers within the book. Georgie Donaghey