The American Grizzly Bear

The American grizzly bear and cubs.

       There  are  several  kinds  of  bears  to  be  found  in  America,  but  the  most famous  is  the  Grizzly.  Through  some  parts  of  the  States  hunters  call  all bears  grizzlies,  but  it  seems  now  that  the  only  true  grizzly  is  found  in  the  Sierra Nevada  Mountains  of  California.
       All  summer  long  the  bear  is  busy  eating  until  it  gets  very  fat,  and  then when  winter  comes  it  makes  a  burrow  in  the  ground,  very  cunningly  hidden, and  quietly  goes  to  sleep  from November  to  April.  When  it  gets  up  it looks  very  miserable  and  thin  from  having  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  all  the  gloss has  gone  off  its  fur.  At  this  time  it  is  very  fierce  indeed.  The  bear  hunts  for food,  and  in  a  short  time  it  begins  to  grow  fat  again,  and  the  skin  no  longer looks  several  sizes  too  large  for  its  owner.
       The  spring  is  a  bad  time  for  bear-hunting,  firstly  because  its  fur  is  not in  good  condition,  and  secondly  because  it  is  too  dangerous  an  antagonist. Should  a  grizzly's  anger  become  aroused  by  a  wound,  it  will  attack  men  and horses  without  discrimination.  It  lays  about  itself  with  its  huge  paws,  while  its claws  will  smash  through  almost  any  substance,  as  if  they  were  made  of  steel. So  tenacious  of  life  is  the  grizzly  bear  that,  unless  it  is  wounded  in  some  vital spot  it  will  fight  on,  although  its  body  may  be  riddled  with  bullets.
       All  California  hunters  fear  the  grizzly,  and  with  good  reason,  for  no  other animal  on  the  American  Continent  matches  it  for  size  and  strength.
       Men  who  have  traveled  all  over  the  world  believe  that  a  grizzly  is  more than  a  match  for  either  a  lion  or  a  tiger,  in  spite  of  their  superior  agility.
       A  full-grown  male  grizzly  frequently  weighs  as  much  as  fourteen  hundred pounds,  but  the  female  weighs  a  good  deal  less.

Sheet music, "Little Fuzzy-Wuzzy Bear'' by Stout and Abbott.

The Brown Bear

A brown bear licks it's paws after eating wild honey and berries.

        The  Brown  Bear  is  fairly  common  in  Europe  and  Asia.  In  a  wild  state it  grows  to  a  very  large  size,  but  directly  it  is  confined  in  a  cage  it  ceases  to develop  and  remains  comparatively  small  all  its  life.
       The  brown  bear  lives  mainly  upon  roots,  leaves,  and  honey,  consequently, it  does  not  make  many  inroads  on  the  farmers'  cattle.
       The  brown  bear  is  easily  tamed  and  becomes  very  affectionate,  and  will follow  its  owner  about  like  a  dog.  It  was  frequently  seen  in the past in  shows  and  circuses, where  it  is  made  to  dance  upon  its  hind  legs. 

Kids can learn to draw a brown bear at Thrifty Scissors.

Big Bear by Silem.

Oh Bear, big Bear

What do you see

From high up there

Beneath the tree?

I see the brook

Far, far below,

The valley red

With the evening's glow.

I see the rocks,

And silent meadows

Turn purple in 

The creeping shadows.

Oh Bear, big Bear

Whom do you love

As you stand there

So far above

The meadow and 

The giant trees?

Whom do you love?

Oh, tell me please!

I love my life

And pleasant food.

I love the sun,

And cliffs and wood.

I love sweet smells

And mountains tall.

I love my babies

Best of all.

The Polar Bear

        In  the  Arctic  regions  lives  the  Polar  Bear.     This  mighty  animal  is  as large  as  any  of  the  bears  found  in  warmer  countries.     It  lives  entirely  on flesh  and  fish,  its  chief  food  being  seals,  which  it  has  a  very  clever  way  of catching.  Finding  a  number  of  seals  asleep  on  a  piece  of  floating  ice,  the bear  quietly  swims  toward  them,  and  then  suddenly  appears  right  under  their noses.  If  the  frightened  seals  leap  into  the  water  the  bear  will  have  them before  they  can  get  away,  while  if  they  try  to  escape  over  the  ice,  their  swift-footed  enemy  quickly  climbs  out  of  the  water  and  catches  them  before  they  can reach  a  place  of  safety.     This  trick  is  played  over  and  over  again.
       The  polar  bear  can  stay  under  water  for  quite  a  long  time.  Its  swimming powers  are  greater  than  those  of  any  other  animal  except,  of  course,  the  whale, dolphin,  and  seal.  A  polar  bear  has  been  known  to  swim  from  one  island  to another,  a  distance  of  over  fifty  miles.  Moreover,  it  is  very  expert  in  the water,  and  can  catch  the  largest  and  swiftest  fish  with  ease.
       The  polar  bear  makes  a  dangerous  enemy,  for  its  temper  is  uncertain,  and it  will  attack  man  without  any  reason.  Its  jaws  are  of  great  strength,  while  its claws  will  tear  their  way  through  the  hardest  wood.  Its  fur  is  enormously  thick, right  down  to  the  extremities  of  its  feet,  and  consequently  it  is  well  protected from  the  Arctic  cold  and  from  the  sharp  pieces  of  ice  that  it  walks  over.  Its color  varies  from  a  pure  white  to  a  pale  yellowish  tint.

Polar bear brothers explore an old boat.

An Arctic Suit by J. M.
Behold this polar bear and see
A case of Nature's skilled design.
See how this creature's coat and form
With all his habitat combine.
"But why is this?'' I hear you ask.
To hide from natural enemies,
To creep unnoticed and unseen
Upon the prey he plainly sees.
He wears protective coloring,
Llike many creatures, strong and weak.
Oh dear, I wish that I might, too,
When I am playing hide-and-seek!

Baby Bears

       "In the winter, at the start of the new year," said daddy, "when Mother Bear was sleeping and dozing and dreaming in her home back in the hole of a big rock, the little bears arrived. She taught them about the berries they must eat and about the things which would make them feel well and strong. She also told them of the bad things they must not touch - the things which would make their little tummies feel very miserable indeed and which would make them quite, quite sick.
       ''And when, at last, they went out of the cave, and saw the real world, the trees and the forest paths, they wanted to start off at once for adventures, for the world looked so mysterious and wondrous.
       " 'Do you want to leave your old mother?' the black bear asked.
       " 'We love you, mother, but we want to see the world,' they said.
       " 'Bang,' suddenly went a gun and Mother Bear received a slight wound.
       ''The baby bears were around her in a flash, but mother bear was safe, for the man with the gun had hurriedly gone when he had seen how near the old bear was. And he had seen her teeth and had almost
been able to feel them!
       ''And the babies knew their teeth would never have done. They, too, had had a glimpse of their mother's anger and their mother's strength.
       ''And as they licked the wound they said,
       " 'We won't leave you, Mother Bear. We don't know the world as yet.'
       ''And Mother Black Bear groaned with the hurt from the slight wound in her shoulder, but still more she grunted with pleasure, for her babies had seen that they still needed their mother.'' 

More Bears To Color:

• Color the polar bears at the zoo
• Color-by-number: Bear Bone 
• These bears have their marching orders
  

Politely

Politely
Diane Willson

When Goldilocks went calling
On the Little Baby Bear
And spoiled his bowl of porridge
And sat holes into his chair-
I hope she hurried home again
For others nice and new
And took them back politely
To the Baby Bear. Don't you?
 

The Family Dragon

 The Family Dragon
(With acknowledgments to Kenneth Grahame)
Margaret Widdemer

Last night there walked across our lawn a
beast we didn't know-
We saw his little footprints marked quite
plainly in the snow.
It might have been an ocelot, or perhaps a
grizzly bear-
We hoped it was a dragon, come out walk-
ing from its lair;
We didn't want a grown-up one, all fire and
scales and foam,
But just a baby dragonlet that we could carry
home;
We'd keep him in the nursery and give him
a nice name,
And have him for a fam'ly pet, with ribbons
on, quite tame.
We tracked him down the meadow path
and all along the hedge
And there his little footprints stopped close
up beneath the edge,
For there the snow had gone away - there
wasn't any track-
And it was tea-time anyway, so both of us
went back.
But we shall go some day quite soon and find
him in his lair,
And capture him while he's asleep, and tie
him up with care,
And we will have the 'spressman come and
put him in his wagon
And bring him home to stay with us and be
our family dragon!

Sagacious Bruin

The clever, hungry bear.

        The captain of a Greenland whaler being anxious to procure a bear, without wounding the skin, made trial of the stratagem of laying the noose of a rope in the snow, and placing a piece of meat within it. A bear ranging the neighboring ice was soon enticed to the spot by the smell of the dainty morsel. He perceived the bait, approached, and seized it in his mouth; but his foot at the same time, by a jerk of the rope, being entangled in the noose, he pushed it off with his paw, and deliberately retired. After having eaten the piece he had carried away with him, he returned. The noose, with another piece of meat, being replaced, he pushed the rope aside, and again walked triumphantly off with his capture. A third time the noose was laid; but excited to caution by the evident observations of the bear, the sailors buried the rope beneath the snow, and laid the bait in a deep hole dug in the center. The bear once more approached, and the sailors were assured of their success. But bruin, more sagacious than they expected, after snuffing about the place for a few moments, scraped the snow away with his paw, threw the rope aside, and again escaped unhurt with his prize.

Bear: 13 Furry Facts

Find all kinds of bears to color at
The Crayon Palace.

      A bear is a large shaggy beast of prey closely allied to the dog in structure and having many features in common with the badgers, weasels and skunks.

13 Furry Bear Facts:

1. Bears have massive heads, extended narrow jaws and large teeth.
2. The body appears more bulky than it really is, because of the looseness of the skin, the length of the coarse fur, the stumpy tail and the comparative shortness of the legs.
3. The limbs are furnished with long and powerful claws for use in digging, fighting and climbing trees. The senses of hearing and smell are very well developed.
4. Bears are clumsy in their movements; yet they can run rapidly, and most of them climb trees or scramble over rocks with remarkable speed.
5. They usually make their home in some cave or crevice among rocks, or in hollow trees. 
6. There, in the early spring, the young ones, usually two in number, are born.
7. Each bear family usually keeps pretty well to itself, instead of hunting in packs as the wolves do.
8. Bears will eat nearly all kinds of food.
9. They are fond of fruits, berries, herbs, roots, eggs, ants and honey. They capture and devour small animals in the woods and often raid human settlements in search of young pigs, calves, colts and sheep.
10. Almost all bears eat fish and reptiles, and some species live almost entirely on fish.
11. The pelt of bears were much valued for furs, overcoats and rugs at one time
12. The flesh was used for food in many parts of the world.
13. Bear fat and claws are not only valuable but illegal due to the threat of extinction.

Learn More About Bears from The Web:

• All the Different Types of Bears
• Differences Between Grizzly, Brown, and Kodiak Bears
• California wants its grizzly bears back
• Nora's second chance, study polar bear data

Craft Bears:

• The Three Bears Silhouettes (template)
• Fairy Friends Paper Cuts (templates)
• Rigmarole and illustrated bear poem page for your scrapbooks

The Hiawatha Paper Cuts Restored

       Below are the Hiawatha paper cuts restored for those of you who are teaching Native American studies to your little ones, enjoy.

       The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 epic poem in trochaic tetrameter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which features American Indian characters. Read more...

       Read the original poem by Longfellow here.

The wigwam of Nokomis.

Nokomis nursed Hiawatha.

Nokomis bound Hiawatha's cradle with the sinews of the reindeer.

Hush! the Naked Bear will hear thee!

The owls spoke their native language.

The birds hid their nests.

The birds sang to Hiawatha.

The reindeer, Hiawatha talked too.

I am Adjidaumo, the squirrel.

The warriors and the women all praised the hunter.
They called him Strong-Heart, Soan-ge-taha.
They called him Loon-Heart, Mahn-go-tay-see.

Hiawatha is running by the Big-Sea-Water.

6 Books to Celebrate Valentines Day

6 Books to warm your child's heart is the days leading up to Valentine's Day!

Mamma, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Jones. Set in the arctic, a little girl tests the boundaries to see just how much her mother really loves her... and it's a love without end or limits.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. Can you measure how much you love someone? It can be hard to do... even harder to put into words as this father and son rabbit discover.

Happy Valentines Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff. Mouse is busy at work making valentines to share with each of his friends to tell them exactly why he loves them.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. The classic tale of a little stuffed rabbit who dreams of nothing else but to be real. He learns though that becoming real is a process that requires a great deal of love, and sometimes love brings heartache... but equally, joy!

The Valentines Bears by Eve Bunting. This bear couple cut their hibernation season short to celebrate Valentine's day with each other, a jar of honey saved from summer, and other surprises for each other. (Update: see how we used this book in our classroom to practice making inferences here.)

How Raggedy Ann Got Her Candy Heart by Johnny Gruelle. After a disastrous flight high up on a kite, Raggedy Ann gets a thorough cleaning up, and a special gift of a candy heart.

Rigmarole

Rigmarole.

There is a land where bunnies dance

While foxes play the flute,

Where puppy-dogs in polkas prance,

And bear-cubs swiftly shoot

In sledges o'er the slipp'ry ice,

Which isn't safe, though very nice.

There on their hind-legs kittens walk,

And elephants steal jam,

There lions sit at tea and talk,

As gentle as a lamb,

There rats at school long copies write,

While bears are put to bed at night.

And if you don't believe it, look

At all the pages in my book!

Fairy Friends Paper Cuts

    These fairies have butterfly wings and companions who play with them inside of a garden. Paper cuts also include flowers, grasses, birds and animal friends.

Post at Pooh Corner: Links to Christopher Robin's Friends!

      Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Milne also included a poem about the bear in the children’s verse book When We Were Very Young (1924) and many more in Now We Are Six (1927). All four volumes were illustrated by E. H. Shepard. Read more . . .

"House at Pooh Corner"sung by Kenny Loggins
songfacts here

Crafted Friends from Pooh Corner: 

1. Winnie the Pooh: Aesthetic Nest 
2. Mini Pooh Pillows 
3. Pooh and friends origami 
4. Cubee - Eeyore by Cyberdrone on deviantART 
5. Winnie the Pooh Paper Lantern
6. Hundred Acre Wood Party with Winnie the Pooh
7. It's Owl who knows something about something

Pooh and Friends Cakes and Sweets:

1. Inspiration - Winnie the Pooh Party
2. Lovely fall cake of Pooh and his friends from Genevieve Griffin
3. Winnie the Pooh birthday ideas...
4. {Hundred Acre Wood} Winnie the Pooh Birthday Party from Hostess with the Mostess
5. Wow! What a honey cake! (picture only)
6. another beautiful Pooh cake picture

Links Concerning The Hundred Acre Wood:

1. The Adventures of the Real Winnie-the-Pooh
2. Winnie: Heritage Minute Video
3. About The E. H. Shepard Archive
4. The original bear, with A. A. Milne and Christopher Robin, at the National Portrait Gallery, London
5. The real locations, from the Ashdown Forest Conservators
6. Winnie-the-Pooh at the New York Public Library
7. UK Appeal to save Winnie the Pooh's bridge
8. Pooh sequel returns Christopher Robin to Hundred Acre Wood
9. The Pooh Files by Joe Shea
10. Pooh rights belong to Disney, judge rules
11. Winnie the Pooh Website
12. Pooh Corner, sanctioned by the Pooh Properties Trust
13. Disneyclips.com
14. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
15. The Page at Pooh Corner
16. Disney trailers for Winnie the Pooh

"You're Sodalicious Valentine!"

The phrase used on the ice cream Valentine above, ""You're the cream
of the crop," My little cherry on top!"

      Fourth and fifth grade students will be sure to delight in these ice cream treats! I've included a few of my free patterns below for teachers to download, print, trace and craft these valentine cards.

      Teachers may adapt the processes in producing these cards according to the abilities of their students and the availability of supplies. For example: the waffle pattern on the cones may be colored by hand, as I have done, or students could find a similar surface pattern and do crayon rubbings on top of construction paper in order to mimic the cone's surface. Students could also use combs or brayers to apply dark brown paint to a lighter shade of tan paper in order to create an interesting 'waffle' design as well.

      I chose to hand color some of my the ice cream but it would look just as nice with layered and torn papers. Perhaps even glitter would lend a nice effect for the final finish to these fun ice cream cone Valentines? Use your imagination and have fun!

These ice cream, waffle cones are hand colored to look
like actual waffle patterns.

Additional Sodas and Ice Cream Valentine Cards:

• Cas Sweet Ice Cream Valentine
• Ice Cream Monster Valentine's Pop-Up Card
• Pop-Up Happy Birthday Ice Cream Card with Bakers Twine - Switch out greeting with "Valentine" word
• "You make my heart melt!" 
• "I'm lovin' you like candy!"
• Valentine fudge pops card
• Scratch and Sniff Valentines
• Valentines for Kids Peaceable Kingdom {Review}
• Valentine ice cream cones with heart shaped sprinkles
• My love . . . Ice Cream
• Ice Cream Shop Card - Valentine Card 
• Valentine's Soda Pop Treat Hanger {template}
• Valentines Pop Box Treats
• Day 11: "I've got a crush on you."
• Valentine candy bouquet in a soda pop glass

More Ice Cream Heart Cards for Kids To Make:

• Kids Ice Cream Card from Artsy Craftsy Mom
• Kids Valentine card: Ice cream cone heart

This ice cream valentine reads, "You Melt My Heart, Valentine." Both Valentines open up to reveal large, bright red hearts.

Two variations of patterns for ice cream cone Valentines. Cut multiple scoops of ice cream according to tastes
and two hearts per student: one in brown paper, the second in red or pink. The dashed line indicates a "fold"
 on the heart shaped waffles. Look to the photos above for assembly.

The above ice cream looks as though it has come from a pump, unlike the ice cream above that has been
scooped. Some folks prefer 'soft served' ice cream and some prefer their ice cream hard. No matter which
you desire, these little ice cream patterns are sure to please!

Sodas and Ice Cream Valentine Treats:

• The Big List of Old Fashioned Soda Fountain Drink Recipes
• In Soda Revival, Fizzy Taste Bubbles Up From The Past

Vintage Soda Fountain Themed Valentines: 

"Mmm - You're 'Sweet' Be My Valentine Please!" ice cream cone
 Valentine card

"Need a Valentine? Soda" card

"Gee Whiz Valentine You 'Melt' Me, Please Be Mine" ice cream cone card

"To My Valentine, Oh You 'Smoothie' Let's Be 'Sundae Dates!" ice cream in a dish Valentine.

"Valentine It Will Be The Last Straw - If You Don't Say Yes!" card

"You're the Sweetest Thing I Know! Be Mine" Valentine Card.

"Meaning No 'Monkey-Shines," Valentine! I offer you choice of peach or vanilla and
 that oughta prove I ain't no "Gorilla"!" Valentine.

Visit Jan Brett's Coloring Pages

Download and print her charming coloring pages at her website here.

Jan Brett (born December 1, 1949) is a best-selling American author/illustrator of children's books. Her books are known for colorful, detailed depictions of a wide variety of animals and human cultures ranging from Scandinavia to Africa. Her best-known titles include The Hat, The Mitten, The Three Snow Bears and Gingerbread Baby.

Paint, Cut and Paste Your Own Bumpy Little Pumpkins

      This little story reminds me of the trips my husband and I used to take to the pumpkin patch with our children every year when they were small. They would roam the fields for an entire afternoon looking for the perfect pumpkins to carve on Halloween. My husband would pull them in a little red wagon when their small legs became tired. It was a charming annual event and some of our best photo opportunities happened in the pumpkin patch. 

      The little girl in this story feels self-conscious about her preference for the bumpy pumpkin. Her sisters tease her but her animal friends encourage her to trust her own artistic vision for the bumpy jack-o-lantern she imagines in her head. I will be reading this sweet little story at the early learning center this Fall and will also include a bumpy little pumpkin craft along with it.

"The Bumpy Little Pumpkin" by Margery Cuyler is illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Teaches young students the importance of perseverance and individual taste.

I used the above pictures sponge rollers for the painting of these little bumpy pumpkins. I also mixed together both red glittery paint and a bright orange acrylic to achieve the color and texture used in this Halloween craft.

These "baby faced" jack-o-lanterns wouldn't scare anybody. A simple and sweet cut and paste project for very young students.

"A" was once a counting apple pie too!

      Suse Macdonald illustrates this beloved poem, "A was once an apple pie" for children in her colorful, popular book. The poem, is an absurdly endearing classic by Edward Lear.

      I cut and pasted an apple pie pocket just for teaching simple math to the young students in our classroom. Teachers should probably laminate the pie and apples so that the game will endure for a couple of years at least. 

      I used tin foil for the pie's plate and painted, cut, and pasted construction paper for the pie top and the apples. These elements looked much like those illustrated inside Suse Macdonald's book. 

      Many people believe that it is a marketing device to produce multiple subjects using similar themes and illustrations. However, expert educators have proven that illustrating multiple academic subjects with similar visual cues helps to stimulate a student's memory, particularly if it is done within the context of a limited span of time. This is why preschool teachers consistently use the thematic presentation of multiple subjects. 

      Of course, it is much more entertaining for young students to count apples instead of dots on a page. Teachers try to make learning fun so that immature students will happily comply without too many complaints.

      For this apple game, students may be asked to add or subtract apples from the pie. The answer to their math problem is then what remains inside the pie pocket! All they need to do is empty and count the remaining apples to give the correct answer to the games question. This playful use of adding and subtracting pleasant visual aids greatly improves young appetites for math exercises. It also may ensure that little tummies will begin to grumble while playing it. 

      Why no serve up a healthy snack of chopped apples for an afternoon snack after reading the poem and playing the game?

• Apple themed poem page and links
• Bb is for bushel of apples coloring page
• Color picking apples in the orchard
• How to decorate a flat wooden apple ornament...
• Fruits of the season die cut printable

An Alphabet' by Edward Lear read by Murray Lachlan Young

Restored Antique Alphabet Prints

      These restored antique alphabet prints would look charming in a child's nursery/bedroom or a homeschool classroom. I've cleaned and restored them for your next alphabet craft. Enjoy and read the Terms of Use before printing them out.

The above image for pinning please.

A was and Apple, an Archer, an Arrow. B was a Bird, Bear and a Barrow.

C for Cat and D for Dish, E for an Elephant, F for a Fish.

G for Goose and Ha for Ham, I for an Inn and J for Jam.

K for Kite and L for Light. M for the Moon and N for Night. O for Owl and P for Prattle,
Q for the Queen and R for Rattle.

S for Ship and T for Tap, U for an Urn and V for Vat. W for Windmill, for Watch & Wren,
 X stands in English for no word but ten.

Y is for Yew, for Youth and for Yeast, Z is for Zebra a beautiful beast.

More Restored Alphabet Print by Kathy Grimm:

• A Bible Alphabet from Thrifty Scissors
• A Noah's Ark Alphabet at Easter Egg Crafts
• Animal Alphabet Flash Cards at The Crayon Palace