One of my favorite activities to teach my students in March was based on the idiom, March Comes in Like a Lion and Goes Out Like a Lamb. We read, discuss, write, and create an art project to show our knowledge of this idiom and how the seasons change.
Here’s the lesson idea…
I use the story by Marion Dane Bauer, In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb. It’s a great fit for this lesson and has beautiful illustrations you can share with your students. If you don’t want to purchase the book, you can have your students listen to it using the YouTube read-aloud versions.
As you read, record students’ thoughts on chart paper.
Divide the chart paper into two sections: Lamb and Lion.
Students can help you fill in the chart by adding the characteristics of each animal on the chart.
As you’re writing the characteristics, guide students into understanding the book isn’t really describing animals, but the seasons.
Once you’re done reading the book and filling out the chart paper, give students the sheet with the two rectangles labeled “lion” and “lamb.”
Give students the half sheet of phrases they’ll need to cut out. Tell students they’ll need to cut out the phrases and sort them into different rectangles.
Then extend your students’ knowledge and create a fun craft to go with it. Students can use their word sort and the anchor chart details to write their own Diamante poems about winter and spring. Have students create the lamb on one side of the paper and lion on the other side. When they’re completed, you can hang them from your classroom ceiling.
If you teach upper elementary, complete this craft with your primary buddy class. Your upper elementary students can help facilitate the cut-and-paste activity and guide the poem writing.
Grab the full In like a lion, out like a lamb writing and craft activity here.
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I can't get Facbeook on my work computer. Can I get the sorting activity in another place? thanks!!