Squirrel Lapbook

Squirrels! A multi-book theme unit written by Wende and Ami

LESSONS from Earl the Squirrel by Don Freeman Focus: Squirrel Anatomy Squirrel Anatomy: Body Parts Learn the various parts of a squirrel. Let your student label the "Squirrel Anatomy" diagram. Look through Earl the Squirrel. Ask your young student to point out Earl's tufts of hair, claws, bushy tail, whiskers, powerful legs, etc. Squirrel Anatomy: Amazing Tails A tree squirrel's tail has many functions! 1. As a squirrel jumps from tree to tree, his tail acts as a parachute; it also helps him land softly if he falls. 2. When he swims (as some squirrels do), he can use his tail as a sail. 3. When he runs along a tree limb, his tail helps him balance. 4. In the rain, his tail acts as his umbrella. 5. When he sleeps, his tail wraps around him becoming his warm blanket. Story Starter Use the story prompt to help your student write a story about a squirrel!

Squirrel Poem Use this poem for copywork for your older student. WHISKY FRISKY Whisky Frisky, Hippity hop, Up he goes To the tree-top! Whirly, twirly, Round and round, Down he scampers To the ground. Furly, curly, What a tail! Tall as a feather, Broad as a sail! Where's his supper? In the shell, Snappy, cracky, Out it fell!

LESSONS from Miss Suzy by Miriam Young Focus: Different Kinds of Squirrels, Squirrel Habitats Choose some of the following lessons to complete after you've read the book together: Types of Squirrels There are three types of squirrels-- tree, ground, and flying. Flying squirrels have folds of skin between their bodies and arms. You can tell the difference between

a ground squirrel and a tree squirrel in this way-- if one is scared, a ground squirrel will run to his burrow in the ground while a tree squirrel will climb to a high place. The squirrels in this book are tree squirrels. Gray Squirrels Identify what kind of squirrel Miss Suzy is. Read about Gray Squirrels on page 163 of Fun With Nature. Does your student remember what kind of squirrel Earl is? Complete the "Kinds of Squirrels" tab book using the information you read about in Fun With Nature. Red Squirrels Identify the kind of squirrels that took over Miss Suzys home. Read about Red Squirrels on page 165 of Fun With Nature. Continue with squirrel chart. Now that your student has learned about gray squirrels and red squirrels, you may want to use the Venn diagram provided in the printables section to chart the similarities and differences. Animal Classification Older students may want to further research squirrels, and their classification. They are in the Animal Kingdom, Chordata Phylum, Mammal Class, and Rodent Order. Introduce what these terms mean and how they apply to a squirrel. If you are notebooking or lapbooking, your student may want to include the classification mini-book. Habitats Identify the kind of tree Miss Suzy lived in. Read about oak trees on pages 254255 in Fun With Nature. Also mention that much of Miss Suzys food and dishes came from the acorns of the oak tree. Many squirrels live in the holes of tree trunks just like Miss Suzy; they make very nice two room homes called dreys. Others live high in the tree in abandoned birds' nests and ground squirrels live underground in burrows. Read about other squirrels in Fun With Nature to learn what other kinds of homes squirrels live in. Maple Trees

For an extra activity, Identify the kind of branch Miss Suzy used to make a broom. Read about maple trees on pages 252-253 of Fun With Nature. Nature Walk Go for a squirrel hunt in a wooded area, looking for squirrels, nests, or other signs such as tracks or scats (they have small droppings; they are about the size of a raisin, and light brown in color). Refer to page 202 of Fun With Nature. If desired, take the prepared page ("Squirrel Hunt") on your hunt. Each time your student finds a squirrel sign, let him color the box or put an x in it. You can use this page multiple times until all 25 boxes are filled. Collect nuts found during your nature walk; you can use them to make a Nut Ball when you complete the activities for Timmy Tiptoes (see below).

LESSONS from Timmy Tiptoes by Beatrix Potter Focus: Eating Habits Choose some of the following lessons to complete after you've read the book together: Various Diets: Read more about different breeds of squirrels in Fun With Nature. Compare what different squirrels eat? What is the most common food? What is the most uncommon food? Gathering Nuts At the end of fall, squirrels become very busy gathering acorns and nuts. They store their food in many different places-- holes and nooks around the trees where they live. Just like in the story, they often forget where they've hidden their supplies. Feed a Squirrel! Using the nuts you collected during your nature walk (or with some store bought

peanuts still in the shell), make a Nut Ball (see Fun With Nature page 173) for the squirrels in your neighborhood. If you don't have any squirrels around, take it to a wooded area and hang it. Nut Graph Buy some different kinds of nuts and have a taste test with your student (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pistachios, etc.). Try each nut. Have your student make a marking on his graph for each nut that he likes; have your student also make a marking on his graph for each nut that is liked by each family member. (If you want more data, allow your student to call some friends or family members and ask them if they like each kind.) You can use the printable graph with a container of Planter's mixed nuts. Hiding Acorns Game Just for fun make some acorns out of construction paper. Hide them around your house for your squirrel to find. Once she finds them let her hide them for you to find. A page of acorns is provided in the printables section. Hibernation Tree squirrels do not hibernate, but ground squirrels do. When ground squirrels hibernate, they go into their dens to sleep through the cold of winter for five to six months. Their body temperatures drop so that they are only about one or two degrees higher than the temperature outside; it can drop below freezing (the freezing point of water)! Their breathing and heart beats slow down. A ground squirrels heart will beat only a few times in a minute during hibernation. Every week or so, the squirrels wake up for about 12-20 hours and then go into hibernation again. Some ground squirrels don't hibernate if they are in climates where the winters don't get too cold.

Library List Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter Merle the High Flying Squirrel by Bill Peet A Squirrel's Tale by Richard Fowler Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo and Still-Mo: Lessons in Living from Five Frisky Red Squirrels Busy, Busy Squirrels by Colleen Stanley Bare Hello, Squirrels! Scampering through the Seasons by Linda Glaser

Materials and information may be used for your own personal and school use. Material may not be used for resale or shared electronically. Homeschool Share

Cut out book as one piece. Fold in half on the black line. Cut on the dotted lines to form three flaps.

Both

Red Squirrel

Gray Squirrel

As a squirrel jumps from tree to tree, his tail acts as a parachute; it also helps him land softly if he falls. When he swims (as some squirrels do), he can use his tail as a sail.

When he runs along a tree limb, his tail helps him balance.

In the rain, his tail acts as his umbrella.

When he sleeps, he can wrap his tail around him and use it as a warm blanket.

Terrific Tails!

Cut shapes out. Stack together with cover on top and use a brad to attach pieces together. Store in pocket. Cut pocket out. Fold back flap up and wrap side flaps around the back and glue down. Glue the back of your pocket into your lapbook.

Kinds of Squirrels
Cut on solid black lines. Stack book together. Your student will have six tabs to flip through (two at the top, two on the side, and two on the bottom). Choose six types of squirrels to learn more about. Write the type of squirrel on each tab. Fill in each page with the description, diet, and habitat for each kind of squirrel.

Order

Class

Phylum

Kingdom

Squirrel Classification
Cut on solid lines. Fold on dotted lines like an accordion (back and forth, back and forth).

Squirrel Anatomy

Squirrel Diagram Cut and paste the words to the appropriate places on the squirrel diagram.

Bushy Tail Whiskers

Big Eye Claws

Powerful Legs

Squirrel Hunt!

Do all squirrels hibernate?

Do squirrels always remember where they hide their food?

Help the mother squirrel find the way to her babies!

Squirrel Observations

Date Place Activity

Date Place Activity

Date Place Activity

Cut pages out. Stack book together with cover on top and staple at the top of the book. Use book at a park or nature area to observe squirrels.

Date Place Activity

Date Place Activity

Date Place Activity

Date Place Activity

Nuts bout Nuts!

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Almond Peanut Cashew Hazelnut Brazil nut Pecan

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How Many Nuts? (Feed the Squirrels!) Print and laminate the following page. Mom needs to write numbers in the second column. The student should use play-doh to make nuts. The student should then place the correct amount of nuts for each squirrel in the third column.

Copy the poem on to the page provided. Use your very best handwriting. WHISKY FRISKY Whisky Frisky, Hippity hop, Up he goes To the tree-top! Whirly, twirly, Round and round, Down he scampers To the ground. Furly, curly, What a tail! Tall as a feather, Broad as a sail! Where's his supper? In the shell, Snappy, cracky, Out it fell!

Whisky Frisky

Find the Acorns Print page on brown paper, if desired. Play the Hiding Acorns game found in the lessons.

How Many Squirrels Do You See?