We're Going on a Leaf Hunt

This week's theme is leaves.  Luckily there are still some falling from the trees so my class could go on a leaf hunt today.  Before going on our leaf hunt, though, I read the book Going on a Leaf Hunt. It's great for both text to self as well as text to text connections with the book Going on a Bear Hunt.

With their Ziploc bags in hand, off my students went on their leaf hunt on our playground.  They had so much fun!  They were especially excited when they found leaves with a color other than brown (and I was too since I knew what these leaves were going to become).  And just what are these leaves future purpose?  Well we're going to make leaf animals with them.

I found this beautiful book, Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert, while browsing last week at the bookstore.  If you can, get a chance to look at this book in person.  The illustrations are simply amazing as well as how the pages are designed (I'm not going to give away all it's secrets as I want you to discover this book for yourselves).  As you can see from the cover, the different leaves form a "man".  In the story, "fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one's quite sure, but this much is certain: A Leaf Man's got to go where the wind blows."


I then stumbled across this picture, thanks to Pinterest, on the blog Charlotte's Fancy.   

And I was inspired to create leaf animals, just like the ones Leaf Man blows by in the book.  I can't wait to do this activity on Friday and come back here and post the pictures of how they turned out.  And my students are dying in anticipation to find out what they are going to be doing with the leaves.  Check back this weekend to see how the animals turn out.