Book Bag Activities for
Cat's Colors
By: Sheila Crabtree

• Cat’s Colors by Jane Cabrera

Rationale:

• I thought this book would be great to teach younger students about color!

Information about the author:

• Jane Cabrera has written many children’s books including Big Panda and Small Panda, Rory the Lion, Over in the Meadow, Dog’s Day, and Old Mother Hubbard. Jane Cabrera also illustrates children’s books.

Questions to use with the story:

• Before~ Where do you see colors? How many colors do you see?
• During~ What could be the Cat’s favorite color? What other things could be (green, yellow, etc.)?
• After~ Did you guess the right color? What color is your favorite?

Activities to use with the story:

• Write a story. Have students write a story about their favorite color using Cat’s Colors as an example. Have the students read their books to the class.
• Illustrate their book. Have students illustrate the book they created or draw pictures for Cat’s Colors.
• Color Hunting. Allow students to go on a color hunt. They can walk around the school and playground looking for different colors. They could list items they see or collect samples of colors they find.
• Cat’s Colors with Music. Read Cat’s Colors and use small instruments like bells, sticks, or shakers. Whenever students hear a color in the story, they play their instruments.
• Color Surveys. Conduct a color survey with other students in the grade or school. Ask students to name their favorite color. Collect data and graph the results. Students could also survey family members.
• Color Patterns. Students could create color patterns by using their names. On a sheet of 1’ by 1’ grid paper, students could write their first names over and over again, filling the paper (one letter per box). Then students could choose a color for each letter (ex. a= blue, b= yellow, c=green) and color their grids to make a pattern.
• Color Collage. Have students search old magazines and cut out objects that are their favorite color. They could paste these pictures together to make a color collage.
• Color Lists. Have students brainstorm to list as many objects they can that are the same color as their favorite.
• Watercolors. In small groups, have students experiment with watercolors on a large sheet of white paper. Point out how two primary colors make a new color. (yellow+blue=green)
• Colors! In partners, students can use flash cards to learn how to say colors in Spanish.

Props:

• finger paints
• crayons
• water colors
• pictures of different colors
• markers paper
• colored pencils
• stuffed animal cat

Bibliography of other related books:

• Elmer by David McKee
• The Color Kittens by Margaret W. Brown
• My World of Color by Margaret W. Brown
• A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
• My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard
• My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
• Somos Un Arco Iris: We Are a Rainbow by Nancy Tabor
• Color Dance by Ann Jones
• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Assessment Plan:

Plan: Students will be assessed in many ways with this book bag. They will be able to name and identify different colors. They will write stories about color, collect color samples, create patterns, and learn the name of colors in Spanish. Assessment will be done by observation and collecting samples of student work. Students will also be assessed on their involvement during story time.