What a gorgeous sunny and warm day on a boat on the Chesapeake Bay! We are still on our field trip at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. After exploring the oyster reef, we are on our way to go crabbing. We are going to catch blue crabs. Blue crabs eat clams, oysters, mussels, fish and plants. This Smithsonian video shows what a blue crab looks like and how it eats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJUG8UvY-lk
Science
I have two science discoveries:
(1) A female crab is called a sook and a male is called a jimmy. Their bellies are quite different: the female is shaped like the top of the Congress Building and the male is shaped like the Washington Monument. Check it out! https://www.deviantart.com/anxiouswren/art/Blue-Crabs-Male-vs-Female-337755850 Crabs lay thousands of eggs too.
(2) Crabs have a hard shell or exoskeleton like insects. Let’s take a page and divide it into two columns: crustacean (living at the bottom of bay/ocean) and insects. Help your child to come up with crab, lobster, shrimp, crayfish for crustacean and beetle, ant, bee, butterfly for insects.
If your child has a nature journal, your child could glue the columns that you can label and date.
Language Arts
Suzanne Tate has more than one book about crabs!
Crabby and Nabby. A Tale of Two Blue Crabs Was her first. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZy3UMEsevk After viewing the book, help your child to sequence the story: what happened first, next and at the end.
There is also an underlying theme of love in this book. Crabby loved Nabby and wanted to protect her. Ask your child to tell you how he/she shows love. Give examples in your family.
“Three Red Crabs” Song (Tune of “Three Blind Mice”)
Three red crabs, three red crabs,
See how they walk, see how they walk.
Sideway, sideway and away they go.
Now they are going so very slow.
Three red crabs, three red crabs.
”The Crab” Song (Tune of “The Wheels on The Bus”)
The crabs in the bay go snap, snap, snap, (3x)
The crabs in the bay go snap, snap, snap all day long!
“Silly Fish” Fingerplay
Five little fish swimming in the bay, (wiggling fingers of one hand)
Teasing Mr. Crab: “You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me!” (Put hands on hips and shake hips)
Along came Mr. Crab as quiet as can be and
Snap one fish right out of the bay! (Snap like a fish with the other hand)
Four little fish… Three little fish….. Two little fish…… One little fish…
Uppercase C is for Crab and to practice tracing! (Remember to start at the top) https://twistynoodle.com/uppercase-letter-c-2-coloring-page/
Other crab books are: Harry Horseshoe Crab. A Tale of Crawly Creatures, Happy Hermit Crab. A Tale of Shell Seekers, Speedy Ghost Crab. A Tale of a Beach Dweller, Crabby Swims Free. A Tale of a Close Call.
Math
May is a new month and your child needs a new calendar. Print this calendar set https://www.themailbox.com/magazines/may-calendar-setbr4-pages/may-calendar-set and have your child choose a pattern to follow for the new month.
if you have shells (Or small toys), help your child to sort them by size in groups and count the number in each size group.
Pattern Block Mats https://www.prekinders.com/pattern-blocks/ to print twice and cut out the pattern blocks for your child to build.
Art
For this art project, you need (1) red paint, (2) a brush, (3) a marker, and (4) blue construction paper.
Paint your child’s hands in red with the brush. Have your child press his/her hands on the construction paper: hands together up with both thumbs connecting and other fingers spread out. Thumbs are eyes and other fingers are crab’s legs. For more decoration, your child could cut strips of green construction paper to glue as grass around your little crab!
Other crafts:
Handy Crab Craft https://www.themailbox.com/magazines/crab-craft/handy-crab
Paper Plate Craft http://www.preschoolactivities.us/paper-plate-crab-craft/free-paper-plate-crab/
Crab Egg Carton Craft https://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/ocean-other.htm
More Craft Ideas https://preschoolplanet.us/crab-craft-idea/
Small Motor Skills
Help the Crab Count to 10 Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/help-the-crab-count-to-10-coloring-page/
Cut and Paste Letters CRAB https://twistynoodle.com/cut-and-paste-the-letters-c-r-a-b-coloring-page/
Gross Motor Skills
Crab Walking/Crawling can be a fun activity, especially when a child adds the challenge of carrying teddy bears! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwItBmNzM9M