Just Grandma and Me
Little Critter and his Grandma take the bus to the beach where they have a series of adventures including swimming, fishing and flying in a wind-blown umbrella. Children can explore and play inside the story, sharpen their reading and word recognition skills, while discovering the exciting world of the sea shore. The classroom activities Fun with the Characters - click almost anywhere and invite children to describe the action. Guessing Games - involve children with teacher-made riddles, then challenge them to create their own. Pictures in Words - this activity encourages the use of descriptive words to develop understanding.  What’s My Name? - children are encouraged to discover the names of inhabitants and objects in Little Critter’s world and match these with written words. Working Words - each screen of Just Grandma and Me is an opportunity to explore a sequence of actions and to experience how verbs work to tell stories. King Cnut’s Sand Castle - this activity is based on the story of King Cnut, comparing it to Little Critter’s experience. My Own Dictionary - create personalised picture dictionaries as children’s resources for writing. Tell Me About It - children describe the hidden surprises which they discover when they explore a screen. Look Who’s Talking - what might Little Critter’s friends say if they were encouraged to talk? Counting Creatures - this activity challenges children to find groups with similar characteristics and count the members of each group. Birds of a Feather - children explore a variety of methods of classification. Trends and Trails - children research characteristics of sea creatures and identify appropriate methods to display information visually. Animals in Need - identifying common needs and discuss how animals satisfy them. Floating Along - discovering the relationship between water level, water displacement, weight and volume. Home is Where You Find It - identifying the characteristics of environments which fit the needs of the inhabitants. Shoreline Expedition - making a display for a wall or corner so that children who have never visited the seaside can explore what is to be found there. Pastimes in Past Times - investigating the recreations which our ancestors enjoyed as children. Map Making in 3D - using papier mache to build up a contour map. Be a Beach Detective - investigating the tracks left by various creatures and other things on the beach. Making a chart to show findings. Music Music Everywhere - exploring all the musical incidents. Listening to other music which is related to water, or a particular environment to suit your topic work. Seascape - painting on perspex and making a 3 dimensional picture. Transports of Delight - investigating the different forms of transport. Beach Treasures - many things which can be found on the beach can be turned into decorative and useful articles. Songs and Stories of the Sea - in this activity children explore the literature of the sea, including poetry and songs. Grandma’s Patchwork Quilt - in this activity children put together the traditional puzzle, and design, and possibly make, their own quilts. You may also be interested in IntelliKeys Instant Access to Brøderbund Living Books | 
