Our first grade class is so hoppy (oops! we mean HAPPY) to be a part of the Bunny Readers web project! During the month of April, we'll read LOTS and LOTS of rabbit stories! Here are the titles of a few of them:
The Tale of Peter Rabbit The Tale of Benjamin Bunny The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies The Fierce Bad Rabbit The April Rabbits Bunny Trouble Home for a Bunny The Spring Rabbit Seed Bunny Bunches and Bunches of Bunnies The Whispering Rabbit
and SO MANY MORE!
You'll find projects related to some of these stories and other great bunny books on the Bunny Readers home page!
And be sure to visit a bunny web project we did last year with our friends Mrs. Valenti's class! It's based on the book "The April Rabbits" by David Cleveland.
After reading "Hungry Little Hare" by Howard Goldsmith, we became interested in the differences between rabbits and hares. Read some interesting and surprising facts below!
Comparing Rabbits and Hares
Rabbits are usually smaller than hares.
Hares are usually larger than rabbits.
Rabbits have shorter hind legs and shorter ears than hares.
Hares have longer hind legs and longer ears than rabbits.
Baby rabbits are called kittens or bunnies.
Baby hares are called leverets.
Baby bunnies cannot see when they are born.
Baby leverets can see when they are born. They are born with their eyes open.
Baby bunnies have no fur when they are born.
Baby leverets have a full coat of hair when they are born.
A mother rabbit makes a nest lined with their own fur for her babies, and they are born into it.
A mother hare does not make a nest for her babies. They are born onto the ground or into a small hole.
Rabbits lose hair and grow new hair in the spring and fall.
Hares also lose hair and grow new hair in the spring and fall.
Rabbits usually have brownish fur in the summer and greyer fur in the winter.
A hare's fur turns whiter in the winter.
Rabbits hide in burrows or holes in the ground during the day.
A hare hides among plants during the day.
Rabbits usually live with many other rabbits.
Hares usually live alone.
ASSESSMENT
This project addresses the following New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards:
Standard 3.2: All students will listen actively in a variety of situations to information from a variety of sources.
Activity: Listening to fictional and nonfictional information about rabbits and hares.
Standard 3.3: All students will write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes.
Activity: Writing comparisons between hares and rabbits; writing fictional stories inspired by the works of Beatrix Potter.
Standard 3.4: All students will read various materials and texts with comprehension and critical analysis.
Activity: Reading various books and information sheets on the topic of rabbits and hares.
Standard 4.2: All students will communicate mathematically through written, oral, symbolic and visual forms of expression.
Activity: Using a Venn Diagram to chart the differences and similarities of rabbits and hares.
