Language Arts –
~Vocabulary - Snubbed, Skin Horse, Rigging, Shabbier, Dingy
~Discuss fact and fiction. Which parts of the story could have really
happened?
~Discuss what a Classic Fable is, and how there are often different
adaptations written of the same story. Read a couple different versions
of The Velveteen Rabbit and compare and contrast them, using this graphic
organizer.
~Personification is when an author gives an animal or other object the
features of a human. In this story, the toys in the nursery move, talk,
and feel. Can your child think of any other books or movies where the
writer used personification? (Toy Story may come to mind)
~Research the author, Margery Williams. She was born in England in 1881
and moved to the United States when she was 9 years old. Your home-schooled
children may find it interesting to know that the author was home schooled
when she was little. She didn’t have many friends, and played with her
pet mice in her little dollhouse. The Velveteen Rabbit is the only book
known to have been written by her.
~Have your child write or narrate a story about a favorite toy coming
to life.
Science –
~Research Scarlet
Fever and discuss why the toys needed to be disposed of. Discuss
prevention of diseases i.e. proper hand washing, diet, sleep habits,
etc.
~Learn about rabbits. Have child look up and read about rabbits in The
Kingfisher First Animal Encyclopedia. Color rabbit
page. Look at the pictures of rabbits throughout book. Collect
up your child’s stuffed rabbits and have him sort them by color, size,
and sitting or standing, etc. Discuss a rabbit's diet while snacking
on carrot sticks and/or raspberries.
Social Studies –
~ Relationships~ Discuss the relationship between the boy and the rabbit.
Does your child have a favorite toy? Have your child compare the things
he likes to do with his toy to some of the things the boy liked to do
with his rabbit. Talk about how the rabbit must have felt when meeting
the real rabbits and being different than them. Discuss ways the real
rabbits could have made the stuffed rabbit more comfortable, and apply
this to how your child may want to act when he is around children who
are different.
~Holiday Symbolism~ On the first page of the story there is a picture
of the rabbit tucked into a stocking with a sprig of holly and candy
canes. Do your children know why these are used as symbols of the Christmas
season? It is said the holly leaves represent the crown of thorns that
Christ wore, and the berries represent His blood. The candy cane is
said to be in the shape of a shepherd's staff, the colors representing
the purity and blood of Christ. Your child might enjoy reading the Legend
of the Candy Cane story. For a complete unit on the symbolism of
Christmas, from a Christian perspective, see A
Blessed Christmas: A Unit Study Approach To Studying The Symbols of
Christmas.
Extras –
~ Slice the top off a carrot, dip in paint, and make carrot print
pictures.
~ On an outline of a rabbit printed on cardstock, have children glue
cotton balls to make a picture of a fluffy rabbit.
~ Make carrot cake
~ If available to you, watch an animated version of The Velveteen
Rabbit and compare it to the story.
~ Make candy canes out of dough.
~ Cut holly leaves out of construction paper to use for gift tags.
~ If your child has a stuffed animal that is becoming “shabby and unsewn”,
set up a stuffed animal hospital and help him to repair it with a needle
and thread.
Disclaimer: All links
are for informational purposes only - a link to a web site does not imply
agreement with or endorsement of that site. Because of the changing nature
of the internet, always preview a site before viewing it with your children.
