Bats

We have the "Bat Box" checked out from the Division of Wildlife Resources for the next two weeks. So, the small group and large group will need to coordinate. My plan is to split the resources between the two groups, and switch for the second week. I have no idea what will be in the box beyond what is in the description (Box with a wealth of educational resources on bats including, books, videos, bat skeleton, posters, puppets, activity guides and more.), so the first day you may want to have an activity that is independent of any resources you may receive, or simply have the resources as things to look at during choosing time. Or make up your activity after you receive the materials on Monday.

Along those lines, will anyone be in Salt Lake around North Temple and Redwood Road on Monday? I can have Gary drive and get it, but if someone else is already driving and will pick it up, Gary will take the bus.

As far as specific ideas on what to teach, all I have is general ideas on how to teach units/how to teach about animals. I hope to post on these things soon. I also have a book called "Amazing Bats" you are welcome to borrow. I also have "Stellaluna," the book that is often referenced below, but I'm not a huge fan, and I don't know that preschoolers would be, either. If you can make it magic, though, borrow away!!

I did a quick google search and came up with these links:
http://www.theteachersguide.com/batslessonplans.htm
If you find that there are some that are really good, we'd love to know about it.

I have posted links to often-helpful websites on the upper right-hand side of the blog. Those might be good places to look, as well. Oh, and there is a SEEL activity about a bat - perfect!

UPDATE: The bat box has 2 real (preserved) bats, 2 bat skeletons, 5 bat puppets, a bat puzzle, a ton of(around 20) books (most non-fiction, a few fiction), several activity guides with reproducibles and activities that can be scaled down to preschool level, 7 posters, a bunch of videos, and a million articles on bats.

This post is open for ideas.

*Mamie taught the kids about how although there are thousands of bats in a cave, mother bats know their babies by scent. She made a bat cave, and gave each child a baby bat with a scent she'd put on it. She had the child learn to recognize which scent was their baby, then put the baby bats in the cave and had the kids go find their baby by scent.