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No matter how much you try to reinforce them, every now and then children forget to use their manners. The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners is the perfect book for getting them back on track. This book by Stan and Jan Berenstain help children see how unattractive bad manners are, and how to find ways to make sure their good manners shine through.
If you are a classroom teacher or homeschool teacher, or if you are just looking for a way to further the connection of this text with your children, take a look below at three fun and easy lessons to get you started.
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Supplies Needed:
Book, The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners
Poster board
Markers
Construction paper
Scissors
The activities below can be done in any order you wish. You can also space them out however you wish. Enjoy the flexibility and do what works for you and your students or child.
Before beginning any lesson, complete a read-aloud of the book. Be sure to take frequent pauses so you can make connections to the text, look at picture clues, make predictions, and define difficult words together.
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Table of Contents
The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners Activity #1
List of Marvelous Manners
Objective: Students will be able to identify good manners and positive behavior choices.
Supplies Needed: Poster board, markers
Directions: For this activity, you will brainstorm with students about what is considered good, polite manners. From your brainstorming, you will create a List of Marvelous Manners chart, perfect for displaying and future reference.
1. First, write the title on your poster board. The List of Marvelous Manners is a great title, or you can think up something similar.
2. Now, number your chart with numbers 1-10, or more if you need. Invite students to brainstorm about what is considered good manners. You can throw some suggestions in too if you would like. Some examples may be holding the door for others, saying excuse me, chewing with your mouth closed, etc.
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3. Invite students to fill in the chart by writing these manners down. If students are too young to write full sentences, they can dictate while you write, OR, they can draw a small sketch of the good manner next to each number.
4. When your list is complete, hang it somewhere it can be easily seen and called upon for future reference. It will be wonderful to refer to when someone needs a reminder of what is considered a good manner.
5. Conclude this activity by reflecting on what you have learned and opening up the floor for questions, answers, and connections.
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The Berenstain Bears Forget Their MannersActivity #2
Marvelous Manners Role Play
Objective: Students will be able to show a deeper understanding of good manners through demonstrations in role play.
Supplies Needed: Paper, markers
Directions: In this activity, students will have a chance to practice using proper manners and show off their acting skills.
1. Begin by writing some bad manner scenarios on a piece of paper. This can be something like “You just bumped into someone” or “Someone just offered you something to drink.” Place the scenarios in a hat.
2. Partner students up and have them choose a slip of paper with the scenario on it. They will now need to act out the scenario as well as a suitable solution to the scenario. Give them a few minutes to come up with how they would like to act this out.
3. Now start acting! Allow students to act out the scenario and demonstrate how they would use good manners. For example, to the “you just bumped someone” scenario, they can act out saying excuse me and checking to make sure the person is ok.
4. Conclude this activity by reflecting on what you have learned and opening up the floor for questions, answers, and connections.
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The Berenstain Bears Forget Their MannersActivity #3
DIY Manners Journal
Objectives: Students will be able to journal examples of good manners they have exhibited during the day.
Supplies Needed: Construction paper, markers or crayons
Directions: It is important for students to self-check their behavior. A journal is a great way to do this!
1. Begin by folding a piece of construction paper in half, then in half again to create a book. You can then cut paper to fit the inside. Don’t worry about it being fancy, just insert lined or unlined paper and staple to secure.
2. Have students carry their journal with them for one week. They should try to write at least one instance a day where they used good manners. If they are too young to write it, they can draw a picture of themselves doing it.
3. At the end of the week, have students share their books. Talk about the various situations they found themselves in and how they used good manners.
4. Conclude this activity by reflecting on what you have learned and opening up the floor for questions, answers, and connections.
As you can see, this book is a wonderful tool for encouraging good manners is children and practicing skills such as writing and reading comprehension. Give these activities a try and see how easy it is to enjoy this book on an even deeper level!
If you would like to see more study activities to do with children take a look at these:
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