Your students are sure to have learning about city and country life with these preschool plans for The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton.First edition of one of the rarest and most sought after children's classics. Let the children vote on their favorite story and make a class graph. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and Katy and the Big Snow are always favorites with preschoolers. Read other books by Virginia Lee Burton.Let the children draw pictures of their own houses during their favorite season. Point out the words used to describe the different seasons. Read the book again and talk about the four seasons.Talk about which things were the same in the city and country in the two books. Read Town Mouse, City Mouse by Jan Brett, or another version, to continue your study of urban and rural communities. Were you able to tell which view she chose? Did most of the items belong on the type of community or were they all mixed up? Extension

Have each child tell you about the items in her window view picture. If time allows let them share their pictures with a partner and guess if it is a city or country view.

Then use black construction paper to make a frame around the picture like a window. What would he see in the city? The country? Have the children choose the city or the country, and draw a picture of what they might see.

Tell him to pretend he is looking out the window of the Little House. Give each child a piece of white paper and crayons. You can draw them or write the words onto the chart if there is room. When you have sorted all of the pictures, ask the students if they can think of any other things from the story to add to your chart. Glue or tape each picture in the correct column or circle. Hold up each picture one at a time and have the children decide where to put it on your chart. Show the children pictures that you have cut out of magazines of different things you’d expect to see in either the city of the country. An alternative to three columns would be a large two circle Venn diagram, with one side for the city and the other for the country. Hang a large piece of chart paper divided into three columns, one labeled C ity, one labeled C ountry and one labeled B oth, where everyone can see it. Ask the children what it was like in the country and then in the city.

Talk about the setting of the story: the country and the city. Clarify any terms the children may be unfamiliar with like trolley cars, horseless carriages and cellars.

Black construction paper “frames” that fit over the white paperīegin by reading and discussing The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton to the class.

Pictures of things you might see in cities and in the country, cut out of magazines.

These plans complement a theme about communities or “Where I Live”. Teach your students about the differences between city and country life with these preschool plans for The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton.

The little house burton