Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom!

There are so many wonderful ideas and materials that are available online for teachers like me who LOVE using this fun book as a jump-start for a great and exciting year! In the past couple years there has been a chicka-chicka bandwagon and wonderful teachers have provided free materials for us. This mini unit is a compilation of some of those things that I have found over the years. Some ideas have been modified to suit my own classroom needs. Hopefully I can add a few of my own unique things throughout!

Books:

:Poems & Songs:

Itsy Bitsy Monkey [tune: The Itsy Bitsy Spider]
The itsy bitsy monkey climbed up the coconut tree (Pretend to be climbing up a tree) Down came a coconut & hit him on his knee- OWWW! (Make a fist & hit knee) Out came a lion a shakin his mighty mane---ANNND--- (Frame face with hands to look like a lion & shake head) The itsy bitsy monkey climbed up the coconut tree.

Boom Chica Boom (Echo Chant) [From: Keep on Singing & Dancing with Dr. Jean
I said a boom chicka boom. I said a boom chicka boom. I said a boom chicka boom. I said a boom chicka boom. I said a boom chicka rocka chicka rocka chicka boom Uh huh! Uh huh! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! One more time . . .
Monster style . . . Opera style . . . Rock and roll . . . Hold your nose . . . Underwater . . . Leprechaun . . .

:Reading:

Chicka Chicka Bingo

Alphabet Bingo Cards - Virtual Vine

In The Coconut Tree mini booklet

Teacher's Helper, Aug/Sept, 2004 - Five page booklet imitating the story of letters going up the tree. On the final page ... is a spot for a small picture of each child. Cute!

Sorting Coconuts

Teacher's Helper - Aug/Sept. 2004 - Students are given coconuts with capital and lowercase letters. They must match them with the corresponding coconut tree. (abc or ABC)

Looking For Letters

Teacher's Helper, Aug/Sept, 2004 - Once again, this issue has a final worksheet that is great for assessing your child's ability to recognize some lowercase letters and follow oral directions - as well as color words and basic shapes.

Alphabet Pasta Sort

Purchase several packages of alphabet pasta (see links below). Color the pasta using food coloring and rubbing alcohol. Add the pasta to a small bowl and have the children use the letters to do many open-ended activities. They could spell their names (using name cards) or sort the letters.

Activity Tree for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Who's In Our Room? class book

Use the pictures that you take on the first day of school and this story frame to create a class book. Add the picture into the frame and have children write their names on the line. Laminate the pages and make them into a book for the class to read over and over as they learn concepts of print and their classmates' names!

Larger Story Frame

Chicka Chicka ABC Booklets

Ms. Pieczko had a very cute emergent reader at her Kinder Hive site. I adapted this reader to fit our Zaner Bloser handwriting. I love her idea of having the children trace the letters to complete their own books!

ZB Chicka Chicka Emergent Reader ZB Chicka Chicka Emergent Reader 2 ZB Chicka chicka Emergent Reader 3

Coconut Tree Matching

Program the upper part of a coconut tree with a capital letter. Program the tree trunk of the tree with a lowercase letter. Have children work in groups to match the corresponding letters and build all the trees.

Alphabet Stick Puppets

Give each child 1-2 craft sticks with letters of the alphabet glued on the ends of each. As you read the story, have children hold up their letters when they hear them in the story.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ABC's Game

Use this simple board game to help students begin to recognize letters as well as learning to play a simple partner game. Use the board and a spinner. Students move their playing piece around the board the number of times the spinner says. They must name the letter on the circle. Play continues. The person to reach the End first is the winner.

Game Board Printable

:Math:

Coconut Number Bingo

Program a large coconut pattern with a 9-square bingo grid. Add a numeral and a free spot in each square. Students will cover up the called numerals with cocoa puffs. The winner is the one who fills his/her card first.

Counting Coconuts Booklet

The original idea for this booklet came from Angie Bonthuis' Chicka Chicka Unit. I adapted the idea and created my own booklet using half sheets of paper.

Counting Coconuts Counting Coconuts Counting Coconuts

Do You Like Coconut?

After cracking open the coconut, allow children to taste the inside. Later, create a yes/no graph to answer the question for each child.

Sorting Bandaids

This idea also came from Angie Bonthuis' Chicka Chicka Unit. I love the idea of sorting different bandaids. Kids think it is cool too! Mix a variety of bandaids and have children discover various ways they could sort them into groups.

Monkeying Around With Numbers

Use the classic Barrel of Monkeys Game in a unique way with this activity. Give each group of children a set of coconut tree Math Mats with a numeral and number word on each. Children choose a card and use the monkeys to see if they can create a chain with that many monkeys on it.

:Science:

Check Out Coconuts

Allow the children to observe and handle real coconuts. Have students predict if a coconut is light or if it is heavy. Predict what is inside the coconut. Discuss ways that you might get the coconut open.

- Tips For Opening A Fresh Coconut -

Five Senses of a Coconut

While observing the coconut, create a chart on the board and have students discuss what they can what a coconut: looks like, feels like, sounds like, smells like, and tastes like.

:Art:

Coconut Name Trees

Give each child coconut tree pattern pieces. Have them cut each piece out and assemble their tree on a blue sheet of construction paper. Add 3 brown coconuts to complete the tree. Next give each child a sheet of letter stickers and have them build their name racing up the coconut tree. Remind them to start at the bottom of the tree. Finally - to give a beachy feel - you can paint the bottom of the tree with glue and sprinkle cornmeal on (shaking off the excess) to create sand.

:Snacks:

Coconut Cookies

You will need 2 ounces of grated coconut, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 egg, 1 1/2 cup margarine, and 4 cups cornstarch. Use a preheated 375 degree oven. Grease cookie sheet. Sift sugar and cornstarch; add coconut, margarine and egg. Form a dough ball and roll dough out into 2-inch length shape. Cut into 1-inch cookie slices. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cand add extra shredded coconut as topping. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Let cool completely before eating.

Palm Tree Cookie Cutter