'Dr. Seuss Sleep Book': Lesson Plan for 1st or 2nd Grade

'Dr. Seuss Sleep Book': Lesson Plan for 1st or 2nd Grade
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The Objective:

This lesson will be based on Dr. Seuss’ Sleep Book. Dr. Seuss tells the story of sleep, explores how different creatures sleep and create fabulous new worlds. This lesson will not only introduce the students to this book but children will also learn about the importance of sleep, how animals and people sleep, and dreaming.

The Lesson Plan:

1. Introduce the students to Dr. Seuss’ Sleep Book and ask the following questions:

  • Can someone explain what sleep is?
  • Do people need to sleep?
  • How much sleep do people need each night?
  • Do animals need to sleep?
  • What happens when we sleep?
  • Does anyone ever dream?

2. Read the book together and then ask the following questions:

  • What did we think about this book?
  • What did we like?
  • What did we dislike?
  • Name some ways the creatures slept in this book?
  • How do we sleep? (in a bed, bunk beds, cot, sofa bed, on stomach, all different directions, on back, etc)
  • How do some animals sleep? (upside down, in a nest, standing up, etc.)

3. Explain to the students the importance of sleep and why it is needed. Sleep helps us maintain a healthy balance in life and allows for us to “recharge “ our bodies. Explain that when we sleep our bodies go through various stages. We may also dream during this time. This site gives a nice explanation which you can use in your classroom lesson.

4. The previous site also explained dreaming and how it works: Ask the students to think about the most previous dream or a dream they can remember having. The students will now develop their own comic strip which will depict the dream they had. Allow the students to use the sheets below to fill their story in using a comic strip format. Let them have fun with this assignment and even use thought bubbles and captions.

After this lesson students will understand the importance of sleep as well as what occurs during the time they are sleeping.