Urishima Taro and the Turtle

Our story this week was a version of Urishima Taro and the Turtle adapted by Suzanne Down, You may read here.

Urishima Taro and the Turtle

Urishima Taro catches the turtle

The turtle takes Urishima Taro to the Sea Princess

Urishima Taro returns to land.

 We added another verse to our sea themed circle:

July Week 2 Circle

Good morning dear Earth,

Good morning dear Sun,

Good morning to the trees

and the flowers, every one.

Good morning dear beasts,

And the birds in the trees,

Good morning to you

And good morning to me.

Here is the Deep Blue Sea  (make wave motion with hand)

Here is the boat, and here is me  (make boat with other hand and you with your thumb go in opposite direction of the sea hand)

All the fish down below  (wiggle hand to make a fish)

Wiggle their tails, and away they go  ( hide hands behind your back)

1,2,3,4,5,  Once I caught a fish alive  (clap hands together and wiggle like a fish)

6,7,8,9,10 Then I let him go again (separate hands)

Why did I let him go?  (hold hands out, shrug shoulders)

Because he bit my finger so!  ("bite" little finger on the right with your other hands two fingers)

Which one did he bite?  (hold hands out, shrug shoulders)

This little one on the right!  (point to little finger on your right hand)

Sing two round of Row Row your Boat

Two little boats out to sea

all is calm as calm can be.

gently the wind begins to blow

two little boats rock to and fro

LOUDLY the wind begins to SHOUT

two little boats are tossed about!

Gone is the wind, storm and rain,

Two little boats sail on again.

(use your hands to act out the lines of this verse, while varying the volume of your voice, I start out with almost a whisper and work my way up to very loud, ending with a normal voice)

Rufty and Tufty were two little elves

who lived in a hollow oak tree.

They did all the cooking and cleaning themselves

and often asked friends in to tea.

Rufty wore blue, and Tufty wore red

and each had a hat with a feather.

Their best Sunday shoes 

they kept under their beds

they were made of MAGIC green leather!

Rufty was cleaver and kept the accounts,

but Tufty preferred cooking.

He could bake a fine cake,

without weighing amounts

and eat it when no one was looking!

On Monday we watercolored gold like Urishima Taro's Golden Fish.  I told the story of father sun, shining so bright on a hot July Day, he sent out so many rays the sky was filled with gold.

Tuesday we made red play dough and modeled the fish Urishima saw in the sea with the sea princess

and Friday we cut out fish from our watercolor painting and made stick fishing rods.  We did a movement journey outside in our courtyard where we rowed our boats to the island where we too would cast our fishing lines and find Urishima Taro's golden fish. 

Our wet on wet gold watercolor paintings

Fishing for Urishima Taro's Golden Fish