I usually don’t do much for Groundhogs Day but I found this book called “Ten Grouchy Groundhogs” by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook that I thought was super cute.  I created some pictures to pair with the book to use for my therapy sessions.  It was hard to find pictures to match the book that were not too abstract for my students so I just took pictures from the book and printed them out for the different groundhog actions.  Click here if you would like a copy of these book pictures. 10 Grounchy Groundhogs

This book starts with 10 grouchy groundhogs crowded in their den.  I have the students point to each groundhog as we count from 1-10.  It’s important to keep practicing those one-to-one correspondence.  We also make “grouchy” faces just like the groundhogs.  Then I have the students attach the number 10 onto the first page of the book.  I just put a piece of hard Velcro on each page set (expect the first set of pages will have 2 pictures – the number 10 and the first groundhog action picture).  I put soft Velcro on the back of the book pictures so the students can attach the pictures into the book.      

On each page the groundhogs are doing a different action.  I know some of the vocabulary terms may be unfamiliar and a little high for our students but I always like to model some new vocabulary terms.  For example, on the first page the groundhogs “squirmed and stretched “.  I know “squirmed” may be a new word for many of our students so it’s a perfect opportunity to teach them what it means.  The students match the picture of “squirmed and stretched” to the first set of pages in the book.  We then act out squirming and stretching just like the groundhogs.

On the next page nine grubby groundhogs “clawed and dug”.  We touched each groundhog as we counted 1-9 and then we found the picture to match the book and attached it into the book.  Again we pretended to “claw and dig” to reinforce those vocabulary concepts. 

I continue this pattern of counting all the groundhogs left in the den, identifying which picture matches the book, and finally acting out the groundhogs’ actions.  My students always enjoy when we act out parts of books and they can be a little silly.  There are eight groundhogs “dancing in their den.”

So many silly groundhog actions!

Finally, the last groundhog “wondered with a pout” where his friends went.  We put on pouty faces and tapped on our brains to wonder.  You can have the students figure out how many groundhogs are already “out” or you can have the students predict what the groundhogs are doing.    

When the last groundhog goes outside his den he sees all the groundhogs “startled by their shadows!”  We then talk about shadows.  Sometimes you can even have the students make shadows or shadow puppets on a whiteboard or somewhere in the classroom.  This can be fun for the students. 

At the end of the book all 10 groundhogs are sleeping back in their den.  Make sure you count all those sleeping groundhogs!  We will see if the groundhog really does see his shadow on February 2^nd!

Click here if you would like a free copy of these book pictures – 10 Grounchy Groundhogs