Hayley Wells - Children's Literature: Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?

by Bill Martin

SUMMARY:
Published in 1967, Bill Martin created a very popular children's book which has made its way into most school libraries and is read to entertain many children. The text can also be used to help students develop their knowledge in pattern as the stories text involves repeating rhyme  just with a different animal on the each page. If read often to the children, they will be able to (in time) join in and read along with the reader. The illustrations by Eric Carle, use prominant colours but also look textured so that if a reader went to touch the animal, the image gives the illusion that it will feel differently from the book. The text does say more than the illustrations as the images mainly just present the animal spoken about on the page. 

USE IN THE CLASS:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?, can be used at a year 2 level in the following ways:
- To introduce repeating patterns (cross curriculum with Mathematics)
- To bring students energy levels down after lunch time
- To introduce the topic of animals/physical features and behaviour (cross curriculum with Science)
- To memorise and repeat the rhyme in the book
- Analyse the text and compare with another one which is similar 


LINKS WITH ACARA:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? can be used in a year 2 class to memorise and repeat the rhyme/poem in the book as it relates to the key idea, " Identify, reproduce and experiment with rhythmic, sound and word patterns in poems, chants, rhymes and songs,"as stated by ACARA (2012), within the strand Literature and sub-strand Examining Literature.