Bubble Gum!

 

 Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum By Lisa Wheeler

Grades K-2

This is a circle story where one animal gets stuck in gum, and then another and another until it comes full circle. Filled with rhymes it really begs to be read aloud. If you're teaching alliteration or adjectives this is a great book to have handy. Here is one sample I love:

Along comes a bee...

A buzz-buzz bee,

A buzz-buzz

-stuck fuzz!-

Bumbled-up bee.

Trouble Gum By Matthew Cordell

Grades K-3

 I have not met a student who didn't love this book after I read it aloud. The illustrations are on the small and detailed side so make sure if you're reading it to an entire class to have them come close. This is the story of two pig brothers and all the trouble they get into when they are chewing and blowing bubbles with the gum their grandmother gives them, against their mother's wishes. It's hysterical and the pictures really make the book. I come back to this book every year and never tire of it. I like to read it with the next book when I compare fiction with nonfiction books on the same topic. I think it's one of the student's favorite first grade lessons because when they're in 2nd grade they often come ask me, "Remember that gum book you read last year? Can you check it out to me?"

 

 

Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum By Meghan McCarthy

Grades 1-4

I use this nonfiction book every year with my first graders when we begin comparing fiction with nonfiction. They love seeing a fun nonfiction book that teaches true facts, but also has cool illustrations and reads like a picture book. This is a very approachable nonfiction book for your younger students - what kid doesn't like to read about bubble gum?!

Craft Seed: Have students make drawings of their own faces and tape balloons onto their mouths to look like they are blowing up bubbles. Some teachers also attach a how-to writing activity where the students explain in three or four steps how to blow a bubble. The photo below was taken from Mrs. Saylor's first grade blog.

Lesson Seed:  Have students make bubbles each filled in with a different adjective that describes bubble gum. If you don't want to do individual projects and are pressed for time make one big class anchor chart with gum adjectives. You'll be surprised how many they can come up with! The photo below was taken from Mrs. Saylor's first grade blog.