In celebration of summer, over the next week I will be focusing on fish with tales, finger plays, songs, snacks, art projects, and science. Here we go with "Mitch the Fish." This file folder story is an adaptation of “Scat the Cat” that I published in a book 25 years ago. I hope your children say, “Do it again! Do it again!”
Materials: file folder, 2 orange, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue, and 1 black construction paper
Cut a fish shape out of the front of the file folder. Run off the story below and glue it to the back of the file folder so you can read it as you remove one sheet of paper at a time. Insert the paper in the file folder in this order: orange, red, yellow, blue, black, orange (You might need to trim down the construction paper to 8” x 10”. I used a dot sticker for the eye, and yes, I have to put a smile on everything!)
MITCH THE FISH
Once there was an orange fish named Mitch who could change his color with the swish of his tail. All he had to say was:
I’m Mitch the fish.
I swim and I swish.
And I can change my color
If I wish.
One day he was swimming around the ocean floor when he saw a red lobster. He thought it would be fun to be a bright color like the lobster so he said:
I’m Mitch the fish.
I swim and I swish.
And I can change my color
If I wish.
Suddenly he turned red. (Remove the orange sheet of paper to make Mitch red.) The lobster said, “I’m the only sea creature who can be red. I’ll snap at you!” So Mitch decided he didn’t want to be red anymore. Just then he saw a yellow starfish, so he said:
I’m Mitch the fish...
And with a swish Mitch turned yellow. (Remove the red paper to show the yellow.) The starfish said, “I’m the only creature who can be yellow. I’ll prickle you!” So Mitch decided he didn’t want to be yellow anymore.
Then he saw a blue whale and said:
I’m Mitch the fish...
And with a swish Mitch turned blue. The whale said, “I’m the only creature who can be blue. I’ll flip you with my tail!” So Mitch decide he didn’t want to be blue anymore. He saw a big, black shark and said:
I’m Mitch the fish...
And with a swish Mitch turned black. The shark said, “I’m the only creature who can be black. I’ll poke you!” Mitch realized the best thing to be was himself, so once more he said:
I’m Mitch the fish...
He turned back into being an orange fish because being yourself is always the very best thing to be!
Research
Look on the internet to find different creatures in the sea. How many colors can you find?
Retelling a Story
Make a story bracelet so children can retell the story in sequential order.
String an orange, red, yellow, blue, black, and orange bead on a pipe cleaner. Twist the ends to make a bracelet.
Writing
Creative - If you lived in the sea, what would you be?
Descriptive -If you were in the ocean, what would you see? Hear? Taste? Touch?
Descriptive -If you were in the ocean, what would you see? Hear? Taste? Touch?