Ice cream cones made from paper can help teach pattern concepts to elementary school children. Reproduce one ice cream cone pattern and several ice cream scoop patterns for each student. Encourage the students to color their cone brown. Set the cones aside. Review repeating patterns with your students. Instruct the students to make a repeating pattern with their ice cream cone scoop patterns. Glue the repeating patterns to the cones to create tall ice cream cones. Have each student share his pattern, as well as the flavors of ice cream he made based on the colors he chose.
Take a survey of students in your school to determine favorite ice cream flavors. Include strawberry, which is the flavor that the Man with the Yellow Hat chose in the story. Other common favorites to include might be chocolate, vanilla, cookie and mint. Show your students how to divide a piece of paper into a corresponding number of sections so they have one for each flavor. Have students walk around the lunch room or playground and ask other students and teachers what their favorite ice cream flavor is from the list. Show them how to record the results using tally marks. Create a class graph to determine which flavor the most people liked, and which flavor the least number of people cited as their favorite.
Tell your students that they will be writing a story about getting to work at an ice cream shop. This lesson gives your students an opportunity to be creative, as well as work on their writing, spelling and punctuation skills. Ask each student to write a creative story about scooping ice cream for customers. Instruct them to include Curious George visiting their store as part of their story. Encourage students to read their stories out loud to the rest of the class. Allow students to illustrate their stories as well.
Discuss with your students about Curious George and his lack of responsibility when he made a mess in a store that did not belong to him. Ask students to share times when they made a mess. Talk about why it is not responsible to make messes, especially when doing something that is not allowed, such as helping oneself to ice cream at the ice cream shop. Make a list of responsible behavior while at an ice cream shop, as well as any other public place the children may visit.