Pair the story with a study on nutrition. Discuss the vegetables that are grown underground such as carrots and potatoes versus those that hang from plants above the ground including peas and lettuce. Explain how each vegetable from Farmer McGregor's garden helps to keep the children's bodies strong and healthy. For example, carrots contain beta carotene, which is transformed into Vitamin A and is important for healthy vision. Cut carrot shapes from pieces of card stock, laminate them and hot glue each one to a wooden craft stick. Allow students to plant their own garden by submerging the carrots in a sand box or sand table.
Story sequencing is a common lesson idea for early elementary students in preschool, kindergarten and first grade. Use "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" to introduce story sequencing by allowing the students to gather forecasted information about the story by looking at the pictures and placing the story parts in order. Gather the students in an open area of the room and leaf through "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," showing the children each illustration. Allow the students to take turns explaining what they think the story is going to be about. Read the story and create stick puppets of the characters by gluing photocopied book characters to one end of a tongue depressor. The students then retell the story from their memory using the puppets and the story sequence.
Develop creative thinking and literary organization skills by teaching the importance of the parts of a story including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and revelation. Teach the students the features of each plot section. Discuss the plot and ending of " The Tale of Peter Rabbit" with the group of kids and how the story would change if the ending were different. Engage the students in an informal debate about alternate endings of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" and encourage each to devise his own alternate ending. Read each alternate ending to the class.
Teach the elementary students about patterns. Introduce the topic by asking for any previous knowledge about the definition of a pattern and where any students may have seen a pattern before. Demonstrate a pattern on the chalkboard by drawing shapes, numbers or symbols. After reading the story with the students, use images from the book, pictures of vegetables or student-drawn illustrations to create a math pattern. For example, with three pictures of Peter Rabbit and two of lettuce, the pattern may appear by ordering lettuce heads between rabbits.