This TopicQuest was designed for Mrs. Joy Folsom's Pre-K Class at Cook County Pre-K
by Kydie Sheffield, a Valdosta State University Preservice Teacher

Introduction   Teddy bears are soft and cuddly. They are fun to snuggle up with and play with. But, where did teddy bears come from? In this web page, we will discover the history of the teddy bear.

	There are different stories to when and where the teddy bear came to be. One story says that the Steiff firm made a protoype of "teddy's bear" based on sketches made by Richard Steiff at a local zoo. Another story is about President Theodore Roosevelt. The story says that he refused to shoot a helpless bear, but to find out the rest of the story you must visit this website.
	Here is a website of one of the most popular bears. You know him as Winnie the Pooh. This website has many exciting things to do, so use your imagination and explore it.
	Here is an exciting website that has all kinds of teddy bear things in it.
	The first teddy bear named after President Theodore Roosevelt is currently in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
	Bears are not just pretend, they are real animals.  This website tells you all about real bears.
	You can have fun with bears. There are many activities and games to play that involve bears.

Mission Activity All the teddy bears in the world have disappeared and it is up to you to create a prototype of a teddy bear. Pretend you are the person inventing the teddy bear. You must create everything about the bear: from what it looks like, to what color it is, to whether or not it has clothes. The bear you create will become the ideal teddy bear for everyone to own. Some good examples can be found in the website about the first teddy bear, the website about Winnie the Pooh, and the website with many teddies. Another good website is one about real bears. Mission Steps 1. Explore some of the above websites. Notice how the bears are shaped and what they look like. 2. Ask your teacher for the art supplies. (markers or crayons, and paper) 3. Use you imagination and create your ideal teddy bear. 4. Give your teacher your teddy bear creation so that she can put in on the website for everyone to see, and tell her where the first teddy bear came from.

Kydie's Homepage

kesheffi@valdosta.edu

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