The following are ideas for using
Have You Seen My Cat? in the classroom.

• Submitted by Kate Sitek

  When my first grade class read Have You Seen My Cat? we discussed descriptions of the different cats. We then made a lost cat poster. Each student listed the size and color of his or her cat along with a phone number on the sign. They also drew pictures of their cats to match the descriptions.

• Submitted by Tina Nichols

  After reading Have You Seen My Cat? with my first graders, I have them create cat masks out of tagboard or construction paper. They decorate these and then we act out the story. I put the masks and copies of the book in my Dramatic Play Center. The children love this book because it is very easy for them to read!

• Submitted by Tracey Rathcke

  I teach Kindergarten and when we read Have You Seen My Cat? we create our own book by selecting another animal to write about. We learn everything about that animal so we can include its habitat into our illustrations. Then we use Eric Carle’s tissue paper technique to illustrate our book. This book becomes something the children can take home and share with their parents.

• Submitted by Pamela Rezach

  Music Lesson Plan:

  1. Read the story to the children.
  2. Sing the call response song that teaches about the story. Teacher will sing the question “Have you seen my cat?” Students answer back the response, “This is not my cat!”
  3. Prepare the game: Prior to class, make 8 1/2” X 11” cards -One card for each kind of cat mentioned in the story. Put a picture of the cat on the card. Write the kind of cat on the card (students will learn to read the words/names.) Be sure and include one card with a cat and her kittens!
  4. Play the game: Put students in a circle. Hand out the cards randomly. Tell the students who receive a card not let others see the picture side of the card. One student “it” is inside the circle and holds a stuffed animal (animal from the cat family). “it” will make the stuffed animal move to the beat as the he and the teacher sings the question. When “it” and the teacher sings the word “cat,” “it” points the stuffed animal toward someone with a card. That person turns his card around for everyone to see and all students sing the appropriate response: “This is not my cat!” or “That is my cat!” If the card selected is not his cat, the students will sing “This is not my cat.” Then in spoken choral style, all the students will read the word on the card as follows: Example: “That is a li-on!” If “it” selects the card with the cat and kittens, the student who had the cat and kitten card will now be “it.” Be sure and redistribute the cards before beginning again.

• Submitted by Rhonda Langley

  After reading Have You Seen My Cat? my class constructed cats out of paper sack lunch bags and discussed all the different animals that belong to the cat family. Without opening the bag, turn it upside down and begin at the corners cutting a triangle out. This will give you the ears. Draw eyes, a nose and glue construction paper whiskers on it.

• Submitted by Frances Yates

  We use Have You Seen My Cat?, during library time for grades 1-4 during “Be Kind to Animals Week” (usually the 2nd week in May). We discuss the importance of spaying and neutering our pets so that they DON’T run off and get lost. We invite a guest from the Humane Society, who explains that a lot of pets who run away do so to find a mate. Then we have more kittens added to the already 64 million homeless cats. We target the information and discussion age-appropriately of course, but we do emphasize that cats on the loose often become pregnant cats. Children love the story and pictures and it provides a good starting point for the responsibility of having a pet and taking proper care of it.

  We also create a “litter pyramid” (like on a poster from SpayUSA) by cutting cat shapes out of magazine pictures and gluing them on a newspaper roll end, which we then mount in the school hallway. Also included is a math activity for gr. 2-4 where they add up how many and how fast cats have kittens and how quickly kittens grow up (as young as 8 months) and can have kittens of their own. This math problem really impresses the children. Anyone who wants the references and activity sheets for these projects can send me a SASE to 8124 W. 4th Place, Highland, IN 46322. We also have a pet care curriculum available from our state Veterinarian’s Association that you may request via me. What a lot of good can come from one Carle book!

• Submitted by Karla Koons

  After reading Have You Seen My Cat?, my kindergarten students worked to make a class book similar to Eric’s. Each student chose a piece of wallpaper from an old wallpaper book and drew a cat and cut it out. I gave each student the phrase to glue on: “Have you seen my (blank)?” The students had to write the word cat in. We bound it together and made up our own ending too. It was very attractive.

• Submitted by Addie Gaines

  After reading Have You Seen My Cat?, we discussed Eric Carle’s tissue paper art. I gave each child a tag board outline of a cat’s head. They had to cut it out. Then they had squares of different colored tissue paper that they were to glue on the cat shape. Finally we added a triangle nose and used construction paper strips for the whiskers and mouth. The “highlight” was gluing on wiggly eyes!!!

  My other idea is that you can use the last page to discuss strangers and friends. One of the children asked who the people in the picture were and a discussion ensued. I explained to the children that the book really didn’t tell us and they would need to use their imagination to answer that question. Needless to say, several opinions emerged. One of the children piped up that maybe they were strangers. We discussed whether or not the boy should be talking to strangers and decided that since he had talked to them and asked for help, he probably knew them, therefore they were probably not strangers.

• Submitted by Christina Smith

  After reading Have You Seen My Cat?, my daycare children learn the names of the different cats and where they live. We put their picture on our world map and then learn about each habitat and some of the other animals that share these habitats.

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