Friday, October 28, 2011

Gallon Ladybug Branch

     After I designed my GALLON HOUSE,  I started getting thank yous for designing something besides the Gallon Man.  I played around with several more ideas.  Last year I drew quart sized pumpkins in a Gallon Crate.  I told the kids that the mark on the bottom that makes a Q was stitches.  But, getting them to visually see the marks and pints, etc. didn't work with that concept.  They liked it, though.  Tonight I was thinking that the above visual could be called the GALLON BRANCH...with ladybugs.  Each ladybug is a quart.  Her tail could be a little offsides if you really want her to look like a Q for quart.  She is naturally drawn with a line down her back.  The half circle on the right looks like the top of the p in pint.  But, the kids can see the two halves or pints make up a quart.  The black dots represent the cups.  There are two cups in a pint.  Four cups in a quart.  And sixteen cups in a gallon.  So, here's the poem for the visual learners:

Four big quart size ladybugs 
Are sitting on a branch.
They are so thirsty 'cause
 They live on a dusty old ranch.
Each ladybug's split in two.
She holds two pints of nectar.
I hope each can hold her own
And drinking that much won't wreck her.
If you believe her spots are cups.
Then you are doing well.
Because these ladybugs are magic measuring tools,
And you are in their spell.







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