Gingerbread Man

published on: 2/28/2003

Contributing Teacher(s): Kari Collett

Subject Area: Communication Arts/Reading/Literature

Grade Range: Early Childhood - Kindergarten

Materials Needed:

  • The Gingerbread Man—Retold by Jim Aylesworth
  • Little Cookie—Margaret Hillert

Objective: Students will draw the sequence of events in the tale of the "Gingerbread Man". Students will make an ABB pattern. Students will circle their choice as to whether the tale of the "Gingerbread Man" is real or make-believe.

Instructional Strategy: Prior Knowledge & Connections

Process Standards:

  • Goal 1.6 discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and structures
  • Goal 1.8 organize data, information and ideas into useful forms (including charts, graphs, outlines)
  • Goal 2.3 exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the perspectives of others

Content Standards:

  • Communication Arts 2. Reading and evaluating fiction, poetry and drama
  • Mathematics 4. Patterns and relationships within and among functions and algebraic, geometric and trigonometric conc...

    G.L.E.:

    Time Allowance: Task—Approximately 5 days. The assessment will take one class period.

    Description: This unit integrates math and communication arts skills into an exciting adventure as children listen to and chant along with the tale ''The Gingerbread Man'' as well as engage in hands-on and group activities-- kindergarten, folk tales, glyphs

    Comments: Students will be exposed to one type of literature, folk tales.

    Classroom Component: Context and Rationale: (Real world, authentic, engaging, why it''s important) Students will enjoy listening to and chanting along with the tale of the "Gingerbread Man". They will also be doing hands-on and group activities that revolve around this tale. Prerequisite Knowledge, Skills, and Experiences:

  • Experience with making patterns (AB, ABB, etc.)
  • Knows the difference between real and make-believe.
    • Student Prompt for Performance Event:
  • Draw a picture to show what happened at the beginning of the story, the middle of the story and the end of the story.
  • Circle the letter R if the story could really have happened. Circle the letter M if the story was make-believe.
  • Using the blank gingerbread men patterns, color an ABB pattern.
    • Beginning, Middle, and End of Story ABB Pattern Real or Make-Believe Gingerbread Man Unit Day 1: Math - Make a gingerbread glyph. A glyph is another way to convey information (like a graph). Each student follows a set of oral directions. They record their own information on their glyph based on their choice. This makes each glyph unique. A key explaining how to read a glyph is hung up with the glyphs. Student directions for the gingerbread man glyph:
      If you have blonde hair, color the icing on the head yellow. If you have red hair, color the icing on the head red. If you have brown hair, color the icing on the head brown. If you have black hair, color the icing on the head black. If you are right handed, color the buttons orange. If you are left handed, color the buttons purple. If you have blue eyes, color the eyes blue. If you have green eyes, color the eyes green. If you have brown eyes, color the eyes brown. If your are a girl, color the mouth pink. If you are a boy, color the mouth red. If your favorite dessert is ice cream, color the icing on the arms and legs blue. If your favorite dessert is cookies, color the icing on the arms and legs brown. If your favorite dessert is cake, color the icing on the arms and legs green.
    Day 1: Language - Read the books The Little Cookie by Margaret Hillert and The Gingerbread Man retold by Jim Aylesworth. Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two stories. Discuss whether the story is real or make-believe. Day 2: Math - Measure paper gingerbread men using non-standard units. Give each pair of students a paper gingerbread man and a bag of manipulatives. You can use marshmallows, M&M''s, cereal, paper clips, counters, dice, etc. Make sure each pair has a different bag of manipulatives as the pairs will switch bags. You can also give each pair a recording sheet so they can write down their measurements. Students take turns measuring and recording. After everyone has completed the activity ask students why it took more of one thing than another to measure their gingerbread men. Day 2: Language - Reread The Gingerbread Man and do a sequence chart of who chased the gingerbread man in the story. Use pictures that the students can paste on the chart showing the sequence. Day 3: Math - Make a gingerbread pattern. Give students a sheet of blank gingerbread men and a sentence strip. Have them color an ABB pattern using the gingerbread men. Students cut out gingerbread men and glue them on the sentence strip in an ABB pattern. Day 3: Language - Reread The Gingerbread Man. By now children should be chanting along when the gingerbread man says, "Run, run, as fast as you can! You can''t catch me! I''m the gingerbread Man!" Make a predictable book using this format. Have child print his or her name in the blank.
      "Stop, stop!" said __________________. But the Gingerbread Man said: "Run, run, as fast as you can! You can''t catch me, I''m the Gingerbread Man!"
    Have each student draw a gingerbread man at the bottom of his or her page. Day 4: Math - Make gingerbread men. Make the dough in class. Measuring is a math concept. Talk about how the dough feels, looks, smells, etc. Day 4: Language - Make a language experience chart on How to Bake Cookies: what did you do first (made the dough), what did you do next, etc. Write the steps on sentence strips for the pocket chart and make a class big book with illustrations of each step done by pairs of students. Day 5: Math - Give each child a small piece of parchment paper and a round of dough. Let students flatten out their round and cut out a gingerbread man shape. Students put their names on their parchment paper so they will get their own cookie back when they are baked. Bake, cool and decorate! When students get ready to eat their gingerbread man, let them take one bite only, then STOP! Graph which part of the cookie was eaten first - head, right leg or arm, left leg or arm, body. As each student puts his/her cookie part on the graph, ask why they ate the part they did. You may be surprised at the responses! Day 5: Language - Reread the story of The Gingerbread Man. Using patterns as masks let students act out the story. This could also be done as a flannel board activity. Day 6: Assessment - Reread the story of the "Gingerbread Man" to refresh everyone''s memory. The first assessment activity is to draw the sequence of events from the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Next have students circle R for real or M for make-believe. Last students color an ABB pattern using the blank gingerbread patterns. Scoring Guide The sequence of events for The Gingerbread Man was drawn in the correct order.
    happy face Happy straight face Meditative sad face Sad
    The letter M was circled to show that the story is make-believe.
    happy face Happy sad face Sad
    The student can correctly make an ABB pattern.
    happy face Happy straight face
    For additional information contact :
    Kari Collett
    South Elem.
    Holden R-III
    (816) 732-4136
    EMAIL:     kcollett@holden.k12.mo.us

    Copyright © 2004 - 2013 SuccessLink Inc. All rights reserved.

    Web Support by BrightTree

    Hosted by BrightTree