Lesson Overview:
After reading Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel's book Cook-A-Doodle-Doo!, primary students will engage in dramatization and a variety of measuring activities that include estimation, equivalents, and elapsed time. Students will work collaboratively to conduct measuring "experiments", record their findings, and present their findings in final reports.
Length of Lesson:
Three 45 minute class periods
Notes:
This lesson is particularly suitable for grades K-2.
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- dramatize a story using facial expression, roleplaying, and improvisation.
- identify and use common organizational structures such as chronological order.
- work collaboratively in lab groups to conduct "experiments" about the following concepts: time measurement, subdivision of units, equal parts, and estimation as a strategy.
- demonstrate understanding of these concepts through presentation of their findings in oral reports and written essays.
Supplies:
For the Teacher:
- Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
For the Student:
- Chart paper
- Book
- Coffee can
- Rulers
- Tape measures
- Several balls of yarn
- Scissors
- Clock with second hand
- Pencils
- Markers
- Dice
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Rice, dried corn, peas and/or beans
- Pitcher
- Newspaper
- Roll of plastic
- Masking tape
- Water
Instructional Plan:
Warm Up
Ask students if they have ever cooked anything by themselves or with another family member or friend. Have students share information about the dishes they have had experience preparing. Then ask them to list important components they needed in order to prepare their dish, such as ingredients, directions, kitchen tools, etc. Make a list of these items on a chart.
Directed Instruction
Tell students that today they will hear a story about animals that make strawberry shortcake, but run into a few problems along the way. Read the story Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! As you read the story, ask students to listen carefully for the problems encountered by the characters. Tell students to raise their hands if they hear a problem. Call on one student and ask them to pretend they are talking to that animal and attempt to clear up the misunderstanding. An example in the story is when Iguana dashes outside to get the flour and comes back with a petunia.
Pick a student, who has raised his/her hand, to explain to Iguana why a petunia is the wrong kind of flour. Explain that there are many words in the English vocabulary that sound the same but are spelled differently. Ask students if they can list any of these. Write them on the board as students list these words. Explain that these types of words are called homonyms. Examples include "bear" and "bare", "hear" and "here", etc. After one or more students have had a turn to clear up Iguana's misunderstanding, continue reading and find out how Rooster resolves the misunderstanding. Continue reading the story and allow students to correct the mistaken conclusions.
After finishing the story, tell the students they will get a chance to dramatize the story. Have students list the characters in the story. You may want to discuss traits of each character. Have students determine the setting of the story. Then ask students how they will set up the classroom to become the setting for their dramatization. Chart a brief retelling of the sequence of events so students will be ready to dramatize. Choose four students to play the roles of Rooster, Iguana, Turtle and Potbellied Pig. The other students can be the Dog, Cat, Goose and the audience. (Note: You will play the narrator for the first performance.)
Using the book, tell the story with the students recreating the individual parts. When you come to each character's part, students will improvise dialogue using their own words but keeping in line with the story. (Some students will want to use the exact language in the book while more confident students may naturally improvise. Both choices are acceptable.) Discuss beforehand the meaning of improvisation and give students a few examples. You may wish to repeat this process giving all students a chance to play individual parts and also act as narrator. Dramatize several times so most students get a chance to play a main role. As students repeat the dramatization, they will become more comfortable and begin improvising more. Leave the book out for students to read on their own time or to use for extension activities (see Extensions section.)
For the next class, have the following centers set up with all appropriate materials before students arrive:
- Center 1: Supplies for this center include Reading and Understanding Three-Digit Numbers worksheet, pencils, and dice.
- Center 2: Supplies for this center include Estimating Size worksheet, pencils, balls of yarn, books, coffee cans, rulers or tape measures, or both.
- Center 3: Measuring
Supplies for this center include Data Sheet for Measuring worksheet, pencils, newspaper or plastic to cover table, measuring cups, measuring spoons, dry ingredients such as rice beans or corn, pitchers of water.
- Center 4: Understanding Time
Supplies for this center include Data Sheet for Understanding Time, pencils, and a clock with a second hand.
During the math lesson of the day, remind students of the story they heard earlier, Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! Ask students to recall any math skills the animals needed to make their strawberry shortcake. You may wish to go through the book as you make a list of all the math skills that are needed. Include the following skills:
- knowing how to read three digit numbers to turn on the oven to the correct temperature
- estimating to know what size bowl for all of the ingredients
- fractions for measuring ingredients and understanding time
Tell students that today they will get to practice some of these skills at math centers. Explain each center to students. Divide class into four groups, and assign each group to a math center. Using a simple flow chart, display how students are to move to each center. For example, Center 1 goes to Center 2, Center 2 to Center 3, etc. At each center, have multiple copies of the applicable worksheets and the Rotation Chart. Give students approximately 10-15 minutes at each center. Use a signal for students to switch, e.g. a bell or turning off lights. If students need more time, be flexible.
Independent Activity
As students work in their groups at each center, circle the room to assist students, answer questions, informally assess students, and prevent any behavior problems.
- Each student rolls a die three times and records the three-digit number he/she makes.
Example: A student rolls a 4-2-1. He/she records the number 421.
- When all students in the group have had a turn to roll the die and record their number,
each student will read his/her 3 digit number and determine whose has the largest number. The student with the largest number wins. Students play until someone wins 3 out of 5 times or it is time to rotate centers. (Note: you may wish to alternatively have the student with the smallest number win.)
- Students must look at several objects on the table (i.e. a book, a container, etc.) They will cut a piece of yarn that they estimate to be the height and or width of the object.
- Students measure each piece of yarn with a ruler or tape measure and record the information on a piece of paper. An example is a book with an estimated yarn length of 5 inches.
- When all students are finished estimating and recording, they may use the ruler or tape measure on the table to find the exact measurements and record it next to their estimates. Students can then record the difference between their estimate and the exact measurement.
- Table will be covered with newspaper or a plastic tablecloth.
- Using measuring cups and measuring spoons, students measure dry ingredients including rice, corn, or beans. Students will record their findings on their worksheets.
- Students should answer the following questions:
How many tablespoons of rice equal 1/4 cup? 1/3 cup? 1/2 cup? 1 cup? Repeat the same measurements for the corn and the beans. How many 1/4 cups equal a 1/2 cup or 1 cup? How many 1/3 cups equal 1 cup? (Note: You may wish to have available a liquid ingredient such as water to conduct the same measurements.)
- Table will have a clock with a second hand and a chart that states 60 seconds = 1 minute, 60 minutes = 1 hour.
- Students take turns being the "timer." The timer asks students to put their heads down, close their eyes and raise their hands when they think a minute has gone by. They need to keep their hands up until the timer calls one minute.
- Students will discuss their thoughts about their estimation. Then the timer conducts the experiment again. Students should discuss if they thought it was easier to make an accurate estimation the first or the second time, and explain why.
- Students then take turns being the timer and using other increments of time, such as 10 seconds, two minutes etc.
Note: If you can get access to computers with Internet capability, have students explore the interactive, Crunch the Numbers to review measurement skills and reinforce what they learned during the independent activities.
When students have completed all four centers, take about 5-10 minutes and have them meet within their groups to discuss their findings. Have each group choose a reporter for each activity and then have the class sit as a whole and listen to the different reporters. After each group has presented their reports, have the class discuss the findings. Have all students write a short one-page essay that explains, based on what they learned from their experiments, what they would change about the book or how they could better help the animals.
Assessment:
Use the Assessment Rubric to evaluate student learning and progress.
Extensions:
- Students can make costumes or masks to depict the traits of the characters in the story. These masks can be used for their dramatizations.
- Make "Great-Granny's Magnificent Strawberry Shortcake" per the recipe in the book. While making the cake, discuss and record how the ingredients change when cut, beaten, whipped, mixed and baked.
- Change one or more ingredients in the recipe for "Great-Granny's Magnificent Strawberry Shortcake". Write the new recipe, create a new name for the cake, and draw a picture of the finished cake.
- Create an ongoing center where students can practice measuring with a variety of tools such as pints, quarts, gallons, metric measurements, etc. and materials (liquid as well as dry)
Sources:
Print:
- Crummel, Susan Stevens and Stevens, Janet. Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! Harcourt Children's Books, 1999.
Web:
Authors:
-
Diane Ambur, Retired Staff Development and Mentor Teacher
Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
