The Little Red Hen

Books for this Unit: The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone, The Little Red Hen by Margot Zemach, The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges, Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig, Pizza Pat by Rita Golden Gelman and Tony’s Bread by Tomie De Paola.

This is the way I plant the seed,
Plant the seed,
Plant the seed.
This is the way I plant the seed early in the morning.

Repeat using the following verses:
…cut the wheat
…go to the mill
…make the dough
…bake the bread
…eat the bread

Once there was a little red hen
Little red hen, little red hen.
Once there was a little red hen
Who found a grain of wheat.

Who will help me plant this wheat,
Plant this wheat, plant this wheat
Who will help me plant this wheat
Asked the little red hen.

We can’t help you plant the wheat,
Plant the wheat, plant the wheat.
We can’t help you plant the wheat,
Said the little hen’s friends.

We will help you eat the bread,
Eat the bread, eat the bread.
We will help you eat the bread
Said the little hen’s friends.

Sorry, but it’s just for me
Just for me and my family.
Sorry but it’s just for me
Said the little red hen.

Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Wash the germs away.
Soap and water does the trick,
To keep them clean today.

Wash, wash, wash my hands
Until they’re sparkily,
Germs get splashed right down the drain
Right where they should be.

Wash, wash, wash my hands,
Dirt’s nowhere to be seen.
I can bake and sandwiches make
‘Cause now I’m squeaky clean.

Pizza, Pizza it’s a treat.
Pizza, pizza is fun to eat!
Ooey-gooey cheese so yummy.
Crunchy crust goes in my tummy.
Pizza, pizza it’s a treat.
Pizza, pizza is fun to eat.

Oh, I wish I were a pepperoni pizza.
That’s what I’d truly like to be.
‘Cause if I were a pepperoni pizza.
Everyone would be in love with me!

I got this from Mrs. Bonthius. Her web site at http://www.mrsbonthuisclass.atfreeweb.com/pizzaman.htm is excellent. Check out her other pizza ideas.

See also Dr. Jean Feldman’s song Pepperoni Pizza on her cassette- Dr. Jean sings Silly Songs. Her website is listed below.

I do this unit in November. It is a nice follow up to the farm unit I do in October. The Little Red Hen also complements my overall Olden Days theme for the month of November. One way to introduce this theme is through the nursery rhyme "Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Bakers Man". You may use this rhyme in a pocket chart with students’ names and letters of the alphabet. (Example: Mark it with an M and put it in the oven for Michelle and me.) This activity is a good introduction and then becomes a center activity.

Following this we read different versions of The Little Red Hen. We compare two versions with a Venn diagram and make a class chart sequencing the steps it takes to make bread. The children then act out the story using story necklaces that I made by enlarging pictures from one of the books, mounting them on oak tag and then laminating them.

Reading this story lends itself to a good discussion about sharing and helping. Write a class predictable chart on "I help in school by...." or "I help at home by....".

For math give the children slices of bread and let them cut shapes with a plastic knife, scissors or cookie cutters. Ask children to nibble a piece of bread into a circle,triangle, etc.

This action story is based on on the story by Linda Williams called The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything. (We read this scarecrow story during our farm unit in October) This adaptation can be found in Jean Feldman's book Story Time Friends. Check out her books for more wonderful ideas for props, flannel stories, tell and draw and participation stories. Her website is at http://www.drjean.org/.

Once upon a time there was a little old lady who was very brave. She lived near (your town). One day she went walking in the woods and ran smack dab into a pair of boots, and that pair of boots went "stomp, stomp" (stamp feet).

She walked until she ran smack dab into an apron, and that apron went "shake, shake" (pretend to shake your apron). "I'm not afraid of you, you old apron you," said the little old lady and she kept right on walking. But right behind her she heard two boots go "stomp, stomp" (stamp feet) and one apron go "shake, shake" (shake apron).

The story continues as the little old lady runs into a pair of pants that go "wiggle, wiggle". Two hands that go "clap, clap"... A hat that goes "nod, nod"... A face that goes "ha, ha"...

Well, that little old lady finally reached home and she went inside and shut her door and sat down in her rocking chair to rest. (cross arms and rock body) Whew! Was she tired! Just then she heard a knock at the door (knock, knock). Should she open it? Oh, sure, she's very brave. And what do you think she saw when she opened the door?

Two feet go "stomp, stomp". One apron go "shake, shake". A pair of pants go "wiggle, wiggle". Two hands go "clap, clap". One hat goes "nod, nod". One face goes "ha, ha". And what do you think the face said???

As a culminating activity right before Thanksgiving break we make Honey Bear bread. This is very exciting for the children. I have several parent volunteers come in to lead each end of a long table and the children work in pairs. I purchased a video and supplies (aprons, bowls, stirrers, bags, honey, etc.) for this event from Gloria McAdams at Total Health Intl. Inc. P.O. Box 44, Dayton, MD 21044. The phone number is 410-531-5911. The e-mail address is breadmake@aol.com.

Check out the Photo Gallery page to see a photo of our Bread Bake. Note the baker's hats the kids wore. This was simply an outline of a baker's hat attached to a strip of oaktag.

An alternate activity to use as a finale would be to have a tasting of different types of bread such as Italian, French, Challah, pita, Irish sodabread, etc. You might ask students to bring in a sample of bread from their heritage.

I use felt pieces from Storyteller Products. They are excellent quality. Each of their product groupings comes with a teacher’s reference with more ideas. I purchased The Little Red Hen and also hens with number words, numbers and baby chicks and also the cycle of chicken and egg. Storyteller products are sold like Tupperware from a hostess. Here is one web site where you can contact a hostess. http://www.felt2learn.com/sample_of_products.htm

Combine your play-doh with bowls, wooden spoons, and measuring cups and let the students pretend to make dough or give them flour and have them transfer the flour contents of one bowl to another with the measuring cups.

Use the nursery rhyme "Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Bakers Man" in one of your pocket charts along with students’ names and letters of the alphabet.