Gingerbread Man Theme Unit for Kindergarten and Preschool

Emergent reader "The Wolf Shows Self-Control" is a simple retelling of the the "The Three Pigs" only in this reader the wolf demonstrates self-control and does not blow the houses down.

Emergent Reader 2 - "The Gingerbread Man Perseveres"

This is another simple retelling of the "Gingerbread Man". This reader is called "Gingerbread Man Perseveres". In this reader the Gingerbread Man keeps running from everyone (perseveres) and he makes it safely back to Gingerbread Land.

Emergent Reader 3 - "Everyone Helps Out"

This is another simple retelling of "The Little Red Hen", which is also used in Week 2 of the "Farm" theme. In this emergent reader all the characters help make the bread. This reader is called "Everyone Helps Out".

Preschool and Kindergarten Centers

Preschool and Kindergarten Games for Literacy

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In this theme the children will be distinguishing between "real" and "make believe". In the theme unit there are 25 picture cards that can be used to develop this concept. Some of the photographs could be "real" (picture of a horse) while others would be "make believe" (picture of a unicorn). The enlarged picture cards would be used for discussion purposes and sorting.

Game - Is It Real or Make Believe?

After using the enlarged picture cards for discussing and sorting, the children should be ready to play the "Is It Real or Make Believe?" game on their own. Each player takes a turn shaking a die. If they land on a "make believe" picture they collect a chocolate golden magic coin. The game continues until all the coins are gone. The player with the most coins is the winner.

Focus Sounds

Final Consonant Sounds

Each week a focus sound is reviewed or introduced. Since this is a supplementary theme unit designed to use after the "Alphabet Program" has been completed, the majority of the children will be familiar with the focus sounds heard at the beginnings of words. In this theme the focus is on hearing the sounds at the endings of words. The activities in this theme will focus on developing this concept.

Week 1 Focus Sound - Letter "p" as a final consonant sound.

Week 2 Focus Sound -"Letter "m" as a final consonant sound.

Week 3 Sound Sound- "Letter "f" as a final consonant sound.

Introducing the Initial Sounds

If the letter sounds are new to the students, similar activities can be followed only the sounds are introduced as the initial sound heard in a word. The pictures found on the main theme menu page in the member's area under the heading "Alphabet Pictures" would be used instead of the ones in this theme.

Phonemic Awareness and Focus Sound Game

The picture cards from the game would be cut, discussed and sorted. After the children are familiar with hearing the sound at the ends of words, the "Focus Sound Game" would be introduced to the children and played in the Literacy Center (shown on the video and outlined in the lesson plans). Each player takes a turn drawing a picture card, if they select one ending in the focus sound, this would would marked on their game board chart (displayed in the picture above).

CVC Activities and Game

This theme is a supplementary theme, if the "Alphabet Program" were followed some children may be ready to read simple CVC words. Each day work would be done with the children to assist with this skill. This activity is demonstrated on the video.

Match Upper-Case and Lower-Case Letters

The children can match the castles with the matching letter. Older children would match the lower-case with the upper-case. Younger children would match the two same letters.

Preschool and Kindergarten Writing

Castle Shape Book- Displayed In the Photograph

The castle would be made into a shape book. The children can make simple drawings and print the name beside it.

Writing template found on page 40 in the "Suggested Centers and Week 1 Craft Templates" link.

Week 3 - Shared Writing - Town or Country Mouse

In week 3 the focus will be on farmyard tales. They will be comparing living in the city/town to the country. Each day the children will take turns telling where they would prefer to live and why (city/town or country). The teacher would be writing what they say and printing this on chart paper. After, the children will be printing this on the writing template provided. This can be posted next to the craft project. "City/Town or Country Mouse Craft".

Preschool and Kindergarten Math

Preschool and Kindergarten Math andn Craft -Week 1

This activity incorporates both math and craft skills. The template of the house is colored and cut out. Children estimate how many bricks (construction paper squares), straws (drinking straws cut) or sticks (toothpicks) would it take to cover the house. Have the children count that many and glue them on. They can see how close they were in covering the house (this indirectly teaches the concept of area).

Preschool and Kindergarten Math - Week 2

The children will be estimating, counting and sorting buttons according to the plans outlined.

Week 3

The children will be placing objects in the correct ordinal position. They will be arranging the farm animal templates in the correct order from the smallest to tallest or vice versa. They will also be estimating the height of the templates and confirming this using nonstandard units of measurement (snap cubes or paper clips). They could also use playdough snakes to make estimates.

Preschool and Kindergarten Crafts - Literature Connections

Week 1 Lesson Plans

After reading several versions of "The Three Little Pigs" and the emergent reader "The Wolf Shows Self-Control" the children would complete the following crafts.

Pig Assemble

The children would paint, cut and assemble the pig as displayed in the photograph at the right.

The templates to assemble the pig are found on page 42 and 43 in the "Suggested Centers and Week 1 Craft Templates" link.

Pig and Wolf Mask

The masks would be painted, cut, possibly the eyes cut out and a craft stick attached to make the masks. The children would use the masks to act out the story.

The wolf and pig masks are found on pages 44 and 45 in the "Suggested Centers and Week 1 Craft Templates" link.

Literature Connection - "The Three Bears"

After reading the book "The Three Bears" the children would complete the craft project where they assemble the bears and order them according to size or make masks to act out the story.

Three Bears Craft and Sizing Project

Groups of three children can decide what bear they would like to assemble (papa, mama and baby). They would paint, cut and assemble the bears and organize them according to size.

Three Bear's Masks or Stick Puppets

In the theme unit there are head shots of the Three Bears and Goldilocks. These can be painted and cut; used as masks or stick puppets.

Literature Connection- "The Kiss That Missed"

The book "The Kiss That Missed" by David Melling is a humorous tale about how a King blows a bedtime kiss to his son but he misses. The King's knight goes on an adventure to locate the kiss. The craft projects below could be completed after reading the selection or another fairy tale.

Medieval Fairy Tale Characters

These crafts would be completed after reading the fairy tale mentioned above or other ones found in your library.

The king, queen or knight templates would be colored or painted. A head shot of each child would be taken. If using a photograph, it would be 5X7 size or cropped to fit on the body. After all the accessories would be added.

All the templates to complete the craft projects are found in the "Fairy Tale and Fables" theme unit.

Castle Craft

The castle shapes would be made into tracers using card stock. The children would use the tracers and outline the castle parts on different colors of construction paper, similar to the photograph. The shapes would be cut and assembled.

The craft suggestions below would be completed in conjunction with the literature selections suggested.

Preschool and Kindergarten Crafts for Week 2 Lesson Plans

Note: Surround paper prior to painting with painter's masking tape. This will prevent the paper from curling. This would be placed on cardboard. The border can be left for an accent piece or cut.

Literature Connection - The Gingerbread Man Craft

After reading a version of "The Gingerbread Man" and the emergent reader "Gingerbread Man Perseveres" the children would complete the gingerbread man craft displayed above.

The gingerbread man template would be colored, painted or traced on brown construction paper. The accessories provided would be colored, cut and glued on the gingerbread man template.

Preschool and Kindergarten Crafts for Week 2

Gingerbread Man Printable Activities

Literature Connection - The Hare and Tortoise Craft

This craft would be completed after reading a version of "The Hare and the Tortoise" to the children. A small paper plate would be painted green. The head, legs and tail templates would be used to for tracing on green construction paper. After, these would be cut and glued to the paper plate. After, the mouth and eyes would be added.

The rabbit ears found in the theme unit would be cut and attached to a small paper plate. After, eyes, nose and whiskers would be added to complete the project.

Literataure Connection - The Lion and the Mouse

Lion and Mouse Craft

This craft project would be completed after reading a version of the book "The Lion and the Mouse". The template of the lion would be painted, cut and assembled. After, gift wrap paper shred could be added for the mane.

The mouse would be painted. After and tail and eyes would be added.

Literature Connection - The Balloon Tree by Phoebe Gilman

Balloon Tree Craft

This craft would be completed after reading the literature selection "The Balloon Tree" by Phoebe Gliman. The tree template would be secured with masking tape. The ground and tree would be sponge-painted green. The trunk would be colored brown. The sky surrounding the tree would be painted blue. Different colors of bingo markers would be used to make the balloons.

The tree

Lesson Plans and Crafts for Week 3 - Focus on Farmyard Tales

Literature Connection - The Little Red Hen

Little Red Hen Stick Puppets

After reading several versions of "The Little Red Hen" and the emergent reader "Everyone Helps Out", the crafts below would be completed.

The head templates of the characters found in the story would be painted, colored and facial features added. After, the templates would be glued to a craft stick. The children would use these to reenact the story.

Little Red Hen Masks

The enlarged templates would be painted, colored and facial features added. The children would use the masks to reenact the story.

The templates to complete the masks are found in the theme unit.

Literature Connection - City/Town or Country Mouse by Jan Brett

This can be incorporated with the writing activity outlined above.

This would be completed after reading the literature selection "Town Mouse, Country Mouse" by Jan Brett. Another version could be used.

Country Scene

The barn template would be taped around using painter's masking tape. This prevents the picture from curling. The sky behind the barn would be painted shades of yellow and orange to the ground. The ground would be painted black.

The barn and mice templates are found in the theme unit.

City Scene

Half the paper is painted blue representing the sky and the base green representing the grass. After, building and window outlines would be painted black. The mice would be added.

Literature Connection - The Golden Goose

This project would be completed after reading a version of "The Golden Goose" to the children. The paper would be secured with painter's masking tape. The top part of the picture would be painted blue. The bottom representing water would be sponge-painted different shades of blue and green. Waves would be colored in. Using the goose template, the children would trace this on gold wrapping paper. After, this would be cut out and glued to the water scene.
Literature Connection - The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling Silhouette

After reading a version of "The Ugly Duckling" to the children this craft project would be completed. The paper would be secured with painter's masking tape. The top part of the paper would be painted stripes of orange and red. The swan template would be traced onto black construction paper and cut. This would be added to the scene. Black construction paper would be added to the base representing water.

All the templates and games are found within the theme unit.

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