- Grades: PreK–K, 1–2
- Unit Plan:
About this book
- Make a picture of a birthday soup bowl that includes the month, day and year of their birthday.
- Memorize a poem.
- Book: Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak
- Class set, various colors, construction paper rectangles (4" x 7")
- Class set, yellow construction paper rectangles (2" x 6")
- White Glue
Set Up and Prepare
- Using the computer, print out each child's birthday date. Print their name in regular size type and their birth date one inch high. This is a good format to use, May 12, 1997.
- Cut yellow 2" x 6" rectangles (1 per student).
- Cut various colors of construction paper into 4" x 7" rectangles.
Step 1: Read Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak.
Step 2: Have the students learn the poem for their birthday month. Have the students recite it independently.
Step 3: Make a birthday soup bowl out of 4" x 7" construction paper. Cut bottom corners and points off to make a bowl shape. Take yellow 2" x 6" rectangle, and cut all the corners off. Glue it to the top of the bowl shape. The view is looking down at the top of the soup in the bowl.
Step 4: Children glue rice to the soup.
Step 5: Children glue computer print out of the birthday date onto the bowl.
Step 6. Display bowls with birthday pictures and stories.
- Play Greg and Steve's, We All Live Together CD. Teach "The Months of the Year" song in English and Spanish.
- Graph class birthdays.
- Compare how many days in each month. Use poem: 30 days has September April, June and November.All the rest have 31 except poor February that has 28 and on leap year 29.
At home, find your birthday on a calendar. Show someone in your family that you know when your birthday is.
- Was there enough time?
- Were the students successful or frustrated?
- Was there anyone who could not memorize his or her birthday poem?
- Use teacher observation to determine if the students were able to recognize and read their birthday date.
- Are they learning the names of the months?