Gingerbread Baby Lesson Plans

I am currently working on writing down my ideas that I use for creative writing and enrichment and coordinating with children’s authors and favorite books.

Students will retell the story from the point of view of the gingerbread baby, explaining why he didn’t want to be eaten and how he felt about the world he explored.Materials:

• Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
• 11×8 paper which has the outline of the gingerbread baby.
• Draw lines on the bottom half for writing and leave the top clear for illustrating.
• You will need several sheets for each child, so copy-copy-copy!
• If you can find it, light brown copy paper adds a nice feel to the project.

Lesson Plan:

1. Talk a little bit about a character’s point of view. I like to read THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS BY A. WOLFE.
2. Discuss how his point of view is different from the pigs.
3. Then list on the board the story of Gingerbread Baby from Mattie’s point of view.
4. Next to it discuss how the Gingerbread baby saw the same events.
5. Pass out the “Special Paper” you created and have the students write the story from the baby’s point of view.

Students will read from the book.

Materials:

• Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
• Computer printed text selection from the story
• yellow highlighters

Lesson Plan:

Retype or copy sections of the story, or you could use a student’s story summary from a previous lesson.  In small groups have the students highlight the word you are saying. I use this method for many stories to help “Lock In” sight words.

Lesson 10: Gingerbread Baby Board Game

Children will create a board game based on the book “Gingerbread Baby” by Jan Brett.

Materials:

• Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
• Candyland game to use as a sample
• Tag Board
• Paper cutter
• Game pieces ( Collect from old games or use bingo markers)
• List of spelling/sight words you want the children to learn.
• Dice or cubes the children write numerals on.

Lesson Plan:

1. Create a sectioned path showing the journey the baby took until he arrived at the gingerbread house. (One game board for each student).
2. The object of the game is to get to the house first.
3. Students roll the dice, land on sections, and draw cards. ( I made the children use the sight word they drew, in a complete sentence. You could use math facts, or most any concept you are studying.) Instead of dice a spinner could be substituted!
4. The children can draw along the path to illustrate the journey or cut and paste the pictures available on Jan Brett’s web site.

Comments:

I like to make sugar cookie homes with my own children during the holidays. I fill the inside with wrapped candy and small toys. They break the house open on Christmas Eve to share the goodies with Santa. Even my big teenager thinks building the house is “COOL”

Lesson 11: Gingerbread Baby Final Activity

Have a Jan Brett party!

Materials:

• Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
• Jan brett books
• coloring pages from www.janbrett.com
• candy, ect.

Lesson Plan:

Writing time – Have the students each write a friendly letter to Jan Brett. I like to run off the friendly letter forms she has available. Have the students write about their favorite part of the story or ask any questions they are interested in knowing.

For reading time – Children can partner read any of her books.

Math – Write story problems using characters and ideas from her books.

Social Studies – Read her biography and locate on a map the place she lives.

Art – Draw a picture in the middle and then give clues on the border like Jan Brett does.

Science – Make gingerbread houses, cookies, or snow mountain cupcakes!

Gingerbread Teaching Resources @ A to Z’s Downloads Shop