Focus Questions: Why are lists important? Why is it important to give detailed directions in the right order?
Part 1
Students will be in the gathering area for this lesson.
“Have any of you been grocery shopping with someone? Did that person use a list?” Wait for responses from students. Ask, “Why do you think that person used a list?” Students will have a variety of answers. You should guide them to the idea that a list helps remind you of everything you need to buy. “What are some other lists you have seen or used? Why are these lists helpful?” Give students some time to think about this, and then let them share some of their ideas.
“Listen to see if someone uses a list in this story.” Read the story The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges. “Do you think the Little Red Hen should have made a list? How would that have helped her make the pizza? Let’s go back through the book and see what she needed to make the pizza, and together we can write a shopping list for the Little Red Hen.”
On the whiteboard or a large piece of paper, make a grocery list for the Little Red Hen using the information in the text. Reread page 4 to students and say, “What did the Little Red Hen need to buy in order to make the pizza?” Take some answers and then write pizza pan, large mixing bowl, and pizza slicer on the board to model how to make a list. Then go to page 8 and reread it. “What did she buy on this page that helped her make the pizza?” Add flour, salt, and oil to the list. Then turn to page 12 and reread it to the class. Ask, “What did she buy on this page?” Add mozzarella, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and anchovies to the list.
“The Little Red Hen took three trips to the store to buy all these items. If the Little Red Hen had written a list, what would have changed in the story?” Let students respond (The Little Red Hen would have only needed to make one trip to the store, she would not have bought all the other items she didn’t need, or she would not have had to keep asking for help).
“When might you need to write a list? What might you be doing that writing a list would be helpful?” Give students time to think, and then allow them to share their answers as you record them on the board. (Some reasons to make lists would be to write down chores you need to do or list people you want to invite to your house to play.)
“Let’s review what we’ve learned by pretending that we are having a class party and that we need to write a list of what we will need to get for the party. Pair with a partner and write (or draw) a list of items that we will need for the party together.” Give students a few minutes to write. “Now share your list with the class and I will write one big list on the board.
“Now, on your own, write (or draw) a list of school supplies you need for class.” Give students a few minutes to do this. “Now pair with a partner and share your lists. Did your partner’s list remind you of something you forgot? Did you add it?
“Next time we are going to talk about another type of list.”
Part 2
Students will be in the gathering area for the beginning of this lesson.
In Part 1, students listened to the book The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza). Begin by rereading it. Remind students that in Part 1 they learned about the importance of writing a list. Show students the list of ingredients that the class wrote. Tell students that the focus of today’s lesson is on writing a different kind of list, a sequenced list that tells how to do something in order, like a recipe does. When you reread the story, make sure to focus on the second half of the book, which details the steps that the Little Red Hen uses to make the pizza. This part begins on page 14.
“We are going to look at the steps that the Little Red Hen took to make the pizza. We have already looked at all the ingredients she bought for it, but now we need to know how to build it and bake it. How many of you have ever cooked with someone? How did you know what to do when you were cooking?” Take some suggestions. “Did anyone use a recipe? Do you know what a recipe is?” Share a simple cookbook or kids’ cookbook as an example. “Well, we are going to write a recipe, or list of steps, for the Little Red Hen so she can make her pizza.”
Using your whiteboard or a large piece of paper, begin to write the list of steps in the recipe. Reread page 14 to students. “What does she do on this page to start the pizza?” She makes the dough, so begin writing a numbered list on the board.
Encourage student involvement by adding the corresponding bolded actions to each of the following suggested steps:
1. Mix flour, oil, salt, and yeast.
2. Knead dough into a big ball.
3. Fold dough and roll it several times.
4. Spread dough on pizza pan.
5. Chop all vegetables.
6. Grate cheese.
7. Open and spread tomato sauce over crust.
8. Sprinkle vegetables and meats.
9. Sprinkle cheese on top.
10. Place in oven to bake.
Read the list to students. “Is there anything that we need to add? Have you ever made pizza at home?” Let students share their experiences. “What would happen if the Little Red Hen had tried to put the cheese on the pizza pan before she made the crust?” Let students discuss possible outcomes. “Yes, you are right. She would have made a mess, and the pizza would not have turned out right. That is why it is important to put the steps to the recipe in the right order and to be clear about what to do.
“Let’s review what we’ve learned by pretending that a new student is joining the class and that we need to make an ordered list of directions that tells the new student how to ___________ (play a class game, for example).” Help students begin by writing the first step on the board. Then encourage students to add to the list, one step at a time, asking the other students if they agree with each step, in order, as it is suggested.
Part 3
Each student needs a piece of paper that has the class’s pizza recipe written on it. Make sure the recipe is on the bottom half of the page because students will illustrate a step of the recipe on the top half.
Tell students that they are going to illustrate one of the steps to make a pizza. Let students choose which step they’d like to illustrate. “Circle the step that you are illustrating.”
When they are finished, they can go back to the gathering area to share their work with the other students. Have each student share why s/he wanted to draw the part s/he chose, and then explain the parts of the drawing.
Select several of the students’ illustrations that represent different parts of the pizza-making process. Post them in random order and have students determine the correct order.
Read the compiled, ordered story of students’ illustrated list items/steps. “This story, The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza), has taught us two different ways to make a list. What are the two different kinds of lists that we learned how to make?” (1. a list where order is not important, like a grocery list; 2. a list where order is important, like a recipe)
“Why are these two types of lists helpful?” (They are helpful for different uses or situations.) “Give examples of when these two types would be helpful.” If needed, help students name examples.
Collect the finished pictures from students and display the story in the classroom.
Extension:
- Have students who need more practice retell the ordered steps of the recipe, and why following the recipe is important. Help guide them to decide which part to illustrate.
- As a center activity, let students assemble representations of pizza parts to “make” a pizza.
- As a center activity, have students use labeled representations of pizza parts to order the steps to make a pizza and then share the list with a peer or with you.
- Provide cookbooks at centers or in a kitchen play area and encourage students to “follow” the recipes, acting out the steps as they did in this lesson.
