Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Description: A Compare/Contrast lesson where students use the book “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett to practice the use of clear and precise language to demonstrate comprehension.

Strand: 

• Listening / Speaking
• Reading
• Science
• Writing

Objectives: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the compare and contrast strategy in modern fantasy through the story “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett.

Pre-requisite Knowledge
Students will know the four seasons and should be familiar with the concepts of weather that includes clouds, rain, snow, wind, storms, and tornadoes.  Students must also be able to recognize the foods referred to in the story and reviewed if necessary.

Motivation
Students will be introduced to this lesson with the reading of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett.  Prior to the reading teacher will ask students to look at the cover and make a prediction of what they think the story is about.  Teacher will show visuals of umbrellas and ask students which one might be used in the town of Chewandswallow and which one might be used in real life.

Relevant Questions
“What do you think it would be like to live in a place where food really did come from the sky?”
“Would you like to live in a place like this? Why or why not?”
“How is the town of Chewandswallow different from our town?”

Procedure

• Students will gather together for the instruction and reading of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
• Teacher will display visuals and chart paper.
• Questions will be asked periodically during the reading regarding the weather in the town of Chewandswallow.
• Before the students are asked to brainstorm compare and contrast between Chewandswallow and a real town, a mini-lesson discussing the concept of compare and contrast will be taught using a chart.
• Explain the students that we will now list all of the characteristics that are the same about the towns and all the characteristics that are different.
• The teacher will call on volunteers to share their ideas with the class.  As the students provide responses, the teacher will write them in the appropriate spaces on the chart.
• Give every student a copy of the bulletin board pattern and have each child write about an imaginary town where odd things rained down from the sky.
• Students who finish early will get an umbrella coloring page to complete.

Interdisciplinary Activity

During science the children will learn about health and nutrition.  They will reflect on their own lives, what they eat, and what they do to stay healthy. 

Materials

• “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” by Judi Barrett
• markers
• large easel pad
• watch out for wacky weather bulletin board pattern sheets
• umbrella coloring sheets
• crayons
• pencils
• large oak tag umbrella cut out
• real umbrella

Assessment

Students’ responses to the book that was read aloud in class.  Observation of students’ expression of ideas comparing and contrasting two towns.  Students’  written response to the bulletin board pattern page.  Also, assess children’s abililty to correctly identify and label illustrations and sentences as fantasy or realism.

Follow-up/ Enrichment Activities

•    Temperature Comparison

Have the students read the thermometer at the same time every day for the next two weeks and record the temperature on a sheet of paper.  At the end of two weeks have the students help you plot the readings on a graph.  Discuss the graph and determine which days had the highest and lowest readings.  Discuss any trends in the temperature and the possible reasons for them.  For example, you might notice that it’s getting warmer or colder as the days progress.

• Keep a Record

Students can keep a running record of what they ate for the school week.  When completed, each student can create their own journal.  The journals can be illustrated with the different foods and  shared with partners.

• Questions for further discussion

Students can discuss and write about problems which may have occurred as a result of no sanitation, oversized food, rotting food, etc.

• Homework

Tell what you think the author is saying about people’s responsibility toward their environment.  Illustrate.

How Do You Feel?

How do you feel?

Suggested Group Size and Time

Small Group

30 minutes

Objectives(s)

Students will be able to identify how they are feeling and compare their feelings to other students.

Activity

After reading, “If you are happy and you know it”, children will discuss what feelings are and how they look. Children will then display their feelings throughout creating a face showing how they feel.

Targeted Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Three-Year Olds

·          Fine Motor Development: Domain of Physical Health & Development and Sub-Domain of Fine Motor Skills. Domain of Physical Health & Development and Sub-Domain of Fine Motor Skills (Drawing and coloring using pens, markers and crayons and sometimes forming recognizable shapes and images. Opening and closing scissors to cut paper.) Domain of Physical Health & Development and Sub-Domain of Fine Motor Skills  (Crushing, ripping, tearing, and pinching paper and other materials to create a collage.)

·         Social and Emotional Development: Domain of Social & Emotional Development and Sub-Domain of Cooperation (Joins in group activities and experiences within early learning environments). Domain of Social & Emotional Development and Sub-Domain of Self-Control (Begins to use materials with increasing care and safety)

·           Cognitive Development: Domain of Mathematics and Sub-Domain of Geometry & Spatial Sense (Recognizes some geometric shapes). Domain of Science and Sub-Domain of Scientific Knowledge (Begins to recognize and appreciate similarities and differences in people).

   

      Perquisites

      Student Characteristics: Students must be willing to speak within sentences in order to explain how they are feeling. Students must be able to work independently with little assistance while creating their project.

Adjustments to Learning Environment

It is crucial that the organization of the classroom within its physical aspects is adjusted for this lesson. Create a spacious, warm, and relaxed atmosphere for the introduction of this lesson when discussion is taking place. Students are more likely to discuss their feelings when they are in a comfortable and peaceful classroom environment.

Materials
-A white paper plate for each child
-A plastic sandwich bag of pre cut pieces of different color yarn (One for the entire group)
-Elmer’s School Glue
-A set of googly eyes for each child
 -Numerous of different color construction or scrap paper
-Book: If you are happy and you know it by Kathy Fahlam Bates and Dorothy Pederson Fahlam.

o   Supplemental Book(s): No red monsters allowed by Liza Alexander, Care Bears-Busy, Busy, Sunny Day by Sonia Sander, Being mean by Joy Berry, Teasing by Joy Berry 

Lesson Initiating Activity

-We will hold an open classroom discussion. We will discuss what we think feelings are.  (How do you feel? When you are around other people and have those feelings, how does that make them feel?) 

-We will exemplify that feelings are shown on your face. By providing examples such as I am sad and when I am sad my face looks like this (unsmiling face). By showing students these expressions they are able to realize that feelings are shown by actions and looks.

Procedures

1.     Teacher: Prepare the table for the activity by cutting the pieces of yarn, and setting the reminding items up.

2.     Teacher: Read the book If you are happy and you know it by Kathy Fahlam Bates and Dorothy Pederson Fahlam. Discuss some of the feelings the characters felt within the book.

3.     Within a small group go around the table and have them tell you how they are feeling at the moment. When all the children share their feelings, exemplify how you feel by creating a paper plate face matching your feelings. (Example: I am feeling happy so I am going to cut a big circle to show my open eyes, and I am going to create a big smile by cutting this yellow paper to make a smiley face. Gluing as you are going along to show these are my eyes then glue and show your actual eyes and how they match.)

4.     Provide every child with their own plate explaining these are just like your faces. Allow them to create their face by cutting and gluing eyes, nose, mouth, hair (yarn), etc.

5.     When all students are done creating their look alike faces showing how they feel allow them to explain their plates and why they feel that way.

Accommodations/Adaptations
 - Language Level: Provide directions by having them translated and or display them as a   picture form to allow them to feel involved and not outcaste.
-Exceptional Learners: One is to assist the student throughout the entire hands on activity
-Reading Level: No reading is requiring in this activity, besides the teachers role. Students will use real life demonstrations and pictures to understand concepts.
-Provide hand over hand assistance in cutting and places the yarn.
-Limit the number of children in the small group.
-Include Verbal communication as they are creating and cutting.

Core Activities
-Assessment: The educator will provide a handout in which exemplifies many different facial expressions. They students will be asked to identify which face matches what feelings. This activity will be done alone in order to monitor the child’s understanding.
-As a class we will discuss that you may be having different feelings and not realize so. Have the children throughout the day monitor other student’s behaviors and address them. This will show whether the students understand the concept in real life situations.

Enrichment/ Closure or Follow up Activities
-Create a Picture College of the class’s entire plates titled “How we feel…”
-Watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsISd1AMNYU
-Have children play the about face (feelings) computer game http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/aboutface/aboutface.html in center time.
-Give children a feeling written on a piece of paper and have them show a facial expression of what that feeling looks like.
-Discuss feelings of the day throughout circle time. (What did you do this weekend? How did that make you feel?)

Homework

Provide a handout displaying faces showing different types of facial expressions. Have students identify which facial expression represents what type of emotion. Return to class the following day and show these expressions and reveal what they represent.