Our final theme of 2019 included a study of versions of the Gingerbread Man. We read each story and identified the characters, repeating text and each ending. Students made predictions, based on prior knowledge, about what might happen to the gingerbread people. The versions we read included The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt, The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett, The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst, The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup and The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires and Holly Berry.As we read other books, we compared the characters that the gingerbread people encountered, described the personality of the gingerbread people, discussed the setting of each story and how that influenced the animals in the story, recited the repeating text and identified rhyming words and predicted and compared endings.
To end our study, each child decorated a gingerbread cookie. All of the students took a bite together. We then graphed which part of the gingerbread body the children ate first.
Dramatic Play
Our Dramatic Play center turned into a bakery where students used gingerbread playdoh like cookie dough to roll, shape, bake and decorate gingerbread cookies.
Art
Students decorated gingerbread people using puffy paint made from shaving cream and glue. They also created marble paintings by rolling paint covered bells over a paper.
Games
The children practiced color and shape matching while playing a Gingerbread Shape bingo game.
Block Area
At the block area students constructed marble runs. These can be quite challenging so it requires patience, trial and error, compromise and conversation.
Gingerbread Cookies
Students enjoyed decorating gingerbread cookies as a final activity to our unit.
Our graph of which part of the gingerbread man was eaten first.
Pajama Day
On the day before vacation, we were fortunate to have the high school chorus, band and orchestra visit Memorial School to perform for us. The children really enjoyed watching the older students and sat attentively among the entire school. Following the high schoolers, Mr. R, the music teacher, and several classroom teachers along with Dr. Bilsborough, led the children in a sing along.
Back at the classroom we read a story about Hannukah which would begin the following Sunday. Students had the chance to see a Menorah and play the Dreidel game.
We ended our day with a celebration. Students enjoyed a snack together, played games and completed several crafts. Thank you to everyone that contributed your time or items to make the party a success. The children had a wonderful time.
