Book Kit
Social studies concept being taught in this lesson: Culture (through folktales)
Book Kit Title: Half Chicken
Book Author and Publication Date:__Alma Flor Ada; 1997__
ISBN#:___0440413605____
This Book Kit was planned by: Natalie Christiansen______
Grade Level this kit is intended for: 1______
Core Curriculum Standard and Objective OR NCSS Standard this lesson teaches:
Utah Core: Share stories, folk tales, art, music, and dance inherent in neighborhood and community tradition
NCSS Standard—Culture
Materials for the Lesson:
Half-Chicken by Alma Flor Ada
White board and marker
Scavenger hunt worksheet*
Scavenger hunt pictures, clues, and information blurbs*
Lesson Objective:
Students will learn about a country’s culture that is common in their neighborhood (Mexico) through reading a folktale and playing a game.
Background Knowledge:
Remind students that we all come from somewhere different. Ask students in the class if they have ever lived somewhere else (another state). Tell students that a lot of people who now live here in their community used to live in Mexico. Show Mexico on the map in relation to the United States and their state and city.
Anticipatory Set/Invitation to Learn:
Say, “Who has seen a chicken? What characteristics does a chicken have? Today we are going to read about a very special chicken. His name is Half-Chicken. Why do you think his name is Half-Chicken?”
Listening Focus:
Say, “This story takes place is Mexico. We can learn a lot about Mexico by reading stories that people from Mexico have written. As we read about Half-Chicken, pay attention to the different places in Mexico you see and hear about.”
Method for sharing the book:
Read the book aloud to the whole class. Ask questions along the way.
Pg. 8 Why do they call him a “half chicken?” (He only has one eye, one wing, one leg, there should be two)
Pg. 10 What does the word “vain” mean? (He’s very proud of the way he looks; he thinks he’s the best)
Pg. 10 What does the word “viceroy” mean? (A viceroy is a leader of a country)
Pg. 10 What makes someone or something unique? (They look different, or do something different than most people do)
Pg. 12 Have students repeat with you what Half-Chicken says throughout the book “I’m off to Mexico City to see the court of the viceroy! And hip hop hip hop, off he went, hippety-hopping along on his only foot.”
Pg. 24 What do you think will happen in Mexico City? Will he meet the viceroy? (He’ll meet the viceroy)
Pg. 26 Why do you think the guards laugh when Half-Chicken says he’s come to see the viceroy? (He’s a chicken, not a person)
Pg. 30 What’s going to happen to Half-Chicken? (He’ll be discouraged and want to go home)
Instructional Procedures: Guided Learning
Attitude Orientation (see Anticipatory Set)
Schema Orientation: Everyone comes from somewhere. Where were you born? Have you ever lived somewhere other than here? A lot of people who live here now used to live somewhere else before. Many people who live in your neighborhood and in our community lived in Mexico before they lived here. Mexico is different from where we live in some ways. But the people have families, the kids go to school, families eat together and have fun together, just like we do.
Activity Orientation (see Listening Focus)
Activity (See Method for sharing the book)
Response: Where are some places Half-Chicken visited in Mexico? We are going to visit those same places in our classroom today ! As we visit those places you will learn a little bit more about what Mexico is like. I am going to give each of you a paper to record what you learn. At each place we visit you need to write the name of the place, a word that describes it, and then draw a picture of what it looks like. We are going to start at the ranch. After you write down what you learn you will get a clue about where we should go next. Then we will hip hop, hippety-hop, just like Half-Chicken, to that place to learn more!
Closure:
Ask “What did you learn about Mexico?” Record students’ answers on the white board.
Evidence of Student Learning:
Scavenger hunt worksheet and discussion question in the “closure” section will demonstrate individual learning. If they don’t understand, review different aspects of Mexico by showing the pictures and rereading the information blurbs from the game.
Integrated Learning Activities
Activity 1:What Time is it? (whole group & individual)
Math Standard 3, Objective 2: Tell time to the hour and half-hour.
As a class, make a list of all the things Half Chicken did on his journey to Mexico City. Then make up approximate times that he did them. In small groups have students set clocks to show the correct times (e.g., Half-Chicken left the farm at 8:00. Students show8:00 on their clocks).
Level of Bloom’s Comprehension: Remember
Activity 2:Folktales (small groups)
LA Standard 7, Objective 3a: Identify beginning, middle, and end; characters; setting; problem/resolution.
In groups of two or three students will read a folktale from one of the following books: The Day it Snowed Tortillas, Horse Hooves & Chicken Feet, and Juan Verdadero. While reading students will fill in a sequence page, writing three sentences about what occurred at the beginning, middle and end of the story.
Level of Bloom’s Comprehension:Understand
Activity 3:Tell the Story in Pictures (individual)
Fine Arts, Visual, Standard 2, Objective 3c: Create and perform/exhibit dances, visual art, music, and dramatic stories from a variety of cultures expressing the relationship between people and their culture.
Students will create a visual representation of the folktale they read in the form of a collage, comic book, or some other creative method—students can decide how the story is best represented visually. Whichever form chosen, the visual should help the class better understand the story.
Level of Bloom’s Comprehension: Create
Activity 4:Fun Facts about Mexico (small groups)
In the computer lab groups of two or three students will conduct online research to find information about Mexico. Students will be required to find the population, flag, and capital. In addition, they will be required to find five more interesting facts. They will record their answers on aninformation chart.
The following websites should be pulled up on the computer beforehand so students can browse through the information:
Level of Bloom’s Comprehension: Remember
Activity 5:Sharing Time (whole & small groups)
In a culminating activity, have groups retell their folktales using the visual representations they madeand then summarize the research they compiled.
Level of Bloom’s Comprehension:Apply
Learning Game: Hip, Hop, Hippety Hopping Around Mexico
Students will go on a scavenger hunt to “visit” some places in Mexico. Put the pictures and information blurbs around the classroom. Accompany students to help them with the clues.
Students will start at the ranch. After reading about the ranch, they will be given a clue that explains where they should go next. Once they figure out where to go they must hip, hop, hippety-hop (just like Half-Chicken) to get there! At each station they should write one word to describe the place and draw a picture of that place.
Clues:
Ranch (students begin here)
Rivers:Half-Chicken moved some branches out of the water for the ______.
Mexico City:Half-Chicken wanted to go to ______City.
Plaza:Before reaching the viceroy’s palace Half-Chicken crossed the Great _____.
Market:Before he go to the palace, Half-Chicken saw people selling different foods
at the ______.
Viceroy’s palace: Half-Chicken wanted to meet an important person at the ______
______.
Kitchen: The guard at the palace told Half-Chicken to go back through the ______.
Roof of the palace: After the chef threw Half-Chicken out the window, he landed on
the _____.
Information Blurbs:
The Ranch
On a ranch, people raise animals and grow vegetables and fruit. Some of the things that grow in Mexico are: chocolate, avocado, tomato, maize, vanilla, guava, sweet potato, zucchini, and a lot of different kinds of beans and chiles.
The River
There are many rivers in Mexico. The Río Grande de Santiago River is the longest river. It is the 20th longest river in the world. This river forms the border between Texas, USA and Mexico.
MexicoCity
Mexico City is the capital of Mexico. It is the largest city in Mexico. More than 8 million people live there. The president of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, lives in Mexico City. Because people have lived there for hundreds of years there are many old buildings, museums, and art galleries. A lot of people who live in Mexico City travel by metro or bus. Soccer is the most popular sport there.
The Plaza
A plaza is a place in the middle of a city. In a plaza there are sometimes important buildings or stores so people can go shopping. Usually there are places for people to sit and relax. Some plazas are like parks with benches, grass, and fountains.
The Market
A market is like a grocery store, but it is outside. A lot of people sell things at a market. They mostly sell food, but they sell other things, too. People who want to sell food or other things set up a small booth so everyone can see what they are selling as they walk by.
The Viceroy’s Palace
Today there isn’t a viceroy in Mexico, there is a president. His name is Marcelo EbrardCasaubon. He has an office in the National Palace where he makes important decisions about how to help the people in Mexico.
The Kitchen
Mexico is famous for its delicious food. Some of the most famous foods are quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tamales and mole.
On the roof of the Viceroy’s palace
This isn’t a specific place in Mexico, but the folktale from Mexico tells us the story about why we sometimes see a chicken on top of a building with the letters n, s, w, and e. This is called a weather vane. A weather vane shows us what direction the wind is blowing.
Name Date
Folktale Story Sequence
- Beginning
- Middle
- Middle
- End
Name: Date:
Fun Facts about Mexico
Capital City:
Population:
Draw a picture of the flag:
Five interesting facts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Name: Date:
Half-Chicken Scavenger Hunt
You are going to visit Mexico just like Half-Chicken. At each place you visit write the name of the place, a word that describes it, and draw a picture of what it looks like.
1. Place:Describing word:
Picture:
2. Place:Describing word:
Picture:
3. Place:Describing word:
Picture:
4. Place:Describing word:
Picture:
5. Place:Describing word:
Picture:
6. Place:Describing word:
Picture:
7. Place:Describing word:
Picture:
8. Place:Describing word:
Picture: