Category Archives: School

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes

Lilly loves school but when her teacher asks her to wait before sharing her new purse, Lilly gets upset and behaves in a way that she later regrets. This story touches upon consequences and forgiveness.

Materials

  • A pillowcase with some items from the story (quarter, sunglasses, crown, pencil, and familiar items from around your classroom)
  • 2 Copies of plastic purse per child
  • Two clean egg cartons
  • 10 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, 10 quarters

Vocabulary

  • Diva (a famous female singer of pop music)
  • Jaunty (someone who is cheerful and sure of themself)
  • Considerate (someone who thinks about how others might feel)
  • Glittery (covered with sequence so it makes it shiny and sparkly)
  • Not amused (Thinking that something is not funny)
  • Lurched (to jerk forward)
  • Furious (to be very, very angry)
  • Unique (one of a kind)
  • Encyclopedias (books that tell about the world)

Before Reading the Story

Begin a discussion about classroom rules. What are some of your hometime rules? What are some of our rules? What would happen if we did not have rules? Note to the children your rule about rug time. Why do you think we have to take turns talking? What would happen if we all talked at once? Explain that you have rules to help keep everyone safe and to make it fair for all children. Ask the children if the think it’s fair if one child gets to do all the talking? If one child gets to always do everything first or do what they want when other children can not? Explain that our story today is about a mouse named Lilly who did not want to follow the rules. What do you think will happen? Let’s read and find out.

Language Development/Speaking & Understanding; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes. AND Literacy/Book Knowledge Appreciation; demonstrates ability to retell and dictate stories from book and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story.

Reading the Story

Where Mr. Slinger provides a snack that is curly, cheesy, and crunchy. Ask the children to name some foods that are curly, cheesy, and/or crunchy?

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem.

On the page where Mr. Slinger takes the purse away from Lilly, stop and the children what they think Lilly will do?

Literacy/Book Knowledge Appreciation; demonstrates ability to retell and dictate stories from book and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story.

After Reading the Story

Go back to the page where Lilly draws a picture of Mr. Slinger, how do you think he felt when he found it in his bag? (hurt, sad, feelings). What could you do to make him feel better?

Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; progresses in responding sympathetically to peers who are in need, upset, hurt, or angry; and in expressing empathy and caring for others.

Explain that Mr. Slinger forgave Lilly for drawing the not nice picture. Forgiving people is part of being a friend. Not everyone is always going to do exactly what you want when you want to do it. So being able to take turns and share are important things to learn about. Ask the children to share any examples they have of forgiving someone of sharing and taking turns with another. Praise all kind acts by telling the child, that was kind of you, that was being a good friend.

Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; shows progress in developing friendships with peers. Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

Discovery

Hide the items from the story and classroom somewhere where the children can not see them. Place one article in the pillowcase and ask a child to use their hands to feel the object. They may smell and shake the item but they may not look in the pillowcase. Can they name the item? Can they tell you what material it is made from? (plastic, wood, paper, glass stone, etc.) Pull it out and try another.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Music and Movement

Say the following poem to the children. After you have said what you are going to buy, invite the children to share their ideas by repeating the poem and adding their name to it.

I found a quarter, I found a quarter

I found a quarter shiny and new.

I’m gonna buy all kinds of ________

That’s what I’m gonna do.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more that one solution to a question, task, or problem. AND Social & Emotional Development; Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Put on some jaunty music and dance!

Creative Arts/Movement; shows growth in moving to different patterns of beat and rhythm in music.

Blocks

While the children are in blocks today, ask them if they can tell you what material the block is made from? Look around for other items in the center, can the children name what they are made from? (wood, plastic, cardboard, rubber, fabric, etc.).

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Art

Lilly’s purse was purple. Put red, blue, and white paint at the easel today for the children to experiment making purple.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations.

Give the children a copy of the purse along with old toy catalogs. Encourage them to cut out things they would like and glue them to their purse.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors.

Library and Writing

Add non-fiction books on a variety of subjects. Explain that encyclopedias are books that tell us facts about the world, just like these books. Books that tell real information and not pretend is called non-fiction. Can the children show you examples of fiction and non-fiction?

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows increasing abilities to sort, put in a series, and regroup objects according to one or two attributes such as shape or size. AND Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation;progresses in learning how to handle and care for books; knowing to view them one page at a time in sequence from front to back; and understanding that a book has a title, author, and illustrator.

Give the children a copy of the purse along with markers. Ask them to draw what they would put in their purse and dictate their response onto a index card and attach.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progress in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools, including pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various types of technology. AND Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.

Sand and Water

Ask the children if they can remember what color lilly’s purse was (purple)? Ask them what material the purse was made from (plastic)? Add water to the table today and ask the children to help you find either purple or plastic items to add for the play. When they have gathered different purple or plastic items, ask them if they can predict if an item will float or sink in the water. As they discover what items float/sink have them sort into cubbies.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops growing abilities to collect, describe, adn record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.

Dramatic Pay

Add any purses that you can find along with toy money, pencils, paper, play glasses, old phone /no battery, play jewelry, small boxes such as altoids, etc. I have found that the children in my class like to squirrel items away inside purses. ( I have found puzzle pieces and playing cards). So provide lots of interesting smaller items that will fit.

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.

Math and Manipulatives

Give a child an egg carton and the coins in a small bowl. Ask them if they can tell you what they are? Can they name the coins? Encourage them to look at the coins and tell you what they see. Ask them to sort the coins by like kinds into the cleaned egg carton.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in a series, and regroup objects according to one or two attributes such as shape or size.

Outdoor PLay

Have the children line-up along a fence or wall. Tell them that Lilly used her purse to hold her special things. What can we use outside to hold something with (bucket!)? Have the children divide into teams and have bucket relay races. The children must run, hop, jump to and around a bucket and then come back. A child must run to the sandbox and fill the bucket with sand and bring it back, the next person runs and dumps it. The child must run to the bucket and jump over and them come back, the child must run to the bucket and them drop a rock into it from their waist height or higher, etc..

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills;shows increasing levels of proficiency, control, and balance in walking, climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, and galloping. AND Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation;develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions; to take turns in games and using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive.

Transitions

In the story, Lilly said she loved when Mr. Slinger provided “tasty” snacks. Ask the children what they think are tasty school snacks? If you have a cook who prepares the snacks for you, have the children help write her/him a thank you note from the class.

Literacy/Early Writing; develops understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Resources

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes

Lily has a new purse that she is very proud of, but what happens when she brings it to school and tries to interrupt the teacher?

Materials

  • Blue Prints
  • Purse shape
  • Pillowcase

Vocabulary

  • Jaunty (playful)
  • Lurched (jerked forward)
  • Furious (very angry)
  • Demonstrated (to show how something works)
  • Diva (a starlet)

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children to think about a career that they think they would like to be when they grow up?  Help the children learn to recognize that things that they like doing can perhaps be a career later.  (Andres likes to build with blocks, maybe he will grow up and build houses.  Lisa likes to pretend to cook in the dramatic center, maybe she will grow up to be a famous cook and write a cookbook.  Wanita is always playing with the musical instruments, maybe she will grow up to be in a rock and roll band).

Social & Emotional Development/Knowledge of Families & Communities; develops growing awareness of jobs and what is required to perform them.

Reading the Story

Stop on  the page where Lily reads the note that Mr.Slinger placed in her purse.  Though the pictures are small, ask the children to see if they can tell how Lily is feeling,shy?  On the page where Lily’s father makes a tasty snack, ask the children why he said,”I think Mr. Slinger will understand” (Lily said he was a fat mean teacher-she was angry)

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation;Shows growing interest and involvement in listening to and discussing a variety of fiction and non-fiction, and poetry.

After Reading the Story

Tell the children that you will have a day that they can bring something special to share with the rest of the class.  Let them know that you will send a letter home telling their parent what day they may bring their special item to share.

Discovery

Gather up several objects from each of your centers.  For younger children choose more familiar objects.  Keep these items out of view of the children and place one inside a pillowcase.  Challenge a child to put their hand inside the pillow case and try to figure out what the object is by using their sense of touch only.  Encourage the children to play this game with a partner.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Music and Movement

Put on some music and tell the children that you are all going to do some “Interpretive Dancing” just like Lilly and Mr Slinger did.  Put on the music and have fun.

Creative Arts/Movement; expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various musical tempos and styles.

Sing I’ve Got A Penny

            I’ve got a penny, I’ve got a penny

            I’ve got a penny shiny and new.

            I’m gonna buy all kinds of ______

            That’s what I’m gonna do.

Child names what they would buy if they had money.  Use a quarter like in the story and as you sing the children can pass it around so that the person with the quarter gets to name what they would buy.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning  & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem.

Blocks

Add blueprints to the center and encourage the children to see if they can follow them just  like a real builder or architect would. 

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials.

Ahead of time, make simple block structures using 3-6 blocks. Challenge the children to copy your structure.  This can also be done by taking pictures of the structures and tape them to the wall for the children to copy using the blocks.  As they copy tell them that they are reading the directions.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials. 

Art

Give each child a simple purse shape.  Put out magazines and scissors and have the children cut out items and then glue them onto their purse.  These can be hung on the wall with a sign that states, “What’s In Your Purse?”.   (When I have told the children that this is what out bulletin board says, they begin to have fun and cut out crazy stuff and laugh that it would be found inside a purse (cars, spaghetti on a plate,animals, a baby). 

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task, or problem. 

Sand and Water

Add play money/coins to the sand today.  As the children dig and find the coins, ask them if they can name the coins.  After they have found a handful, encourage them to sort the coins by like kinds. Then have them bury them back into the sand for another child to dig and find.

Mathematics/Geometry & Spatial Sense; begins to be able to determine whether or not two shapes are the same size and shape.

Library and Writing

Remind the children that in the book, the children went to the Lightbulb Lab where they could draw and write about any ideas that they had. Tell the children that today you are going to use your writing center as a Lightbulb Lab.  Encourage the children to use paper and pencil to draw out inventions or things that they would like.  Go over occasionally and ask the children if they would like you to add any dictation to their work.

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.  AND Science/ScientificSkills & Knowledge; develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts.

Dramatic Play

Add purses to the center today.  Try to have many smaller items that the children can put into their purses (play money, wallet, small mirror, paper and pencils, sunglasses, gloves, etc.)

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Math andManipulatives

Put out any puzzles that you might have that depict children at school.  As the children work on the puzzles ask them to talk about what is happening in the picture. Can they describe using full sentences? 

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; progresses in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and discussion with peers and adults.

Outdoor Play

Remind the children that in the story, Lily was so happy that she ran and skipped and hopped all the way home.  Play a follow the leader game on the playground and run and skip and hop about.

Physical Health & development/Gross Motor Skills; shows increasing levels of proficiency, control, and balance in walking, climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, and galloping.

Transitions

Bring a purse to the rug and a box or bag that the children cannot see through filled with different pieces of equipment from the room.  Put an item into the bag without the children seeing and let a child feel inside to guess what it is in the purse.  Make sure you use items that the children are familiar with.  (Some things that I have used are; small cars, crayons, magnifying glass, play person, wallet from dress-ups, a shoe from dress-ups, turkey baster from water table, etc)

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Dear Parent-  We have decided that we would like to do ashow and tell at school.  Your child isbeing asked to bring something that they consider special to school to shareand talk about with the other children. We will make sure that this item is put up safely after your child hasshared  it with the class.  Your child’s day is _____________.

Resources