Focus Questions: What makes lists valuable? Why is it crucial to provide precise instructions in the correct sequence?
Part 1
This lesson will take place in the gathering area.
"Have you ever gone grocery shopping with anyone? Did that person make a list?" Await the students' answers. Ask, "Why do you think that person used a list?" Students will provide a variety of responses. Teach them that making a list makes it easier to remember what you need to buy. "What other lists have you used or seen? What makes these lists useful?" After giving the students some time to reflect, allow them to present some of their ideas.
Observe whether anyone in this story makes use of a list. Read Philemon Sturges' story, The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza). "Do you believe that the Little Red Hen ought to have compiled a list? In what way could that help her make pizza? Let's review the book to see what she needed to make the pizza, and then we can make the Little Red Hen a shopping list together."
Using the details in the text, create a grocery list for the Little Red Hen on the whiteboard or a sizable piece of paper. After reading page 4, ask your students what the Little Red Hen needed to buy to make the pizza. Take a few responses, then illustrate how to create a list on the board by writing a pizza pan, a big mixing bowl, and a pizza slicer. Next, turn to page 8 and read it again. "What did she purchase to assist her in making the pizza on this page?" Add oil, flour, and salt to the list. Once again, read it aloud to the class on page 12. Ask, "What did she purchase from this page?" Add to the list: garlic, onions, mushrooms, pepperoni, mozzarella, olives, and anchovies.
"To purchase all of these things, the Little Red Hen made three trips to the store. What might have happened to the story if the Little Red Hen had written a list?" Students can answer with statements like, "The Little Red Hen would not have needed to keep asking for help; she would not have bought all the other items she didn't need; or she would have only needed to make one trip to the store."
"When would you need to make a list? Why would making a list beneficial for anything you might be doing?" After giving them some time to reflect, let the students present their ideas while you write them on the board. (Lists can be used, for example, to organize tasks you need to complete or to invite friends over for a playdate.)
"Let's go over what we've learned by acting as though we are hosting a class party and that we must make a list of the supplies we will need. Make a list of everything we'll need for the celebration in pairs by writing down or drawing what we need." Allow students to write for a short while. "Now present your list to the class, and I'll write a big list on the board."
"Now, on your own, make a list of the materials you need for class in writing or drawing form." Give the students a short while to complete this. "Now share your lists with a partner in pairs. Was there anything on your partner's list that you had forgotten? Have you included it?"
"Next time, we'll discuss a different kind of list."
Part 2
The beginning of this lesson will take place in the gathering area.
Students listened to the book The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) in Part 1. Start by reading it again. Remind students that the significance of creating a list was covered in Part 1. Display the ingredient list that the class created for the students. Inform the class that today's lesson will concentrate on creating a distinct kind of list—a sequential list that follows a recipe's instructions and outlines steps in order. Make sure to concentrate on the second half of the book when you reread the story because it contains the instructions that the Little Red Hen uses to make the pizza. This section starts on page 14.
"We'll examine the procedures followed by the Little Red Hen when preparing the pizza. Now that we've seen every ingredient she purchased, all we need to know is how to assemble and cook it. How many people here all cook with someone? When cooking, how did you know what to do?" Consider these suggestions. "Has anyone made use of a recipe? What is a recipe, do you know?" Give a basic cookbook or children's cookbook as an illustration. "We're going to write the Little Red Hen a recipe, or a list of instructions, so she can prepare her pizza."
The recipe's step-by-step instructions should be written on a large piece of paper or your whiteboard. Read page 14 to the class again. "What is her procedure for starting the pizza on this page?" She makes the dough, so start making a numbered list on the board.
To enhance student engagement, incorporate the corresponding bolded actions into each of the following suggested steps:
1. Mix the yeast, oil, flour, and salt.
2. Knead the dough into a large ball.
3. Repeatedly fold and roll the dough.
4. Roll out the dough on a pizza pan.
5. Chop every vegetable.
6. Shred cheese.
7. Spread tomato sauce over the crust.
8. Sprinkle meats and veggies.
9. Sprinkle cheese on top.
10. Bake in the oven.
Review the following instructions with the students. "Are there any additional points we should cover? Have you ever made pizza at home before?" Allow the students to share their experiences. "What do you think would have happened if the Little Red Hen had put cheese on the pizza before preparing the crust?" Allow students to discuss possible outcomes. "You are correct. If she had done so, the pizza would not have turned out properly and it would have been a mess. Therefore, it is important to follow the recipe exactly as written and to be clear about each step in the process."
"Let's assume that we need to create a step-by-step list of instructions for a new student joining the class on how to________(for example, play a game). First, we should write the first step on the board to get started. Then, we should ask the other students if they agree with each step as suggested and encourage them to add to the list one step at a time."
Make sure to provide each student with a sheet of paper containing the pizza recipe for the class. The recipe should be written on the bottom half of the page, leaving the top half for each student to illustrate a step of the recipe of their choice.
You can inform the class that they will be illustrating a step in the process of making a pizza, and give them the freedom to choose the step they want to illustrate. Please remind them to encircle the step they have selected.
Once the students have completed their illustrations, they can return to the assembly area to present their work to the rest of the class. After each presentation, please ask the student to explain their motivation for drawing the selected portion, and to describe the components of the drawing.
Choose several illustrations from the students that show different stages of the pizza-making process. Then, ask the students to put them in the correct order after posting them in a random order.
Review the students' illustrated list items and steps in a compiled and ordered story. "We have learned two types of lists for creating this story, which is the non-critical list, such as a grocery list, and the critical list, such as a recipe."
"What makes these two categories of lists useful?" (They are useful in various contexts or uses.) "Can you explain when these two kinds of lists would be useful?" If necessary, help the students to give examples.
Gather the students' completed drawings and tell the tale in class.
Extension:
Encourage students who require additional practice to recount the recipe's sequential steps and the significance of adhering to the recipe. Guide them in selecting the appropriate section to illustrate.
Allow students to "make" a pizza by assembling models of its components as a center activity. Students can use labeled pizza parts to order the steps to make a pizza as a center activity. They can then share their list with you or a peer.
Give students cookbooks at centers or in a pretend kitchen, and encourage them to "follow" the recipes by acting out the steps just like they did in this lesson.
