BOOK EXTENSION ACTIVITY - LESSON PLAN

Your Name: Julianne Butler Genre of the Book:

Book Title: The Gruffalo Author: Julia Donaldson

Publisher: Macmillan Date: 3/23/99

1. Pre-K/ CCSD K-2nd Grade Core Standards:

 4.PK.1 Demonstrate and understand that printed material contains information
 6.PK.4 Experiment with writing tools and materials in response to literature.
 3.PK.2 Create works that express or represent experiences, ideas, feelings, and fantasy
using various media

2. Objectives:
 SWBAT – To use the information in the story to create a shelter or their own “creature”
to protect their “Mouse/chosen animal” out of a variety of media.

3. Materials/Equipment:
 Enough varying animals for each child to have at least one to protect.
 Enough playdoh for each child to have their own container
 Popsicle sticks
 Pipe cleaners
 Scissors for each child
 Googly eyes
 Different colors of construction paper
 Playdoh rollers, cookie cutters etc.
 A container for each child to have the own set of materials (should be
prepped and ready


4. Teaching:
A. Reading the book while drawing attention to the shelters described in
the book as well as the adjectives used to describe the Gruffalo.
B. Extension activity:
I would introduce the animals and state, “Our animals need our help. We must help make
a shelter to keep them safe or create a “creature” to scare away the other animals. I would
ask questions like what kind of building could help our animals stay safe? ( give ideas if
needed, would I need to have walls? Would it be big or small?) How would a creature look
to scare away other animals? ( would they need big eyes, tall or short?) I would give each
child their bucket of materials and ask, “What can you create to help your animals stay
safe?”
As children are creating, I would make observations on what they were doing as well as
ask open ended questions.

5. Closure: I would have the children present and describe what they made to
help keep their animals safe.