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Running From Whom?Writing
The Gingerbread Man runs away from an old couple and many
other story characters. Whom or what would your students like to see
the Gingerbread Man run away from? To find out, make this class
book! To make a cover, color and cut out a copy of a Gingerbread
Man pattern from page 5. Attach the cutout to a sheet of construction
paper and copy the poem shown. Give each child a sheet of paper
and encourage her to draw
the Gingerbread Man running
away from someone or
something. Have her write
(or dictate for you to write) a
sentence about her drawing.
Stack the completed pages
under the cover and bind
them together
as desired.The Gingerbread Man ran and ran,
Away from the little old woman and
the little old man.
He ran from others, one by one.
Who else might the Gingerbread Man
run from?The Gingerbread
Man is
running from a monster!
Cookie Sheet CountingCounting
There is only one Gingerbread Man in
this story, but plenty more can be found
at this math center! To prepare, cut out
the cookie patterns on page 7. Place the
cookies at a center along with a cookie
sheet and a set of number cards (up to
10). A child visits the center, chooses a
card, and places the corresponding number
of cookies on the cookie sheet. Then he
counts the cookies again to verify his work.
Have him repeat this process with different
number cards as time allows.
10
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Note to the teacher: Send a copy of this page home with each child. Encourage students to tell their parents about the story they’ve been reading
and the story-themed activities they’ve been doing at school.
We are reading the story
The freshly baked Gingerbread Man escapes from the oven and outruns all those who try to catch him. But will he be able to avoid the clever fox or end up as his tasty snack?
Fun things to do:• Have your child point to the Gingerbread Man in the picture. Point
out to your child that the Gingerbread Man is running, which is an
action. Then encourage your child to name other action words.
• Invite your child to assist you in making gingerbread man cookies.
Have your child help you measure the ingredients, mix and roll the
dough, cut out the cookies, and decorate them.
• Talk with your child about how the fox tricks the Gingerbread Man
in the story. Ask your child to tell about a time he or she has been
tricked. Encourage your child to describe what happened and how
it made him or her feel.
Fun for the FamilyThe Gingerbread Man
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The Gingerbread Man
Running Round and Round
Letter recognition
During this whole-group activity, the Gingerbread Man
stumbles upon a variety of letters as he runs around.
Gather students in a circle and give each child a letter card
to place in front of her. Give one child a gingerbread man
cutout (pattern on page 5). Play some music and have the
child holding the Gingerbread Man walk around the circle,
touching the Gingerbread Man to each letter as she passes.
Stop the music, have the child stop the Gingerbread Man on
a letter and lead the group in chanting, “The Gingerbread
Man runs round and round. Tell us which letter he has
found.” Ask the child holding the Gingerbread Man to name
the letter he is on. Then have her give the Gingerbread Man
to that child and sit down in her place. Restart the music for
another round of play.
L
MatthewName _______________________
Under the tree…
Where is the
Gingerbread Man?
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Where Is the Gingerbread Man?
Positional words
The Gingerbread Man runs away from many of the story’s
characters, but where does he go? Give your students an idea by
leading them in making these adorable booklets. Copy the booklet
cover, pages, and patterns on pages 5 and 6 to make a class
supply. Write each child’s name on a booklet cover, cut out the
cover and pages, and staple them in order along the left side.
After each child colors his booklet, have him color and cut out a
set of gingerbread man patterns. Then, beginning with the cover,
read the booklet text aloud. On booklet pages 1–4, have the child
glue a gingerbread man in the corresponding position. So that’s
where the Gingerbread Man goes when he runs off!
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Booklet Cover and Pages 1, 2, and 3Use with “Where Is the Gingerbread Man?” on page 2.
Beside the house…1
Next to the box…2
Under the tree…3
Where Is the Gingerbread Man?
Name _______________________
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Gingerbread BabyWritten and illustrated by Jan Brett
When Gingerbread Baby escapes from Matti’s oven, he
is chased around the countryside by a variety of people and
animals. Meanwhile, Matti remains at home cooking up a
way to catch this mischievous cookie.
oven wall barnwell wagon bridge river milk can house
From Place to PlaceLiteracy
This activity enlists youngsters’ help
in recalling the places Gingerbread Baby
visits as he avoids being captured. Draw
an oven on one end of a length of bulletin
board paper and glue a gingerbread house
cutout (pattern on page 11) to the opposite
end. To begin, attach a gingerbread baby
cutout (patterns on page 12) to the oven
with Sticky-Tac adhesive. Then revisit the
story and invite youngsters to recall, in order,
places Gingerbread Baby visits after leaving
the house. As a child names each loca-
tion, sketch it on the paper. Then encourage
students to retell the story by moving
Gingerbread Baby along the path until he is
safely in his home.
Home, Sweet HomeArt
With this activity, students make a gingerbread house—
just like Gingerbread Baby’s! Give each youngster a brown
construction paper house cutout (pattern on page 11) and
a few cotton balls. Have each child stretch the cotton balls
and glue them to the roof of the house so they resemble
frosting. Invite each child to use a variety of craft supplies
to decorate her house as desired. Then help her tape her
house to another sheet of construction paper so it makes
a flap like the gingerbread house in the story. Finally, have
her color a copy of the gingerbread baby on page 12 and
glue it behind the house.
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Draw
Sweet Fellow
Finish the gingerbread man.
Note to the teacher: If desired, copy the page onto brown paper. After students have finished their drawings, have them drizzle white
paint on their gingerbread men so it resembles frosting.
Name
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On the fox…
4Crunch!
5
Booklet Pages 4 and 5 and PatternsUse with “Where Is the Gingerbread Man?” on page 2.
Gingerbread Man PatternUse with “Running Round and Round” on page 2 and
“Running From Whom?” on page 3.
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The Gingerbread ManU
se with “C
ookie Sheet C
ounting” on page 3.
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Gingerbread Baby Patterns
Use with “From Place to Place” and “Home, Sweet Home” on page 9 and
“In, Out, and All Around” on page 10.
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Gingerbread House Pattern
Use with “From Place to Place” and “Home, Sweet Home” on page 9 and
“In, Out, and All Around” on page 10.
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Gingerbread Baby
In, Out, and All AroundMath
With this activity, youngsters name positional words to show where the Gingerbread Baby is in relationship to his beloved gingerbread house. To begin, cut out a copy of the ginger-bread house and one gingerbread baby pattern on pages 11 and 12 and ready each cutout for flannelboard use. Place the house on your flan-nelboard and place the gingerbread baby beside the house. Have students identify the baby’s location. Then repeat the process with other positional words, such as inside, outside, below, or on top of.
The gingerbread baby is beside house.
Can’t Catch Me!Gross motor
Invite your little ones to maneuver through obstacles similar to the ones Gingerbread Baby faced in the story. In a traffic-free area of the room, arrange a row of blocks (wall), a large hoop (well), and a line of tape (bridge). Each youngster, in turn, steps over the wall, hops in and out of the well, and walks along the bridge. No doubt youngsters will ask to repeat the actions of Gingerbread Baby again and again.