Walter the Baker

This lesson is divided into 2 parts. During the first part you will read and discuss Walter the Baker by Eric Carle. The second part of the lesson will be a personal response writing and a picture of what the student wants to be when he/she grows up.

A lesson plan for grade 1 English Language Arts and Social Studies

By Teresa Bennett

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Related topics

• Learn more about English language arts and social studies.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• listen, reflect, and respond to the story. This response will express emotional reactions and personal opinions both verbally and written to the story.
• discuss how people and governments depend on each other.
• create a picture that demonstrates a job that is necessary to the community.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 Minutes

Materials/resources

• Book Walter the Baker by Eric Carle
• lined story paper
• pencils
• crayons
• white board and markers
• 9×12 white construction paper
• black vis-a-vis markers
• 2 boxes of large knotted pretzels

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

Teacher needs to:

• assemble all materials
• purchase pretzels
• read story

Activities

1. Gather students to an area where they can see and hear story.
2. Read Walter the Baker.
3. Move students to a circular seating arrangement, so they can see each other as they discuss the story.
4. Ask the following questions. See attachment 1.
   
   • Should the Duke be able to send Walter away?
   • Why did Walter want to stay?
   • Why did the Duke want Walter to stay?
5. Allow the students to respond, repeating their response and asking for clarification if necessary.
6. Give each student a large knotted pretzel. Have them hold it up to see how it fits the story’s criteria of the sun being able to shine through it 3 times. Then have them eat it to see if it meets the criteria of tasting good.
7. Write instructions for follow-up activities on the board to be used for further reference if necessary.

Follow-up activities:

• Write the answer to the following question and illustrate it on story paper. See attachment 1.What would you do and say if the Duke, or someone like him, told you to leave your home? Why?
• Draw and label a picture of what you want to be when you grow up. Stress the importance of having a job that is necessary to the community. This picture should be drawn in the center of the page with themselves being the most dominate. They write their name at the top of the page and what they want to be at the bottom of the page. It is then outlined with a black marker and colored. See attachment 1.

Assessment

• Does the student contribute to the discussion?
• Is a personal opinion or an emotional response expressed in the writing? You will get a wide range of responses from, “He’s not my father.” “He can’t tell me what to do.” to “I’d be like Walter and try to find a way to stay because it would be scary to leave my home.”
• Does the picture show a job that is necessary to the community? If the student shows a job such as rock star they will need to tell you why this is important to other people in the community.

Supplemental information

None

Related websites

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