LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Story Map: The Gingerbread Manhunt

The purpose of this lesson is to present a fun, memorable way for children to learn where the secretary, principal, nurse, janitor, cafeteria, playground, and other grade levels are located while matching a face and job with each of these locations and its importance to the functioning of the school.

A lesson plan for grade K Social Studies

By Tina Baker

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Learning outcomes

The students will be able to identify the school’s community, the school’s environment, who is involved in the school, and where these people are located.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

40 minutes

Materials/resources

  • Gingerbread Man Story
  • Gingerbread Men cookies
  • Map of School
  • Pictures of the people in the school
  • Paper and Crayons the students can use to draw their favorite place

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

Read the students The Gingerbread Man, discuss how the Gingerbread Man met many different animals and people on his journey. Children should already be acclimated to their room environment so begin discussing the environment outside the classroom.

Activities

  1. Tell the students: Today we are going to learn where some very important people and places are located in our school. Together we are going to make a map of the school and read the book The Gingerbread Man. You are going to chose your favorite person around the school and tell why you chose them.
  2. Before the lesson, take pictures of each person and their respective work areas or the area outside the classroom the students need to be familiar with all of these. During the lesson, show each picture, introducing these people at an appropriate pace for your students.
  3. Discuss as a group each job and its importance, or each area and its use. As a group, place a picture on the appropriate spot on the school map (should be drawn before hand.)
  4. Have the children draw a picture of their favorite school helper and say why they choose that person and his/her location.
  5. Tell the students that they are going on a gingerbread manhunt. You can have a note fall out of the book that you read to them earlier. The note should tell the students where the gingerbread man is and if they run, run, as fast as they can, they might be able to catch him. Continue this until you have gone to all of the areas discussed in class, each time just missing the gingerbread man and finding another note. Continue until the last note tells you to go back to the room where the students will find gingerbread cookies they can eat.

Assessment

Determine if the students have an understanding of where people and places are located through their drawing of their favorite. You can also see if the students know where to go by questioning them on the Gingerbread manhunt.

Supplemental information

None

Related websites

N/A

Comments

Students are allowed to draw their favorite place allowing those students who cannot write to still have a part in the project. All of the work is done as a whole class and additional support provided by the teacher will encourage students to speak up without fear of rejection. Early finishers will be allowed to go and work in a center or help another child with their favorite person around the school. Students who are having trouble will be provided help from peers.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Kindergarten

  • Goal 5: The learner will express basic geographic concepts in real life situations.
    • Objective 5.01: Locate and describe familiar places in the home, school, and other environments.
    • Objective 5.02: Create and interpret simple maps, models, and drawings of the home, school, and other environments.
    • Objective 5.03: Describe the functions of places in the home, school, and other environments.