Robert Munsch Lesson Plans Using Moira's Birthday

Robert Munsch Lesson Plans Using Moira's Birthday
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Robert Munsch lesson plans are a wonderful addition to any classroom. This lesson plan uses a classic Robert Munsch story, Moira’s Birthday, to teach writing and problem and solution. Use this lesson plan as part of a unit on birthdays or for a fun writing activity on its own.

Materials

<em>Moira’s Birthday</em> by Robert Munsch

Construction paper (12x18)

Markers/crayons

Pencils

Notebook paper

Stapler

Hole punch (optional)

Yarn (optional)

Prior Knowledge

Ask students to share their favorite birthday party memories.

Teach

Show students the cover of the book, and have them make predictions based on the cover. Read the story to your students stopping to discuss what is going on in the story. Be sure to discuss what Moira’s problem is. After you have finished reading, discuss how Moira solved her problems and who helped her. Talk about how every story has to have a problem and solution.

Procedure

This part of the lesson plan will likely take at least a few days. Explain that today students will become authors and write about their own past birthday party. Allow students to choose which past birthday party they want to write about. If they cannot think of one, allow them to make one up. Explain to your students that sometimes authors take a real event and turn it into a fictional story.

Have students complete a prewriting strategy. A good one to use with this writing assignment is to complete a story map. Have students fill out a basic story map that includes characters, problem and solution, and main events. If students cannot think of a problem and solution for their story, allow them to create a fictional one. Circulate and help as needed.

Next, have students write their stories. You can decide how long the stories need to be. When students have finished writing, have them edit and revise their stories. Peer editing, where students trade and edit each other’s stories, works really well in most cases, including this one.

Next, when students are ready to make their final copies, have them do it on construction paper. Have them turn it into a book. When they have finished their final copy, have them illustrate the book. Finally, bind the book. You can use a hole punch and ribbon or yarn to tie it together. You can also staple it.

Assess

Allow students to become the teacher and let them read their stories to the class. You can even grade the final product.

Extend

Use Moira’s Birthday to teach math. Make a birthday graph using the birthdays in the classroom. You can also teach addition and subtraction using the number 200.

Read more about birthday lesson plans right here at Bright Hub!