This is one of my favorite lessons of the season, mostly because of the joy the kids get out of the story. The way it worked out was kind of a flook - I couldn't find the actual book, so I made a Power Point of the story using clip art as pictures. This ended up working out even better than the book, because I added a few extra "custom" parts. Here's how I tell the story (each line is a new slide):
The Gingerbread Man: Retold by (You)
Once upon a time there was a little old lady and a little old man who lived in a little old cottage.
The little old woman decided to make a gingerbread man for her little old husband for Christmas.
She mixed the ingredients.
She rolled out the dough.
She cut out a gingerbread man shape.
Then she put it in the oven.
The kitchen smelled SO good as the cookie baked. The little old man was very excited. "Is it done yet?" he kept asking.
Finally, he couldn't wait any longer. He peeked into the oven...
And out jumped the gingerbread man! He ran right out the door! "Stop! We want to eat you!" they yelled.
But the gingerbread man kept on running. He shouted, "Run, run, just as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man."
**At this point, I have the students read the "You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man" part whenever it comes up.**
On the path he saw a dog, who happened to be very hungry. "Stop, I want to eat you!" shouted the dog.
But the gingerbread man kept on running. He shouted, "Run, run, just as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man."
He ran through (your school's town). "Stop! We want to eat you!" shouted the townspeople.
**I used a photo of our town I found on our chamber of commerce's website... someday I'd like to take my own.**
But the gingerbread man kept on running. He shouted, "Run, run, just as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man."
He ran through (your school). "Stop!" yelled the students. "Stop!" yelled the teachers. "Stop!" yelled (your principal).
**The kids LOVE this slide. "That's OUR school!" they yell.**
But the gingerbread man kept on running. He shouted, "Run, run, just as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man."
He came to a forest where he saw many animals. "Stop!" yelled the raccoons. "Stop!" yelled the deer. "Stop!" yelled the squirrels.
But the gingerbread man kept on running. He shouted, "Run, run, just as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man."
Soon the gingerbread man came to a wide river. "Oh, no! What am I going to do?!" cried the gingerbread man.
A sly fox came along. "I will take you across the river," he offered. "But you will eat me!" said the gingerbread man. "No I won't. I've already had lunch. Grab onto my tail," the fox insisted. And the gingerbread man did.
But the river was too deep. "Oh, no! My body is getting wet!" cried the gingerbread man.
"Well, climb onto my back and you will be safe," said the fox. And the gingerbread man did.
But the river was still too deep. "Oh, no! My feet are getting wet!" cried the gingerbread man.
"Well, climb onto my head and you will be safe," said the fox. And the gingerbread man did.
But the river was still too deep. "Oh, no! My toes are getting wet!" cried the gingerbread man.
"Well, climb onto my nose and you will be safe," said the fox. And the gingerbread man did.
Suddenly, the fox snapped his head back and gobbled the gingerbread man right up!
The End
I would be happy to e-mail you the Power Point with clip art if you contact me. It's not exactly pretty - but it does the trick. I have dreams of illustrating it myself (or at least making a gingerbread man that doesn't always have a white box around him), but we all know how much free time art teachers have. : )
After the story, we complete a crayon-resist gingerbread man - all wrapped up in a lovely 35-minute session.
