Horton Hatches the Egg

Grade levels: Upper Elementary/Middle School

Subject: Language Arts

Skills: Metaphorical thinking, group cooperation, oral language

Materials:

• Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss

Handouts:

• For Middle School, LBUSD College Promise Bookmark

• My Promise handout cut into strips

• I like to relate this story to the college promise for Middle School. Our promise to them is to make them ready for college. Their promise to us is to sign the college promise and take advantage of all the opportunities the school gives them.

Activities:

• Read the Dr. Seuss story (10-15 minutes)

• Group Activity:

  • Give groups 5 minutes to come up with their theme and share out.

  • Students draw a poster that contains a picture and sentence representing the message of the story (20 minutes)

  • Accept all answers look for: Keeping your promises

• Sharing and clean-up (10 minutes)

Closure:

• Talk about how Horton was rewarded by keeping his promise.

• Students write a promise on the strip of paper that they will keep. The promise should be something that will have rewards for them, i.e. read every day, stay in school, stay off drugs, etc. For Middle School, cover the Middle School College Promise bookmark.

• Students can decorate their promise strip or bookmark and use it as a bookmark to remind them everyday to keep their promise.

Jackdaw (Optional):

The WRITE Institute suggests giving students a tangible thing to remember the lessons in the unit. I do this if it is a special class, such as a Read Across America visit to an elementary school and want to make a big impression.

Plastic “Easter egg” to keep their promise in.

Decorate the egg with stickers or permanent markers.

Give students Dove brand “Promises” chocolate squares.

More Horton Hatches the Egg Lesson Plans Online:

• Ed Helper.com Literature Unit