A mini unit focusing on

mental pictures, setting, sensory details,

a text connection craft, a mystery picture,

problem solving, addition /doubles practice,

and a science adventure

using Laura Numeroff’s book!

Nancy VandenBerge

Firstgradewow.blogspot.com

This little unit consists of activities based

on the book, If You Take a Mouse to the

Movies, by Laura Numeroff. I developed

activites which correlate with our

learning objectives for the week.

Visualization

Setting

Sensory detail

ABC order

Word work

Text Connection

Number sense

Problem Solving

Addition/subtraction using manips, pics,

and numerals

Doubles

Science- Matter changes with heat

Visualization

Visualization or taking mental

pictures of a story helps students

with comprehension. Read the

story, “If You Take a Mouse to the

Movies” without showing the

pictures.

Have students visualize the

happenings in the story as you

read. Discuss what they see as

they play the movie in their minds.

Sometimes our mind movie

changes as we add our schema,

text connections , and as the

author gives us more information.

Have students illustrate what

they visualize on the film strip

frames. Then confirm by sharing

the book.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

SETTING

The setting of a story

helps us picture the

story in our minds.

The setting is the time

and the place where

the story occurs.

The setting of the story,

“If You Take

a Mouse to the Movies” is…

1. ________________________

2. ________________________

3. ________________________

4. ________________________

5. ________________________

Illustrate your favorite setting.

Name ___________

Sensory Detail When writing a narrative, one way to

make it exciting is to include sensory

detail.

What is sensory detail?

Sensory detail is using words to

describe what is happening

incorporating the five senses – sight,

sound , smell ,taste, and touch. As

humans, we learn about the world and

our surroundings through our senses.

Give new writers practice in using

sensory details by popping popcorn.

Have them write words to describe

the experience. Then write a

narrative using those words.

What’s Popping?

When popping

popcorn you…

Hear-

See-

Smell-

Feel-

Taste-

See Hear

Smell Feel

Taste

Name _____________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

Name__________

Help Mouse put the

words in ABC order!

movies

popcorn

tree

snowman

fort

blanket

radio

ornaments

Spelling

Write Your Words on the Popcorn!

Text to self connection!

If you take me to the movies, I will

ask for…

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 38 40

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 38 40

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

Mystery Picture

Red- 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26, 35,

36, 42 through 49

Brown- 13, 18, 22, 24, 27, 29, 32, 34,

37, 38, 52, 53, 55, 56, 58, 59,

63 through 68, 74 through 77,

84, 85, 86, 87

Pink - 23, 28, 33, 38, 95, 96

Help Mouse string the popcorn. Color the

path by adding three each time.

START

FINISH

3 2 9 12 11 8

7 6 8 4 15 18

12 11 36 33 21 24

10 39 12 30 27 25

6 42 45 40 20 21

22 48 51

If You Take a

Mouse to the

Movies

You will Need to

Help Him Solve

Some Problems!

Name___________

Mouse bought 7 tickets to the movies.

How many friends can he bring with

him?

Mouse wants to string 10 pieces of

popcorn. He has already strung 4.

How many more does he need to

string?

Mouse made 10 snowballs. He threw 7

of them at you! How many does he

have left?

Mouse wants to listen to 5 songs on

the radio. He has already listened

to 3. How many more will he listen

to?

Mouse made 4 ornaments. Then he

made 6 more. How many did he make

all together?

Mouse

Math

Students will solve the

addition problems using

counters, number lines,

“counting on,” etc.

Sort cards by sums.

Record on

Mouse Math

Recording Sheet.

3+4 5+2

6+1 4+3

4+4 5+3

6+2 7+1

4+5 6+3

7+2 8+1

5+5 6+4

7+3 8+2

Name_________

Mouse Math Recording Sheet

7

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

8

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

9

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

10

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

__ + __ = __

It’s the Doubles, Mouse!

It's the doubles, Mouse

Let's go, let's go!

It's the doubles, Mouse,

and we start with zero:

0+0=0 Oh!

1+1=2 Oooooo!

2+2=4 More!

3+3=6 Kicks!

4+4=8 That's great!

5+5=10 Again!

It’s the Doubles, Mouse!

It's the doubles , Mouse,

Let's go, let's go!

It's the doubles, Mouse,

and we start with zero:

0+0=0 Oh!

1+1=2 Oooooo!

2+2=4 More!

3+3=6 Kicks!

4+4=8 That's great!

5+5=10 Again!

6+6=12 That's swell!

7+7=14 Let's Lean!

8+8=16 Really Keen!

9+9=18 Jelly Bean!

10+10=20 That's plenty!

Dazzling Doubles

Solve the doubles

number sentences. Use

counters if needed.

Match the number

sentence card to the

sum card. Complete the

Dazzling Doubles

Recording Sheet.

0 + 0 1 + 1

2 + 2 3 + 3

4 + 4 5 + 5

6 + 6 7 + 7

8 + 8 9 + 9

10+10

0 2

4 6

8 10

12 14

16 18

20

Name _________

0+0 = 0

What’s the “Matter”

with Popcorn?

Teacher Background Information

Each kernel of popcorn contains a small drop

of water stored inside a circle of soft starch.

The soft starch is surrounded by the kernel's

hard outer surface.

As the kernel heats up, the water begins to

expand. Around 212 degrees the water turns

into steam and changes the starch inside

each kernel into a superhot gelatinous goop.

The kernel continues to heat to about 347

degrees, and the hot goop must escape! As it

explodes, the steam inside the kernel is

released. The soft starch inside the popcorn

becomes inflated and spills out, cooling

immediately and forming into the odd shape

we know and love. A kernel will swell 40-50

times its original size!

What’s the Matter with

Popcorn?

Popcorn kernels are mostly solid. Inside

each kernel is a small drop of water (liquid).

What do you think happens as you heat the

kernels?

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

Draw a picture

Name________________