The Little Red Henby Carol B. Kaplan
Curriculum Ideas by Ann Edmonds
Table of Contents
Introduction to The Little Red Hen ........................................................................................... 1
Step by Step – You Can Do It! ................................................................................................. 2
Music ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Social Studies .......................................................................................................................... 4
Socio-Emotional Development ................................................................................................ 4
Gross-Motor Activities and Dramatic Play ............................................................................... 5
Language Arts ......................................................................................................................... 6
Math ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Science .................................................................................................................................... 7
Cooking ................................................................................................................................... 8
Art, Costumes, and Scenery ................................................................................................... 9
Set Design ..............................................................................................................................11
Dress Rehearsal and Performance ....................................................................................... 12
Narration ................................................................................................................................ 13
Lyrics ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Musical Score ........................................................................................................................ 21
Related resources ................................................................................................................. 31
Illustrations by Kathy MitterCover by Lyner PhotographySpecial thanks to Margaret Nussbaum
Copyright © 1991 – Milliken Publishing Company
Permission to reproduce pages extends only to the teacher/purchaser for individual classroom use, not to exceed in any event more than one copy per pupil per course. The reproduction of any part of this book for use by an entire school or school system or for any commercial use is strictly prohibited.
© Milliken Publishing Company 1 The Little Red Hen
INTRODUCTION TO THE LITTLE RED HENThe Little Red Hen, a classic story of a
hardworking hen and her lazy friends, is told inmany cultures. This play has been structuredfor use with young children, and we encourageyou and your students to explore relatedconcepts while rehearsing and preparing forthe performance.
This musical play is easy to prepare and toperform. Everything needed to prepare it isincluded in this package. Side A of theenclosed cassette includes both the music andlyrics to the songs. Side B contains theaccompaniment only and may be used for aperformance if you do not have a live musicianat your disposal.
The resource guide includes suggestions forpreparation and performance of this play. Feelfree to modify the play so that it best fits theneeds of your group. You may add or deletecharacters, modify or delete songs, or addlines to the narration. You may also use themusical simply as a classroom activity tointroduce the concepts of music and drama tovery young children.
Before beginning rehearsals, plan to use theplay as a month-long theme or focus for anintegrated curriculum. This play can be used tostudy science, math, language arts, and socialstudies as well as music, art, and dramaticplay. It is vital to remember that The Little RedHen is designed to make learning enjoyable.Don’t expect perfection. The children (and you)will not perform as professionals. Guardagainst burnout by integrating the process intoall parts of your curriculum and by keepingformal rehearsals to a minimum. Whenintegrating the following activities, keep theprojects simple so the learning is meaningful tothe children. Young children learn best bydoing. Have fun!
This musical play is easy to prepare and to perform. Everything needed to prepare it is included in this package. Tracks 1-12 of the enclosed CD include both the music and lyrics to the songs. Tracks 13-47 contain the accompaniment only and may be used for a performance if you do not have a live musician at your disposal.
© Milliken Publishing Company 2 The Little Red Hen
STEP BY STEP—YOU CAN DO IT!1. Read the narration as a story to your
class. Play the songs during quiet time.2. Have the children retell the story verbally.
Listen and watch to see who might enjoythe different parts.
3. A few days later, have the children retellthe story through dramatic play.
4. Talk about the components of a play.Discuss the terms performance, rehearsal,costume, scenery, character, andaudience.
5. By this time, the children should befamiliar with the music. Ask them if theywould like to act out The Little Red Hen asa musical play, created with songs theyalready know.
6. Read the narration again and add thetaped songs.
7. Assign roles. Emphasize that there areparts for everyone. The cast of charactersincludes: The Little Red Hen, the fox, thecow, the cat, the pig, the miller, the chicks(as many as you need), and the chorus(as many as you need). The narration maybe read by an older child, a parent helper,or the teacher.
8. Continue to learn the songs in circle time.Practice them at different moments of theday.
9. Start using the related curriculum
throughout your day. Allow three to fourweeks to enjoy the activities and toprepare for the performance. Make andsend the invitations. Make the costumesand scenery, and bake the bread.
10. The Little Red Hen takes about 20minutes to perform. Plan on having onlythree or four 30 minute rehearsals. Thechildren will already know the songs andthe story so encourage them to stand andmove naturally as the pig, the fox, the cat,the cow, or the chicken family. Encouragethem to work together.
Read the narration again and add therecorded songs.
© Milliken Publishing Company 2 The Little Red Hen
STEP BY STEP—YOU CAN DO IT!1. Read the narration as a story to your
class. Play the songs during quiet time.2. Have the children retell the story verbally.
Listen and watch to see who might enjoythe different parts.
3. A few days later, have the children retellthe story through dramatic play.
4. Talk about the components of a play.Discuss the terms performance, rehearsal,costume, scenery, character, andaudience.
5. By this time, the children should befamiliar with the music. Ask them if theywould like to act out The Little Red Hen asa musical play, created with songs theyalready know.
6. Read the narration again and add thetaped songs.
7. Assign roles. Emphasize that there areparts for everyone. The cast of charactersincludes: The Little Red Hen, the fox, thecow, the cat, the pig, the miller, the chicks(as many as you need), and the chorus(as many as you need). The narration maybe read by an older child, a parent helper,or the teacher.
8. Continue to learn the songs in circle time.Practice them at different moments of theday.
9. Start using the related curriculum
throughout your day. Allow three to fourweeks to enjoy the activities and toprepare for the performance. Make andsend the invitations. Make the costumesand scenery, and bake the bread.
10. The Little Red Hen takes about 20minutes to perform. Plan on having onlythree or four 30 minute rehearsals. Thechildren will already know the songs andthe story so encourage them to stand andmove naturally as the pig, the fox, the cat,the cow, or the chicken family. Encouragethem to work together.
© Milliken Publishing Company 3 The Little Red Hen
MUSICDiscuss with the children that a musical is
different than a play because it is a story that isset to music. Begin regularly playing the musicfor the children. You’ll soon notice them singingthe songs spontaneously at play. Practice thewords during circle time or while waiting in line.Play the accompaniment tape during free play.It’s fun for children to move to the music asthey do their daily work. It will be easy for themto learn and perform the words and music ifyou introduce and play the songs in a naturalway.
Simple instruments add to the fun andlearning. Children learn about rhythm andpercussion as they tap their toes, clap theirhands, and slap their knees. Make simpleinstruments to use for the performance. Put afew pebbles in a cornmeal or oatmeal box andshake it like a rattle. You can also use the boxas a drum.
Let the children create their owninstrumental music using their handmadeinstruments. Let them create baking music forthe hen, or scary music to be played when thefox is seen. See the Related Resourcessection for books containing more music ideas.
Discuss with the children that a musical is different than a play because it is a story that is set to music. Begin regularly playing the music for the children. You’ll soon notice them singing the words spontaneously at play. Practice the words during circle time or while waiting in line. Play the accompaniment CD during free play. It’s fun for children to move to the music as they do their daily work. It will be easy for them to learn and perform the words and music if you introduce and play the songs in a natural way.
© Milliken Publishing Company 4 The Little Red Hen
SOCIAL STUDIES
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENTThe Little Red Hen is a classic story for
discussing cooperation and justice. Ask thechildren to decide what was fair or not fair inthe story. Ask them to define cooperation in thestory and in the classroom.
Help the children evaluate the performancepreparation in terms of cooperation. Dideveryone help? Was the show better, easier, ormore fun because everyone worked together?Talk about the characters in the story. Are theybrave? lazy? hardworking? kind? cooperative?selfish? responsible? Talk about thecharacteristics of a good friend or neighbor.
Let the class write a different ending to the
story. This activity always produces divergentthinking and helps the young child to realizethat he or she has the power and responsibilityof choice.
Talk about the differences between fantasyand real life. The heroine of this story is a hen.The other characters are also animals. Is this atrue story? Do these animals behave likepeople or like animals?
Bread, a central “Ingredient” to the story, isa universal food and is found from Tibet toNigeria, from the Middle East to Asia. Varietiesinclude everything from the corn breads of theAmericas to the soft wheat breads of Europe.Let the children discuss different kinds ofbreads. When you talk about a particularbread, find its origin on your classroom map.
Bring different breads and toppings to classand share them with the children. Middle-Eastern pita/pocket bread is delightful. It canbe filled with peanut buffer, cheese, or freshvegetables for a snack or lunch. Bagels can bespread with cream cheese.
Explore Native American culture whilestone-grinding some corn. Talk about corn ormaize as a grass which humans cultivate and
use to feed themselves and their animals. Talkabout life on a farm compared to life in a city.Visit a local bread factory to see how multi-batch bread is baked and marketed.
