Linking Literature with: The Kissing Hand

                                       By: Audrey Penn 

Are you ready for the first day of school? Have you been writing your lesson plans yet? If not, this might spark your interest! I've used The Kissing Hand book for years, and it is still a class favorite. I love to watch the students' faces as I read this book. 

I absolutely LOVE this story! It's one of my favorites to read to my first graders on the first day of school. It is sweet, sensitive and really hits home with the students. If you have this book and haven't used it yet... you're in for a treat! I've created a packet full of fun and engaging activities to accompany this book. 

Cover Page

Even though I read it on the first day of school, I carry it over to the 2nd and 3rd day if I have to.  This packet includes a lesson plan that tells you step by step of what to say to the students and what questions to ask. I also follow the first activity with making a Text to Self Connection. I think this is so easy for the students to connect to since Chester the raccoon shares their feelings about going to school. 

Lesson Plan

These are the anchor charts that put into the packet for different activities: Text to Self Connection, Cause and Effect, Write From the Heart and Graphing.

Anchor Charts

After using these anchor charts for a mini-lesson, I created some templates for the students to use for reading: Text to Self Connection and Cause and Effect. All of these templates in this packet are in color and black and white. You can either use these as an interactive notebook activity, or glue it onto the craftivity.

Reading Templates

The craftivity is called Chester's Heart. It is literally made of hearts! I've created all of these templates for the students to cut out and glue. I've also included materials, directions and an example. This is my favorite part... because you know I LOVE to incorporate art into my lessons! I added the Text to Self Connection to the side of the craftivity to have a writing too.

Chester's Heart

I've also written two poems in this packet. One is an acrostic poem of Chester, and the other one is called "How Are You Feeling?" Both of these poems can be completed in the students' poetry notebook with an illustration. Again, both poems are in color and black and white.

Poetry

Aside from the feelings and connections, there's another avenue that I decided to take on this book...Nocturnal Animals! Well, that's not surprising since this book is about a raccoon and he goes to school at night! I've created some vocabulary cards of nocturnal animals to help you have visuals for the students: 

Vocabulary Cards

Following these cards, I've created some activities in math and science. You can have the students complete an interactive notebook activity where they glue the animals onto their habitat. These are also in color and black and white.

Interactive Notebook

Or, you can have the students complete a graphing and problem solving activity with nocturnal animals. Also in color and black and white.

Graphing Nocturnal Animals

Whatever you have your students do for this book... they are sure to enjoy every bit of it. If you are interested in checking out my Kissing Hand Packet click below. I wish you and your students a fabulous first day of school and hope that it goes smooth!

Linking Literature: The Kissing Hand Grades 1-3

Love, Kara

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