After the huge success of our first lesson, I’m a Dirty Dinosaur, I had to snag this book as soon as it came out!
I’m a Hungry Dinosaur is another Usborne Book that uses REAL things to illustrate their pictures. Unlike the I’m a Dirty Dinosaur book that uses real mud for those pictures, this book uses chocolate frosting and sprinkles. Naturally, I had to make it into a lesson plan. Any excuse to use food to teach right?
I’m a Hungry Dinosaur Comprehension Lesson
Following the same principles as my previous comprehension lesson with the book, I’m a Dirty Dinosaur {seen here} I read the book and the boys illustrate their dinosaurs accordingly.
What you’ll need:
For this lesson, you’ll need more printouts of the dinosaurs. I strongly recommend you draw your own dinosaurs as a bonus lesson, but
If you absolutely can’t draw a dinosaur, you can download mine for FREE as a pdf. STOMP Dinosaur or SMUG Dinosaur.
You’ll also need the book, I’m a Hungry Dinosaur from Usborne Books. Next you need a good recipe for either cupcakes or muffins. We used muffins this time.
- The Book
- Muffins or Cupcakes
- Chocolate Frosting
- Sprinkles
- Cherries {optional, but they’re in the book}
Once you’re all set up, explain that the goal if for your kids to “keep up” with you as you read. They should look at the pictures and use their fingers or a plastic utensil to cover the dinosaur drawing with frosting in the same places he’s covered in the book. That’s the comprehension part. As you can see on the cover he has chocolate frosting on his cheek, right arm and belly.
My boys may have had a little too much fun getting covered in frosting themselves…
After you’ve read and “comprehended” the mess, you get to decorate your cupcakes or muffins. This is part two; Can they make them look like the Hungry Dinosaur’s cupcake? And then, of course they get to eat it, which is really the best part of it all.
I’m a huge fan of teaching with food. I always think it’s a great tool and motivator to participate. Plus, at least for my boys anyway, they remember it better. They may not remember every detail of what was taught but they will for sure remember, “That one time we read with chocolate frosting.” Sometimes building memories and making learning fun is even more important than the actual lesson.
More Lessons taught with Food:
- Teaching Toddlers about Germs | Powdered Donuts
- Learning Colors | Rainbow Smoothies
- Teaching Toddlers to Brush Teeth | Chocolate Playdough
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What an interesting concept. We’ve tried to use food to help with comprehension before but it’s always lacked the structure of using “I’m a hungry Dinosaur”. We’ll certainly be giving this a try (any excuse to make cupcakes is always welcome).