Horton Hears a Who!
"A person's a person, no matter how small."
This classic book by Dr. Seuss has now been adapted into an animated feature film (release date March 14, 2008). Whether
you watch the movie or read the book, this unit will help you turn it into a fun learning experience for your
children.
Vocabulary/Spelling
- jungle
- noise
- speck
- pouch
- disturb
- fool
- alarm
- friend
- grateful
- nonsense
- swift
- hundred
- searched
- flower
- steaming
- kettle
- breeze
- gang
- rushed
- protect
Poetry
- Memorize and/or recite a fun poem (Shel Silverstein is a perennial children's favorite). Giggle Poetry has lots of fun poems, too! (Preview poems for suitability for your family and the age of your child.)
- Write a poem - this site lets you fill in the blanks to write your own poems! Also, this site will teach you how to write a variety of silly poems. Need rhyming help? The Online Rhyming Dictionary is a good resource.
- List and define types of poems or poetry terms - you can find some at this site. There are some at this site, also.
Animals
Visit these pages to learn about animals featured in the book. Write a report, color a picture, use your imagination!
- Elephants - Enchantedlearning, Elephant Hall
- Kangaroos - Enchantedlearning, Australia Now
- Monkeys - Enchantedlearning, San Diego Zoo
- Eagles - Enchantedlearning, Creature Feature
Hearing and Sound
- Print and label the anatomy of the human ear at this site.
- This article explains the frequencies humans and animals (including elephants) can hear. Very interesting!
After reading this, I have a theory. Perhaps the Whos were yelling at too low of a pitch, so only Horton the elephant could hear them. Once the little Who joined in, he raised the pitch with his squeaky little voice, making it audible to the other creatures. I wonder if Dr. Seuss knew about this when he wrote the book! :-)
Math/Graphing
- Find items in your house that make noise - make a list and graph the items by their loudness levels.
Cooking
Make some yummy Elephant Ears! These are similar to funnel cakes which are sold at fairs and other events, but they are flattened circles rather than a batter poured from a funnel. Some also call them "fried dough". Whatever you choose to call them, they are sure to be a tasty treat!
The 'authentic' version
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups milk1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
3/8 cup shortening
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart oil for frying
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons white sugar
DIRECTIONS
- In small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and shortening. Heat until shortening melts and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm, 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Sprinkle in yeast and let sit until foamy.
- Transfer mixture to large bowl, and stir in flour to make a dough. Knead until smooth, cover and let rise 30 minutes.
- In a large heavy skillet or deep fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Roll out 1 to 2 inch balls of dough into thin sheets. Fry sheets 1 to 2 minutes on a side, until puffed and golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Combine cinnamon and 6 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle over warm pastries. Serve.
The 'quick and easy' version
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups sugar2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
oil for frying
10 (7 inch) flour tortillas
DIRECTIONS
- Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or large plate; set aside.
- In a skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil.
- Place one tortilla at a time in skillet. Cook for 5 seconds; turn and cook 10 seconds longer or until browned.
- Place in sugar mixture and turn to coat. Serve immediately.
Recipes courtesy of www.allrecipes.com
Life Skills
What kind of knots do you think would have been used to tie up Horton? Try out some different knot tying techniques and see which ones might have been effective on an elephant.Animated Knots
Lapbook It!
It's easy to lapbook a unit study! See my Lapbook Page for ideas on making your own "Horton Hears a Who!" lapbook.
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