Spaghetti in a hot dog...Having the Courage to Be Who You Are

Yesterdays post was about one of my favorite bullying books, The Juice Box Bully.  You can read that post HERE.  I mentioned that The Juice Box Bully is a follow up to Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun.  I use Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun to talk about problem solving with my second graders.  We put Kelso's choices on hot dog buns and discuss how Lucy could have used each choice to solve her problem with Ralph.  Here are our hot dogs:

This is a great book to use in individual/small group/classroom counseling lessons.  I have used it to talk about courage, self-esteem, problem solving, bullying, respect, diversity, kindness, friendship, conflict resolution, etc...  I also love that this book comes with a reader's guide full of lesson ideas.  I have connected Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun to several activities which are outlined below.

Description from Amazon:  How can Ralph be so mean?  Lucy is one of a kind and Ralph loves to point that out.  Lucy's defining moment comes when Ralph truly needs help.  Because she knows what she stands for, Lucy has the courage to make a good choice.  This charming story empowers children to always do the right thing and be proud of themselves, even when they are faced with someone as challenging as Ralph.

Reader's Guide

Lesson Ideas and Comprehension Questions

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun Venn Diagram

Compare yourself to a friend activity

Recipe for Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun

Diversity Lesson to go along with Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun

A Lesson on Kindness

Unique...That's Me! Activity and Lesson

Spreading Rumors

One of the books that I use to introduce the topic of rumors is She Said What About Me?   

The main character in She Said What About Me? discovers that her "friend" has told lies about her. She can't understand why her friend would do this and becomes so upset that she doesn't want to go to school.  She ends up talking to her parents who bring her to talk to the school counselor.  With their help, she decides to talk-it-out with her "friend".  

I like this book for several reasons:

1.  I love that the school counselor is involved.  This story is a great reminder that students can go to their school counselor for help.

2.  I love that the girls "talk-it-out".  I use the Kelso's choice curriculum and this is one of the 9 ways to solve a problem.

3.  The story shows how hurtful it is when someone spreads rumors.

4.  I like that the girls are able to repair their friendship.

5.  There are 12 discussion questions at the back of the book.

Activities:

Telephone:  We play the traditional game of telephone to show how a message can change as it is passed from one person to another.  I usually pull one student into the hall and tell them a simple message.  I instruct them to return to the classroom to whisper it in the next person's ear.  The process continues until the "rumor" has been spread to each student in the classroom.  The last person announces the message as they heard it.  The final message definitely changes after it goes through a class of 15-20 kids!  

Toothpaste:  Start by telling students that they will each squeeze a large amount of toothpaste onto a paper plate.  Explain that each glob of toothpaste represents a rumor coming out of their mouth. Once the toothpaste tube is empty ask for a student volunteer.  Instruct this student to put the toothpaste back in the tube.  Obviously, the student will not be able to put the toothpaste back in.  This can lead to a great discussion about the power of words and how words can't be taken back once they are spoken.  Once a rumor is out there, damage has been done and we can't undo it.  We also talk about how easy it was to spread the rumor (squeeze out the toothpaste), but impossible to take the words back (put the toothpaste back).

Posters:  Each student can pick a topic and make a poster to hang in the wall or in the classroom. (idea from the back of the book).

For Small Groups: A coworker recently recommended the book, The Drama Llama.  This book includes a story as well as worksheets/activities.  

Another great book about spreading rumors is The Secret that Olivia Told Me.  

You could also use the She Said What About Me Card Game.  I don't own this game but it looks like it would be good for a small group setting.  

More lessons on rumors/gossip can be found here:

http://musingsofamiddleschoolcounselor.blogspot.com/2013/10/glitter-gossip.html

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rumors-Gossip-Bullying-and-Social-Skills-Booklet-Helpful-School-Counselor-1327953

Rumors and Gossip PowerPoint Presentation

http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/rumors/

Alexander's Bad Day

I use Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day for individual, small-group and classroom counseling.  After all, everyone has bad days! 


Here are some links to lessons that I have used:
http://www.franklincollege.edu/pwp/cmahaffey/LitUnit.pdf

http://writingfix.com/6_Traits/Primary/Alexander_Bad_day.htm

Questions:

Why did Alexander have such a bad day?

Did anything good happen to him?

List the bad things that happened to Alexander:

What do you think was the worst thing that happened to Alexander on his bad day?

Could Alexander have done anything to make his day a little better?

What did Alexander’s mom say at the end of the story that made him feel better?

Why do you think Alexander wanted to go to Australia?

What are some things that have happened to you on the worst day you’ve ever had?

I have also used this:

I like to have students rewrite this story with a new title: Alexander and the wonderful, fabulous, very good day. (or something similar). Before we write the story, we brainstorm strategies for managing anger. In this new story, Alexander comes accross the same obstacles, this time using the strategies that we have talked about (for example, walking away, cooling off, talking it out).

Follow up: Have students share times that they used the conflict resolution/anger mangagment techniques.
ASCA Standards:  

PS:A1.5Identify and express feelings
PS:1.6 Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate behavior
PS:1.8 Understand the need for self-control and how to practice it
PS:1.2 Understand consequences of decisions and choices
PS:B1.4 Develop effective coping skills for dealing with problems
PS:C1.10 Learn techniques for managing stress and conflict

Common Core (I used this lesson with 3rd graders):  

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace