The Little Engine that Could

Here is a 3 day lesson plan for teaching language arts using the book The Little Engine that Could, by Watty Piper.

Day 1: Intro.
materials: copy(s) of book, conductor's cap, camera
Read story
Fill out story map (poster of title, author, characters, problem, & solution)
Take pictures of children wearing the conductor cap


Day 2: "I can't" Funeral & "I think I can" train cars
materials: copy(s) of book, cut out of engine & train cars, paint, 1 card for each child with the words "I can't" on it, 1 envelope, shovel, print out of words "I think I can!"
Review story (if you have multiple copies, let children lead the storytelling)
Have children find the page where the engine says the words "I cannot"
Talk about these words. They are sad words and we don't want them in our home.
Give each child a card with the words "I can't" on them. Have the children put their cards in the envelope. Go out into the backyard and bury the envelope. Talk about how we are not going to use these words in our home.
NEXT, go inside have each child paint one or two "train cars" (just a rectangle shaped piece of paper). Talk about all the things that we think we can do. . . introduce the phrase "I think I can!" as the words that we use in our home.
"I can't" funeral


Day 3: Conclusion
materials: printed "conductor cap" pictures
Take the dry train cars and hang up them up on the wall with the words "I think I can!" above them.
Tell the children that even if something we do is hard, the best words are "I think I can!"
Hang the conductor cap picture of each child with their train cars. Fill the train with things you think you can do! (you can draw pictures, or write on each car the things that that child can do)