TOOLS FOR TEACHERS
Common Core Standards Lesson Plans for the Classroom
What Will Hatch?
by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Ghahremani
Jelly, jiggly. What will hatch? Wiggly, squiggly. . .
tadpole.
What is more exciting than waiting for an egg to
hatch? Creatures of all varieties begin inside an egg—
and those eggs also come in all shapes and sizes. From
a squiggly tadpole to a fuzzy robin to a leathery
platypus, this charming text and unique illustrations
show eight different animals as they begin life. With a
cutout on each page readers will have fun guessing . . .
what will hatch?
Walker Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Bloomsbury
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2311-6
www.bloomsbury.com/us/what-will-hatch-9780802723116/
LESSON PLAN (GRADES KINDERGARTEN–2ND)
Who Hatched?
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting or events
Materials:
• What Will Hatch? by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Gharemani.
• A variety of animal pictures—mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians—cut from magazines or
clip art. Be certain to include pictures of the animals from the book (a turtle, song bird,
frog/tadpole, crocodile, caterpillar/butterfly, platypus, chick, penguin). Compile images on a
bulletin board, titled, “Who Hatched?” Below the title, divide the bulletin board in two sections,
each with its own subtitle: “I Hatched!” - “ I Did Not Hatch!”
• Outline of a large egg
Prior to reading the story, discuss the word hatch. What does it mean to hatch? Who hatches? Share the
animal pictures on the bulletin board and invite students to predict and decide which animals on the
board belong in which category: “I Hatched!” - “ I Did Not Hatch!” Move the animal pictures into the
appropriate categories based on student predictions and prior knowledge.
Pre-Reading:
Share the cover of the book What Will Hatch? with students. Read the title aloud. Invite students to
predict what the story might be about. Then, read the story aloud.
After reading the story, discuss the various animals featured in What Will Hatch?. Each animal in the
book is an animal that hatched from an egg—an oviparous animal. Explain that many animals hatch from
eggs, and that eggs come in all different shapes and sizes. This book provides a small sampling of animals
that both lay eggs and hatch from eggs, or, oviparous animals.
Revisit the bulletin board. Based on what was learned from the book “What Will Hatch?” are there any
animals that need to be moved to a different category? Move pictures accordingly based on student
feedback and new knowledge.
Are there any animals on the bulletin board that students aren’t sure which category they belong to?
Remove those pictures and use them as an opportunity for research to determine which animals are
oviparous and which are not.
Assessment:
Provide a large egg-shape to each student. Invite each to draw the oviparous animal of his/her choice
inside the egg shape.
LESSON PLAN (GRADES KINDERGARTEN–2ND)
Rhythm n’ Rhyme!
CCSS. ELA-Literacy: Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm
and meaning in a story, poem or song.
The book What Will Hatch? is written with rhythm and rhyme. Explain to students that rhyming
words are words that sound alike—words that have the same sound, such as hat and cat, dog and
frog, red and bed. Invite students to come up with their own rhyming words.
After discussing rhyming words, tell students you will read What Will Hatch? and students will
have a specific job during the read-aloud. They will listen specifically for the rhyming words the
author integrated throughout the story’s text. Often, the use of rhyme in a story can help readers
guess what the word might be before they’ve even read it, based on what the sentence is about.
As you read the story aloud, pause before finishing each sentence, allowing students to predict
the word that might work as the final rhyme in that sentence.
Sandy ball. What will hatch? Paddle and (rhymes with ball). Sea turtle. (What might a sea baby
sea turtle do?)
Warm seat. What will hatch? On daddy’s (rhymes with seat). Penguin.
Jelly, jiggly. What will hatch? Wiggly, (rhymes with jiggly and wiggly). Tadpole.
In a pile. What will hatch? Toothy (rhymes with pile). Crocodile.
After reading the story and having word-fun with the rhymes, ask students to identify the
repeated line the author Jennifer Ward implemented throughout the story. (What will hatch?)
Assess:
Encourage students to orally share or read/identify two words that rhyme.
LESSON PLAN (GRADES 1ST–2ND)
Choral Reading: A Story is Hatched with a Reader’s Theater
CCSS. ELA-Literacy: Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson
Implement a choral retelling of What Will Hatch? with a master cast of readers and actors—your
students!
Materials:
• a copy of the book, What Will Hatch?
• various egg shapes (construction paper or tag board, large enough to hold up for display
and to hide a child’s face behind it.)
• a copy of the script for each reader
Read the book aloud to children first so they may enjoy the illustrations and become familiar
with the story.
Divide your class into three groups. Each will have a special role in retelling the story.
Roles
Group 1: The Animals = seven students, one to represent each animal in the book (sea turtle,
penguin, tadpole/frog, crocodile, robin, caterpillar/butterfly, platypus). These students will each
hold a cutout egg shape and keep their face hidden behind it until it is their time to “hatch.”
Group 2: Refrain Chorus = will chorally read/say, “What will hatch?” as it is a refrain throughout
the story.
Group 3: “Text” Chorus = this group will chorally read the supporting text that leads to each
animal hatching.
The Script
Group Three: What Will Hatch? Written by Jennifer Ward; illustrated by Susie Ghahremani
Group Three: Sandy ball.
Group Two (refrain): What will hatch?
Group Three: Paddle and crawl.
Group One = animal one/turtle: (Hiding face behind egg shape; lowers egg to reveal and say,
“Sea turtle!”)
Group Three: Warm seat.
Group Two (refrain): What will hatch?
Group Three: On Daddy’s feet –
Group One = animal two/penguin: (Hiding face behind egg shape; lowers egg to reveal and say,
“Penguin!”)
Group Three: Jelly, jiggly.
Group Two (refrain): What will hatch?
Group Three: Wiggly, squiggly –
Group One = animal three/tadpole: Tadpole!
Group Three: In a pile.
Group Two (refrain): What will hatch?
Group Three: Toothy smile –
Group One = animal four/crocodile: Crocodile!
Group Three: Oval, blue.
Group Two (refrain): What will hatch?
Group Three: Fuzzy, new –
Group One = animal five/robin: Robin!
Group Three: Yellow, tiny.
Group Two (refrain): What will hatch?
Group Three: Plump and spiny –
Group One = animal six/caterpillar: Caterpillar!
Group Three: Small, leathery.
Group Two (refrain): What will hatch?
Group Three: Not at all feathery –
Group One = animal seven/platypus: Platypus!